高樓低廈,人潮起伏,
名爭利逐,千萬家悲歡離合。

閑雲偶過,新月初現,
燈耀海城,天地間留我孤獨。

舊史再提,故書重讀,
冷眼閑眺,關山未變寂寞!

念人老江湖,心碎家國,
百年瞬息,得失滄海一粟!

徐訏《新年偶感》

2012年8月10日星期五

陶傑: 真正的領袖



第三次世界大戰將會在何處引爆?不是在南中國海,就是由以色列打伊朗開始。
以帳面看,南中國海打不起來,因為中國沒有強人領袖,以色列有,總理納坦耶胡,就是強人。

納坦耶胡軍人出身,有個哥哥,當過突擊隊,四十年前在突襲安特比機場時英勇殉國。但納坦耶胡家世不止於此。他還有一個老爸,叫做賓恩,一百零二歲。剛三個月前逝世。賓恩納坦耶胡是歷史學家,在華沙出生,為以色列建國,出了半生之力,第二次世界大戰時,他一面參加美軍,到戰場打德國,一面完成博士論文。
前年,老納坦耶胡百歲大壽,在壽宴上,他當總理的兒子,坐在第一圍主家席,在掌聲中,百歲壽星走上講壇,發表演說:

[J1] 
這一夜,氣氛肅穆,出席百歲壽宴的賓客,散席之後,都竊竊私語:「這不僅是老人家向兒子交代遺囑,也是交托民族的使命:隨時準備動手吧。」

老頭子的講話,很快美國也知道了。奧巴馬知道事態嚴重,記者問總統,美國是否相信以色列會打伊朗?奧巴馬說:「以色列總理有保護國民的重大歷史責任,他肩負納粹屠猶的沉重歷史,會指引他怎樣做。」但奧巴馬語鋒一轉:「但是,也必須認識一點:他是一個現代國家的領袖,他會估量軍事行動的代價,他會重視與我們磋商,我想,他會非常重視的。」

但是認識納坦耶胡的人都說:在奧巴馬和他百歲高齡的老爸之間,他更重孝道,更重視他言誨身教的父親。


 [J1]It is exactly this ‘siege’ psychology that shaped the early inception  of Israel state, its policies in dealing with the indigenous Palestinian population including expropriation of their properties and denying them citizenship. Benjamin Netayahu is from the right-wing Lukid party and serves as Prime Minister of Israel for the second time. To be fair, Likud is not the most extreme  right-wing party in Israeli political spectrum. He slowed down and stopped the Oslo Accords during his first premiership. It is his inflammatory speech attacking the accords that caused the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, one of the signees. Rabin’s widow, Leah, shaked hands with Arafat in her husband’s funeral but refused to do so with Netayahu. It is a sad piece of history still unfolding and an irony to see the Jews turning from victims of WWII into victimizers today. If陶傑 endorses this kind of mentality, he has no reason to criticize the Communist Party of China (Might means right) . One should read more comprehensively if one wants to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, like from Avi Shlaim and Ilan Pappé, the so-called Israel’s New Historians.


Nur Masalha: The question of refugees 60 years after the Nakba


 







 
Nur-eldeen (Nur) Masalha is Professor of Religion and Politics and Director of the Centre for Religion and History and the Holy Land Research Project at St. Mary's University College, University of Surrey. He is currently also Professorial Research Associate, Department of History, School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London). He is also a member of the Kuwait Programme, Department of Government, London School of Economics (monograph, with Stephanie Cronin, on ‘The Islamic Republic of Iran and the GCC States: From Revolution to Realpolitik?).