Haaretz Columnist Gideon Levy Wins 2015 Olof Palme Prize

[Israeli]

Levy and co-winner Mitri Raheb, a Palestinian pastor, will receive the prize for their fight against ‘occupation and violence’ and their spreading of hope for peace.

Haaretz and DPA Jan 07

Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy and Palestinian pastor Mitri Raheb were named co-winners of the 2015 Olof Palme Prize on Thursday for their "courageous and indefatigable fight against occupation and violence."

Both have given "a ray of hope to a conflict that has plagued and continues to plague millions of people and to endanger world peace," the jury said.

Levy joined Haaretz in 1982, and spent four years as the newspaper's deputy editor. A member of the editorial board, he is the author of the weekly Twilight Zone feature, which covers the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza as well as the writer of political editorials for the newspaper.

Levy was the recipient of the Peace Through Media Award in 2012; the Euro-Med Journalist Prize for 2008 (for an article about children killed by the IDF); the Leipzig Freedom Prize in 2001; the Israeli Journalists’ Union Prize in 1997; and The Association of Human Rights in Israel Award for 1996.
His book, The Punishment of Gaza, was published in 2010.

read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.696049

[Jefferson23]

1. +1. Excellent. n/t

[Israeli]

2. Perfect timing Jefferson.......

.....considering post # 36 here @ :
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134122924#post36

I'm sure shira and Mosby will be along to rain on our parade ......but tonight us supporters of Gideon Levy are smiling and breaking out the champagne .

[Jefferson23]

3. They speak from their heart, that's what's so sad about that.

I am very happy for Levy too.

[shira]

5. Gideon Levy justifies violence against random Jews...

He's no better than the gutter racists at Stormfront.

Apparently there's good reason Palestinians can murder Jews. If it were the KKK or Nazis, the regressive Left would hopefully condemn such actions. But Palestinians, they get a free pass.

WTF?

[Jefferson23]

7. No, he does not. The rest of your remarks are hyperbolic nonsense.

Levy has said the two state solution is dead due to the settlements, not the only guy
to come to that conclusion.

I still think 2 states is possible but only through the UNSC.

[shira]

8. Posts #4 and #6 below show Levy justifies terror against random Jews.

Why is he so respected by you?

[Jefferson23]

9. Because he doesn't say what you claim. There is this funny thing, it's called a question mark..

looks like this. ?

He asks why is there violence coming from Palestinians.

It's an important question, one many do not wish to ask. There is no justification
for violence, it is about the reasons it occurs. A reaction to the occupation, to
the hypocrisy of it all, does not equate with giving an ok to the violence when it
occurs.

Some people believe both sides are inherently evil, I reject that as well.

[shira]

4. (Gideon Levy from Oct, 2015) Even Gandhi Would Understand the Palestinians' Violence

As Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has asked in a Haaretz interview, “How do you expect the Palestinian street to react after the burning of the teenager Mohammed Abu Khdeir, the torching of the Dawabsheh home, the settlers’ aggression and the damage to property under the eyes of the soldiers?” And what are we to answer?

To the 100 years of dispossession and 50 years of oppression we can add the past few years, marked by intolerable Israeli arrogance that’s exploding once again in our faces.

Jews could have started blowing up German babies and elderly for what they suffered - but they didn't. And no one in their right mind would have asked what better could be expected from the Jewish survivors of genocide.

When young people kill settlers, throw firebombs at soldiers or hurl rocks at Israelis, this is the background. You need a great deal of obtuseness, ignorance, nationalism and arrogance – or all the above – to ignore this.

Of course, we must know the background circumstances to understand why Palestinian children are encouraged to stab and kill random Jewish children and old ladies.

