I spent some time over the past week translating this excellent critique of the film “Waltzing with Bashir” by As`ad AbuKhalil (aka, the Angry Arab). Aside from butchering the title of the article and completely failing on one complicated parenthetical statement, I seem to have done pretty well. It was rather difficult, but quite rewarding. I don’t think I’ve ever even read anything of this length in Arabic, let alone translated it. The translation—in addition to being here below the fold, with some handy hyperlinks for those unfamiliar with the many names and historical events that appear in the article—can also be found on the original authors site, here. I also recommend this film review that appeared on Electronic Intifada. (more…)
March 2, 2009
Dance of Death: ‘Waltz with Bashir’ and Sympathy for the Killer—رقصة الموت: «فالس مع بشير» والعطف على القاتل
February 21, 2009
Links for February 21st from 14:18 to 16:22
These are my links for February 21st from 14:18 to 16:22:
- Free the Prisoners for Gaza – Website for the remaining Gaza solidarity prisoners
- Al-Haraka Critiques the US Arabic Teaching System « –
- Energy Security Challenges for Israel Following the Gaza War – A review of the geological and political difficulties Israel faces in attending to its energy security (thanks Angry Arab)
- ei: Film review: "Waltz with Bashir" – "To say that Palestinians are absent in Waltz with Bashir, to say that it is a film that deals not with Palestinians but with Israelis who served in Lebanon, only barely begins to describe the violence that this film commits against Palestinians."
- Haidar: Bin Laden is not, either, Hiding Out in Shiite Parachinar – A handy rebuttal to the nut-job "bio-geographers" of UCLA.
February 3, 2009
Links for February 1st through February 3rd
These are my links for February 1st through February 3rd:
- Gaza war summary – Israel Opinion, Ynetnews – A bit old, but short and biting and amusing: "Despite widespread praise, B. Michael unimpressed with military’s performance in Gaza"
- ei: Every family has a story, here are some of them – The asinine behavior of Israeli soldiers was so rampant, it's hard to imagine that it wasn't somewhat organized and strategic. And it's also hard to imagine what possible use such a strategy would be. Gazans have nowhere to go. Terrorist practices like this won't make the Palestinians leave because they can't. It certainly has no "educational" effect, despite what idiots like Thomas Friedman think. I can only imagine that Israel has no interest whatsoever in reaching any sort of peace with the Palestinians, ever.
- Los Angeles Times: The last stop for a young utopian – I've been reading a lot of sad stories lately, mostly out of Gaza. In many ways, this is much less tragic, but I'm not going to feel bad for mourning the death of "one of our own."
- IRIN Middle East | Middle East | Lebanon | LEBANON: Climate change and politics threaten water wars in Bekaa | Early Warning Environment Conflict | Feature –
- Norman Finkelstein: Behind the Bloodbath in Gaza – Norman Finkelstein explores Israel's twin goals in Gaza: to restore the understanding that Israel will kick your ass if you don't give it your lunch money and to stave off a Palestinian "Peace Offensive".
