Shimon Peres Discusses Israel's Recent Concerns for Peace in the Middle East. The Vice Premier and Former Prime Minister of Israel explains that he had a distinctly different purpose in each of his two speaking engagements during this three-day trip in November 2006 to the United States.
The bulk of this piece is a recording of Mr. Peres' talk (with Questions and Answers following) at Cornell University on 28-November-2006. His specific purpose statement (''SPS'') for this talk at Cornell explains why he would not be saying the same thing that he said earlier at the United Nations during this same US visit.
To understand what he is saying here at Cornell, it is important to note his SPS in which he said, among other things, that the United Nations belongs more to the past than the future; while Cornell University belongs more to the future than the past. In his talk that was limited to sixty minutes, it would be a no-brainer for any to suggest that Vice Premier Peres failed to share with us all he knows on this subject.
It spoke well of him that after speaking for a half-hour, the Former Prime Minister allowed an equal half-hour to the Cornell audience for questioning. There were some thoughtful questions yet none took the opportunity to explore or bring to the fore an understanding of the origin, ab initio, of the cause for the current animosity between the tribes of Israel and the offspring of Ishmael -- Isaac's half brother -- both stemming from the one father Abraham (Isaac by Sarah and Ishmael by Hagar).
Mr. Peres underscored that Israel cannot afford to lose even once -- or it's over for Israel. Apparently not understanding the ''causa sine qua non,'' Mr. Peres muses over why Ishmael continues the hate after Israel finally gave back land taken in the Six-Day War and he indicated that what he hopes for is an age [future] when Israel's enemy will no longer live in the past. More at: http://www.prww.org/eval.html
Is it possible to broadcast an hour long live speech followed by a Q&A session? My instinct would be to say no not really. However, I was fascinated with this piece. I was absorbed from beginning to end. Shimon Peres is a wonderful speaker. Thoughtful, precise and engaging. I was surprised. I've always thought of him as lacking charisma and of being the 'also man' - even though he's been around longer than any other Israeli politician and has held practically every important post in the government there. One wonders though, if someone of his sensibilities (as it comes across here anyway)and his stature isn't able to bring peace to the region, then who can?
This is a programme of two halves. The first half an hour is a speech. His main thrust is that the economy and business are the most important aspects of a society. "Governments have budgets and not money," he says cynically. Modernising is important and that the current clashes are with those who're afraid of losing their way of life.
Also, the questions put to him were thoughtful and intelligent. This can sometimes be the trouble with Q&As. Questions can be trite and boring.
There are some very powerful moments especially when he describes as prime minister seeing the first suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem and the chants of traitor directed to him fom his own people.
The only problem with this is that of course it is one sided. Israel comes across as a country that is just defending itself from outside aggression and is reacting to circumstance. Isn't it a bit more complicated than that!
However, pushing that aside, it's worth listening to just to hear the views of a man steeped in history.
Comments for A Conversation with Shimon Peres
Produced by Michael Black, WEOS(FM)
Other pieces by Michael Black
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2 comments
Stephen L. Gilbreath
Posted on May 04, 2008 at 06:06 PM | Permalink
Review of A Conversation with Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres Discusses Israel's Recent Concerns for Peace in the Middle East. The Vice Premier and Former Prime Minister of Israel explains that he had a distinctly different purpose in each of his two speaking engagements during this three-day trip in November 2006 to the United States.
The bulk of this piece is a recording of Mr. Peres' talk (with Questions and Answers following) at Cornell University on 28-November-2006. His specific purpose statement (''SPS'') for this talk at Cornell explains why he would not be saying the same thing that he said earlier at the United Nations during this same US visit.
To understand what he is saying here at Cornell, it is important to note his SPS in which he said, among other things, that the United Nations belongs more to the past than the future; while Cornell University belongs more to the future than the past. In his talk that was limited to sixty minutes, it would be a no-brainer for any to suggest that Vice Premier Peres failed to share with us all he knows on this subject.
It spoke well of him that after speaking for a half-hour, the Former Prime Minister allowed an equal half-hour to the Cornell audience for questioning. There were some thoughtful questions yet none took the opportunity to explore or bring to the fore an understanding of the origin, ab initio, of the cause for the current animosity between the tribes of Israel and the offspring of Ishmael -- Isaac's half brother -- both stemming from the one father Abraham (Isaac by Sarah and Ishmael by Hagar).
Mr. Peres underscored that Israel cannot afford to lose even once -- or it's over for Israel. Apparently not understanding the ''causa sine qua non,'' Mr. Peres muses over why Ishmael continues the hate after Israel finally gave back land taken in the Six-Day War and he indicated that what he hopes for is an age [future] when Israel's enemy will no longer live in the past. More at: http://www.prww.org/eval.html
Chris Chambers
Posted on March 23, 2007 at 12:29 PM | Permalink
Review of A Conversation with Shimon Peres
Is it possible to broadcast an hour long live speech followed by a Q&A session? My instinct would be to say no not really. However, I was fascinated with this piece. I was absorbed from beginning to end. Shimon Peres is a wonderful speaker. Thoughtful, precise and engaging. I was surprised. I've always thought of him as lacking charisma and of being the 'also man' - even though he's been around longer than any other Israeli politician and has held practically every important post in the government there. One wonders though, if someone of his sensibilities (as it comes across here anyway)and his stature isn't able to bring peace to the region, then who can?
This is a programme of two halves. The first half an hour is a speech. His main thrust is that the economy and business are the most important aspects of a society. "Governments have budgets and not money," he says cynically. Modernising is important and that the current clashes are with those who're afraid of losing their way of life.
Also, the questions put to him were thoughtful and intelligent. This can sometimes be the trouble with Q&As. Questions can be trite and boring.
There are some very powerful moments especially when he describes as prime minister seeing the first suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem and the chants of traitor directed to him fom his own people.
The only problem with this is that of course it is one sided. Israel comes across as a country that is just defending itself from outside aggression and is reacting to circumstance. Isn't it a bit more complicated than that!
However, pushing that aside, it's worth listening to just to hear the views of a man steeped in history.