What is your answer for the Middle East?

I would use Arab and Western capital and know how to build a Green Industrial Zone in Rafah, Gaza; where Gaza, Egypt and Israel converge, and where 300,000 Jews, Christians and Muslims would show up to work on a daily basis.

Why Rafah in particular? Isn’t that a tough neighborhood, to say the least?

Rafah is the “wild west” of the Middle East. But because it’s such a tough place, is why you want to build it there. Like Frank Sinatra sang about New York City, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere…”

Why a Green Industrial Zone? Why not a plain old, run-of-the-mill industrial zone?

Because we’re not just building an industrial zone. We’re building a new model for the Middle East, a model for positive change in that troubled region. We want to inspire a sense of hope, and deliver on that promise with jobs: jobs which grow our economies, jobs which protect the environment, and jobs which help weaken the hold of extremist thinking. By focusing the project on the environment, and by working to improve the human condition, on issues such as clean water, food production, healthcare and green energy, we are more likely to garner worldwide attention and additional investment dollars. As such, we could replicate the project throughout the Middle East, in a bid to revitalize the entire region with jobs. What begins as a single solitary project could well blossom into a movement for change.

How about Hamas? Wouldn’t they just blow up the place?

Even Hamas needs to create jobs. It’s one thing to get elected. It’s quite another to govern. As Hamas, or the Muslim Brotherhood, undertake to govern, and as they take note of what is happening on the Arab street even as we speak, they may come to the realization that job creation is in their interest as they attempt to consolidate political power. Therefore, while they may not agree to peace, they may agree to protect our Green Industrial Zone, as a way of inspiring the man on the street, and delivering on that promise with jobs.

What makes you think that wealthy Arabs and Westerners would likely invest in such a venture?

For the first time, in a long time, Arab, Israeli and Western leaders are facing some very common existential threats, namely, the prospect of a nuclear Iran, and the fury of the man on the street. These common existential threats, what we call a mosaic of mutual self-interest, could be leveraged into a strategic/economic alliance between the Arab states, Israel, the U.S., and Europe, with two purposes in mind: to provide security in the region, and to use Arab and Western capital and knowhow to revitalize the region with jobs. Millions of Western jobs could also be created in the process as we open up a new market for our goods and services.

Where would you get the green technology to run a Green Industrial Zone?

As it happens, counties like Israel offer quite a bit in this regard. My friend in the Technion, for example, just invested a way of engineering fruits and vegetables that are draught resistant and that use 70% less water. Imagine the possibilities for feeding people in places like the Middle East and Africa. And Israel would likely cooperate because she would much prefer to see positive change occurring in the Middle East, so that an already tough neighborhood does not become even more so.

Where would you find the workers with the necessary skills to handle green jobs?

We would build a vocational school, as part of our Green Industrial Zone, to train young workers, and to equip them with the necessary skills. We would also invest in female entrepreneurs and promote women’s rights.

Why women in particular?

Empower Muslim women in ways that they deem appropriate, and you will have changed the face of the Middle East. Who are women? They are the givers of life and the caretakers of life, and as such are uniquely qualified to reconstitute their societies consistent with a Vision of Hope.

Do you really believe that a new model of this sort is even possible?

Maybe, maybe not. However, some of the key players in the Middle East are quickly running out of good options. They may choose to join in, not because they necessarily love one another, or because they want peace, or because they want a better world for their children. No, none of that crap. They may join in because they’re running out of options, as the old model that has been put in place is falling apart. The writing is on the wall for all the business and political leaders in the Middle East. We see the energy in the hearts and minds of young people. We either find a way to marshal that energy and point it in a positive direction, or it will all explode in our collective faces.

How long will it all take?

A new Middle East may take generations to pull off. However, the plans for the industrial zone in Rafah already exist. A wealthy industrialist in Israel, Stef Wertheimer, already drew them up, and was ready to break ground, when the second Intifada broke out in the year 2000, and the plans were scrapped. We could use those plans, put some serious capital behind them, and launch the project immediately by with Caterpillar tractors showing up to clear the land. Even this first step would inspire a sense of hope, and would buy us time to effectuate positive chance gradually, as opposed to dealing with revolutionary change on our doorsteps.

A Green Industrial Zone in a wild and crazy place like Rafah will resonate with hope, and will deliver on that promise with jobs. It will be the model which answers the three greatest questions of our time: How do we grow our economies? How do we protect the environment? And how do we weaken the hold of extremist thinking? As such, it will capture the world’s imagination and be replicated in a bid to revitalize the entire region with jobs and personal freedoms. It will restore the rich legacy of Arab pride and dignity. It will bring stability where chaos now reigns. And it will point to a place where, for a change, everybody wins.

Even though I enjoy my own company, your comments would be greatly welcomed. You are also welcome to visit us at www.sellingavisionofhope.org for more information.

Yesterday’s parliamentary elections in Egypt is a case in point. Certainly, there was a sense of hope written on the faces of Egyptians who voted, as perhaps a first step in reclaiming their country. But who did they vote for? Undoubtedly, the Muslim Brotherhood will garner a strong position in the new government. But does that necessarily mean an end to democracy even before it starts?

It came as a surprise to some to find out that in recent months, the Muslim Brotherhood has advocated strongly on behalf of foreign investment in Egypt, and on behalf of job creation. Even though there are fears in the air that women’s rights are in danger, and that a return to religious fundamentalism is in the offing, still, the Brotherhood, at least for now, doesn’t seem to dwell on such things, but focuses its rhetoric on jobs. Is this just a ploy to win elections, or is it the real deal?

There is no doubt that ordinary people on the streets of Cairo, and throughout the region, yearn for many of the same things that are sought after the world over, like freedom, dignity and economic security. It would seem to make sense, therefore, that these causes should be at the heart of any successful political campaign, even campaigns conducted by those with leanings toward religious fundamentalism. In other words, to the extent that the people on the street are deeply committed to such things as freedom, democracy and jobs, then to that extent, any political party, regardless of its ideological inclinations, will have no choice but to speak about, and deliver on, the causes which are most important to the people, in order to win elections, and most importantly, to win hearts and minds.

