User talk:Okedem/Archive 1

Thanks for your information on the rights of Jews in Isreal vs. other enthicities. I am Jewish, and so of course Isreal is of interest to me. For some reason I thought that there was some requirement that Jews maintain a majority in the Knesset (sp?) or that there was some voting rights reserved to Jews, maybe that only Jews can serve as Prime Minister.

--Lenehey 16:40, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

You're welcome. Your spelling is correct, Knesset. As you understood, there are no legal limitations for non-Jews, and I hope there never will be (if fact, I will fight to prevent such things). There are people who wish to enact such limitations, but they're a small minority, just like there are fascists in other countries). okedem 16:52, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Matthew the omniscient

I'll have to agree with you on that one, he uses big sentences to support baseless claims. All this stuff about the ethnic specific biological weaponry, that's the biggest load of bull I've ever heard. And about how Israel wants to conquer the world, if I didn't know better, I could swear he was sent to Wikipedia by Iran.Sendare

Jew/Jewish

Hey man, I don't know if its more politically correct, but it sounds better for my ears in some contexts. For example, I might change "was quelled, a group of Legionnaires selected 15 Jews, at random." to "was quelled, a group of Legionnaires selected 15 members of the jewish population at random" — but I wouldn't change "Many parties took part in the riots against the Jews". Good article though! You might think of splitting it out into Bucharest Pogrom and Legionnaires' Rebellion. - FrancisTyers · 21:08, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, though I am just the translator. The events are interconnected, with the Pogrom designed to assist the rebellion, so I think they do better as one article. okedem 21:11, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Translations

Hi Ofer, you did a good job with Gilgal Refaim. I'll comb through the prose for spelling mistakes when I have more time later. Just wanted you to know that I'm also working on translating articles from Hebrew Wikipedia. (I just finished Canaanites (Movement), which you should check out, if you have the time.) If you ever want a translation looked at by another person, please drop a note on my talk page -- i'll do the same. Best, --Ori.livneh 23:45, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

WP:BITE

Hi. This edit was good in that it reverted unsourced, POV editing. But please remember to be WP:CIVIL and not WP:BITE the new editors. Thanks. Jkelly 19:27, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

I'll do my best. I just take it a bit personally when my countrymen are accused of such acts... okedem 19:30, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

I can understand that. Jkelly 21:19, 6 August 2006 (UTC)

A little help on Hezbollah

Hi Ofir, my name is Ronn. I know editing can be a lot of work and it's easy to stick to a few topics but I'm coming out with a signifigant minority view amont editors on the Hezbollah article, which seems to be twisting completely in a pro-hezbollah POV. Many editors with my pov are coming in with one or two edits that are instantaneously removed. I myself am starting to get sloppy because all reasonable edits are completely whiped out pretty quickly. I noticed you are dedicated wp, take the Israeli POV into account, and are reasonable (which can be tough to come by) I'm wondering if you could aid in this article. Nasrallah is starting to look like benevolent kindergarten teacher=). Kol TuvLabaneh 02:19, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

(Ofer, not Ofir)

Hi, I'll read the articles and see what I can do. I'm not a very active wikipedian, though, so don't expect miracles... okedem 06:30, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Talk:Iran

Hi, I agree that Matthew A.J.B.'s comments at Talk:Iran have been out of line. I also think that it's generally unwise, and not terribly productive, to come into a talk page discussion one has not been involved in entirely to chide someone for making personal attacks. Plus, the fellow has basically discredited himself by going into crazy "Mossad did 9/11" conspiracy theories. What exactly do you want me to do here? If you start an RfC against Matthew A.J.B., that might be a start. He's pretty clearly just here to spew anti-semitic garbage, and I don't think much of anyone would cry to see him gone, although I'm uncertain of whether he's actually committed enough direct violations to be disciplined. john k 11:37, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

I approached you since you're an admin, and I don't really know the procedures and customs here (I'm mostly active in the Hebrew wikipedia, not here). After leaving you that message I complained in Wikipedia:Personal attack intervention noticeboard, so I guess that's it.

