Response Nov. 2

Palestinian vs. Israeli Rap:

Although each site was extremely interesting, for this reading response I wanted to focus on the Palestinian and Israeli rappers. I really enjoyed the Palestinian rapper, Prince of Jerusalem. I think his name is very entertaining and catchy, and his music is also very interesting. Not only can he rap, but he can rap in English, Arabic, and German. The biography provided gave little information about what he usually raps about, but it did explain that he will be releasing his album this year. Surprisingly, his album is not only focused on the occupation and politics; it incorporates lyrics about his everyday life. I really like how rap music is spreading to other parts of the world. I personally really like rap music, and it is nice for it to be shaped according to language and culture.

I had a different opinion about the Jewish rapper, Yitz "Y-Love" Jordan. He left a very bad impression through his filmed interview. I felt that he was very defensive when answering questions and he presented poor arguments. I was also confused on how he decided to convert to Judaism, he was not very clear on his personal path. I was honestly very annoyed by him during his interview; hopefully that was his first time and he was nervous because he was very unprofessional. However, his music is not bad. I like how his music focuses on the religion by incorporating messages from the Torah, etc. One of his goals was to reach out to those children who can only listen to religious music. Y-Love is doing a good job in expanding the music scene in Israel. He also made a great point that because rap is so lyrically based, you can get many messages across in such a short amount of time.Unfortunately, I could not help but be suspicious of him when he said, "Here in Jerusalem I am way bigger than in New York, with the yeshiva kids." This makes me wonder if he only comes to Israel in order to boost his career, or does he actually feel a connection to the Holy Land?

Weblog Journal #6

I feel like I do not have that much to say about music, because it really isn't a huge part of my life. I like listening to music, but I rarely do during the school year because I have limited free time. I know that I like music in general, but I don't have a deep connection with it. I have absolutely no musical talent: I can't sing, read music, or play an instrument. It has just never been a part of my life, but there are times when I really like a song because it is inspirational, uplifting, or motivating.

I rarely listen to music this year, which is sad because I used to all the time. The only times I listen to music is when I am exercising on my own, or at my job. I use music to choreograph exercise routines to beats of a song. Learning to count beats in a song was the biggest challenge to me, sometimes I still can't hear it! This is just one example of how musically challenged I am.

But I see how important music is in everyday life, and how it is a huge aspect of other's lifestyles. Music is a way to escape and relax. Or it is a way to spread a message and speak your mind. I think music has the possibility of playing a huge role in conflict. The majority of the world likes music, so it is a great way to connect people to each other because they have something in common, even if it takes different forms. I have heard the Palestinian raps about the occupation and I really enjoy them. I think it is an alternate form of propaganda that has a bigger impact on people because it is through music.

Reading Response: October 31

Sharon and My Mother in Law by Suad Amiry

I really enjoyed reading the excerpts from the Ramallah Diaries, It was a nice change to read a story instead of an article. I like reading stories based on real life events every once in awhile, because you learn a lot without realizing it. I thought the chapter about the gas masks was a good way to understand the everyday life in the Occupied Territories. The fact that they waited in line for hours in order to have a gas mask was infuriating to me. They even ended up going home empty handed which is extremely careless and dangerous of the Israeli government. I tend to forget that these awful stories that I hear of are actual real life accounts. There are people out there, in this case Palestinians, who live under very hard, unfair conditions. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is not just history, but that it is happening right now.
I was actually really upset that she only picked one puppy and left the other sibling alone. I would have defiantly taken both, but she should not have left one puppy alone and scared! That isn't even an important part of the story, but it really got to me. I liked how she used the metaphor of the dog with the Israeli passport to describe the living situation in the Occupied territories. I can't imagine my dog being able to get a passport before I could, I didn't even know animals needed passports! Overall I really liked these excerpts!

