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When discussions arise about the utility of cyber-attacks in supporting conventional military operations, the conversation often moves quickly to the use of cyber-attacks during Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008, the US decision not to use cyber-attacks in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, or Russia’s behavior in cyber-space surrounding the conflict with Ukraine that began in 2014. These, however, may not really be the most useful cases to examine.

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By Martin Bunton

It may be premature to completely write off the recent round of the US-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The talks faltered earlier this month when Israel failed to release a batch of prisoners, part of the initial basis for holding the negotiations launched last July. The rapidly disintegrating diplomacy may yet be salvaged. But the three main actors have already made it known they will pursue their own initiatives.

They each may think that their actions will allow them to accumulate more leverage, maybe help position themselves in anticipation of a resumption of bilateral negotiations which, for over twenty years now, has been directed towards establishing a Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel. But it is also possible that the steps the parties take will instead deepen the despair of a two state framework ever coming to fruition.

Benjamin Netanyahu

The United States will focus their attention to other pressing issues, such as securing a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. Progress on this front may encourage, perhaps even empower, the Obama administration to resume Israeli-Palestinian negotiations later in its term. But the chances of their success will depend less on yet another intense round of shuttle diplomacy by US Secretary of State John Kerry, and more on whether a distracted Obama presidency will be prepared to pressure Israel to end its occupation. True, Obama enjoys the freedom of a second term presidency (unconcerned about the prospects of re-election). So far however he hasn’t appeared at all inclined to challenge Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

As for Israel, the Netanyahu government will take steps to make life even harder for Palestinians under occupation, and no doubt further entrench its settlement infrastructure in the West Bank, the territory on which Palestinians want to build their own state. Netanyahu, now one of the longest serving prime ministers in Israeli history, has provided very few indications that he is willing to enable the Palestinians to build a viable and contiguous state. He appears confident that the status quo is tenable, and that occupation and settlement of the West Bank can continue to violate international law without facing any serious repercussions. The more likely outcome of such complacency, however, is the irrevocable damage inflicted on the prospects of a two state solution and the harm done to Israel’s security, possibly subjecting it to a wide ranging international boycott movement.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian government, led by Mahmoud Abbas, will desperately strive to ensure that the breakdown of talks not lead to the collapse of his Palestinian Authority. Abbas may seek to use this opportunity to lessen the overall reliance on US sponsorship and achieve Palestinian rights in international bodies such as the UN and the International Court of Justice.  This move may placate the growing number of Palestinians who until now have angrily dismissed Abbas’ participation in American-sponsored bilateral negotiations as doing little more than provide political cover to the on-going Israeli occupation, begun almost 50 years ago. But the majority of Palestinians will continue to disparage of how the pursuit of their national project has been paralysed by the weakness and corruption of their leaders and the absence of a unified government and coherent strategy.

Mahmoud Abbas

Though no side wants to be blamed for the collapse of negotiations, it is easy to see how a cycle of action and recrimination could scupper all attempts to revitalize them. More to the point, however, is to ask whether the steps taken will end up burying the very prospects of a two-states solution to the century long conflict which the negotiations are supposed to achieve.

Martin Bunton is an Associate Professor in the History Department of the University of Victoria and author of the recently published The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2013).

The Very Short Introductions (VSI) series combines a small format with authoritative analysis and big ideas for hundreds of topic areas. Written by our expert authors, these books can change the way you think about the things that interest you and are the perfect introduction to subjects you previously knew nothing about. Grow your knowledge with OUPblog and the VSI series every Friday, subscribe to Very Short Introductions articles on the OUPblog via email or RSS, and like Very Short Introductions on Facebook.

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Image credits: (1) Benjamin Netanyahu. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons; (2) Mahmoud Abbas. By World Economic Forum from Cologny, Switzerland (AbuMazem). CC-BY-SA-2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The post Kerry On? What does the future hold for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? appeared first on OUPblog.