That, at least, is the hope for the revolution that some call the Arab Awakening.

Of course, there are no guarantees, especially when you’re talking about political revolutions. In fact, most times things go badly, before getting any better. But there are things, three things in particular, that may help to move a revolution in the right direction, in a direction that is in line with the aspirations of the people.

The first thing that can help bring success to a revolution is to embrace a vision, a vision of hope, that calls for change which is positive, realistic and attainable. For example, if it is freedom and jobs you want, then advocate on behalf of these, because they are within the realm of possibility. And in fact, personal freedom and job creation go hand in hand. Any regime which strives for economic growth and job creation in this globalized world of ours, will  have no choice but to allow some measure of freedom, as a way of instilling a sense of trust among prospective investors. These freedoms may be limited somewhat, as in the case of China, but greater openness is indispensable to economic growth.

The second factor that helps to bring success to a revolution is to bring life to a vision of hope using the right tactics, and this involves a strategy of non-violence. You don’t want to demonize certain individuals, or certain groups, because this will cause such groups to retreat into their own corners, in preparation for civil war. You want to be inclusive of all people, and advocate on behalf of a vision which is welcoming to all, and which inspires everyone to come together in common purpose. And you want your voice to be heard throughout the land, while shying away from violence, even in the face of violent attacks by the opposition, which for the most part has been the case in places like Egypt and Tunisia. Syria is another matter, but the violence there by the government is so overwhelming, that some violent resistance is inevitable.

The third, and perhaps paramount aspect of a successful revolution is to pick leaders in the mold of visionaries like Gandhi, King and Mandela, who inspired their people, and who used non-violence to give substance to the aspirations of the people. They were not motivated by revenge. Gandhi could have turned the people against the British, but he didn’t. King had reason to turn against his country, but he didn’t. And Mandela could have launched a campaign to turn against the whites, and confiscate their property, but he didn’t. Instead, these leaders chose a different path: to advocate on behalf a vision of hope, to give substance to their vision using non-violent means, to be all-inclusive in their approach, and to deliver on promises made so as to give hope for a better future.

The Arab Awakening is at a crossroads. We can become entrenched ideologically, and consolidate political power by demonizing one another. Or we can choose instead to embrace a vision of hope, and deliver on that promise with real change, change that capture hearts and minds, and that gives life to the aspirations of the people. The choice is ours and everything we love and hold dear hangs in the balance.

Please visit us at www.sellingavisionofhope.org

The Taliban were not exactly a friendly bunch when they ran things in Afghanistan. They made life difficult for the people with their distorted version of Islam. They kept women covered up and hidden away in the shadows. And they allowed al Qaeda to recruit and train in preparation for 9/11.

The consequences of the terror attack ran deep and have changed the course of human destiny forever. Three-thousand innocent civilians were murdered, and things would never be the same. A War On Terror was launched. Regime change was undertaken in Afghanistan and Iraq, and in recent months, perhaps as an indirect consequence, the Arab Spring has taken hold in the Middle East, bringing with it the prospect of regime change throughout the region, in response to a call by the people for freedom and jobs.

Yet still somehow there is little that has been resolved in the Middle East, even ten years since the towers of the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And there are few prospects, at this point in time, that the hopes and aspirations of the Arab Spring will bear fruit. We can see, lurking in the shadows, all sorts of shady characters who remain poised to pounce on the opportunity to assume the reins of power, and to impose on the people their lopsided versions of right and wrong.

9/11 was a defining moment in American history, but what did it mean? The Arab Spring is a defining moment in Middle East history, but where will it lead? Will the hopes and aspirations of the people be realized? Or will the War On Terror and the Arab Spring be footnotes in the annals of history; cast aside as missed opportunities to bring about real change?

In order for 9/11 and the Arab Spring to achieve the measure of meaning they deserve, we need to raise the fight on the ground, against terror and against oppression, to a higher moral plane, by giving the fight a moral clarity of purpose. We need to make sense of it all, for it to make a difference in the day to day lives of everyday people. To bring moral clarity to the confusion of our time, we must embrace a vision that makes sense, and that inspires in people a sense of hope. And then we must find the courage to give substance to the vision and make it real.

 The vision for our time is, and must be, a Vision of Hope, a vision of Peace, Prosperity and Freedom. It is a vision that makes sense of the wars that we are waging, and that inspires in us the belief that things can get better, if people of good will, people like us, choose to make it so. Positioned in the proper context, our struggles assume a greater sense of purpose. We are not fighting a “War on Terror.” We are fighting a war to realize a Vision of Hope, a vision of Peace, Prosperity and Freedom. There’s a big difference. We are not fighting to kill Gadhafi, or to execute Mubarak. We are fighting to bless our people with the dignity that comes from decent jobs and personal freedoms.

To bring justice to those who lost their lives on 9/11 and in the Arab Spring, build 100 Green Industrial Zones throughout the region, using Arab capital, along with Arab, Israeli and American knowhow. Create jobs that grow our economies, that protect the environment, and that help to weaken the hold of extremist thinking. Use state-of-the-art green technology to address the environmental issues of the region such as clean water, food production, green energy and healthcare. Show that the lives lost, and the battles waged, served a greater purpose, a purpose that inspires a sense of hope in things to come.

The tenth anniversary of 9/11 is a time to reflect and to remember. As we remember those who lost their lives in such a brutal fashion, let us also reflect on how best to do justice to the sanctity of those precious lives, by embracing a Vision of Hope, and giving substance to that vision with changes which will inspire in people a sense of hope for the future, and a belief that their struggles will not have been in vain.

Please visit us, with your comments, at www.sellingavisionofhope.org

The riots that not only set ablaze our tv screens but also the landmarks of London have come to an end. But after everything; all the violence, all the looting and the quick disregard of society’s morals, we are left both tainted as Brits and not quite sure how/why it all happened. As the public watched in shock we couldn’t quite comprehend how something often associated with far distance oppressed countries had reached our shores. To that end in order to understand what caused the riots we need to understand the people behind it.

