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mariacallous · 6 months

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On Oct. 25, U.S. President Joe Biden said something so extraordinary about the current Israeli-Hamas conflict that, had he really thought it through, he might have seriously reconsidered saying. “There’s no going back to the status quo as it stood on Oct. 6,” Biden said.

It was a simple line, but one with breathtaking scope.

Was it a throwaway talking point or a determined commitment for the ages? Did the president understand that, having tethered the United States to Israel’s war aims, when the dust settles, he’ll be expected to play a lead role in creating a new reality both in Gaza and on Israeli-Palestinian peace? Or does he believe that he can unload most of the post-conflict work to a group of regional and international actors that will somehow shoulder the responsibility for Gaza reconstruction and whatever performative peace process might follow? And does he fully grasp that the proverbial “day after” is likely to be more like the year (or years) after?

Every breakthrough in the Arab-Israeli conflict that occurred within the conflict zone has been preceded by violence, insurgency, and war. Indeed, severe crisis can produce opportunity because it breaks the status quo and injects pain that can produce urgency. But that pain must be married to the prospects of gain—usually but not always generated by an outside mediator. Whether the Biden administration is willing or able to play that role remains to be seen.

Serious challenges stand in the way of a more hopeful, let alone transformed, future. And much of what will confront any effort to alter the Oct. 6 status quo remains largely outside of the president’s capacity to control.

Biden will confront two badly traumatized societies that will each in their own way enter a period of prolonged political reckoning. When Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog said that Israel was one country on Oct. 6 and a different country on Oct. 8, he was not exaggerating.

The most severe terror attack in the nation’s history; the bloodiest single day for Jews since the Holocaust; the greatest intelligence failure since the 1973 Arab-Israeli War (and perhaps much worse given the civilian death toll of the Oct. 7 attack); and the taking of more than 200 hostages have stunned and shocked a country somewhat conditioned throughout its history to cope with terror and violence. The Hamas attack added to Israelis’ existing fear of incoming rockets the new fear of cross-border massacres—not just near Gaza but also along the Israeli-Lebanese border and in the West Bank, too.

The events of Oct. 7 also undermined the essence of the contract between the governed and those who govern—a government’s commitment to guarantee the safety and security of its citizenry. The average length of an Israeli government since independence is about 1.8 years; and the emergency coalition that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed after the attack will almost certainly be replaced. Whether that will be with a more right-wing or centrist coalition is hard to say.

In the wake of the 1973 war, a state committee of inquiry found the Israeli military and intelligence elites responsible for the failure and didn’t address then-Prime Minister Golda Meir’s role. In 1974, she resigned under public pressure. Yet the real earthquake would not come until three years later, when Menachem Begin’s right-wing Likud party came to power and reshaped Israeli politics for decades to come. In one of history’s great ironies, it would be the right—not the left, which had dominated Israeli politics since independence—that would benefit from Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s war-then-peace strategy.

This time around, however, Israelis likely won’t be challenged by a charismatic, transformative Egyptian leader boldly seeking peace. And the Israeli public, still reeling from the events of Oct. 7—suspicious, worried, and embittered—will be in no mood for far-reaching concessions on a Palestinian state so close to their borders.

For Palestinians, the reckoning will be much harder. The death and destruction Israel is visiting on Gaza will leave Palestinians in Gaza angry, impoverished, and leaderless. Should Hamas or an Islamist successor survive and be able to mount an insurgency against either an Israeli occupying force or a multinational one in Gaza, then the Palestinian national movement will remain divided—split between Hamas or its successor in Gaza and the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank, with two different visions of where and what Palestine should be.

The PA—led by an aging Mahmoud Abbas, who is now in the 18th year of a four-year term—will be further tarnished by its inability to do anything but watch as Palestinians are killed by the thousands in Gaza or to protect Palestinians in the West Bank from attacks by Israeli soldiers and settlers. Armed groups of young Palestinians such as the Lions’ Den or Nablus Brigade—some independent, others influenced by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad—will carry on the struggle against the occupation as Israeli encroachment on Palestinian land continues. Having postponed elections in 2021, Abbas will be under immense pressure to hold them for both a new legislature and the presidency. But what about Gaza? Can elections be held there? And as happened in 2006, might Hamas again win a majority?