I don't even know why I get involved in these things. Their outcome is usually quite predictable, though I've yet to be attacked this way, even on Talk:Israel or the likes. okedem 11:55, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, the noticeboard would seem to be the thing to do. I will admit that I myself am not completely sure what procedures are about things like this, either. A whole intensely detailed bureaucracy has sprung up that I'm not completely familiar with. If Matthew continues with the outrageous anti-semitic outpourings, I'd imagine he'll get himself banned. I'm just not sure how precisely this comes about. john k 12:15, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, congrats on that. If you had "debated his response" he would have just gotten angrier and more out of line Gorgo7h3 01:16, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

I agreed with your comments about that Matt A.J.B. guy. But seeing some of the stuff he wrote made me want to vent so I had to write something in response to his nonsense. The guy clearly is inbalanced. He cites sources that are incredibly sketchy and indeed seem to lack any credible value. 9/11 conspiracy theories that involve the Mossad and the CIA are just ridiculous and baseless. Youknowthatoneguy 07:10, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

The problem is that there's just no arguing with people like that. He's illogical. There only reason to argue with him is to try and convice other readers just how ridicules his comments are. okedem 08:01, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

Oiboy

Todah Rabbah, Ofer, (I haven't really spoken Hebrew since I learned for the year in EY some 15 years ago :( ). That was pretty low, even for him. -- Avi 18:04, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

You're welcome. It was so silly too. Did he think no one would notice? okedem 18:15, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

See [[1]] --Oiboy77 18:17, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Yup, I added the {{unsigned}} template, I do that all over wikipedia. 8-) -- Avi 23:16, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

Portal:Israel/New

Shalom Okedem. FYI, I've added link Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty (Israel) to Portal:Israel/New article announcements. Please consider watchlisting it and joining the project. It is good for collaboration and to keep others informed. BTW, do you know about the existence of Wikipedia:Notice board for Israel-related topics (WP:WNBI for short)? Thanks! ←Humus sapiens ^ну? 10:06, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Request for arbitration on Israel

Dear Editor, since you have been involved in editing the Israel article in the last days, and that article has been the subject of long ongoing edit wars, your name is listed in the Request for Arbitration on this matter. You can make a statement here: Wikipedia:Requests_for_arbitration#Human Rights in Israel. Due to the large number of editors involved, however, I would to ask you to keep your statement concise and to the point. If you feel you have not been substantially involved in the disputes surrounding the Israel article, please do not remove your name from the Arbitration request, but rather make a short statement there explaining why you feel you have not been involved enough to be part it. To understand my reasons for requesting Arbitration, please read my statement on the Requests for Arbitration page. Best regards, --MauroVan 10:13, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Template:Iranian states - Do not remove again it is refrenced.

Okedem - Unfortunately it sounds like you are pushing a point of view.Thousands of Kurds and Tats residents is certainly an important part of a location's history. However, removing references to important historical events goes strongly against Wikipedia policy. See for comparison MORE INFORMATION:[2] part of that refrenced template & [3] & [4] -ZANDWEBT. DON'T REMOVE AGAIN .

Israel is a country built on immigration. You'll find many people who are native French, English, Russian, Hungarian, Ukranian, Italian etc. speakers. If we add all of these templates, the article wouldn't look very good, would it? And to a country like the US - you'd have to add all the templates in Wikipedia, wouldn't you?

Having a small population speaking a certain language doesn't make that country a "x speaking nation".

Don't accuse me of POV, and don't cite WP policy to me. I know it very well, thank you.

And please don't use ALL CAPS, especially not bold. It's shouting, and it's rude. okedem 12:33, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

Israel: Thank you for the cite fix.

Thank you for the fix on the Israel cite. I got distracted before I could get back to it. Naraht 15:58, 25 September 2006 (UTC)

No Fight Intended

Just so you know, I was not intending an argument with you even though it might have come off that way. I recently spent a semester at Hebrew University, Har Hatsofim, and spent a semester in a class learning about Israeli Foreign Affairs. I am trying to put that information to good use. --יהושועEric 09:03, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

Oh, it's okay. I can see you mean well, but I'm just trying to make sure the actual legal situation is represented - the west bank really is under military occupation. It doesn't mean Israel is evil, but that's just the way it is - just like Germany and Japan were under military occupation after WW2 - the Allies were right to do it, but it was still a military occupation. okedem 09:09, 2 October 2006 (UTC)

