I thought that reading these excerpts for today allowed us to have a bit of a different and more optimistic perspective on the conflict. Some of the reading had subtle humor and language that a lot of our other articles did not have. It allowed us to view the article in a different light. I liked that about it. It was light-hearted, yet it still proved certain points through that kind of language. The fact that these stories were so much more personal than other historical accounts, really allowed the viewer to connect to the message that the author was trying to convey.
In “A Dogs Life” chapter, it really shows how being a dog in that society can be easier than being a citizen. The fact that the dog is able to attain a citizenship, where it’s owner is not, seems rather strange. The Jerusalem dog is able to pass through checkpoints way easier than a human is able to! How is it so easy for a dog to get across a border, but then when a human tries, they fail? The fact that it was so much easier for the dog to get the ID, just goes to show how divided Jerusalem has become. Israelis are making it incredibly difficult for Palestinians to make their way around Israel’s capital. It’s sad that the Palestinians are facing such issues in their daily life.
In the article, “Not the Mother of All Cities,” it really stuck me in a different way and gave me a completely different perspective of Jerusalem. I’ve never really made the connection and realized that men seem to have the dominant hand in a city such as Jerusalem. In the article, the woman says that Jerusalem has been overpowered by men. Her husband has a sense of control over her and it is because of this that she is not completely able to show who she truly is. He is limiting her to what he views as the right way for a woman to act. But a husband’s relationship with his wife should not be like this in any way. If anything, he should be more supportive of his wife and allow her to show her true colors. Through this analogy, you can see how Jerusalem should be as a city. Jerusalem should be able to accept and provide for people of all different cultures, races, and religions. Everybody should be able to come together in harmony while expressing and practicing what they believe in a peaceful manner.
Questions:
1) In your opinion, what do you see for the future of Jerusalem? Within the next 2 years? 10 years?
2) Do you think your personal views regarding women and feminism affect your view of the conflict as a whole?
3) What should be the biggest change seen between Israeli/Palestinian women/relationships with men?
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