Harvard Sacco Abductions Analysis

With Israel’s border needs in mind, Allon proposed a multifaceted solution for Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. He suggested Israel would incorporate the Jordan Valley, the Judean desert along the west coast of the Dead Sea, the area surrounding the Jerusalem metropolitan area, and a small tract of land south west of the Palestinian city of Hebron6. This configuration of newly incorporated land was designed to “provide Israel with the minimal defensible borders that are indispensable without impairing, to any meaningful extent, the basic interests of the other side, including those of the Palestinian community”7. It is important to note that Allon envisioned that the non-incorporated “Palestinian” parts of the West Bank would remain free of Israeli settlers and would eventually be handed back to the Kingdom of Jordan in order to form a future Jordanian-Palestinian state. The second important part of Allon’s plan is the use of a “selective settlement policy” within the incorporated areas of the West Bank as part of Israel’s defense strategy8. The selective settlement policy allowed for Israelis to settle in the West Bank, but only in areas lacking large Palestinian cities and villages. Unfortunately, the Allon Plan failed to account for the religious fundamentalism that would motivate much of the settlement building in the West Bank.

I don't know how long it's been since they have. I woke up, on the floor of my own home, surprisingly unharmed save for a few burns on my arms, presumably from where they touched my skin. I don't remember much, not after they arrived. I was so ready to take my stand, to fight against them for my home, for the future of my family. I’ve never been so stupid in my life. They were barely in the room before one of them let out this noise, unlike any I have ever heard. Had it come out of one of our kind then I might have thought it was some form of exclamation, not that I heard it for long. Not a moment had fully passed from when the sound pierced the air to when I lost all consciousness, only to wake here. Its dark outside, it’s easily possibly I’ve only been out a few hours, but just as possible it's been days. The silence is maddening. Is there anyone left out there? Am I the only one they spared, and if so why me?

In the "1967 war, Israel captured and occupied these areas, and established a military administration to govern the Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank and Gaza" (Beinin and Hajjar). In the Palestinians perspective, under the Israel's settlement they were rejected political and civil rights. In Israel, Palestinian nationalism and life was prohibited and restricted because it was a criminal act. In the Israelis perspective, they had relied on their authority and strategy of captivity to control the West Bank and Gaza from the Palestinian opposition to the occupation. In the Palestinians point of view, Israelis have been using harsh torture which has led to many deaths.

If there is one thing true about this documentary is the depressing, and pessimistic nature of it. The Shin Bet, Israel’s equivalent of the FBI act as the secret intelligence branch that serves to protect Israel from behind the scenes, and Unseen Shield, if you will. The six ex leaders of the Shin Bet all portray the recent decades of Israel’s undercover militaristic organisation by retelling some of their past actions and experiences. All six tell of their actions, that would shock us uninitiated civilians, with surprising bluntness. One man seems like the typical gentle grandpa wearing suspenders, who is subsequently called a bully and a monster, another younger man is very collected yet obviously troubled by the job. And then there is also Ami the bald gaunt man who likes to quote intellectuals. All speak about the political history of Israel and how they’re work has fundamentally changed them. One of the most important change they face is their entire strategy involving the Palestinian issue. Their tactics need to change from simply removing extremists to diplomatic solutions.

Samih Farsoun started his chapter in analyzing the situation of the Palestinian displacement in 1948-1993, "the destruction of Palestinian society, and the displacement of Palestinians and their spread in the horizons and their physical attachment, “in order to realize the dream of the Zionist leaders to establish" Jewish Israel Exclusively.

It was ten years ago that Gaza Strip residents were forced out of their homes. From picturesque Gush Katif, from Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and from four small settlements in the northern West Bank. The ticket? Peace and renewed international support for Israel.

Responding to this concern, Bassem Tamimi, a Palestinian activist, listening to the conversation, added: “Our enemy is so violent that he doesn’t give us a chance to be nonviolent. So it is no wonder that Palestinians do not believe in nonviolence.” (Bronner). However, what Israeli Barak Raz calls Palestine’s violent resistance is just throwing stones. This is nothing comparing to guns, arms and bullets and bomb. This cannot appall Israeli soldier. The main reason that makes Israel soldier scare is non-violent resistant. One Israeli activist says, “Nothing scares the army more than nonviolent opposition.” (Budrus). Thus, what made Israeli soldiers as well as government to reroute their barrier was not because they scare of violence, but because

Home annihilations and removals by Israeli powers proceed. Israeli checkpoints, detours, and the division divider hinder and limit development inside the Palestinian domain.