This is true Okedem except the legal reasoning that the West Bank wasn't under the "ownership" of anyone before and therefore they can't be considered occupied according to definiton. I think this reasoning is correct. Else, without annexation, it will be indeed be occupation, especially because of the local population. But this legal reasoning is very strong and valid. Amoruso 10:11, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Still, it is "occupied" - It is held under military rule, with the IDF being sovereign, and Israeli doesn't apply there - what does apply is Jordanian law. If you can suggest a better name to call it, go ahead, but I don't see the problem with the "occupied" status - it just denotes the facts. okedem 10:15, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Jewish People are an aboriginal people indigenous to the Land of Israel

I actually prefer your edit of the above captioned issue in the Israel article to mine. Do you know of any additional references for this topic.--Lance ^talk 03:39, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

I think the topic is very well covered in Jewish history, and History of ancient Israel and Judah. okedem 10:08, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Why was reference removed?

This reference was removed from the Israel article. I believe its inclusion to be crucial as it eliminates an important premiss in the propaganda war against Israel. Other nations do not hesitate to state well established facts. The ugly problem of antisemitism is creeping into Wikipedia; and, the Israel article is being edited, (under attack?), by editors with, to say the least, no sympathy for Jews or Jewish history. Please restore the reference to the FACT that the Jewish people are an aboriginal people indigenous to the Land of Israel.--Lance ^talk 10:22, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

The lead to Israel now says: "The modern State of Israel was founded in 1948 but its history is tied to the Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל) which is the birthplace of the Jewish People. ", so it basically the same. We are now discussing changes to the lead in the talkpage of Israel, see the "Arbitrary break" section. You are welcome to join the discussion, we are close to a compromise there. okedem 10:36, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

Would you like to hear about it here?

Dear Okedem, I took your comment on the Talk:Israel page totally at face value. But I do not know if you want me to outline what I mean here, or on my talk page or elsewhere? Should I continue here?

As I meant you to. If you wish, here would be a fine place. I'm aware of several issues concerning Arab-Israelis, but I'm sure I don't know everything. okedem 14:17, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

