Comments on: Anti-Christian graffiti sprayed on church in destroyed Galilee village of Bir’em

By: Maria DAMIRCIYAN

Maria DAMIRCIYAN — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 02:21:23 +0000

It looks like Ani City in the occupied Armenia

By: Ton Nuiten

Ton Nuiten — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 14:55:16 +0000

You know, for a long time, I did believe the many stories about persecution of Jews by an “intolerant, anti-Semitic Christian Church.” But I didn’t understand why; the official reason for this was always that the Jews in one way or another, were the “chosen people of God.” And this went on, untill…I began to read the Bible by myself, in stead to listen to preachers who had little to say about this subject, than that it was only an “unexplainable, mysterious form of ant-Semitism.” I read fro example one of the books of the Bible, the book of Acts. And soon, I began to understand the it was Jews who persecuted the still young Christian church at that time. And think about this: the leaders of the church just as the apostles Peter, Paul, were Jews themselves! Well, when I read about the unholy graffity on the church in Bir’em, nothing seems really changed.

By: Greg Pollock

Greg Pollock — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 03:33:45 +0000

The case at hand involves a prior High Court decision nullified by a State agency through the destruction of property. But the Court did nothing post 48 because it had no enforcement power–and that is the problem. Early, security needs were used to trump the Court, and now the scope of effective Court action is unclear in several fields.

As to this case proper, one could request restitution for property over the accumulated 50 years. This will not happen, I know. My point is that this growing nullification of Court power will come to haunt many Israeli citizens. Israel has yet to evolve true judicial review.

By: Vicky

Vicky — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 23:19:57 +0000

When you say ‘the Ottomans’, who do you mean? Turkish occupiers? Or all the people who were displaced at the empire’s dissolution? Because there has been a lot of grief over that, and some moving artistic tributes. Louis de Bernieres’ ‘Birds Without Wings’ is a beautiful book. But here we have an opportunity to do more than write books. It would be so easy to give Birem’s villagers their rights. But instead of discussing that, you prefer to talk about every other human rights abuse under the sun, concluding with a feeble attempt to shift the focus onto yourself because your government has sent you a gas mask by way of an interesting pre-election freebie. There will not be an end to this mess until people are able to look at Palestinian experience without trying to deny it outright or dismiss it as inconsequential or exploit the suffering of strangers as an excuse not to engage with it. (And the Ottoman question really was apropos of nothing, because it is the Birem villagers whom you have to live with now, not anyone else.)

By: aristeides

aristeides — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 22:05:45 +0000

You’re so concerned about the Syrian refugees, Joel – why not have Israel take them in?

By: Joel

Joel — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:37:07 +0000

There is a national park built around the ruined village. Keep the status quo, notwithstanding the injustice.
The graffiti taggers are disgusting cowards who should be aggressively sought out and prosecuted.

Apropos of nothing, does anyone cry for the Ottomans who were thrown off of their land a mere twenty years before the Bar’am villagers?

No.

By: directrob

directrob — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:05:05 +0000

Great deflections, but what do you think about the return of these families?

By: Joel

Joel — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 20:14:20 +0000

I hike Israel and see ruined Arab villages all the time. I’ve even found some World War 1 battle sites from when the British and Turks killed each other.

What disturbs me is the government-issue gas masks for my family that came in the mail today.

By: Joel

Joel — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:58:07 +0000

I’ll deflect even further.
Why won’t Hamas or the PA accept Palestinian refugees from Syria?

http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-pa-reportedly-refuse-to-take-in-palestinian-refugees-from-syria/

By: aristeides

aristeides — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:02:38 +0000

Joel – another deflection. Look anywhere else, just don’t look at the ruined and desecrated church.