The event surrounded the death of a single man, a man who undoubtedly wouldn’t have ever dreamt that he would rise to such fame in his death. His demise initially brought about a peaceful demonstration against supposed police brutality, but somehow or another it was hijacked the thugs of London’s inner-city council estates.  The rioters then used this platform to commit a level of unprecedented damage and destruction to the street of Britain. Starting in London, the fire soon spread across the country reaching as far as the northern-city of Liverpool. What unfolded beneath us was a mixture of anger, frustation & opportunism fused together all from a section of society that is often ignored. Subsequently the number of arrests have totaled the 2000 figure so I ask you all; did the riots break Britain or have parts of society being broken for a long time?

In fact Prime Minister David Cameron has for some time spoke about how he was going to fix ‘Broken Britain’ but the reality reflected by the riots is that not only is Britain broken but in the words our beloved PM ‘sick’. That is true in certain sections of society but to be fair, it’s not just the inner-city council estates of Britain who are broken but the coalition cabinet in it’s self. Cameron’s massive mismanagement of the riots only re-enforced the lack of resistance the rioters faced on streets considering he was in fact on holiday at the start of the event. Whilst, Theresa May (Home Secretary) only made the police’s task harder with her constant interference. But lets overlook Cameron’s failure for a second and look at the wider picture; consider that the council estates of Britain are really ablaze with anger, frustration & disgard to civil society; how would one go about fixing it?

Well from the offset the first task would be to identify the source of problem, on a surface level unemployment levels for young people in Britain is extremely high, nearly 1 in 4 are unemployed with prospects only becoming worse. Therefore with this in mind logic would dicate that if a under-privileged young person is unable to contribute to society & feel valued by holding steady paying job he/she will have some form of resentment. In fact many of the thugs rationale when being questioned was that it was ‘the government’s fault’ for (in their minds) failing them. Nonetheless that still doesn’t justify the level of violence we saw in the riots, however if this resentment was grow to such a level where the thugs felt like they had nothing to lose then this could have justified the riots (in their minds).

So I ask what could make this resentment explode?  Could it be that recent coalition government policies may have affected this resentment, policies such as the tuition fee increase or more significantly the removal of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (that provided key funds for the young people who needed it most inorder to continue in full-time education) which were removed without dialogue (unlike NHS reform) even in the face of large scale protests. Undoubtedly some of Britain’s young people are bound to feel disenfranchised with the system that it supposed to support them, especially when consider that these young people have no escape with funding to youth centres virtually non-existant, leaving them to turn into thugs on the streets. Yes these are legitimate concerns for all young people but does that mean everyone facing hardship should just lash out and do as they please without consideration of the implications on the rest of society? No because our morals tell us otherwise.

Generally speaking you have two options; you can justify this catastrophic event on basis that the state had it coming to it for it’s lack of concern/attention for this forgotten section of society, or on the basis that these thugs were part of the ‘Jeremy Kyle generation’ who lacked morals & are evil minded people who saw an opportunity to get a pair of trainers for ‘nothing’. In all honesty, I’m more minded to the latter because I am unable to justify of the level of violence caused by the riots on some bottled-up resentment. Yes times are tough but they are for everyone! Whilst if these thugs really feel that the government does not represent them & that they are disenfranchised they should turn to ballot box and vote. After-all we live in a democracy were young men aren’t forced to burn themselves alive in order to get their frustration heard (unlike Tunisia). But you make your own mind.

Yet one thing is for sure that the concerns of the young people in Britain need to be heard, there have been some improvements in dialogue with under-privileged communities but there is still a long way to go. And until this dialogue is complete to the extent that the youths of council estates feel like valued & productive members of society, then Britain will remain fractured between two half’s; the council estates & everyone else. With the implication being that although another event like the UK riots may never happen it won’t be due to the removal of frustration & anger it will be due to a more prepared & experienced police force.

I would also like to note my admiration for the police forces across Britain who proved our politicians wrong and did their job right (& extremely well at that). 

All in all, I wonder whether David Cameron still want’s to ‘hug a hoodie’?

“Woe for a nation that eats from what it doesn’t plant and wears from what it doesn’t sew”
- Chinese wisdom.

And this is how in a few decades China turned out from a feudal country into the first industrial country and will soon beat the States… This is how and why China produces all what the whole world needs… at the time the Arab world (still ruled by the San Remo Plot though which the Arab area was divided into pieces) imports every single thing it needs, and even forced to buy what it doesn’t need in lots of cases (like the new military arsenals to be used against a neighbor or a brother country… but never against the occupiers that fill our region)

A few  weeks ago, a friend of mine (was a classmate) came to consult me in building his house (stupidly) thinking that I am a genius planner and builder… he got the excuse, because (after working for ten years –since I was a child- in all what you can imagine of works, specially construction) I could plan and work out nearly every single thing with my own hand- starting from drawing and redrawing the maps for nights, digging the bases, building the walls, the iron bars, the roof, planning and installing electricity and water systems…etc,.. and all that because I worked enough to learn what I need, and you cant imagine how much I saved, but I did that not because I wanted to save but because I didn’t have enough to pay the workers !!! It took me 13 months to finish my house of sqm107 !!

I took my friend to a local store where you can buy all what you can think of construction infrastructure; cement, pipes, wires (any size), tubs, faucets, showers, tiles, lightening…etc, etc, etc… When we reached the gate, there was a big sign (This store is clean from the products and services of the settlements) and when we got inside we found nothing but settlement products !!! You see how blatantly and unashamedly we are liars?  Why? The hell, tell me why !!

Burqan, is a big and well known industrial city, sorry settlement, in the heart of the West Bank, and it produces around 150 products of furniture, chemicals, plastic products (all what you can imagine of profitable plastic products), food, drinks, detergents, … almost all what you need at home…. But why the hell we lie? Why our “reverent” “government” spends millions of dollars for brochure, campaigns, TV programs, staffs, interviewing “specialists”, collecting data… all for a big lie?

This spring I started building a small mini-market in our tiny village. It took me six weeks to finish every single thing with my own hands- and it was exactly like what I wanted it to be .. after two months of the opening, I can tell you that most of what I sell is from “our neighbors” the rampaging settlers, the modern copy of the American fugitive cowboy .. Do I have the choice? Of course not. Even when I warn costumers (all are my cousins…. And if you don’t know we, Bedouins, have 500,000 cousins) some tell me: so what? Isn’t it edible?  Others even recommend certain products knowing that they are from their oppressor !!!