It's hard to explain, but I will try. Maybe I should start with my dream in life. My dream in life is to own a little plot of land with olive trees, pomegranate, orange and lemon and fig, and some vegetables too. To build a little house made of stone in the Palestinian old-style. Every time I drive by land I dream of buying it. But most of the land I see cannot be bought by me, because I am not Jewish. The few plots that are available to me are those already owned by Arabs, which are limited and often a family’s only means of survival and mostly zoned for agricultural use only, meaning you can't build on it. If however, I was Jewish, I could get a plot of land in the Negev or the Galilee, maybe a moshav, and grow and build to my heart’s delight. Or I could join a kibbutz. As a non-Jew, I cannot. One of my other dreams is to study archaeology in Arabic. But there are no Arabic-language higher degree institutions in Israel, despite it being an official language. People in Nazareth have been asking for permission to build such a university for years. Permission is consistently denied, but the Ariel College is getting upgraded to university status over the next five years, and it’s located in a settlement. I got the message: The right of illegal settlements to university facilitites takes precedence over the right of Arabs to education in their mother tongue Almost every time I go to the airport, I get pulled over in the car at the checkpoint after they ask where I am coming from, and I say Nazareth. After half an hour of checks of my body, my bag, and my vehicle, I am sometimes escorted in (when I am dropping someone off) by a vehicle with its siren lights on. The poor person I am dropping off then gets escorted inside for a special check. If I myself am traveling, I go through a one and a half hour body and bag check (that includes a strip search), and then am personally escorted to the ticket line, past all the other passengers. It’s a kind of VIP treatment really, but not the kind where you feel like a star, but rather a criminal. When I go to the mall, sometimes I wear a hijab (even though I am not Muslim, but Christian). I wear it when my hair is messy and I don’t feel like brushing it or it’s cold outside. An every time I wear it, I get stopped and asked for my ID and treated as though I am a foreigner in my own country. Once an Israeli policeman in Jerusalem who saw me walking down the street yelled, “Why the hell are you wearing that on your head!” Don’t ask me why. He just did. I often think about what life would be like if I wore it all the time. (When I don’t wear it and no one sees my ID, I often pass for Jewish.) As an Arab, I can’t speak freely about my political opinions. People I know who have, get visited by the Shabak who threaten to make their parents lose their jobs (if they are teachers, for example) or get threatened with having their citizenship taken away. Even as I write this, I am thinking about what might happen when they make the connection between my online identity and my real one. Will they call me in for an interview? Will they threaten my husband or in-laws? Will they find a reason to restrict my travel? (a journalist friend of mine is banned from traveling outside Israel for a year because he has been deemed a security threat by the Shabak, based on evidence he has no right to see.) Then there is the issue of the West Bank. I have family and friends there. We don’t get to see each other anymore. What used to take only half an hour five years ago, now takes four hours, if we can get there at all. I know people in love with others on the other side of the green line who can’t get married because of the new law preventing marriages between Israelis and West Bank or Gaza Palestinians. It’s terrible to live so close to people, and yet feel so far. I have family in Lebanon I haven’t seen in years. If we want to see each other it has to be Jordan or Egypt, never where they live or where I live. We don't know what each other's homes look like. Anyway, as you can see, some of this is institutional, other aspects are circumstantial (ie. The situation being what it is) but on a purely human level, it just seems so unfair. Any Jew anywhere in the world can come to be with his family if they live here, but Palestinians who stayed behind and took Israeli citizenship can hardly ever see their families let alone be reunited with them. That is institutional. It’s a consequence of the Law of Return that grants Jews privileged immigration rights. I know it may be difficult for you to consider or hear, but the decision to build a Jewish state has direct negative consequences for non-Jews. It cannot guarantee us the same rights. It cannot be equally fair and democratic for us because it’s role is to serve a group of people from one religion all over the world, rather than all of Israel's citizens, many of whom are not Jewish. And under Israeli law, the situation cannot even be changed if we all wanted it to be, because you cannot run on a political platform that challenges the idea of Israel as a Jewish state. Any political party that does so is automatically deemed illegal. And so, here we are. Many peoples sharing one land, unequally and with tensions, that are bound to erupt now and then. I don't have all the answers, but I know there has to be a better way than this. Thanks for listening Okedem. Tiamut 14:41, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi,

I must admit I know very little (quite naturally) about the Shabak's actions, so I really can't say a lot about it. I do think they should back off. Secret police is never good.

I understand the difficulty of the current situation for Israeli-Arabs, being out of place pretty much everywhere - on the one hand not really a part of Israel, on the other hand not "Arab" enough to freely visit some arab countries.

However, many of these problems will (I hope) be solved when peace comes (you know, like Jews say - after the holidays...). Oh, how I hope for it. And how disappointed I get when I see opportunities slip, like the Palestinians' actions after the Disengagement. It annoys me mainly because it gives great ammunition to those Israelis who say - "we shouldn't leave the territories, look what they do when we leave, they attack us, we shouldn't dismantle settelements". I mean, after all the effort people on the left in Israel have put into this, the Palestinians are throwing it away. Instead of showing the Israelis that we can live in peace, like good neighbors, they fire rockets, and kidnap soldiers. Damn. It had so much potential, for the first time Israel was evacuating settlements, leaving that "root of all evil" (in my opinion).

About Ariel - damn political agendas. It's a poor college, they have a master's degree in one field. They have very little research. They're not even close to being a university, but there are forces at work there. Ariel is a serious problem. All the other settlement are either very small, and can be evacuated, or very close to the border (like Maale Adumim), and can be annexed easily, giving the Palestinian equal territoty elsewhere. But Ariel is just in the middle. A city, far from the border. I don't know what they'll do with it.

I know the establishment of Israel had negative effects on the lives of others. More than it should have, that's for sure. So many things could be avoided, so many wrongs. There are lots of things that can be changed. Universal "National Service", for all the people who can't or won't serve in the Army, would do a lot of good, for instance. However, I still believe the country should remain a "Jewish" country. Not in religion, I'm an atheist, but for the Jewish people. There has to be a place like Israel, so the Jews are never persecuted again. Even if we die, we die by the sword, never going to the slaughter like in Europe. And quite frankly, I fear that any other way would fall to the level of our neighbors - poor, backwards dictatorships.

