The Paratroopers

Imshin recently wrote a very heartfelt and moving post on Hannah Senesz, one of the paratroopers sent into German-occupied territory in late WWII. I thought I might add some sources for those who are interested in further pursuing the subject: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 1)Tydor Baumel, Judith, "Parachuting to Their People", Yad Vashem Studies 25 (1996) 137-180 - a comprehensive overview of this historical chapter, unfortunately not online. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2) Tydor Baumel, Judith, "Perfect Heroes (Hebrew)" about the paratroopers in Israeli collective memory. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 3) Haviva (Hebrew) - a bio of another, lesser known, female paratrooper. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 4) The Messenger - a bio of Enzo Sereni, paratrooper. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That's All Folks, AIWAC

Just a fringe element?

Recently there was a debate about whther Zionism is good or bad for the Jews. Our side lost. There is a debate scheduled tomorrow for a similiar argument - at least three of the four participants are rabid anti-Zionists. Even many who argue for a 'two-state solution' care only for the rights of the Arabs and other non-Jews. A "State of All Its Citizens" is liable to be the next hot item on the agenda even if an agreement is somehow achieved. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ladies and gentelman, anyone who continues to delude themselves that this is a passing phenomenon had better wake up and smell the coffee. I shudder to think that, in the end, it is we who are destroying ourselves by our own hand. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Trying not to lose hope, AIWAC

Chess Musings

Well, I said this blog would include chess, didn't I?

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A while back I posted on the subject of Bobby Fischer,

and the question of whether one can seperate the nut

from the chess genius. Today I would like to mention

another chess genius who embroiled himself in controversy:

Alexander Alekhine.

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For those of you who don't know, Alekhine was one of the greats.

In addition to being the 4th world Chapion, he produced games of

incredible beauty. Unfortunately, his life did not go so smoothly.

Suffering from alcoholism, he temporarily lost his

championship to a player who was considered universally to

be less skilled than he was.

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The greatest controversy occured afterward, during WWII.

At the time, Alekhine lived in France.

He had served as an interpreter in the French Army,

and as captain of his chess team, refused to play with Germany.

Around the time that he was trying to escape from Vichy France,

six articles deriding Jewish chess players appeared under Alekhine's by-line

in a pro-Nazi newspaper. Alekhine also gave an interview quoted in a

Spanish paper, in which he said that he was proud of what he wrote.

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After the war, Alekhine categorically denied that he had written a word,

and also that he had given his name to the articles to be able to help his wife,

who was of British nationality. The stain of pro-Nazi collaborator

ruined him - he was reduced to a destitute state, and he was denied the right

to play in Britain due to pressure from the US. When he was finally invited

to play for his title against the rising star of the next generation -

Mikhail Botvinnik - he died preparing for the match.

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At least one part of his story, that he didn't actually write the articles, was

disproved when the manuscripts of the articles, in his handwriting, were

found among his wife's belongings. As for the argument that he did it under

duress, either for his wife or because of money problems, I see no reason

not to give him the benefit of the doubt, as I don't

know of any other anti-semitic outburst of his throughout his life save this.

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If anyone knows more on the subject, even if it is to disprove the above,

please don't hesitate to comment.

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Source: "Alekhine, Alexander Alexandrovich", Hooper & Whyld,

The Oxford Companion to Chess, Oxford 1996, p. 5-7.

Arguing with the close-minded

My Obiter Dicta has an interesting and insightful

post on the merits (or lack thereof) of arguing

with close-minded ideologues and hotheads on the

subject of Judaism. I thought I might share my own

musings on arguments with such people regarding

history - especially the Arab-Israeli conflict.

I come across (and also check up on, perhaps due to

masochistic tendencies) anti-Israel and anti-Jewish

bile on a regular basis. Not a month goes by when

some "expert" doesn't come out with an infuriating

book or article expounding on why it's all our fault.

Whenever this happens, I feel the sudden and natural

urge to rip that guy's argument to shreds.

Indeed, on one occasion I entered into a correspondence

with an anti-Israel professor who justified the equation of

Israel and the Arab states on the basis of the Teddy

Katz/Tantura (see this site for all, and I mean ALL

relevant documentation regarding the subject) affair,

in which an MA student's thesis, which falsely

charged that a massacre had been committed in Tantura

village, was revoked. Needless to say, the argument went

nowhere, with both of us ultimately talking to a wall.

Later on I realized that when you argue, you have

to think about who you're trying to convince. One would

hope that you don't need to convince yourself, and trust

me when I say that there's no point in trying to convince

the hard-cases. Should you decide to debate such folk,

your mission should be to convince the folks who are

undecided on the issue, who have an open mind and

are willing to listen. If this is not a possibility, then I would

recommend following Obiter Dicta's advice at the end of his

post and work toward educating rather than fighting on

to achieve nothing.

Never Lose Hope. AIWAC

Important sites

1. To fight a boycott...(Hat Tip: Steven Plaut)
2. Prevent distortion...
3. ...lend a helping hand
4. or learn about the country's geography
5. or its relics and remains (in Hebrew)
6. you might want to pick up a book while you're at it...
7. ...and above all, never lose hope. AIWAC

Hebrew Blogs

Geviha Ben Pesisa (the modern version), has put up a post on Hebrew blogs. I thought I might add a hebrew blog that I visit regularly (though mostly for the links) - the unofficial blog of Zmora-Bitan publishing, one of the largest publishers in the country. The blog contains anything and everything you wanted (or didn't want) to know about the wonderful world of books, including a comprehensive list of links to various book-related sites. Enjoy!

Tidbits

1) Shai has a very interesting, and preceptive, post on a painful episode in Israeli politics.

2) My Obiter Dicta has posted my letter, it's nice to

know somebody noticed.

Please, Please Go Away

Dear: Richard Gere, George Alexander et al ------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Sir/Madame, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Over the past couple of bloody years of conflict between Israelis

and Palestinians, there have been quite a number of efforts on the

part of well-meaning people, famous and not-so famous, to bring

peace to this area. Such efforts have often been given media

attention, culminating with the recent attempt by Mr. Richard Gere

to call on the Palestinians to vote in the upcoming Palestinian elections.

These efforts have, as far as I can tell, have had negligible, if any,

effect on events here.

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This is why I would like to request that this constant flow of

goody-goody peace initiatives cease. They are at most a joke, a curiosity,

a temporary repreive from the real and difficult

events here. At worst, they divert attention and hope from the

real and messy process of give and take conducted by Israelis

and Palestinians to reach, if not peace, then at least

some sort of modus vivendi.

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I make this appeal not only as an Israeli citizen, but as an aspiring

historian who has read a thing or two about well-meaning but clueless

individuals who tried at one time or another to bring about a lasting

peace between Jews and Arabs. The list is long: Avraham Kalvarisky,

Judah Magnes, Martin Buber, Folke Bernadotte and others. All, without

exception, came away empty-handed. At most, they served as fodder for

partisans who aim to 'prove' that there might have been peace if only the

plans of so-and-so had been implemented.

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The people who actually achieved something were not the well-wishers,

but the hard-nosed and knowledgable professionals such as William

Quandt, Henry Kissinger and Ralph Bunche. Ultimately, however,

peace or cease-fires were achieved when it was in the interest of both

sides to do so, regardless of outside help.

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The world does not lack problems which you can help stop or reduce -

AIDS, illiteracy, poverty are among many worthy causes over which

you can have some effect. The Israel-Palestinian conflict is not.

-

Sincerely,

-

AIWAC