The UN has just released a report called: Humanitarian Impact of Israeli Settlement Policies.
Settlements are illegal under international law. They violate Article 49 of the Fourth Geveva Convention.
According to the report, since 1967 Israel has built 150 settlements in the West Bank—plus 100 outposts by settlers. There are now 500,000 settlers living in the West Bank. The numbers have grown at a rate of 5.3% per year, over the last 10 years. Forty-three percent of the West Bank is off-limits to Palestinians.
The aspirations of Israeli (secular) leaders for a state, that is Jewish and democratic, seems to be unachievable—given the divisions that exist in Israel today. Add to that the widespread and unchecked narcissism, and the future looks grim.
LE spoke today with Dr. Emanuel Berman, a psychoanalyst from Israel, about narcissism.
LE–Are you concerned about narcissism in Western societies? Dr. Berman–“In a way, but that’s not something we can do much about—it’s a historical and cultural process.” LE–Do you think it’s worse today than at other times? Dr. Berman–“Maybe it is, but I think these are processes that we can’t control.”
Commentary: Narcissism is the biggest problem of our day. Neither secularists nor religious extremists have a blueprint for authentic human development, but instead are multiplying narcissism. The result is a society where the strong dominate the weak and injustice flourishes.
Photograph: Stephen Wise
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