Word: israel
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...Lord.’” Few readers of this story have ever taken it literally, especially given that in the ensuing fourteen chapters of the book, Hosea’s problematic marriage is used as an allegory for the relationship between God and the sinful Children of Israel. But consider, for a moment, if “Hosea” is not merely a metaphorical morality play, but rather did happen to a historical person, and a prophet of God no less. This prospect is essentially the premise of “The Prophet’s Wife...
That promising message of hope carried us to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank. There we found much the opposite of what we encountered in Northern Ireland. The dozens of Israelis we interviewed, whether they were members of the Knesset, academics, or local entrepreneurs, all communicated a depressing lack of hope about the prospects for a peace settlement. Their main explanation for this failure was that the Palestinian leadership was divided between Fatah in the West Bank and the “terrorist group” Hamas in Gaza. As one Knesset member...
...much under control and the local economy was vibrant, no Palestinian we met believed that they would have an independent state of their own any time soon. As Issa Kassissieh of the Palestinian Authority Negotiations Affairs Department put it, “There is no hope. The state of Israel cannot see their interests and the Israelis are not ready for peace.” What people viewed as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s arrogant and stubborn leadership was often cited as a potentially insurmountable barrier to peace...
...clear that situation in the Holy Land has any of the four factors that were present in Ireland—particularly when it comes to political leadership and even-handed U.S. support (although the recent diplomatic quarreling between Israel and the U.S. and the calls for a settlement freeze suggest this may change). It is also evident that the Israelis have gotten comfortable with the status quo, and the U.S. and Europe must take measures to change that. The spark to that change can begin with the 42 million members of the Irish-American community. Irish-Americans should unite...
...also has a greater role to play in mediating this conflict. Imagine if a small group of its more powerful states got together and proposed fast-tracked EU and NATO membership for Israel, provided it negotiates a two-state solution and comes into compliance with international law. The promise of such memberships and the economic opportunities and security guarantees that come with them just might put enough positive pressure on Israel to do the right thing. Should the Israelis fail to take action, the EU would then need to consider punitive trade sanctions similar to those imposed on South Africa...