The picture on page 22 shows a toddler in his “home” as a refugee. This is the only thing he has to call a home, but we all know this is not a home. A home is someplace you stay in and you are comfortable in that place. In a home, you laugh and share great moments with your family. A home doesn’t have to be extravagant, expensive, or big and nice, but a home makes you comfortable and it is suitable enough for a person. The tent that the child is in barely even fits him let alone his whole family. This image of the way they live shows how they were treated as nobodies, like they weren’t even there. The Israelis label them as not important. “Who are the Palestinians? Non-Jews. Terrorist. Troublemakers. DPs. Refugees. Names on a card. Numbers on a list.” (Said, P.26). This quote tells us that they were seen as worthless because they are “Non-Jews” and if you are a Non-Jew you are not important. To the Jews, who are the dominant discourse, you are not necessary to the world. They don’t only see a select group of Palestinians as terrorist and Non-Jews, but they see every Palestinian this way. “I heard it said in Lebanon that Palestinian children in particular should be killed because each of them is a potential terrorist. Kill them before they kill you. (Said, P.25).” The Israelis have no pity towards the Palestinians and they have no remorse for their actions. This goes back to the Palestinians being labeled as

The film points to the West Bank settlement-colonies that Israel propagated as the main challenge to peace. The film argues that colonization takes place through these settlements without regard to Palestinians’ desires. This process has gone on through decades before Israel was established. The daily growth of the settlements is an indication that the policy is active. The film claims that

Traveling to Palestine was less about the fact that I am going on vacation and more so the idea that I would finally face those who stole our home. In my mind, the images of the mountains serving as a backdrop to the grass holding a place for each of the thousand tall, dark olive trees contradicted what my eyes saw on CNN as Anderson Cooper describes the use of a monstrous tank to massacre innocent Palestinian children. While I sat on a torn up seat of an rusty, twenty-year-old bus with one almost invisible air conditioner in the front, I thought about whether I would anticipate the serene lands of thousands of generations, or the dead Palestinian families lying in their bulldozed homes. Screech! As we eventually reached the Palestine checkpoint,

Mobility and control over mobility reflect and reinforce relations of power. An effect of immobility is a stunt on economic development because of the control over imports and exports to the West Bank. In the next section I will discuss the effects that Checkpoints and closures have had on the formal economy of Palestinians, and how they have resisted Israeli forces though informal economies surrounding the Checkpoints. Palestinians have adapted and changed their routines in order to combat the attempt to isolate and segregate the people from themselves and the Israeli citizens surrounding

Israel has made travel between major Palestinian population centers (Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron) in the West Bank easier over the last several years. Several major checkpoints in the West Bank that restricted direct movement between and into these cities have been removed or modified. However, in general this opening is less the result of an overall easing in movement restrictions than the result of the institutionalization of movement controls into a formal and permanent regime of restrictions that has replaced roadblocks with gates that can be opened and closed at the whim of the military and that has reconfiguring how Palestinians travel.

On September fifth, 1972, the terrorist group, Black September, took nine Israeli athletes hostage during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Black September was a small group of Palestinian militants, almost unknown to the world before the Munich Games. The group belonged to the PLO, or the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The origin of Black September’s anger goes back to the long-lasting conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis, which dates back thousands of years . Black September had one purpose for the attack: they wanted to televise the event to bring more attention to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Black September terrorist group used the attacks on the Israeli athletes as well as the constant media at the 1972 Munich Olympics, to bring attention to the Palestinians wrongful treatment during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In addition to Sacco strategies, the first perspective Sacco shows in his comic book is protection. Even when protection happens in both sides of conflict, Palestine is illustrated as a more protective community, since the invaders are located within their territories. He shows how protection is within the Palestinian and Israeli families and pride. Sacco adds that families began to leave their houses, in page 24, he presents, “his family was chased out by constant Israeli gunfire,” in this quote Sacco draws himself also in the frame next to Mr. T. a man who is looking after his family’s security. This man has to make a life decision of leaving their “secure home,” to find an actual secure place for his family. Sacco points out those guns are in the hands of Israeli army, but also in Palestinians hands. He chooses to not make the clear connection but the constant firing happens when there are two different parties attacking. This attack is seen as a protection for both countries lives. In the other hand Israelis are protecting their families that live in the other side of the borders; they don’t want their families to live through what is happening in Palestine for this same reason