New leadership and reform of the PA’s authoritarian and corrupt practices are clearly required to replace the aging Abbas and the Fatah establishment. But from where will it come? Once again, there’s talk of the most popular Palestinian leader, Marwan Barghouti—who is currently serving five life sentences in an Israeli prison—coming to the rescue. A poll of Palestinians in Gaza taken shortly before the Oct. 7 attack on preferences for president should elections be held had Barghouti at 32 percent; Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s political head, at 24 percent; and Abbas at 12 percent.

Leaders need not be born to lead; often, they emerge in response to the direst of circumstances. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is one such leader who comes to mind. But if the Biden administration has any hope of trying to push for a credible process to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it will need leaders on both sides with the capacity and desire to make and sustain very tough—even historic—decisions. Right now, it’s hard to see those kinds of leaders emerging quickly in the wake of this crisis.

Any postwar effort will need to prioritize rebuilding a destroyed and traumatized Gaza. Physically reconstructing and repairing homes and infrastructure; supporting a displaced population of what may eventually be almost half of Gaza’s residents; and psychologically rehabilitating a traumatized populace, especially children, will be a gargantuan task. Who or what will assume responsibility for this effort is an open question.

But it will be taking place in a post-conflict environment in which Israeli forces may still be present in Gaza until some transitional mechanism to ensure security and order has been worked out. And Netanyahu’s comment last week that Israel may have to stay in Gaza for an “indefinite period” suggests an even more complex situation. To prevent a Hamas resurgence, Israel is going to demand influence in the temporary governance of Gaza, which will make any reconstruction effort much more difficult—or, perhaps apart from tending to the immediate needs of the population, hard to begin at all. Israel will almost certainly want to inspect construction materials—any of which might be used for tunneling or manufacturing weapons. And Iran will be looking for opportunities to provide money and resources to feed an insurgency.

The question of who will ultimately govern Gaza further complicates the situation. Key Arab states such as Qatar, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia can play a critical role in this process by providing financial and political support, though it’s hard to imagine an Arab peacekeeping force patrolling Gaza and doing counterinsurgency against Palestinians or having much legitimacy with Israelis still occupying Gaza.

The most logical and feasible solution is Palestinian governance legitimized by elections. As evidenced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent meeting with Abbas, the Biden administration is clearly thinking about the PA as a key ingredient in Gaza’s future governance. Indeed, the secretary called for an “effective and revitalized” PA. But this is far easier to describe than to actualize. Abbas and his Fatah colleagues have little legitimacy in the West Bank and none in Gaza. And after 16 years of absence, the PA cannot reenter Gaza on the back of an Israeli Merkava tank and expect to be welcomed by the people of Gaza.

Empowering the PA—if it can be done at all—will require linking reconstruction and governance in Gaza to a serious and credible process to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In short, legitimacy for the PA in addition to holding elections will need to be tied to a real effort to negotiate an end to Israel’s occupation, presumably based on two states. To make this credible, there would need to be front-loading with any number of steps to build up the PA, including restricting if not ending Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. Right now—and certainly with this Israeli government—such a step seems far away.

The biggest question is whether Biden has the bandwidth to take on such a colossal endeavor—especially as he heads into what is likely to be a closely fought presidential election in 2024. Or is that more likely an assignment for a second Biden administration, if there is one? Either way, unless the administration plans to get serious this coming year about at least laying the foundations for new realities in Gaza and the West Bank, very little is going to move.

Governing is about making difficult choices, and it’s not as if there are no other foreign-policy challenges to absorb the U.S. president’s time. Competing priorities abound, each tied to complex domestic politics. Biden has tethered the United States to Ukraine’s fight with Russia, and the reality of what is likely to be a very long war resourced by his administration has begun to sink in amid growing Republican doubts about long-term support.