————————–

In “israel”, there is a system of vocational school called “Reshet Amal” of which you can find one in every town, and several in every  cities…. And as “israel” is a “so democratic” state and the only “democratic oasis in the Middle East”, they (the Zionists) have two different systems of those Amal schools for the jewish settlers other than the system for the indigenous Palestinian villages and towns:  In the jewish system, they provide courses that produce fighters, snipers, security agents, economists, interrogators, armed guard, computer and net experts, hackers, musitions, painters,  site managers (to control and watch at the Palestinian workers) and mostly of what is called (white jobs)… however, the indigenous Palestinians are forced to choose the dirty careers of builders, garbage cleaners, servants, cooks, toilers … if not, they got to face the street and end into a dead end !!!

This way, this systematic teaching and training, makes the difference, creates and molds the generation you want !!! This is all done with the approval and auspice of the GRAND WB… yes, you heard it well, The WORLD BANK !!!  Also there is a very similar program that is conducted by the UNRWA vocational centers to produce the same quality of Palestinian servants … (in the early 1980s, when the “israeli” building market needed more and more dirty workers, the UNRWA launched a wide program in every Palestinian refugee camp to prepare the refugees to work and serve their oppressor as builders, tilers, bleachers, servants (in cooperation with the zionists of course) ) … but the problem is that when you ask the UNRWA officers, they will boast of helping the “poor refugees” to win their bread … the hell with the UNRWA’s well-planned programs !!!

………………………………………..

Two years ago, a friend of mine, a lawyer, a classmate too ( Didn’t I tell you that we, Bedouins, also have 500,000 friends?) told me a strange story: this lawyer (got his MA in International Law from Paris, and now preparing for his PhD dissertation- see? despite the UNRWA programs, we are not all builders) was working for a Law Institution. The manager held a meeting for the workers to decide “democratically” to rent a car, to decide its type, model and probably its color and accessories. After a heated discussion my friend suggested that it is a stupid idea to rent a car for two years, it is a waste for the donor’s money to pay some 30,000 USD (that apart from the daily fuel) to rent a car that doesn’t cost a third of this sum to buy it. He suggested buying a new one and using it for two years, then to sell it again, and this will cost them not more that 10% of the suggested sum… The Law Institute owner, sorry, the manager said a big NO. But why sir manager, businessman or whatever? The manager said that we are not allowed to buy, it is not only that, but also we have to choose from a “wide range” of certain car-rent companies. ”Who said that?”, my friend asked. “It is the donor, the WORLD BANK” !!!

You see? This is how the money is dictated to create a New Middle East in which “israel” is the dominant player militarily, economically, politically  and whatever you like –lly.

This could explain the reason behind the crises between Egypt and USAID. between Gaza and the USAID that happened this month, in wich the USAID stopped all its projects in Gaza… they dont want any one to interfere in their programs, not even the relevant countries and communities…. they, the USAID and such “humanitairian” agencies are not more than the economic arm for the intelligence agencies, they aim to set programs that facilitate their control…. every Western country has its own “humanitarian” agency

……………………

The Story started some 100 years ago. At 1917 (the date of Balfour Declaration) when the Palestinian economy was (comparatively) one of the most developed and modernized economies in the region. It took the British occupiers exactly 30 years to accomplish their promise to the jews; to -systematically- devastate the Palestinian economic and social structure, to kick the Palestinians out of their homes…and… build a modern, powerful and stable jewish colonizer society. This has happened deliberately, and step-by-step while deceiving the Arabs with the “good intention” of the government of His Britannic Majesty King George the Fifth in London. The trick passed and they transplanted a “nation” into the Arab body, however, we are still, after 100 years, suffering the side effects of planting that cancer of the Zionist entity.

Shall I end here?

IRAN

After the establishment of the Zionist entity on the rubble of Palestine, the French government was a major player in aiding the Zionists, both in the 1956 sub-war and later (after knowing that “israel” is defenseless without the Nuclear Weapon) in building the Zionist Nuclear core in more than a site in “israel” … France got it share in adopting the bastard !!

The American role in nurturing the “poor jewish state” emerged like a rocket after the war of 1973… the American role in aiding the Zionist entity dosnt need any further explanation after mentioning the  yearly unconditioned almost 4 billion USD, this is other than the unlimited military aids like those shipments sent to the Zionists while they were burning Gaza !!

Do you know Kurtz? Not my friend in no way, though I have dozens-virtually at least !! Kurtz, is the main character in “Heart Of Darkness” , [a short novella, strongly recommended] the masterpiece of Joseph Conrad. Conrad describes Kurtz as half polish half German, educated in France and served the British Crown. Conrad says: he is the breed of whole Europe. This Kurtz (as Conrad described him over 100 years ago) was in a “holy mission” to educate Africa, but he ended up a real curse for Africa, and turned into a cannibal opening his mouth wide to swallow the “white gold” of that time, the African ivory… Now we have our Kurtz  represented in the Zionist entity that turned into the butcher of the age, protecting the West greed of the “black gold” of the Arabia !!

Why Iran?

It took the Britons thirty years to kick the Palestinians out, and the French a few years to create Nuclear Zionist state that is eligible and entitled to any new technology specially the deadly ones…. The so “democratic” West, was about to make the Apartheid South Africa a nuclear state for them to be able to control the whole of Africa from Cape-Town …BUT… the democratic  and forgiving South Africa is banned from getting nuclear Power, even for peaceful purposes. Why?

This is how the whole west (talking of  governments and capital) is backing the Zionist entity; the only colonial occupying “state” on earth, not only with the Nuclear weapons, but also with the most modern and updated killer technology. Why?

Iran??

When Iran was ruled by a feudal dictator, the so “democratic” States started backing him with the nuclear knowledge, and even built a primitive core for not to compete them… BUT… after the public Islamic revolution it became a rogue country, that not only prevented from getting any scientific knowledge, but also besieged to be deprived from developing even its own knowledge. Why?