Reading Response October 24

Parallels and Paradoxes


I enjoyed reading this article on Edward Said and Daniel Barenboim after watching the movie. I thought the movie we watched on Thursday was great; I found the project to be very inspiring. I enjoyed reading this article after watching the movie because the movie gave me the physical characteristics of the two men, as well as the personalities of both. The article gave insight on their opinions on deeper topics, therefore I understood their point of view better because I had already watched the movie.
One idea that Said and Barenboim discussed was the concept of 'home.' When asked 'where do you feel at home,' Barenboim gave the cliche answer of, "I am at home wherever I make music." Though and overused answer by many musicians, Barenboim gave reasonings so that you cannot help but believe him. Because he is Jewish, it is typical to wonder if he thinks Jerusalem is home also. Surprisingly, Barenboim explained that he feels home in the 'idea of Jerusalem.' I thought this was a very interesting but true answer. Said also answered this question of home and homelands as stating, "the idea of home is overrated. There's a lot of sentimentality about "homelands" that I don't really care for."His answer could be due to traveling often throughout his life, but Said has not emotion connection to a specific place as a home. I find this so interesting because today people are killing themselves over rights to 'homeland'. It makes me wonder how many of these people have a connection or really relate more to Said.

A second point I find worth commenting on is the purpose of their musical project and what Said and Barenboim hoped to achieve. Said explains that "the idea was to see what would happen if you brought these people together to play in an orchestra in Weimar, in the spirit of Goethe, who wrote a fantastic collection of poems based on his enthusiasm for Islam." This project was an alternate attempt at peace, which I have the greatest support for.
After watching the movie, we had a discussion about the methods of this project and its credibility. The guest (whose name I cannot remember) explained that she did not agree with this project because it was not realistic. I honestly found her explanation absurd and contradictory. I understand that she has first hand experience, which of course makes this situation much more complicated, but I did not understand how she was so unsupportive. This reminds me of Said's answer that this project was an alternate method towards peace. I have a strong belief that the Arab-Israeli conflict will not be solved through the typical political process. Maybe it will, but the politics cannot solve the ignorance and hatred of both Palestinians and Israelis. That is why programs such as this are so important for society. This is an opportunity for young adults to overcome bias and ignorance!

I am so excited to video conference with Mariam Said; this is a great opportunity for us to be able to speak with someone close to the project. I want to thank Mrs. Said and all the other participants for speaking with our class, it has really made all the difference in the Living Jerusalem Project. I am looking forward to asking her plenty of questions so our class can have a great discussion.

Response to Graffiti Video

I like the video on the Send A Message Project. I thought that was a cool idea that anyone can send a message and have it be written on the wall in Palestine. This project does have a few flaws, in my opinion. For example, I wish the project could be established within Palestine (but I am sure that is out of their control). I also feel that this is a foreign nation taking advantage of a poor situation for marketing purposes. I wonder why you must pay $45 to have your message written. I would like to know where this money is going, and if it benefits the Palestinian cause at all. But otherwise I think it is a great way to spread your message, and it is a great way for people around the world to show their support to end occupation.

Reading Response: Week 8

I really enjoyed Peteet's article, "The Writing on the Walls: The Graffiti of the Intifada." I think the most interesting aspect of any struggle is that different forms of expression that emerge. Graffiti is a very common form of artistic expression, and I feel it is the easiest way to get a message heard. The graffiti created in response to the Intifada became the most common method of resistance. I have seen political Graffiti in other situations quite recently. This past summer I was in Egypt, only a few months after the the Egyptian Revolution that resulted in the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak. I noticed many differences in Cairo's society, one of which was the emergence of political grafitti. I found this so interesting because I had been to Cairo only one year earlier and the graffiti did not exist then. Random walls in the city would be painted with pictures of the Egyptian flag, Mubarak, and political slogans. I thought that the graffiti had a major impact on people, especially tourists.  I believe it is obviously important to express yourself through peaceful methods in any conflict.

