That's Not a Pocahontas Costume, Mom!

Israeli Settlements via Google Images

The history of the Israeli state has for years been uniquely intertwined with the continued success of the United States on the world stage. American diplomats have joined their Israeli counterparts in walk-outs of United Nations working groups on racism when zionism was proposed as a possible component of greater injustices. President George W. Bush often lauded Israel as a special friend of the United States noting,

"We will stand up for our friends in the world. And one of the most important friends is the State of Israel."

While some may argue that the current administration's stance on most Israeli issues is vastly out of touch with greater American sentiment, at least they can see that a change has been made, a resolute foreign policy transformation that may well signal a new era in Middle East geopolitics.

Noting President Obama's repeated condemnations of Israeli aggression and settlement building as he prepares to launch into new negotiations with Palestinians leaders over a more comprehensive peace plan, perhaps even including a two-state solution, it would therefore appear odd that many Americans are circumventing their government to directly influence Israeli domestic politics. Yet, as a July 5th New York Times article investigated, it's exactly the case. By taking advantage by IRS loopholes and apparent negligence, common citizens are making tax-deductible donations to non-profit organizations with the clear aim of reinforcing militant Israeli settlers.

To place this conversation in context, let's first cover the extent of settlements. Since a war with its Arab neighbors in 1967 Israel has maintained claims to certain disputed territories. Moreover, despite concessions to Palestinians leaders which allows limited autonomy in Gaza and the West Bank, Israeli settlers frequently travel into traditionally Palestinian regions with the clear aim to root them out through the construction of new homes, small businesses, and large community facilities. In an attempt to placate the Palestinian leadership and encourage new rounds of negotiations, President Obama convinced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to freeze settlement activity. However, as the Times piece points out, this official order has not deterred certain settlers from continuing to stake claims in "off-limits" territories.

These donations, which have reached upwards of $200 million, are not small-change. In fact, a concerted effort to wage violence against Palestinians is being sanctioned by a criminally negligent IRS. Some of the funds go to Jewish academic and athletic organizations naturally, but money is also funneled to pay, "...for more legally questionable commodities: housing as well as guard dogs, bulletproof vests, rifle scopes, and vehicles to secure outposts deep in occupied areas." The non-profit operated by lobbyist Jack Abramoff:

"...shipped a camouflage sniper suit in a box labeled 'Grandmother Tree Costume for the play Pocahontas':-- other groups are more open. Amitz Rescue and Security, which has raied money through two Brooklyn nonprofits, trains and equips guard units for settlements. Its website encourages donors to 'send a tax-deductible check' for night-vision binoculars, bulletproof vehicles and guard dogs."

In its thirst for violence this radical Israeli movement has encouraged unprecedented violence. As journalists Isabel Kershner and Myra Noveck discovered, one particular movement deemed "Price Tag" instituted an eye-for-an-eye policy whereby official Israeli moves to counter settlement expansion is met by proportional attacks on innocent Arabs. The worst part of this entire debacle is the fact that many American donors don't even realize the violence being encouraged by their donations due to vague website descriptions. If anything, the IRS's logical response to this issue would be to overhaul existing regulations in terms of tax law in order to cut off the funding these Americans are giving to enemies of US interests abroad.

The main issue with regard to these American donations is their ability to undermine the peace process. In my personal opinion, a two-state solution, that is a solution involving sovereignty for both Palestinians and Israelis is the only viable option at present. Ideally, these two factions would be able to function in a single cooperative state, yet I realize how ridiculously idealistic that statement remains. In all actuality, the Israeli people did suffer tremendous hardships-- the loss of 6 million Jews (at minimum) during the Holocaust and a tradition of anti-Semitism throughout recorded history have no doubt given them much to gripe about (and rightly so). However, when those feelings of victimization translate into a subsequent attack on an established people (the Palestinians) and forces thousands to become refugees, all claims of moral superiority are rendered null and void. Like President Obama has noted again and again a two-state solution would allow Arabs in the Middle East to see a concrete example of Western tolerance, no Western care for their welfare. Although negotiations will of course be tense, with neither side willing to concede on any front, they must be pushed through. Think for a moment of the apropos West Wing episode where Middle East peace is at least hesitantly achieved by creating a UN peace zone throughout the city of Jerusalem. My point: there are solutions. We need to seek them out no matter how ridiculous they might seem.