Biden has also committed the United States to defending Taiwan against China, even if what that defense would look like in the event of war remains ambiguous. If there is an inside-the-Beltway consensus on any foreign-policy issues in Washington, it’s on pursuing tough policies against China and Iran, especially as the Israel-Hamas war has brought the United States much closer to the possibility of a conflict with Tehran.

Pursuing Middle East peace isn’t for the fainthearted or those who aren’t prepared to spend the energy and time. Much of the effort can be offloaded to a secretary of state and a special envoy. But even with husbanding the White House’s time, it will require a good deal of presidential focus. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter not only had to convene a presidential summit but also embarked on a shuttle diplomacy trip in 1979 to conclude the Egypt-Israel peace treaty. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton traveled extensively in the region and called at least four Middle East summits as part of his peacemaking efforts.

Nor can one ignore the domestic politics that can drain a president’s political currency—and those domestic politics on the Israeli-Palestinian issue are fraught indeed. With the Republican Party emerging as the Israel-can-do-no-wrong party and a divided Democratic Party with a progressive wing that’s pushing for Biden to impose accountability on Israel, Biden will need to navigate a perilous course. Invariably, pushing for Israeli-Palestinian peace will mean friction or worse with Israel. Will the president be up to it?

In tying the United States to both Israel’s trauma on Oct. 7 and its resulting campaign to eradicate Hamas in Gaza—and all the death and destruction that is causing—Biden now shares direct responsibility for the fate of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Biden has committed himself publicly to a fundamental change in the status quo. If that’s going to happen, first and foremost there will need to be Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed to that objective. But even with those kinds of leaders, Biden will need to own this, too.

And even if he does, the risks are great. If the past is prologue, as it’s been so many times when it comes to U.S. peacemaking efforts, the chances of success are small. Walking away or pursuing a performative policy in the wake of the horrors we’ve witnessed will undermine the president’s personal credibility—as well as America’s—in the region and the world. And it will cost him politically, particularly in a state such as Michigan, with Arab Americans as well as with progressives and younger Democrats. Biden may very well be remembered as the U.S. president who presided over the bloodiest phase of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, most likely, the death of the only pathway that offers a hope of ending it: the much-maligned two-state solution.

The stakes are enormous, especially for a president who cares deeply about Israel, Palestinian suffering, and the United States’ leadership role in the world. But it remains to be seen whether his stunningly powerful pledge not to return to the status quo of Oct. 6 was merely a throwaway line and a performative talking point or a serious and determined commitment to finding a solution to an excruciatingly complex conflict that has eluded all of his predecessors.

#I think the framing and some of the statements are a little dramatic and embellished but I don't think this is fundamentally inaccurate

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hiyyihrts · 3 days

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Ahh it looks like Season 4 could be Benedict’s and Sophie’s storyline, with full credit to op, she says in her reel that Golda and Luke Thompson are on the View in June, and there’s a newly released clip that provides a theory as to why it could be.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6PWsROpwAw/?igsh=Yml3ZzgwczB0ajE0

I haven’t got Twitter but I have seen screenshots of the production codes for each season, and it seems like season 4’s one is a reference to masquerade balls, which play a huge part in Benedict and Sophie’s story.

I also remember reading eagle eyed theories from fans that Sophie has been cast, and she is stunning!

If it’s announced in June that season 4 is Benedict’s it’s right in the middle of part 2 coming out, and they like to announce it during press for the previous season.

I would totally love for it to be Benedict’s season! I just finished the book and I thought it was good!! Probably not my favorite out of the ones I’ve read but it’s still enjoyable. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do announce it during the waiting between parts, that’d be a smart move on their part.

#bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #ask #answer #benophie

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lanuitlennuie · 5 months

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Les lectures tissent des ponts entre elles et avec la vie dont je m'étonne toujours qu'elles s'y rapportent, sans doute que je ne crois pas beaucoup au réel. Les textes sont pourtant de la matière transmutée en mots, extraite de sols que l'on continue de fouler. Chez Gabarron-Garcia, je découvre les élans de la commune catalane que rejoignirent des psychanalystes réchappés de la bourgeoisie et qui avaient animé la Vienne des années 20, mais furent contraint.es de la quitter - et l'Autriche et l'Allemagne - dans les années 30. Tosquelles sera formé à Barcelone par l'un d'entre eux. Je lis Taussig en parallèle et tombe sur son Walter Benjamin's grave, Benjamin, lui aussi fuyard fuyant, s'arrêtera définitivement à Port Bou, avant-pont catalan. Taussig quant à lui est né à Sydney, fils de réfugiés autrichiens, médecin défroqué, il est devenu anthropologue en Colombie et enseigne à New York. Dans le train qui le conduit à Port Bou vers lequel il avance à reculons, se méfiant - tout en y cédant - de l’idolâtrie de tombeau infligée aux «grands hommes», il lit le journal. Les nouvelles le ramène à la Palestine et par conséquent moi aussi qui avance sur ses pas. J'ajouterai, pour continuer de m'inscrire en douce dans cette histoire, que j'ai grandi à quelques dizaines de kilomètres de La Borde, lieu inspiré de la clinique psychiatrique initiée par Tosquelles à St Alban, autre hôpital qu'il a investi en le communardisant après avoir fuit l'Espagne de Franco. Ma mère emmenait quelque fois en visite à La Borde un groupe d'enfants autistes auprès desquels elle travaillait alors. Tosquelles avait aussi fondé le joyeux POUM (Parti ouvrier d'unification marxiste) et écrivit plusieurs lettres baveuses à Staline qui n'y comprenait rien le pauvre. Taussig écrit ici au moment de la deuxième intifada ce texte publié en 2006. *La Palestine vivra, la Palestine vaincra* chantent tous les samedis les manifestant.es dans les rues de Montréal.

« Was Benjamin the first suicide bomber? The thought crosses my mind as I read the papers in the train heading north to Port Bou with their front-page news of Israeli soldiers with their armored bulldozers and Apache helicopters invading Palestinian towns and refugee camps in response to suicide bombers. Journalists are driven back by the soldiers using stun grenades and tear gas. At least two have been shot by Israeli soldiers. A United Nations–led inquiry into war crimes in Jenin is stillborn on account of Israeli opposition. The president of the United States and the U.S. media insist the Palestinians are to blame for the violence. There is virtually no attempt to even try to understand what it is that motivates the Palestinians, no portrayal of their everyday life in refugee camps and prisons under “administrative detention” imposed without trial. Instead we get lengthy Sunday magazine articles depicting the psychic pain of Israeli elite commando snipers. Yet has there ever been a Sunday magazine devoted to the psychic pain of the apartheid-like pass system that controls the Palestinians’ ability to cross the spiderweb of borders balkanizing Palestinian lands into which illegal Israeli settlements daily press? They say history is written by the victors, but this seems unprecedented. It is as if the Palestinians had no voice whatsoever. They are not only unrepresented but are unrepresentable. Or as Golda Meir once put it, they do not exist. Like Benjamin they are fated to lose. Truth itself lies on trial, and it is the border that defines and redefines it as I slowly travel north from Barcelona, north to the border at Port Bou in the local train that stops at all stops to let me down where Benjamin was stopped sixty years ago.»

youtube

#Youtube

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martyschoenleber · 7 months

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The War in Israel and a 50 Year Old Observation on the Intractable Nature of the Conflict

Fifty years ago Golda Meir made, what seems now, to be a stunning observation/prophecy. “We cannot forgive the Arabs for killing our sons. We cannot forgive them for inciting us to kill their sons. Peace will only come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.” Golda Meir, Fourth Prime Minister of Israel and the first female head of state in the Middle East Examine that quote.…

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#Golda Meir #Hamas #Peace #Peace in Israel #War

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veworfone · 2 years

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Showstars hana set 31

#Showstars hana set 31 full

#Showstars hana set 31 trial

#Showstars hana set 31 tv

after admitting he's struggled to open up to women Spring wardrobe staple: This £15 long-line cardigan will see you through the season - shoppers say it is 'really comfortable'Ĭraig David brushes off his romance woes as he takes to the stage in Cardiff in a sparkly tracksuit.

