Bleeding Hearts - not a pejorative
Apr. 7th, 2008 05:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eumeliaA few days ago former Knesset Speaker and former Jewish Agency chief Avraham "Avrum" Burg gave a speech and interview about Israel, Palestine, the Jewish nature of the state, the state of Judaism in Israel and lots of other things in this close to 90 minute session - yeah, it's long. But if you get some spare time (like I had yesterday) listen to what he has to say.
Avrum Burg Speech MP3, via Jewschool
Perhaps a little background information is needed on the man, in order to appreciate the speech. I unfortunately am not that good at summarizing a man's life, so I'll refer you to his wiki page - Avraham Burg, which is as good a starting point as any I suppose.
What one really needs to know about Mr. Burg is how he is now perceived in mainstream Israeli society. He is viewed on the negative side, due to his criticisms of Israel's policies, nature and over-all screwed upness. This is especially hackling to most Israelis because, as before mentioned, he's a former MK Speaker and former Jewish Agency chief (pretty much as Zionist as can be) and he's now been flagged, and if I'm not mistaken (though don't take my word for it) has said about himself, that he is a post-Zionist, his stronger critiques have called him an anti-Zionist.
His politics and opinions became very public after the publishing of his (semi-biographical/semi-autobiographical) book about the Holocaust and Israel and his own family's history on the subject. The book is called לנצח את היטלר (english: Defeating Hitler) and I recommend it heartily, I found it moving and correct in it's assessment of the trauma that Israel has incorporated into its national identity.
Over the book's publishing in the summer of 2007, he was interviewed in the Ha'aretz magazine - which you can conveniently read here in Hebrew and in English - and it was the kiss of death to his mainstream image.
I liked what he had and still has to say.
Suffice to say, I'm in the minority here.
Avrum Burg Speech MP3, via Jewschool
Perhaps a little background information is needed on the man, in order to appreciate the speech. I unfortunately am not that good at summarizing a man's life, so I'll refer you to his wiki page - Avraham Burg, which is as good a starting point as any I suppose.
What one really needs to know about Mr. Burg is how he is now perceived in mainstream Israeli society. He is viewed on the negative side, due to his criticisms of Israel's policies, nature and over-all screwed upness. This is especially hackling to most Israelis because, as before mentioned, he's a former MK Speaker and former Jewish Agency chief (pretty much as Zionist as can be) and he's now been flagged, and if I'm not mistaken (though don't take my word for it) has said about himself, that he is a post-Zionist, his stronger critiques have called him an anti-Zionist.
His politics and opinions became very public after the publishing of his (semi-biographical/semi-autobiographical) book about the Holocaust and Israel and his own family's history on the subject. The book is called לנצח את היטלר (english: Defeating Hitler) and I recommend it heartily, I found it moving and correct in it's assessment of the trauma that Israel has incorporated into its national identity.
Over the book's publishing in the summer of 2007, he was interviewed in the Ha'aretz magazine - which you can conveniently read here in Hebrew and in English - and it was the kiss of death to his mainstream image.
I liked what he had and still has to say.
Suffice to say, I'm in the minority here.
