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How bout that Part 2

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  • How bout that Part 2

    Arab wins Israeli reality TV show


    By David Chazan
    BBC, Jerusalem


    He's cool, confident and hip. Just what you'd expect from the 21-year-old winner of a reality TV show on Israeli satellite television.

    Firas hopes to have an influence on Arab and Jewish youth
    The surprising thing is, Firas Khoury is an Arab. Despite the venom which too often poisons relations between Jews and Arabs here, more than 70,000 Israeli teenagers voted for Firas.

    The prize is a one-year contract to host a show on a youth TV channel. So Firas is about to become Israel's first Arab TV presenter.

    He was the only Arab among 15 contestants who were locked up in a luxurious villa for 80 days. He says he needed a lot of tact to break the ice with his housemates.

    "It was very hard for them to understand that I'm an Arab and I understand them. I lived the life they live. Most of them don't have a single Arab friend," he says.

    "I think, inside, I touched each and every one of them, and they took me as I am, they considered me as a talent, one who wants to act, who wants to sing, to improve himself, as Firas."

    Open personality

    The contestants were asked to perform song and dance routines and viewers judged them on their showbiz potential.

    All the others were voted out of the house - but Israeli teenagers were charmed by Firas Khoury's talent and his open, engaging personality.

    "I really honestly showed myself from the inside," he said. "I came and I said, 'I'm here and I'm real and I don't give a damn about being an Arab or a Jew. All I can give you people is love and all I want to show you is my talent'."

    I really think that love can solve it all. Really understanding each other and trying to understand each other

    Firas Khoury
    Firas is something of a model of co-existence. When I met him at a cafe on the edge of the Tel Aviv University campus, he showed up with his Jewish Israeli girlfriend.

    I asked him if his victory meant that there were fewer barriers between Arab and Jewish teenagers than between the political leaders.

    "I deeply hope so," he said. "I really hope that I can have an influence on Arab and Jewish youth. I can see here in the newspaper, and I can see how people reacted when I won. They were very, very happy for me."

    Reconciliation

    Firas says he hopes that by becoming a television personality, he can help to smash some of the stereotypes in the Middle East.

    "Now they can consider me - an Arab who wants to show his talent, who wants to be involved in showbiz as what he is and what he has to offer, and not where did he come from or what language is he speaking."

    These days many people in Israel are talking about trying to breathe new life into peace efforts. Firas says he isn't political, but he believes in reconciliation.

    "I really think that love can solve it all. Really understanding each other and trying to understand each other. Even if you don't understand sometimes, you need to connect it to your emotions more than to your head," he says.

    "Sometimes you just need to close your eyes, and try to understand that we are all human beings and we should love each other and there is nothing to fight for at the end."

    Naïve perhaps, but after all Firas is aiming for a career in showbiz. And he says he wants to be a role model for Arabs and Jews alike.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3246330.stm



    Just thought this was interesting, shows Israelis dont harbour an automatic hatred for Arabs as many imply.

  • #2
    btw, did you vote in this Ben?

    Comment


    • #3
      Nope. It was live broadcast realittv style on sattelite TV. I have digital cable, so I didn't get that channel. I understand what the dude is saying though. I wish him luck.
      Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

      Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

      Comment


      • #4
        No problems with Jews and/or Israeli's here. The only ones who really object to that, needed to go eat a dick anyway.

        And even gave BR that Catherine Bell issue of Stuff. Instead of giving it to a Mullah. :w00t

        Comment


        • #5
          Thankx for sending that, by the way. Thing is, I never got it. I begin to wonder if maybe a postal worker didn't hijack it for his own needs...
          Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

          Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by bigross86
            Thankx for sending that, by the way. Thing is, I never got it. I begin to wonder if maybe a postal worker didn't hijack it for his own needs...
            I'll have to look into that. That it wasn't a thieving piece of shit at the Post Office I mailed it from. And I'll get the Post Offices Address to. So you can ask them where your rightfull property is.

            I'll be damned if I didn't spend ten bucks, and part with that issue of Stuff so some crooked ass could steal it.

            Doubtfull you'd really care for that much either.