#Showstars hana set 31 full

Natalie Portman takes to Instagram to share new Thor: Love And Thunder poster showing her in full armor and wielding enchanted hammer Mjölnir

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Heidi Klum sparkles in green sequin suit while Sofia Vergara slips her famous curves into a ruby red gown as they lead stars attending America's Got TalentĪbbie Quinnen puts on a leggy display in a white cut-out mini dress teamed with black knee-high boots as she attends the Firebird premiereīreaking Bad star Aaron Paul shares adorable pics of newborn son Ryden Caspian Paul: 'So happy you are out in this world'Īmber Heard ADMITS to getting violent with Johnny Depp in audio recordings played during defamation trial as she told him to 'grow up' and was a 'baby' as the cravings for carbs kick in after she 'worked so hard to lose weight' Trump calls Piers Morgan 'fake', 'disloyal' and a 'fool' and WALKS OUT of interview after confronting him over document criticizing his last year in officeīritney Spears complains pregnancy is making her 'extremely hungry'. Neighbours goes ROGUE on TikTok: Account posts spicy memes mocking rival soap Home and Away after being cancelled by Channel 5 'Call me Good Luck Chuck!' Scott Disick pokes fun at himself with rom com joke after Sofia Richie becomes his latest ex to get happily engaged This £30 ergonomic seat cushion provides immediate support and pain relief when WFH - and it's backed by more than 51,600 five-star reviews

#Showstars hana set 31 tv

Water way to celebrate! It's a splashback to the 1970s as Tiswas stars reunite for awardĪnarchic show was pulled from the TV in 1982 after snapping up the property for $6.6 million in 2017 Logan Paul earns a cool $800K profit as he sells his Encino estate for $7.405 million. Viola Davis reveals that she got on her knees and prayed for God to bring her husband Julius Tennon before they met: 'I said I want a big Black man' 'The show can't afford to lose her': TOWIE bosses 'are scrambling to keep fan favourite' Chloe Brockett on the reality show after bloody club catfight after admitting he was 'lucky to survive' e-bike crash Simon Cowell, 62, wears a wrist brace as he walks the red carpet at America's Got Talent auditions. Rolling Stones star Ronnie Wood's grandson Leo, 16, is selected for Team GB Boxing squad and could compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris Jada Pinkett Smith says family is 'focusing on deep healing' after husband Will's infamous Chris Rock slap as new season of Red Table Talk kicks off Pregnant Lottie Tomlinson joins Kate Ferdinand on her Blended podcast to discuss grief after losing her mother and sister three months after her premature birth via surrogate Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra's baby daughter's name revealed to be Malti Marie. Make this spring your most delicious yet! 10 tasty treats to indulge with this month Kate Ferdinand gets ready for summer as she displays her sensational figure and toned tummy in an array of vibrant swimwear the barbs that stunned the Palace: REBECCA ENGLISH's take on Prince Harry's latest commentsīridgerton prequel FIRST LOOK: Golda Rosheuvel cuts a solemn figure as Queen Charlotte while filming funeral scenes as production commencesīillie Faiers burst into tears as she continues to stress over her £1.4m dream house renovation after learning it's 24 WEEKS behind schedule Taking aim at the family he owes his fortune to. Your favourite characters, new faces and a trip to the French Riviera! Prepare to be swept away by the cinematic release of Downton Abbey: A New Era - here's everything you need to know after actor says he's exonerated in fatal shooting on Rust set If COVID did couture! Iris Law shows off her bold sense of style in a quirky hand sanitiser T-shirt and sheer skirt as she attends Ben Cobb Show screeningĪlec Baldwin and his pregnant wife Hilaria Baldwin are spotted out with kids in NYC. after being unveiled as Baby Dino on The Masked Singer Live tourĭon't look now Kim! Court artist strikes again with another unflattering portrait of the Kardashians after first image went viral Jacqueline Jossa shows off her incredible figure in colourful array of bikinis. Sofia Richie is engaged! Elliot Grainge gets down on one knee surrounded by candle light and roses to pop the question to the 23-year-old modelīoundless Beauty: Three inspirational women on breaking boundaries and what makes them feel their best Palace shock at Prince Harry: Royal staff slam 'arrogance' over Duke's comment about 'protecting' Queen and suggestion Her Majesty tells him secretsĮDEN CONFIDENTIAL: It's goodbye yellow brick road, hello £55m as Elton John rakes in a fortune despite Covid pandemic