Don't think all Jews like the situation either. I mean, I really dislike the Anthem. Because it's so Jewish, because it's so fit for the Diaspora. I hate the discrimination against the Arab towns, and for the settlements. But the thing is, the Arab Knesset memebers are doing all of us a disservice. Instead of trying to work together with the Jews to improve all of our lives, they jut align themselves with Hamas and Hizbollah, thus destroying most of the support for the just Arab causes in Israel.

About your dream, of land. Why don't you try to get land in the Arava or Negev? I'm sure they'll try to stop you, but it really requires one brave person to try, and fight for it - Bagatz often helps, as I'm sure you know. And how about personally owned agricultural plots? There are no legal limitations to those. okedem 15:13, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for your response. I understand the fears based on the tragic history Jews have suffered. I hope one day we can work to dispell those fears and our own together. We are cousins after all, Arabs and Jews, and the worst feuds are family ones.

About the land, I don't think it will work. The JNF has decalred the Negev a priority develpoment area and after a recent land swap with the ILA, they now control most of the land grants there. As a private organization, they are under no legal obligation to grant land to non-Jews. I know that one of the 40 plots awarded in the Negev before the land swap did go to an Arab Bedouin, but he had done military service, and I have not. Still, like you said, one should never give up trying or hoping that one day things will change. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. Tiamut 15:30, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Also, for your good nature in difficult situations, and your invitation to dialogue with even those whose views are different than your own, I want to award you the

		The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
		for being friendly even with those whose views are not your own

Tiamut 17:23, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. There are good people on both sides, and that's why I despise the extremists so much - they make us all look bad...

And we really are cousins - even genetic research has shown that the Jews' closest relatives are the Palestinians. okedem 18:09, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

Wikinews

I spend some time on that crazy stuff at http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Category_talk:Israel . Check the bottom of that page. Need others to help me. After I said the guy is an antisemitic bigot who belongs in a psychiatric hospital (read his quotes before condemning me for saying such things), two other administratos immediately attacked me. Note that the antisemitic bigot in question, PVJ, is himself an administrator also. I already have three administrators against me on Wikinews, because I refuse to be polite against someone who calls for the annihalation of every Israeli and denies that it exists in the first place. Moreover, it is simply shocking that a person with such views is an ADMINISTRATOR there. --Daniel575 | (talk) 16:53, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

Sfardi claim on Israel

BS"D

I just want to inform you that what is going to happen right now is that I will change it to the politically correct statement. Its Teimanim who are looked down upon, not sfardim. Generally any mizrachi jew are labeled as sfardim.

B'shaah tovah and shavua tov

--Shaul avrom 23:51, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

No one in looked down upon, not even Teimanim. And usually the actual Sfaradim try to label everyone else except the Ashkenazim as Sfradim, for their own political reasons, which I find ridicules, and offensive (I'm half Mizrachi - of Iraqi origin, and have nothing to do with Sfarad - Spain). okedem 08:25, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm part sfardic in the literal sense(from spain),Part mizrachi(through the marriage of a grandparent) and then mostly ashkenazic, but look at the teimanim article, the piece about Operation magic carpet in particular.

--Shaul avrom 14:50, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

Yes, I read the article, and I know of the details from before. Most of the claims there are unbased (like the whole "Yemenite children" thing), some true, but justifiable - spraying with disinfectant - they did that to lots of people. I once read something by an immigrant from Britain, who was sprayed with disinfectant. It was a justifiable measure, for preventing epidemics.