Levy is a disgusting POS racist who would've justified Nazi violence against Jews 80 years ago.

read more: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.679268

[shira]

6. Levy justifies rockets on Israel, is a fascist apologist for war crimes....

First of all, you should be worried. But you should ask, why do they launch their rockets? You should ask, what other choice do you leave the Palestinians in Gaza living in the biggest jail on Earth? Let’s be frank, whenever they stop launching rockets, the world and Israel is forgetting them. Look now—they’re again forgotten. So they’re launching rockets but let’s remember; those rockets are one of the most primitive weapons on earth. The Qassams. They might hurt, they might kill—no doubt it’s an impossible reality to live under this threat—but it has nothing to do with an existential threat. Don’t forget: Israel is a regional superpower, which possesses any possible weapon on Earth. Don’t tell me that those rockets are an existential threat, and Mr. Netanyahu, if he’s worried so much about this threat […] should open up Gaza. - See more at: http://www.ceasefire.ca/?p=20794#sthash.Eo3Z6vIw.dpuf

[Little Tich]

10. Congratulations are in order, Gideon Levy deserved the prize.

I don't know much about Mitri Raheb though, but a Google search reveals that he's criticized by the Israeli government, NGO-Monitor, B'nai B'rith International and Simon Wiesenthal Center for his work to promote human rights, which is good enough for me.

[azurnoir]

11. Congratulations to Mr Levy on this award

[leftynyc]

12. I'll save my kudos for someone

who doesn't defend someone admitting and laughing at the torture and death of Palestinians who sell land to Jews:

B’Tselem accused the show of legitimizing what was, essentially, a right-wing operation. In that sense, the fact that journalist Dayan described sending to their certain death Arabs whose only sin is wanting to sell land to Jews, appears from B’Tselem’s point of view like her embracing of the “occupation.” Gideon Levy told Dayan on air that “If that’s all that those plants discovered, it’s a badge of honor for the human rights organizations.”

More at this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134123088

The man is odious.

[azurnoir]

13. you mean the thread where the OP article is in Hebrew?

[leftynyc]

14. What are you babbling about?

Just hit the translate button. Is that too difficult for you? Nobody else seems to be having that problem.

[azurnoir]

15. The link you provided I'd go back and check it

the OP has been edited and now the article provided is in Hebrew, the original was from Arutz Sheva

[leftynyc]

16. I did click on it and

then hit the translate button that comes up in the right top corner. It's not rocket science but I see you continue your habit of changing the subject. It's your entire MO.

[azurnoir]

17. I pointed out the something about the OP you linked to which has nothing to do with this thread

but you do seem to hate the left I'll give you that, except you'll find in the US most of the Leftists are also Democrats

[leftynyc]

18. Since when is being part of the left

analogous to defending the PA and hamas? Since that's the only thing I don't line up with your cartoon version of the left, I'm very okay with that. So are the VAST majority of Democrats and Americans at large. One day you'll realize you represent a teeny minority of Americans who don't support Israel over the Palestinians. But obviously not today when you seem to think I have to close my eyes to reality to be a Democrat.

[azurnoir]

19. as I've told you before I'm not afraid of being a "teeny minority"

I was in a "teeny minority" in 1975 when I married a Black man and got smeared because of that, but time proved me right as it will this time too

oh and now you claim I support Hamas?

[leftynyc]

20. I didn't say support, I said defend

and when you continually deflect from what is actually going on, that's a defense. It's called muddying the waters when you don't like the clear picture. And that's all you do, deflect. It's apparent to anyone paying attention to your posts. And yeah, I've been hearing for years how the Americans are suddenly going to wake up and support the Palestinians. About 40 years now.

You don't even realize how you hurt the Palestinians with this nonsense. You lead them down a garden path saying - just keep resisting and any day now, you'll get what you want. So they sit and wait and let their leaders fuck them over continually instead of doing the hard work of sitting down with the Israelis and hammering out an agreement where both sides will have to compromise. But no - they have clowns who continually tell them NOT to compromise - that they don't have to compromise. And so they sit and wait and wait. I stopped feeling sorry for that stupidity a very long time ago.

[azurnoir]

21. I haven't deflected from anything and some of the replies about what hurts Palestinians

sounds much like what used to be said about what hurts Blacks in the US IMO

[shira]

22. Gideon Levy says "badge of honor" that this is all that was discovered. He's a real POS....

This story is big.

Ezra Nawi is a hero to the Regressive Left, which speaks volumes actually.

They're all falling over themselves (B'tselem, +972, etc.) trying to defend this cretin and deflect from the incident.

True colors and all.

[shira]

23. Gideon Levy & B'tselem: Killing Palestinians for selling land is justified

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.696456