#Showstars hana set 31

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bridgertonallday · 2 years

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the photo of Queen Charlotte on that long couch surrounded by the large paintings is stunning

#bridgerton season two #bridgerton season 2 #bridgerton #queen charlotte #golda rosheuvel

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thecleverdame · 4 years

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Gods of Twilight - 16

Alpha!Werewolf!Sam x Human!Reader

Master List (posting schedule is there as well)

Summary: You marry Sam, The King of Lebanon, as part of an alliance between two lands. You soon discover that nothing is as it appears and that your husband is hiding a secret that may end your relationship before it can begin.

Warnings: smut, dub-con, canon-level violence, domestic discipline, spanking. This chapter does contain some non-con elements.

Beta: @ilikaicalie

*This story is complete. All 27 chapters are available on Patreon. To get access to this and many other stories, subscribe for a pledge of 2.50 per month. CLICK HERE

Thump

It’s rapping at the chamber door that finally rouses Sam. He can hardly open his eyes. There is only exhaustion, his arms and legs are heavy as tree trunks, weighted down, holding him in place. He drifts on the edge of sleep for a long time, finding his breath, then the energy to move.

The hazy cloud of his rut is lifting. It dawns on him his cycle must have passed because he feels calm, calm and satisfied. He shifts backward, knocking into you and smiles. The very notion of you makes him happy. He’s excited to see you and speak to you again for the first time in what feels like days.

But when he rolls over his heart stops cold.

Blood. There’s blood everywhere.

It’s staining the bed and covering your naked body. It’s dried between your thighs and a crimson wash over your chest, still sticky and stiff from the bite marks at your neck.

He bit you.

He must have tried to claim you. His lust filled brain wasn’t able to tell the difference between wolf and human. And the thought of the numerous other terrors he must have inflicted is nearly too much fathom.

Sam is frozen in horror at the gory sight of you lying there utterly lifeless. Your eyes are open, dead, staring off into some unknown realm.

He’s killed you.

“No, no, please.” The panic sets in as he reaches out, shaking your shoulder. Your limp body is cold in his hands and tears begin to fall as the full scope of what’s happened descends on him. “What have I done?”

Thump

That same knock at the door that woke him spurs him into action as he jumps off the bed. He yanks the doors open to be met with Philip and Dean in the midst of some sort of scuffle but stop dead in their tracks at the sight of him. He’s stark naked, but he’s also covered in blood.

“I-I,” Sam stutters, looking at Dean in shock.

Dean is stunned, but only for a moment, before shoving Sam aside to look into the room. He sees you and turns to Philip as the color drains from his face.

“Go get the midwife. Do it fast and keep it quiet.” When Philip hesitates Dean pushes him, shoves the knight hard with both hands. “Go, now!”

Once Philip is gone, Dean manhandles a limp Sam inside the room. He hands him a shirt and trousers, then a cloth to wipe the gore from his face.

Sam is staring at you as if he’s in a trance.

“I killed her,” Sam murmurs. He looks wild and terrified, both dangerous emotions to wear for a king.