        

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Periodically I like to point out interesting cultural events that readers might be interested in. Today, I’d like to introduce you to my father, Herbert S. Ford, who founded the New Jersey Film Festival.  If you live in the area you should try to attend. In the post below he ruminates on the importance of film and recommends some films we should check out. Ford is a partner in Marcus Brody Ford Kessler & Sahner, LLC, a boutique New Jersey law firm where he practices commercial real estate and business law.

I have often wondered why there are no Irish, Italian, Spanish, Hispanic, Mexican or South American or other film festivals in the New York metropolitan area, the most diverse and artistically strong? Certainly there are high quality films made that fit all those categories. Perhaps some festivals exist but they are below my radar? I hope so. Certainly, The New Jersey Jewish Film Festival, which opens tonight, is below the radar of many. (more…)

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Here’s a chance to connect with a kindergarten class: The kindergarten class at Richardson-Taylor Elementary school in Taylor, North Dakota has sent Oliver K. Woodman traveling across North Dakota to celebrate Reading Month.

Write to Kindergarteners

At their website, teachers, Mrs. Haas and Mrs. Zich will track Oliver’s travels and post pictures. They have provided Oliver with a knitted cap and muffler and gloves against the cold North Dakota winter.

They are hoping to get comments from people across the nation–please stop by and write a short comment for the kindergartners to read. It will be exciting for the kids to see how the internet connects them to the world.

(To find the Add comments button, click on Read More comments. At the bottom of that page, you’ll find the add comments button.)

What a week! February 5-12, 2008 was one of tornadoes, fires and more. I’ll recap the week in the next several posts.

This is NOT a Drill

On the night of February 5, I was at the Baxter County Library, Mountain Home, AR, a small town in the north-central part of Arkansas. I was scheduled for a reading to kids followed by a writing workshop for adults. When I drove up to the library, I sat outside a few minutes making calls and was impressed by the traffic in and out of the library. Obviously, the librarians do a great job of serving their community because there were few open parking spots.

Inside, the staff were gracious and excited. We moved to a large open room where OLIVER was waiting for me. It’s always a treat to see him because he travels so much.

(Click for a full size picture.)
About 20 kids and parents gathered and I had just started reading when the tornado sirens went off. The library staff quickly and efficiently moved the kids away from windows to the interior of the building and had them sit in the stacks. Some kids were jittery, so–I kept reading my books. For the next 30 minutes or so, I read my books and entertained the kids and parents. When the all-clear was sounded, one mother called home to find out that all the windows in her house were blown out, a roof was off an out-building, there was no electricity–but her husband was safe. While she was making the call, I sat on the floor and helped her daughter put together a construction paper Oliver. Daughter, mother and grandmother were all safe at the library when the storm hit.

It was a devastating storm throughout Arkansas and Tennessee with many deaths, many destroyed homes, etc. A sad day in the state. Clean up efforts continue, as people deal with the aftermath.

I drove home the next day and most of the route was uneventful. But one small section of the highway was closed off in Mountain View, AR, where a tornado had also struck. We were routed along a dirt road, which also passed through a one-fourth to one-half mile section of the tornado’s path. Here are some of the pictures I took through the car’s window. It was a short section, but you can see roofs ripped off, trees snapped. One lady is walking around in the rubble that’s left of her home. Notice the pink insulation in the trees.


A sad week for many. Clean up is ongoing and the effects will be felt for a long time in many cities.

Next: Fire in the Hole

After eight years teaching the Novel Revision retreat across the nation, I’m pleased to announce that the workbook developed for that retreat will be available this spring.
Coming April 2!

Galleys are Now Available

If you review books for writers publications, or you head a writer’s organization, please see below.

Here’s the full details of the book.

Novel Metamorphosis: Uncommon Ways to Revise

• Foreword by Kirby Larson
• ISBN: 978-0-9798621-0-6
• Pub. Date: April 2, 2008
• Retail Price: $18.00
• Pages: 124
• Trim Size: 7.5 x 9.25
• Backmatter: Appendix, Index
• Mims House, publisher

Congratulations! You’ve finished a novel.

What an accomplishment! Now what?
Now, you need a passionate, in-depth guide to revision.