You see? A tale of two cities, two states, or even two tiny villages… never mind, but it is the politics of the whole world including its “benevolent” UNRWA and Grand WB !!  To keep enslaving the weak, to keep monopolizing the market !!

Nuclear Iran would mean a New Middle East other than that one of Ms Condie or that one drawn by the end of WW1, a new middle east that will be free off the American supported Arab dictators… to create it own future, to have its full independence off the transnation (American dominated) companies !!

——————-

But why to live the lie… our deadly lie of our so “lovely” and  American dominated PA? Stop lying my dears, we will never be able to boycott the Zionist products… stop the lie of the “Palestinian economy”, there is nothing like that at all. The Palestinian economy has been devastated decades ago. We are just consumers for the Zionist productsthat are cultivated from our land by our hands and you got to thank the UNRWA for training us to work and serve the “genius jewish mind” !!  If you want to help me fishing let me develop my own boat… don’t destroy my boat and train me to fish for you day-by-day

The “Palestinian economy” ? what a big joke… our PA managers and VIP holders are not more than  sub-sub-subagents for the Zionist businessmen. And our economy has completely been annexed to the Zionist one (thanks for the West, UNRWA and WB policy) decades ago !

Stop the lie and say it frankly that the West got sick of funding the occupation. That you are just managers for the tax revenue (mostly of the Zionist products). … the boycott campaign is just a lie, why  don’t you admit? It only aims to control the whole market and to milk the already impoverished people, to get enough money to pay the occupation police that the west doesnt want to fund.. you think you will get a state by obeying the American orders and milking your own people?  Stop the lie, stop devastating our economy first by annexing it more deep into the Zionist shark. Try the most primitive way of developing a primitive local and popular economy, micro-economy. There is space, there are minds (probably not as good as the “genius jewish mind”, but still we have minds to build our own boat and start fishing !!

The West got sick of funding a corrupt PA, they (the West) are seriously working on finishing our issue and give the rest to the oppressor, they wont give you a boat but will break you small boat…Saudi Arabia?  it is the slave of the big boss, it boasted of announcing donating 2 billion to Gaza but nothing arrived, nothing at all… build on your own nation, on your own children

We will never be able to build a state under occupation, not even with the existence of the transplant Zionist entity

In short, all the efforts of the West (including the “humanitarian” ones) are directed to create one fact of two cities; a Huge industrial settlement neighboring an impoverished refugee camp, a powerful transplanted “state” near impoverished, devastated and divided arab cantons !!!

At the Spring of the Arab Street (two years ago I started talking of “my beloved man of the street” in my posts) I have a VISION OF HOPE. Not that vision of hope built on the catholic marriage between capital and occupation to deceive the greedy agents… but a VISION OF HOPE that is built on the masses of the street to create a better future for the whole region without the side effects of the Zionist transplant… without the existence of the cancer itself !!

Sami, the bedouin.

The contested-concept Globalization is an old used term; first used in 1897 and later in 1952, then it became a widespread term in 1960s. “Globalization refers to a multidimensional set of social process that create, multiply, stretch, and intensify worldwide social interdependencies and exchanges while at the same time fostering in people a growing awareness of deepening connection between the local and the distant “(Steger, 2003). Some say globalization appeared with the industrialization era in United Kingdom; others say it appeared mainly after the cold war, and the raise of United States as the only superpower in the world.

Globalization especially in the last ten years affected every aspect of our life. Globalization has swept all secrets; everything have revealed through media and other related tools. Because of the interconnectedness between the nations; the cultural awareness increased between nations. Yet, the era of globalization started through economy, trade and direct foreign investment. And the necessity made states to open new overland and aerial roads, so that made transportation much easier. However globalization first started and expanded through economic factors. Afterwards, others term such as political, cultural mostly through technology and media.
Globalization or as some call it globalony is a multi-side term, economy is one of the main sides of it. Economic globalization has become a phenomenon in the last 30 years; it refers to the increasing interdependence of domestic economies throughout the world in a cross-border international economy which means integration between national economies that led to emergence of a single huge global marketplace instead of tiny domestic markets. The strong interdependence of main economies in the world which lead by giant power United States has become clearer when financial crisis took place in 2009. National economy is no longer an appropriate term to use. Financial crisis revealed how the national economics linked with each other, and how pure national economy became obsolete. Some may say that’s overblown standpoint, but a quick glance over some figures makes the picture even clearer. All countries in G20 went under recession at least for one year, except China, but it became a hurdle for the huge GDP expected growth for china as well. Countries in EU and Japan which strongly linked with US until the beginning of 2011 were facing mines GDP figures. That shows how globalization overlapped the national economies in global economy.

In our current world, economy highly linked with politics; that’s why global politics emerged after global economy. Global institutions such as United Nations officially represent this new term. But some alleged, it gripped by United States and its allies. Moreover, they believe we should say neo-imperialism instead of global politics. Yet, the twin tower bombing in 11th of September, 2001 was a turning point in global politics. Rising of Al-Qaida, the international radical Jihadist network, changed the notion of international security corporation and the whole political system. United States’ Invading both Afghanistan and Iraq paraphrased the concept in more pro-American tendency. The interconnectedness of the whole states in one global system makes dictators and autocrats in a big dilemma; strengthen powerful democratic countries’ hand over the world. The aftermath of Libya dictator’s crackdown is a very clear sign how local governments can’t treat their people however they can anymore. Powerful western and international military conglomerates such as NATO are preventing massacres nowadays. A lot of pundits believe that’s strengthening western-backed democracy and human rights in the less developed countries. The military corporation between states, the intervention of global powers to halt mass crackdowns, and the active than ever diplomatic movement between states show how running even local states became an international matter.

