COFFEE BREAK 178

+ updated at 12:30pm ESDT on Thursday, May 20, 2010

+ I get called anti-semitic all too often so I'm glad to see that more and more American Jews, not to mention, Israeli Jews, share my passion for justice for the Palestinians. 

The New York Review of Books offers "The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment" by Peter Beinart. Excerpt:

Among American Jews today, there are a great many Zionists, especially in the Orthodox world, people deeply devoted to the State of Israel. And there are a great many liberals, especially in the secular Jewish world, people deeply devoted to human rights for all people, Palestinians included. But the two groups are increasingly distinct. Particularly in the younger generations, fewer and fewer American Jewish liberals are Zionists; fewer and fewer American Jewish Zionists are liberal. One reason is that the leading institutions of American Jewry have refused to foster—indeed, have actively opposed—a Zionism that challenges Israel’s behavior in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and toward its own Arab citizens. For several decades, the Jewish establishment has asked American Jews to check their liberalism at Zionism’s door, and now, to their horror, they are finding that many young Jews have checked their Zionism instead. 

Thank You, American Jews for your great traditional and now renewed commitment to Peace and Justice for all.

+ mmmm. another cup of coffee. Equal Exchange Coffee. Fairly Traded.

+ Getting closer to our trip to Germany: Mary and I and our friend John will be flying to Frankfurt on June 8 and 9 on British Airways. The strike has been prevented by court order at least for now so the chances of keeping our itinerary as planned have improved. That pesky volcano needs to cooperate.

12:30pm UPDATE: I just went to the BBC website and I see that the Union won its case against the injunction and the Cabin Crew strike will go on and possibly interfere with our plans. I am frustrated and I am ready to end a 20-year relationship with British Airways.  We have been getting BA miles every time we use our credit card.  Maybe I will look for a new credit card.