Why Revise?

Before revision: Nice Story
After revision: Richer, deeper–the novel of your dreams.

Novice or Seasoned

. . . For aspiring novelists, mid-list novelists who want to break out, novelists who want to self-publish–successfully, writers who have completed NaNoWriMo but don’t know what to do next, and writing critique groups looking for a way to help each other to the next level.

Revising has never been easier:

• Systematically inventory and diagnosis your manuscript
• Visually manipulate your manuscript to diagnose problems
• Transform dull characters into fascinating, memorable people
• Strengthen the narrative and emotional arcs
• Sharpen dialogue
• Morph dull settings into backdrops that set the mood
• Bring to life narrated events by selecting the right details
• Use language with confidence
• Add depth with narrative patterning
• In-depth professional development
• Plan your novel’s metamorphosis

The Results

A stronger, richer, deeper story, a story that makes readers weep and cry and turn the next page.

Revision Tools

Unlike most books on revision, Novel Metamorphosis turns theory into radical new tools which are practical, tangible, concrete.

• cut straight to the heart of your manuscript’s problem
• develop your writing and editing skills
• understand the critical underlying structure of your story
• learn theory as you work
• spark in-depth discussions in your critique group

Darcy Pattison

In 1999, writer and writing teacher Darcy Pattison created the Novel Revision Retreat to meet the needs of struggling novelists. Since then, her passionate teaching has touched writers nationwide as she encouraged them, “I believe in your story.”

Her books include Nineteen Girls and Me, Searching for Oliver K. Woodman, The Journey of Oliver K. Woodman, The Wayfinder and The River Dragon. Her books have been recognized for excellence by starred reviews in Kirkus and BCCB, Child magazine Best Books of the Year 2003, Nick Jr. Family Magazine Best Books of the Year 2003. She is the 2007 recipient of the Arkansas Governor’s Arts Award for Individual Artist for her work in children’s literature.

Galleys

If you review books for writers’ organizations or you head a writers’ organization and would like to see an advance galley, email me at darcy at darcypattison.com . A limited numer of galleys are available for this, but we’d like to see them all go out.

Teacher Resource Book

Also coming this spring: Paper Lightning: Prewriting Activities to Spark Creativity and Help Students Write Effectively.

You’ll see more about this one soon, too.

Here’s a current schedule of my speaking. It may change at any time, because I’m in discussion with a couple people about other events.

• February 4 Ft. Smith Public Library, Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Children’s program.
• February 5 Mountain Home Public Library, Mountain Home, Arkansas. Children’s Program with book signing and Adult Writer’s Workshop.
• Feb 9-10 Attend the NYC SCBWI conference.
• March 10 Holcomb Elementary, Fayetteville, AR
• March 17 Maumelle Elementary, Maumelle, AR
• March 20 The Cathedral School, Little Rock, AR
• April 4-6 Novel Retreat in 3 Acts, Nebraska. Contact [email protected] to ask if any spaces remain in the retreat.
• April 11-12 Arkansas SCBWI Spring Conference, Conway, AR
• June 6 Arkansas Writer’s Conference, Little Rock, AR. Contact [email protected]
• July 23-24 Western Arkansas Education Service Cooperative. Professional development.
• September 19-21 Arkansas SCBWI Fall Retreat, Mt. Magazine State Park, AR
• October 24-26 Act 3 of Novel Retreat in 3 Acts, Nebraska. Contact [email protected] to ask if any spaces remain in the retreat.
• November 7-9 Western Washington SCBWI Retreat. Voice and Scenes. Contact [email protected]

I’m always happy to consider speaking at a retreats, conferences, professional development classes, school visits, etc. If you want to host a Novel Revision Retreat in your area, email for more information: darcy at darcypattison.com

I just got a look at my picturebook, 19 Girls and Me, in German! It joins the English, Chinese and Arabic editions. It should be released officially any day and, with this publication, I am now available in eight languages! Totally amazing.

I saw it at this online bookstore, so if you’re in Europe, check it out.

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