Ostensibly, devilishly, some say globalization doesn’t exist at all; it’s Americanization and westernization. They believe, it’s just western traditions and values that hit Islamic and eastern world. These standpoints fend off overreaction from radicals to anything that comes to Islamic states even the positive ones that contributed to build new human civilization. Those can’t or don’t want to see how some Islamic values are rooting in the west; those don’t want to believe that Islam’s growing as the world’s fastest growing religion is backing to globalization and the apparatus that invented through it. Ironically, Turkish traditions and values start to replace western ones in the Middle East which yet count as globalization. The viewership of Turkish TV shows in the Arab world overpass all before records, with more than 80 million viewership. Turkish food and culture is warmly welcomed in most Arabic, Islamic and even some western countries. That’s all count under the roof of globalization. So, globalization is a combination of local and distant that may come from whatever influential and powerful country regardless its orientation.

I remember when I read an article about the global influence of American fast-food Company McDonalds and how it shaped the way we eat in one hand. In the other hand, technological companies such as Apple and Microsoft re-shaped the whole style of our life. Cultural impact mainly speared through those giant companies and technology. Social networks such as FaceBook and Twitter are contributing of set upping western-backed capitalism and democracy in the world. The revolutions in the Arab world are very clear and fit examples. Other media networks such as Al-Jazeera and CNN and Human rights NGOs also contribute significantly. A clear example of the impact of technology and NGOs are the status quo in both Libya and Syria compared to what happen in 70s and 80s. In Syria for instance, in 1980s the autocratic ba’ath government at that time killed at least 20,000 people in a crackdown of anti-government uprising. However, now even though just 800 people killed compared to 20,000 in 1980s there is a very strong pressure on Syrian government to stop killing people otherwise facing international community. They started pushing though economic siege, then political pressure; that’s all because media and human rights NGOs have revealed everything, remained nothing secret.

As a result, one can see that the reality of globalization is inevitable. Furthermore, how all dimensions of globalization interconnected; when international community wants to pressure on a country it starts with threats through press and then economic siege then later military intervention. That shows how all dimensions interdependence. Moreover all allegations which believe globalization is a new invasion from western countries to re-invade Islamic states isn’t rigorous statement because Islam has become the fastest growing religion and some Islamic values speared in the west which is part of the inclusive process of globalization. Besides, through technology, media and sophisticated transportation the world became a small village that everyone can interact with each other easily. Yet, some less developed countries in Africa and Asia have engaged in the process of globalization actively because of conflicts and other reasons that led to lack of money, and that subsequently disconnected them with the global countries and the developing that rapidly happens in the world. At the end, what we arrived in the process of globalization is yet to arrive the peak of it. Nowadays, the balance of power linked to economy which is moveable and might change the balance of power in the future, so that subsequently will change that orientation of the globalization to Chinanization maybe!

Steger, Manfred. (2003). Globalization (a very short introduction). New York: Oxford.

* Studying Politics and International Relations at University of Kurdistan – Hawler (www.ukh.ac)

There is no question in my mind that much of what is happening on the Arab street can be explained as the fervent wish of some very well-intentioned people to shake off the oppressive yoke of the past, and to open the door to a brighter future. The people on the street have found the courage to embrace such noble aspirations as freedom and democracy. And to that end, they have put life and limb on the line, in an effort to dismantle established and entrenched regimes, in favor of new leadership which will be more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people.

And yet, as justified as these ends are, the means to these ends do matter, because the wrong means could very well spell a dead end to even the most justifiable ends. A revolution, almost by necessity, brings with it a period of instability and even chaos. After all, you can’t very well bring change without disrupting the status quo. After a while, a certain measure of battle fatigue is bound to set in, and the revolutionary fervor of the man on the street can easily be overtaken by the political ambitions of political factions which are averse to freedom, which are authoritarian in nature, but which promise to restore some semblance of stability to the nation.

The revolution of 1979 in Iran is a case in point. The Shah of Iran lost favor in the eyes of the people, due in part to his repression of dissidents, even as he ushered in an era of gradual reform. His removal from power brought Shapour Bakhtiar into power, for only 36 days, supposedly with a public mandate to usher in democratic reforms. A period of instability ensued, only to bring to the fore another revolution, by which Ayatollah Khomeini took hold of power, and put in place a regime that was far more authoritarian than anything that preceded it.

It would be a travesty of justice for the people of the Middle East to have shed their blood, and to have invested their hope, only to be overtaken by the insidious agendas of ideological extremists. One way to avoid this, in my opinion, is for people to focus on goals which are realistic, which can be achieved more easily, which are not overly threatening to the powers that be, and which can help to bring about reform that coincides with the aspirations of the people. In short, the aims of the revolutions may have to take current realities into account. Even if a dictator is toppled, there are still those left behind whose agendas and ambitions must be taken into consideration.

I would focus on growing the economy, instituting economic reforms, and guaranteeing personal freedoms, as realistic means to achieving the greater ends of freedom and democracy. Economic growth and job creation may not resonate as dramatically as freedom and democracy. However, it could well be argued that business can be used to create a neutral pathway to freedom and democracy. A good paying job can go a long way to ease the burden of a hard life. But in addition, the same conditions which are needed to grow an economy are the same ones which will allow a viable democracy to take root and to flourish.

Once people across the Middle East are making money together, their lives will gain a good measure of dignity, and gradually, each person will become more humanized in the eyes of the other. Along with the empowerment that comes from personal economic well being, comes a natural inclination to demand and receive greater personal freedoms, and eventually, with the requisite institutions in place, will come a transition to democratic rule, not just in form, but in substance as well.

The economic path to democracy may seem, at first glance, to be a more circuitous path. However, in the long run, it may be the best way to get to where we’re going, while minimizing the risk of getting lost along the way. Business is ideologically neutral. Business is something that most people have come to understand. And business is less threatening to the powers that be, who may decide to support the effort, as a way of effectuating positive change, in a more gradual and moderate fashion, while side-stepping the prospect of chaos at their doorstep.

Please visit us, with your comments, at www.sellingavisionofhope.org

Both Netanyahu and Abbas are coming under considerable pressure to show some measure of progress on the peace front. Abbas has expressed his intent to seek UN recognition of a Palestinian state, based on the 1967 borders, in September 2011. Presumably, if such recognition were to be given, then a Palestinian state would come into being without resolving such contentious issues as the status of Jerusalem, and the “right of return” of the refugees. If Israel refuses to recognize Palestine, or refuses to cooperate in implementing the U.N. mandate, then Israel could find itself further isolated in the international community, with the resulting calls for Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS). And yet, without Israel’s cooperation, it is hard to see how a Palestinian state could emerge and become viable.