Klein offered a lot of insight on how Jerusalem is divided in "Old and new walls in Jerusalem." I realized that Jerusalem was divided, but I liked how Klein described the different kinds of division that were present; some kinds did not require a physical boundary. I agree with Klein in that Jerusalem has never been a truly open city, despite the Israeli government's claims. The city has been divided by primordial boundaries as well as physical ones.

Divisions: political, religious, linguistic, cultural, historical, residential

These divisions have only downgraded Jerusalem, especially the East side. Thanks to these boundaries, East Jerusalem has suffered economically and politically. The economy of East Jerusalem is one of the worst in Israel; Poverty and corruption now defines the city. I feel that Jerusalem is merely stuck in an awful situation, one where a solution does not seem possible. The primordial boundaries that divide the city cannot be overcome by the government's instruction. This is a much deeper, emotional issue; but of course the government's involvement only divides the city even more.

Weblog Journal #4

Jerusalem Project 2011

So far I have been impressed with the Jerusalem project, and how it is carried out through an academic class. I feel that Jerusalem is an important city that represents the many controversies of this region of the world. I think that having a project such as this one is great to get awareness and information out there. I think bringing the project to universities is the most productive way to share the knowledge. I like how this class is multi-media, multi-media keeps the class interesting and forces you to learns through different medias. I think the Jerusalem Project in general should continue being multi-media in order to stay successful. Incorporating articles, books, lectures, video conferences, movies, events are all great ways to keep the project alive.

I have enjoyed the video conferences the most through this class. This is something I have never done in any other class, but I think it is highly effective. Because we are dealing with a foreign city, it is important to gather information from primary sources. I really enjoyed having the video conference with Naomi Chazan because she was actually in Jerusalem, the focus of our study. The Jerusalem Project is great to me, so keep up the good work!

Arab-Israeli Conflict Ideas

I am very excited for our video conference with Professor Richard Herrmann. I am very excited to hear an overview of the Arab-Israel conflict from a political science professor. I feel like a whole lecture on this topic will help me, especially because it includes maps!

This lecture is coming at a perfect time since the Palestinian State is currently fighting for a place in the United Nations, thus being formally recognized as a nation. I think it is obvious that both Israel and Palestine deserve their own states, and I think the United Nations would be a great first step for the Palestinians. Even if being in the United Nations does not give Palestine as much political power as they would like, it is still a step in the right direction. Although President Obama has stated that Israel and Palestine must pursue direct talks in order for negotiations, I believe that will never happen. This conflict involves a lot of pride of both sides that has been building up for decades, and direct negotiations are a dream, and if they do I doubt either side would be satisfied. Therefore I agree with the majority of the world in that the United States has the biggest influence on this situation. As long as the United States continues to side with Israel, no negotiations will made.

I would like to learn from this lecture the relations between the United States and Israel. I understand that they are allies for a number of reasons, but I want to know the details of why the United States is so desperate for Israel's friendship. By befriending Israel, the United States loses any other possibility of an ally in that area. Maybe if the United States would do Palestine justice, we would gain that many allies in the region where they are needed the most. Although I know it is so much more complicated than that, it seems like a solution is fairly simple. If anything, Obama should recognize Palestine is he plans to be reelected.

Jerusalem Awareness on Campus

For the semester project, Allison and I are working together to explore the idea of sacrality. Our ideas are not final yet, but we are planning to visit a church, mosque, and synagogue one weekend and film segments of the services. Allison and I prefer to explore the sacred, religious aspects of Jerusalem. Hopefully by visiting all three services, we can see any similarities or differences between the three faiths.
We are also planning on asking students around campus a few questions that are related to Jerusalem:

Do you feel Jerusalem is sacred to you?

 What is your belief system?

What is your major?

Are you familiar with the Arab-Israeli conflict? 

These are just trial questions, but we want them to be related to Jerusalem so we can discover how much students on this campus are aware of Jerusalem and the conflicts surround it. I think that once you step outside the international studies classroom, not that many students are familiar with the importance of Jerusalem religiously and politcally. Our project is basically advocating for the need of this class.