There may have been some discrimination back in the '50s, but certainly none nowadays. okedem 15:10, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

Actually, it's true, I now of (through family in E"Y) people in E"Y who were taken away from their families to destroy their religious faith and raise them as zionists (oy). --Shaul avrom 23:00, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Re:Direct elections in Israel

Thanks for the update, I guess I kinda got some of it wrong.- Moshe Constantine Hassan Al-Silverburg | Talk 21:59, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

You're welcome. Gotta love Israeli politics... okedem 21:26, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

"Ethnic cleansing of Palestine"

Friend, I think you wasted too much time on that. It's a classy example of an obvious 'delete' and you argued with a guy who was crossing out votes of others etc... there was never any chance it won't be deleted don't waste your time on that IMO. Cheers, Amoruso 18:56, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

I know, I try not to get into that sort of arguments, but it was more interesting than solving exercises in Chemical Dynamics and Statistical Thermodynamics... okedem 18:59, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

:), yes, I was wrong too, it seems the latest response was by Quack...Amoruso 19:00, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

Thank you

This is sort of out of the blue, but I think you deserve a thanks for continuously defending the truth on the Israel talk page, and other Israel related discussions. Josh a z 04:51, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Thanks, :-)... okedem 07:16, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Freedom House

Hi Okedem,

Thanks for clearing up the Freedom House ratings (which itself is a bit confusing since there are four report subheadings dealing with the subject-matter). Perhaps we can find some language that reflects Freedom House's view that the increase in Palestinian freedom is in part due to Israeli action? Cheers, Tewfik^Talk 21:04, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Well, if you're referring to what they say here, we can just quote them. However, I don't think there's much point to that. We should keep the section short. Maybe we can add it in the main Human rights in Israel article. okedem 22:13, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Israel (size)

Hi Okedem. I noticed something in regard to Israel's size and the footnote. No, the Golan Heights is not considered Israeli territory per the U.N. However, I do believe it should reflect the territory it itself claims. Yes, this would still exclude the West Bank since Israel does not formally claim it. The Golan Heights are ruled by Israel and the residents either are or are offered Israeli citizenship. This is in no way changed by whether any political body recognizes it as legitimate. Under the UN it is not a de jure part of Israel. It is however for all intents and purposes Israel and a de facto part of Israel. Just like Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel whether or not it is recognized as such. They may believe it is subject to further negotiations, true, but that does not change the fact that Israel's declared capital and their government institutions sit in Jerusalem. See where I am going? Anyway, just wanted to hear from you.

I also couldn't help but notice your conversation above with Tewfik. It might be something to keep in mind that Israel's civil liberties rating also depends on (Palestinian) terrorist attacks. --Shamir1 21:07, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

The Golan is more complicated - Israel doesn't view it as an integral part of its territory, and has expressed its willingness to return it to Syria for Peace. The major obstacles for that are the argument over the exact border, and Syria support of terrorists. If these were resolved, the Golan would probably be returned to them. okedem 14:31, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

Jerusalem

Hello!

I wanted to thank you for all your work on the article. It really needed some editing...

okedem 17:29, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. By the way, I was looking for someone who could translate this document (or at least dissect some of the most important information) for the #Demographics section. I see, conveniently, that you're fluent in Hebrew. Would you happen to have the time to fulfill the request? Thanks in advance, regardless of your response. -- tariqabjotu 19:09, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

I will do you one better, friend - here's the English version: [5].

I think the CBS publishes everything in both languages. Anyway, if you need any translation, do feel free to contact me - I may not always have the time, but I'll consider it for sure. okedem 19:42, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

I see... that's perfect. I was looking for an English copy but I didn't know where to look. Thanks a lot! You probably deserved this a long time ago:

		The Barnstar of National Merit
		For your tireless efforts toward working on articles related to Israel, and for finding the English translation of this document, I hereby award you The Barnstar of National Merit. -- tariqabjotu 02:25, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! okedem 10:50, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

Apartheid

Dear Sir,

I do not understand why you call me a troll for disputing the factual accuracy of an article, you also said it was a personal attack. Please do not remove legitimate tags or I will report you to Administrators Noticeboard. --MiddleEastern 15:32, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

I call you a troll mainly for this edit: [6]. It's obvious you're here to fight and defame Israel in any way possible. I won't let you do that. okedem 15:36, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

And I won't let you defend Israel in any way possible - even in cases when Israel is to blame, you have been reported for violation of WP:AGF --MiddleEastern 15:38, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

You also used your edits to remove sources. AGF? Have you any idea what that means? Your edit I linked to above makes it clear you have no good faith here. okedem 15:39, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Please do not remove information from articles. Wikipedia is not censored, and content is not removed even if some believe it to be contentious. Thank you.--MiddleEastern 15:46, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Please assume good faith when dealing with other editors. Thank you.--MiddleEastern 15:46, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Funny, coming from someone making edits like this one [7] and removing sources. okedem 15:49, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Please, you have mentioned this edit many times now --MiddleEastern 15:54, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

• How is it possible for an Israeli to claim to be neutral? --MiddleEastern 13:59, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

Just as it's possible for an Arab to be neutral.