“Stop looking at her body.” Dean snaps his fingers in front of Sam’s face a half dozen times before his brother finally looks away.

“What’s happened?” The midwife scurries into the room, out of breath and clutching her skirts. She looks at Sam, Dean and then sees you on the bed. “My Lord in heaven,” she breathes, swallowing any further reaction. Moving beside you she reaches out to feel for a pulse at your wrist.

Clutched in your small fist is a clump of Sam’s hair. He wants to vomit at the sight of it. You must have tried to fight him off. You were scared and desperate and unable to stop him.

Your personal maid arrives at a run, skidding into the room. “What have you done?” Golda screams, her eyes wide in utter horror.

“I’ve killed her,” Sam whispers again, looking at Dean in desperation. Those are the only words he’s now able to utter.

Dean closes his eyes, swallowing his own feelings. He hated you, but seeing Sam suffer like this guts him like a freshly caught fish.

The midwife lifts her skirts, kneeing her way onto the bed. She hesitates at the blood but only for a moment before pressing her ear to your chest.

“Silence!” she hisses, lifting one hand in the air and taking command of the entire room. The seconds tick away, the only sound Golda’s muted sobs.

“Her heart still beats but she is very near death,” the midwife announces, and Sam whimpers in surprise. Relief and disbelief, flooding into his veins. He steps forward, afraid to come too close. He’s done enough damage.

“It’s too difficult to see her wounds. Golda, have the maids bring a bath, hurry now. There’s no time to waste. We must clean her off. Philip, go into the village and find the old doctor James.”

“He’s a drunk,” Dean gulps, hardly able to look at the sight of you.

“Then make sure you offer him a drink to steady his hands. Her wounds need to be sewn shut before she bleeds to death and there’s not much time left.”

“Can’t you do it?” Dean counters, hesitant to involve another person, a drunk gossip monger no less.

She glares at him, pure hostility seeping from every pore. “I can handle the damage between her legs, but she’s still bleeding from her neck. There’s deep damage that I’m not familiar with. We need more than one healer to save her life. Go now!”

“Calm down,” Dean hisses, pulling Sam out of the hall and into the ornate reading room along the east wall of the castle. “Wait here,” he instructs the knights, closing the doors behind him.

“You were right!” Sam is quaking, vibrating with anger and despair. His face is red as a beet and his eyes are swimming with burgeoning tears. “What have I done?!”

“Stop it!” Dean grabs Sam by his shirt, shaking him as a threat of what’s to come if he doesn’t regain control. “You’re a king, get yourself under control and do it now. You can fall apart behind closed doors but not outside of them.”

“I couldn’t care less about what they think-”

“Well, you better, Sam. It’s one thing if they think you’re some kind of brutal ruler with a fast temper. But you can not keep going on and on about how you don’t know what happened. Men don’t respect someone who thinks themselves a lunatic.”

Dean is right. Despite the tempest raging inside him, he must compose himself. This world is one of strength and weakness and he cannot take the chance that his affection for you, and regret for what he’s done, will be perceived as a vulnerability.

The image if you laying there covered in blood is all he can see. He closes his eyes tight, slapping his cheeks hard to try and knock the memory loose.

“I’ve never been that out of control, Dean. Never. Not even in my worst rut have I hurt someone this badly….or tried to claim them.” The anger drains out of him as he looks to his brother for some kind of validation. “I swore I would not hurt her.”

“We don’t know what happened. But what the two of you have been playing at is dangerous. I tried to warn you both. You want her in a way that can never be. And she’s willing to let you try, whatever her motivation. The details don’t matter right now.”

“I should go to her. Shouldn’t I?” Sam asks, wiping a tear from his cheek. “Or not, because I’m the animal that hurt her so badly.”

“You can do whatever you like as long as you hold yourself together,” Dean warns, pointing a finger. “I’ll go check on her. You do whatever you need to, in here. Scream, cry, break the table for all I care. But when you’re done, you’re the king again. Understood?”

