Having the correct views on Israel

Saree Makdisi, author of Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation, spoke on C-Span2's BookTV this weekend. I happened to tape it, and watched it this morning while doing a spin on the Lifecycle.

I haven't been able to watch any of the MSM's coverage of the Israeli invasion of Gaza, because it's so lacking in context as to be a joke--the only problem, the Twittering masses don't know that--they're too braindead to care about anything other than updating their Facebook page, or LinkedIn profile (not that there's anything wrong with that).

The Jewish lobby (read AIPAC) controls most of the dialogue about the invasion, and limits viewpoints on Israel, and its treatment of Palestinians. Any "alternative" views are restricted to the margins.

In doing a bit of research on Mr. Makdisi, who also writes for the LA Times, I found this, about an appearance he was to make at a well-known bookstore with liberal leanings, Politics and Prose, in DC, which ended up being cancelled, censoring Makdisi's views on the Israel/Palestinian conflict. (he made reference to this in his Book TV talk)

I'm planning on getting my hands on Makdisi's book, as I prefer to make up my own mind on issues, not looking for news that plays to my own preconcieved notions, which is now the American way.

For a bit more on Mr. Makdisi and his views, there this article from 2007, in Al-Ahram.