Teen Vogue Declares Gay Best Friend Latest Accessory

Sometimes I wonder how untactful a blogger must be before someone says, you know,  I think that's a little inappropriate. Teen Vogue is making headlines across the internet today for publishing a silly little article on GBF's, or, for the uninformed, Gay Best Friends, declaring them to be the next trend for girls everywhere, much like clogs or Ray-Bans and not like people at all. Here are some actual quotes from the article in question:

"A few years ago, all the popular, pretty girls were walking hand in hand with a preppy jock," she says. "Now you'll see them in hallways with a Mulberry bag on one arm and a Johnny Weir look-alike on the other." She says one girl at her school even recently tweeted: "OMG, watching Glee makes me wish I had a guy like Kurt in my life."

And while everyone wishes they had a Kurt in their life, that doesn't make it okay to objectify gay man as an accessory, as commenters and everyone with a soul was quick to point out. Even if they do sing awesomely.

And, just in case you weren't aware of famous GBF's in pop culture, Teen Vogue has kindly added a supplementary slideshow to educate y'all. Luckily, post author Amy Astley added an explanation to the horrid article:

Ed note: Friendships with other girls--even the healthiest and most supportive of relationships--are always a teeny bit complicated. I hate to admit it, but I feel like a tiny troll next to one of my besties, who is as tall and stunning as a supermodel; another good pal is so outrageously successful that one can't help but seem a bit of an underachiever in comparison. And that's the problem: We girls compare ourselves to one another, and it can just get a bit . . . intense. Thank goodness for gay best friends. I treasure my GBFs--I live in New York City; I have many, many!--because they are noncompetitive and nonjudgmental, and we make each other feel accepted and cherished. As Lindsay Talbot reports, gay guy-straight girl friendships may be trendy right now in pop culture (think Glee), but no one deserves to be treated like a passing fad or arm candy. If you are lucky enough to have a GBF in your life, enjoy the lovefest but remember to fight for his rights to be treated equally in our society. --AMY ASTLEY, editor in chief.

Hot Topic: Gay Best Friend (GBF) [Sound Off/Teen Vogue]

Guys, This Isn't A James Bond Movie

People love James Bond movies, because they love sexy spies. Unfortunately, time has proved again and again that spies don't look like Tatiana Romanova, and they certainly aren't supposed to look like Anna Chapman, pictured left. She's become the poster child for the seemingly useless Russian spies captured by the US Justice Department last week, mostly because she is a socialite that insists on flitting around Manhattan in Hérve Léger bandage dresses. Chapman, the daughter of a "Russian diplomat" (code word for former KGB agent, of course), is just the cherry on top of this somewhat hilarious ordeal. She's not the brightest of the Russian spies, reportedly emailing her handler sensitive information while he was standing right outside the café she was emailing him from. An email, we might add, that was confiscated by the Feds pretty quickly. She also signed up for a cell phone under the address "99 Fake Street" (no, I'm not kidding) and fell for the undercover Fed with their silly codeword exchange:

The undercover instructed her on how she would recognize her fellow spy and how to report back on the handoff, the feds said.

"Haven’t we met in California last summer?" the spy expecting the fake passport was supposed to say. Chapman was to respond, "No, I think it was the Hamptons," according to the FBI.

Not only this, but her ex-husband is an accused rapist. Can it get any better? Yes, actually, and Sean Connery is laughing that this is actually more campy than Goldfinger. There are more agents than Chapman, of course, and the other agents have been busy being more successful by spying in suburban backyards. The Daily Intel worries that when they return to Russia they will be able to "divulge all the secrets they've gathered about holding backyard barbecues and shopping at Banana Republic." One of the spy's neighbors reports, "They couldn’t have been spies, look what she did with the hydrangeas!” The spies were also quick to push off quirks with the flimsy excuse that they were from Canada.

Of course, commenters on the issue were quick to report that perhaps the spies' real mission was to assimilate into American culture and thus able to see weaknesses that Americans have been familiar with forever yet seemed insignificant to Russians. However, the Russians should have picked up on the weakness that one of the states, namely Alaska, is very close to Russia (Mhhmm, a Sarah Palin joke).

Russia got very upset when we cracked their little spy ring and offered to trade ten American spies captured by Russia for Anna Chapman & Co. The US seems to be getting the better deal in this spy swap, since the ten agents that Reuters reports the Russians are planning on returning to the US for the captured Russians are not hot and therefore actually spies who accomplished something besides being terrible spies and gardening.

UPDATE: The US is swapping the ten self-confessed spies (with the serious money laundering charges dropped) for four real American spies captured by the Russians, ones who have significantly more espionage that the Russian ring, except that one guy who still insists he's innocent.

Russian Spies' Dumbest Mistakes [Daily Intel]
Factbox: Candidates for possible U.S.-Russia spy swap [Reuters]