Abbas, and the Palestinian Authority for that matter, are also under a great deal of pressure to move forward on peace. Fattah, the political faction in the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza, find themselves vying for power on an existential level. Much of the economic and institutional gains that have been achieved by Fayyad in the West Bank could be undermined by a Hamas takeover of the West Bank. Such a takeover is seen by much of the West Bank leadership as a dead end for their aspirations to build a free and prosperous Palestine. The dismal conditions in Gaza do not bode well for a Palestine run by Hamas. It is reasonable, therefore, to assume that Abbas sees a peace deal with Israel as something which would give Fattah some measure of credibility in the eyes of his people, and as a way of consolidating political opposition to Hamas. On the other hand, Hamas could easily portray the search for peace as a sign of weakness on the part of Fattah. Alternatively, reconciliation between Fattah and Hamas, which remains unlikely, could lead to a sharing of power, and a more united approach in finalizing a deal with Israel.

The current unrest on the Arab street increases the pressure on Netanyahu and Abbas to negotiate a peace agreement. No one really knows who in the Middle East will end up assuming the reigns of powers. However, it is more likely than not, at least in some of the Arab countries, that the new leaders will be more responsive to the aspirations of the people. For example, for 30 years Israel could count on Mubarak of Egypt to keep the peace, even a cold peace at that. Now, however, with Mubarak out of the picture, the new leadership will probably take the will of the people more seriously. And if the people demand justice for Palestinians, then Egypt, and other Arab states, will reflect that attitude in their dealings with Israel, and with the West. A peace deal would therefore make relations much easier between Israel and her newly-constituted neighbors, and also between the Middle East and the West.

And of course, much of the West’s obsession with the Middle East is about the oil. The free flow of oil is indispensable to Western economies. Therefore, to the extent that a peace deal between Israel and Palestine fulfills the aspirations of the man on the street, and takes away the convenient tool that extremists use to inflame passions, and improves relations between Arab States and the West, then to that extent, the free flow of oil will be assured, and the West can take comfort in being able to run its economic engines.

As if these considerations weren’t enough, there is one more reason to push the peace process forward at this particular time. It could well be argued that under the right circumstances, Israel could end up playing a major role in revitalizing the Middle East with good paying jobs. The people on the street want two things in particular: decent jobs and the freedom to live their lives as they wish. To a great extent, these two noble aspirations are what Israel is all about. As an example, of the three judges who recently convicted President Katzav of rape, two are women, and the chief judge is an Israeli Arab. Where else in the Middle East would such a thing be possible?

Many choose to see Israel as the problem in the Middle East. But in reality, Israel is the solution for the Middle East. Israel has precisely what the Middle East needs. A peace deal between Israel and Palestine will help to neutralize at least some of the hate, and will open the door to allow Israel to partner with her neighbors to revitalize the region consistent with the will of the people.

Therefore, we call upon Netanyahu and Abbas to rise to the occasion and to leave no stone unturned in their quest for peace. No doubt there is a long history of failure in this regard. And no doubt there will be bitter pills to swallow on both sides of this conflict. However, the circumstances on the ground, even as we speak, all point to the possibility of a new beginning, a chance for peaceful co-existence, and the prospects for a new Middle East, where peace, prosperity and freedom reign supreme, and a Vision of Hope is finally allowed to take hold.

Please join us at www.sellingavisionofhope.org

Germany has tried to maintain its good relations with Mullahs since the inception of the regime in 1979. Although in a rather “critical dialogue” of openly limited diplomacy and commerce, continues and even increases lucrative trades in all domains. The lucrative dealings reach billions of dollars despite the controversial inner conflicts among the West due to Mullahs’ nuclear ambitions.

Germany kept and increased its relations with Iran after the 1979 revolution and during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. Until 1988, German export of technology and military parts to Iran were over DM 45 billion (Deutsch Mark, old German currency = half of one Euro). Meanwhile, German firms were supplying Saddam’s machine war industrial and military helps, especially chemical weapons which were used against both Iranian troops and civilian Iraqi Kurds.

After the war, the Iranian infrastructures, ruined by German weapons in the hands of Iraqis, needed the German technology to be rebuilt. Germany reached a primary trading partner of Iran, and remains still Iran’s biggest trading partner. Since then, German firms exported to Iran goods like technical services, military supplies despite worldwide acknowledged atrocities of the regime against people’s protests. In 2010, German Nokia-Siemens Networks has admitted to have sold surveillance technology to the Mullahs’ regime to track down dissidents during the protests that followed the 2009 rigged presidential election.

Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, the EU’s share of Iran’s total imports is over 40%. EU trade with the Mullahs’ regime has even expanded since Iran’s secret nuclear programme was exposed. Russia and China represent far behind with only 15% of Iran’s total imports. Under such economic factors, the perspective of moral factors like human rights, Mullahs’s sponsored terrorism, and the fate of oppressed people of Iran do not seem to play an important role for the EU. Since the rigged election of 2009, EU reacts in the favour of the defeated candidates, Mr. Moussavi and Mr. Karrubi, but does not firmly condemn the Islamic regime entirely.

Germany – Mullahs- relations were periodically affected by the following events, but Germany never summoned her ambassador from Tehran for a short time:

–Mykonos Court in Germany– in 1992 several Iranian dissidents were assassinated by a regime’s terrorist commando in Mykonos restaurant in Berlin. The court condemned many Islamic regimes’ senior authorities for plotting the crime.

–In revenge for it, a German detainee, or hostage in Iran, Mr. Helmut Hofer, was condemned and few years in detention for his out-of- marriage relation with a Muslim woman.

–The sensible conflict, which normally should have effectively violated the German basic law, is a vast Ahamadinejad’s campaign beginning in 2005 to deny the historical facts of Holocaust.

However, despite of these cool winds between the two countries, despite of withdraw of some German banks from Iran–Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, and Dresdner Bank all due to US pressure– Germany dreams of further better economic relations with Mullahs. German officials, from ex-chancellor Helmut Kohl to social democrat ex-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the current Chancellor, Angela Merkel, have never openly condemned the Mullahs’ regime for their permanent violations to human rights in Iran.

