Friday, April 13, 2007

Azmi Bishara videos

Dr. Azmi Bishara is an Arab Israeli member of the Israeli parliament (Knesset).

The Israeli media has lately been publishing very incoherent and non-informative articles about Dr. Bishara's intentions (or non-intentions) to resign (or not resign) from the Israeli Knesset, due to his being persecuted (or not being persecuted) by various government security agencies (or not). It seems there is a court order barring the media from discussing whatever is going on (or not going on), so they are discussing the issue without actually discussing it. Go figure.

Anyways, Halemo has contemplated on his hebrew blog that these agencies are after Dr. Bishara because of a 6-part video on YouTube. Halemo claims that in the video Dr. Bishara "eloquently explains, in well versed English, his anti-Israeli views" and his "support of Hizballa".

I took the time to watch the videos. I suspect Halemo didn't, because in those videos I heard the exact opposite of Halemo's claims.

Yes, in this video, Dr. Bishara says many things Israelis don't like to hear about Israel. But he also says:

1. That he recognizes Israel as an existing country, and that the entire discussion of "historic rights" is totally irrelevant. Israel exists and that's it.
2. That most Arabs recognize Israel (something I personally don't think is true - but Dr. Bishara is obviously more connected to the Arab world than I am)
3. That he fully recognizes the horrors of the Holocaust. Unlike others, he doesn't deny it occured.
4. That Hizballa is no longer a legitimate movement. He says it used to be a legitimate resistance movement - as long as Israel occupied Lebanon - but it is no longer so.


Dr. Bishara explains that he sees 2 possible solutions to the conflict: either that Israel annex the Palestinian territories and make Palestinians equal citizens of Israel, or agree on a 2 state solution based on the June 4 1967 borders.

If only the majority of Arabs held the opinions that Dr. Bishara's expresses in those videos, I think the conflict would have long been over.

Halemo - if you're reading my words: can you please explain what you meant when you said "Anti Israeli Views"? Perhaps you are referring to things he said that are not shown in the video?

3 comments:

Nizo said...

I'm no fan of Azmi. I still haven't forgiven him for unnecessarily alienating Israelis when he visited Syria. It was a blow to his constituency's interests.

On the other hand, I did watch the videos and the points you make are true.

Unknown said...

I don't have the full story either but...I do have a lot of info not widely available on the web in these posts.

If you or anyone can find a video of Bishara's Al Jazeera interview I'd like to see that. And let me know if you hear anything useful on this fr. within Israel. It is a weird wacky drama thanks to the draconian dark secrecy of the Shin Bet.

Nizo said...

I posted on a topic inspired by your videos, check my blog if interested.
Cheers,
Nizo