            Comment


            • #7
              I have that issue too :D ofcourse i'm not gonna send it Ben :roll
              A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam !!

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Jay
                I have that issue too :D ofcourse i'm not gonna send it Ben :roll
                Good thing I'm waiting until whenever my feet touch Israeli soil, to give Ben the rest of the Maxims, Stuffs, and FHM's.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Speaking of which, Lunatock, when are you coming?
                  Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

                  Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    One of my roomies subscribed it for free couple years back and they'r still sending it out...damn :8
                    A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam !!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by bigross86
                      Speaking of which, Lunatock, when are you coming?
                      Not before Christmas I can tell you that much. As long as it takes me to scrape up the 220.00 the Aliyah center wants. Not to mention a plane ticket.

                      Won't be riding there in luxury, I can tell you that. But what else is new? :)

                      Been awile, but I may get to take another ride on POS Airlines. :w00t

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Lunatock
                        Not before Christmas I can tell you that much. As long as it takes me to scrape up the 220.00 the Aliyah center wants. Not to mention a plane ticket.

                        Won't be riding there in luxury, I can tell you that. But what else is new? :)

                        Been awile, but I may get to take another ride on POS Airlines. :w00t
                        Isn't the Aliyah center a service for Jews who want to immigrate to Isreal?
                        "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by ironman420
                          Isn't the Aliyah center a service for Jews who want to immigrate to Isreal?
                          Thats what is advertised. Scraping money up to take part in one of thier programs for Gentiles.

                          Sar-el. A program run by the IDF. You get to live on one of thier bases. And do menial stuff. But also get to see what Israel is really like.

                          Bethlahem. Jerusalem. That beach BR talked about. His Maxim, Stuff, FHM stack. Those are a few goals to reach while there.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I'm sure there are many foundations that will help you get to the Holy Land. Try Birthright Israel. I don't know them too well, but I think the Sar-El might earn you lots of points with the different orginizations.
                            Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

                            Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Went to the Sar-El website found some interesting things:

                              El-Al Letter

                              Spring 2003

                              Dear Sar-El Volunteer,

                              On behalf of El Al Israel Airlines, we would like to thank you for your spirit of volunteerism, especially during these challenging times. We know that you feel at home as soon as you set foot onboard any El Al flight and we appreciate you choosing to fly now.

                              El Al the airline of Israel is also the official carrier of Sar-El . We offer special discounted airfares to all Sar- El volunteers. In addition to a good value, we offer all participants a flexible ticket with a built in 3 month validity.

                              For questions and to purchase your airline ticket in the U.S.A., please contact 1-800-EL AL SUN and mention code SAR101, discount according to m Isska G/S21/CSE/P8. For other locations, please contact any El Al office around the world. Please press http://www.elal.co.il/default.asp?V_...45&V_LANG_ID=1
                              for the El Al office nearest you.

                              Thanks again for coming to Israel to volunteer your time and effort.
                              El Al is proud to be a partner to the Sar- El activities. We know it's worth it.
                              At El Al we continue to prove that both the safety and security of our passengers is our top priority. You know you can count on us.
                              Expenses

                              Expenses
                              Expenses paid by Sar-El:
                              Housing and meals during the workweek. (Click here for more details)
                              Ground transportation from airport to base or hospital (for arrivals Mon, Tues, and Wed, during normal business hours).
                              Working clothes and provisions for their cleaning.
                              Tours and lectures.
                              Medical insurance (volunteers under 65). (Click here for more details)
                              Shabbat hospitality with host families (as available).
                              Weekend accommodations in centrally located hostel (as space is available).

                              Expenses paid by volunteer:
                              Round-trip airfare. Volunteers may seek flight scheduling and fare information from their country's representative.
                              Ground transportation expenses for weekends, and final departure.
                              Entrance fees for site-seeing arranged by Sar-El.
                              Weekend spending money for accommodations, meals, and site-seeing.
                              Pocket money for personal needs.
                              Volunteers are responsible for the registration fee which varies by country. (Click here to contact your country's representative for details).
                              Birthright Israel offers free 10-day trips to people ages 18-26.
                              Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

                              Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

                              Comment

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