More than 12% of international joint ventures in Iran are German, with a turnover of half a billion Euros ($620 million). Some German businesses have invested directly in Iran. Linde AG, for instance, has invested almost half a billion Euros in the Iranian oil industry. German carmakers such as Volkswagen and Audi have made their entries onto the Iranian business market with their assembly facilities. German firms are promised to hold shares from the ongoing privatised Iranian economic sectors.

Pro German-Mullahs-lucrative relations are to be won or lost to indoctrinate a paradigm shift for this immoral trade with Islamo-fascism of Mullahs. They pretend the trade as “good relations between two friend nations”! Our German vultures are using the arguement of lobbyists and apologists of the Mullahs’ regime propagate the idea that the best way to promote reforms in Iran is not to try to isolate the regime economically and politically, but rather by bring them into fold, allow them for much better economical and political relationship to actually have some influence. Try and improve the lives of the Iranians so that they can bring changes from within. This campaign is propagated by the various factions, supporters of the regime and of course foreign economic partners of Mullahs’ regime use it alike.

Nevertheless, the relations between the two countries are uniquely based on lucrative interests for Mullahs and German firms while both sides ignore the ongoing daily situation of Iranians who are the hostage of an occupier of the Mullahs ‘regime. Since the 1979 revolution and more flagrantly, since the 2009 election, not a day passes with no report of executions, amputations, stoning, rape, torture attacks on women, and regression of other thinkers in Iran. The trade takes such a determined value that no German official dares talking on the permanent violations of human rights in Iran; this is the reason I call such trades “immoral.”

According to the officials of the Islamic regime, foreign investment in Iran rose to $10.5 bln in the last Iranian (March 21, 2006-March 20, 2007) compared to $4.5 bln the year before. To attract foreign capital, the IRI promises foreign investors with insurance coverage to encourage them invest in Iran. German investors are welcome too. Needless to mention, the private sectors remain in great part in the hands of Mullahs’ confidents. Outsiders, especially non-Muslims investors can never take the helm from business-generals of the RGR, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, or the Mullahs heading the Islamic foundations who today are the main shareholders of the private sectors.

In any case, the economic exchange is not between the two nations, but in fact, between the German government and an illegitimate Iranian regime oppressing Iranian nation. It is to mention that although Germany has been Iran’s economic partner number one, but does not rank higher than thirty-fifth on the list of Germany’s economic partners abroad. Germany does not forcibly need Iranian goods and can import its oil from many other oil rich countries.

As said, Germany must supply nothing but foods and medical goods to Iran. This is the only moral trade; the other domains of trade between the two countries must be suspended. To fulfil this vacuum, Germany is expected to extend its economic relations with relatively democratic countries of the third world.

For some reason, when it comes to the Middle East, people the world over seem to content themselves with half measures and short-sighted thinking. We feel good about doing something, anything for that matter, even if it has little bearing on the problem at hand, or no chance of bringing about a long term solution.

Take, as an example, the current military campaign in Libya, which is being undertaken by France, England and the U.S. We are targeting military installations, pursuant to authorization for the U.N. Security Council and the Arab League, ostensibly to stop Gadhafi from killing his own people. Sound good, right? But as they say, the devil is in the details. Why aren’t we attacking other dictators who are similarly killing their own people? How will a strictly air campaign prevent Gadhafi from killing his people? Isn’t regime change our ultimate goal? How will an air campaign bring about regime change? And if Gadhafi steps down, who will take his place, and to what end?

And the Libya affair is not an isolated example of lack of vision and lack of direction. With our blood and treasure heavily invested in Afghanistan and Iraq, we still don’t have even a hint of peace and stability in those nations. With a sanction regime imposed on Iran, we still see Iran pursuing its nuclear weapons ambitions with impunity, as well as its ambitions to remake the Middle East as it sees fit. And with the mounting pressure being exerted on the whole of the Middle East by the man on the street, we still don’t have a sense that the change that is coming will be in keeping with the aspirations of the people, and with the best interests of the region as a whole.

So what is missing in the puzzle we call the Middle East? What is missing is a vision, and a reasonable way of giving substance to the vision. And without a vision, and a solid plan of action, the best made plans of mice and men will drift aimlessly in the winds of change.

What is needed is a vision, a Vision of Hope, a vision of Peace, Prosperity and Freedom. It doesn’t have to be that vision in particular, although such a vision would address most of what people aspire to, but it should be a vision which brings together all the pieces of a possible solution to our most intractable problems, which packages those pieces in the most attractive way possible, and which allows us to sell that vision to the man on the street. A vision of that sort, a vision which captures hearts and minds, would buy us time to make the necessary changes to give substance to the vision. When the man on the street, who fumes with anger even as we speak, comes to believe that he is being offered a place at the table, a stake in his future, then he may settle down, at least for a while, comforted in the belief that his dreams for the future may one day become real.

And who do we need most of all, to give substance to a Vision of Hope, a vision of Peace, Prosperity and Freedom? Well we have plenty of politicians out there, talking up a storm. And we have academics galore, arguing this and that, back and forth, and back again. And of course, we have our diplomats, ever so careful in the words they choose, going about here and there, making their presence known. But if we really want to get something done, if we choose to move from words to deeds, then we will have no choice but to get the business community in on the game, so as to create good paying jobs; jobs which grow our economies, jobs which protect our environment, and jobs which help to weaken the hold of extremist thinking.

Instead of half measures and short-sighted thinking, we owe it to ourselves, and to future generations, to put in place a new model for the Middle East, by inspiring the world’s top business leaders, Billionaires for Peace, to push the peace process forward from behind the scenes, and to revitalize the entire region with good paying jobs, moderate candidates, and requisite institutions.

There is a real opportunity now to make something happen in the Middle East, something that could change the world for the better, and something that will breathe life into the people there and beyond. But nothing good will happen, if all we look for is the quick fix. What is needed is a vision which puts it all together, and the willingness to do what it takes to make real what is now only a dream.

Please join us at www.sellingavisionofhope.org