Comments on: Centenary cities http://quitealone.com/2009/11/03/centenary-cities/ "To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world" – Freya Stark Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:45:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Matthew Teller http://quitealone.com/2009/11/03/centenary-cities/#comment-187 Matthew Teller Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:16:32 +0000 http://quitealone.com/?p=234#comment-187 Hi there - thank you for commenting. I'm sorry you found this post astounding for its lack of context - and even more sorry that the context you supply tells only part of the story. I am very happy to accept your idea that Tel Aviv has welcomed refugees – though it has also benefited from a national policy which has actively drawn immigrants into the country for, I would suggest, often spurious nationalistic or religious reasons – but your claim that Amman is a city holding 'perpetrators of oppression' is, I'm afraid, desperately far from reality. My point in writing this post was deliberately not to provide context for the stories of oppression and injustice which have led to these two cities being founded on 'outsiders'. I know - maybe like you do - who did what to whom. And why. And when. Context ties you, and me, to the past. My point in writing this post was to draw contemporary parallels between two neighbours, both of whom have suffered, and both of whom share stories that are not being told. I'm sorry you regard that as "worthless" - but hope that you'll continue to read and comment... Hi there – thank you for commenting. I’m sorry you found this post astounding for its lack of context – and even more sorry that the context you supply tells only part of the story.

I am very happy to accept your idea that Tel Aviv has welcomed refugees – though it has also benefited from a national policy which has actively drawn immigrants into the country for, I would suggest, often spurious nationalistic or religious reasons – but your claim that Amman is a city holding ‘perpetrators of oppression’ is, I’m afraid, desperately far from reality.

My point in writing this post was deliberately not to provide context for the stories of oppression and injustice which have led to these two cities being founded on ‘outsiders’. I know – maybe like you do – who did what to whom. And why. And when.

Context ties you, and me, to the past. My point in writing this post was to draw contemporary parallels between two neighbours, both of whom have suffered, and both of whom share stories that are not being told.

I’m sorry you regard that as “worthless” – but hope that you’ll continue to read and comment…

]]> By: israeliguy http://quitealone.com/2009/11/03/centenary-cities/#comment-184 israeliguy Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:05:50 +0000 http://quitealone.com/?p=234#comment-184 It's astounding that you fail to provide any context to the events you describe. The so called "immigrants" arriving to Tel Aviv were ethnically cleansed by the Arab countries, kicked out, without their property. While the context for the flight of the Palestinians is somehow missed, both when mentioning Israel (the civil war and attempts to destroy Israel upon foundation in 1948, as well as a similar attempt in 1967) and when mentioning Kuwait (following the massive support of Palestinian "refugees" to the invading Iraqi army and Saddam Hussein. In short, info without context is worthless, and while Tel Aviv has welcomed refugees left homeless by opression, Amman welcomed the opressors themselves. Maybe that's why Tel Aviv is so multi-cultural, victims of opression often excel at artist and art, and while Amman is much less so, as the perpetrators of opression are less good at diversity. It’s astounding that you fail to provide any context to the events you describe. The so called “immigrants” arriving to Tel Aviv were ethnically cleansed by the Arab countries, kicked out, without their property.
While the context for the flight of the Palestinians is somehow missed, both when mentioning Israel (the civil war and attempts to destroy Israel upon foundation in 1948, as well as a similar attempt in 1967) and when mentioning Kuwait (following the massive support of Palestinian “refugees” to the invading Iraqi army and Saddam Hussein.

In short, info without context is worthless, and while Tel Aviv has welcomed refugees left homeless by opression, Amman welcomed the opressors themselves. Maybe that’s why Tel Aviv is so multi-cultural, victims of opression often excel at artist and art, and while Amman is much less so, as the perpetrators of opression are less good at diversity.

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