Just to clarify, I never claimed to be neutral. My edits are neutral. I, myself, have strong opinions in these matters, but I do my best not to let them influence my edits. okedem 14:06, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

Translation request

Greetings. If you could please translate he:פרעות דורוחוי into Dorohoi Pogrom, I would very much appreciate that. Biruitorul 21:15, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

Done. okedem 14:13, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Wondeful! Thank you very much. If you're up for another, he:משפטי הציונים ברומניה into Romanian Zionists' Trials seems like an interesting topic as well. Biruitorul 19:38, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

If I have some more free time. That depends on my lecturers... okedem 20:55, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

OK, take your time. Biruitorul 23:45, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Israeli "separation policy?

As you've commented on this before, I thought you might be interested in the article Hafrada, and its talk page. Jayjg ^(talk) 20:36, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree with your comments there. Despite Tiamut's multiple links, she has yet to prove the existence of such policy, and keep mixing up the separation fence (Geder Hahafrada) with other claims. Also, the article completely fails to mention that any separation between Israel and the Palestinians is an integral step in the peace process, and is in fact required for the two state solution.

The way I see it, this is another attempt to make the case for the existence of Apartheid, by using a "scary" unknown word, like "Hafrada", instead of actually describing facts. Kind of like calling the barrier "the wall" - to bring up memories of the Berlin wall, no doubt. okedem 20:49, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

Your thoughts would be most welcome on the Talk: page as well. Jayjg ^(talk) 23:10, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

Oh, by the way, if you have a little free time, could you take a look at this article: Legionnaires' Rebellion and Bucharest Pogrom? I translated it from Hebrew a while ago, and now a user has tagged a section of it with "Unbalanced". I'm discussing things with him in the talk page, but he says he wants more opinions on the matter. okedem 21:42, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

I'll try. Jayjg ^(talk) 23:10, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

DYK

On 23 March, 2007, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Dorohoi Pogrom, which you created or substantially expanded. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the "Did you know?" talk page.

--Carabinieri 20:14, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

User:Sarahshalom

Hello,

I saw you dealt with this user before. See this edit of hers: [8]. okedem 17:51, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

I have warned the user about her personal attacks and blanked her user page again. The next incident should lead to a block. -- tariqabjotu 18:01, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. You know, what the heck, I say. As long as they spell your name right, eh? okedem 18:03, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

Jerusalem

Were you aware of Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Jerusalem? -- tariqabjotu 16:28, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Oh, I was not. I'll read through the article (haven't read the whole thing in a while, since before your numerous improvements) and comment on it later. okedem 16:41, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Thanks

Thanks for reverting vandalism to my user page :) It is much appreciated. -- Ynhockey ^(Talk) 12:39, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

You're welcome. Did you see how many warnings that guy had? Should be blocked for good. okedem 12:53, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Oh, by the way,

I'm a dude... okedem 17:19, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Alright; I guess I didn't notice your name on your page. By the way, I responded to your comments on the FAC. -- tariqabjotu 17:52, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, I think my name only helps Hebrew speakers anyway, doesn't it? okedem 18:04, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Jerusalem

Perhaps you can change/edit it a bit. The point is that its status as metropolitan or a city as large as it is now has become so under Israeli rule. --Shamir1 22:38, 10 April 2007 (UTC)

Well, according to Demographics of Jerusalem, its population in 1948 was 165,000, so it wasn't some insignificant village before Israel was established. I don't think it's an interesting point - all cities grow.

I do think it might be interesting to add some abridged version of the table in Demographics of Jerusalem to the demographics section, showing the population figures at a few interesting points in time, like in New York#Demographics. I fact, I think such a table would add a lot, especially considering the very long history of Jerusalem. okedem 23:08, 10 April 2007 (UTC)