“Yes,” Sam nods, clenching his fist.

Six Hours Later

Sam wanted to wait in the room, but the midwife suggested that he remain outside. She reasoned that pressures of having the king watch them might impact the quality of their work. But he suspects it’s just as much to do with her disdain for him. He’s hurt you, practically torn you apart. Even if she knew what he was she would hate him all the same.

Old doctor James emerges from the room first. He’s a frail, elderly man, hunched over as he shuffles over the stone. He glances up at Sam, bowing his head and wordlessly scurrying away.

The midwife appears moments later, poking her head out the door. “You should come in now, my king.” She stops Dean with her hand on his chest. “Not you, this isn’t the place for you now.”

Before Dean can respond she slams the door shut and slides the lock secure.

The sun has already set, and the fire is the only light in the room. You’re illuminated by a gentle, golden glow, laying perfectly posed on the bed. Any trace of earlier events has been stripped away. The bed is neat and you’re tucked under a blanket, your hands folded together laying on your belly.

At your neck is a thick, white bandage. Little drops of blood have soaked through, but if one didn’t know the damage they covered, it would be hard to imagine what was even wrong.

“Will she live?” Sam asks quietly, taking a cautious step closer. “She looks…”

“We don’t know. There are no guarantees.” Martha reaches down to smooth your hair back. “If she wakes up, it will be a miracle. It’s the infection we’ll have to deal with. Both the bites at her neck and the damage between her legs were significant. But if she didn’t lose too much blood, and she can heal without complication, she’ll live.”

Sam looks away, his breath unsteady as his mind imagines what he must have done. How hard he must have fucked you and the pain you endured as a result.

“I didn’t mean to do this,” he confesses quietly. Dean was right, he needs to protect his reputation, but Martha is an exception. She kept his mother’s secrets. And he knows she’ll keep his.

“I know,” she nods, patting the back of your hand. “And she knew what was coming. She didn’t share the details with me, and I don’t pretend to understand, but she prepared the best she could.”

“I asked her to trust me,” Sam explains, self-hatred coursing through him.

“And then you hurt her,” Martha finishes, moving back and motioning for him to join you. “That is a story that’s been played out between husbands and wives since the beginning of time.”

Sam shakes his head vehemently, refusing to get closer. “After what I did….I should leave.”

“No,” she walks to Sam, grasping his arm with a tight grip. It reminds of the way his mother would grab him when he was a disobedient child. “You asked her to trust you. And now she needs you more than ever. She cares for you, I’ve watched her affections strengthen and grow for over time. If she wakes up, yours will be the face she’ll want to see. Stay with her.”

Two Days Later

“Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her, but most of all by her grandmother. There was nothing she would not have given to the child. Her grandmother gave her a little cap of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else. So she was always called little red-cap.” Sam pauses, looking from the leather bound book to your beautiful, calm face. The color has come back, for nearly two days you looked like a dead body lying in his bed, but the pink crept back into your cheeks just this morning. He studies you for a moment longer and continues. “One day her mother said to her, come, little red-cap, here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your grandmother, she is ill and weak, and they will do her good. Set out before it gets hot, and when you are going, walk nicely and quietly and do not run off the path, or you may fall and break the bottle, and then your grandmother will get nothing. And when you go into her room, don't forget to say, good-morning, and don't peep into every corner before you do it.”

Sam continues to read. This morning he made it through both Hansel and Gretel, and The Frog King. Now he’s moved on to a classic he knows to be a favorite, Little Red-Cap.

He reads because Martha insists that even in sleep you can hear and you must be bored just lying in bed all day. In reality, he thinks it’s probably her giving him a task to occupy his time more than for your benefit, but he’ll take what he can get.

It’s just as the wolf is making his first appearance in the story that you cough. Sam stops cold, watching with bated breath as you shift again, whimpering gently and then opening your eyes.

You look around the room before finding Sam sitting beside you. A smile creeps across your face, sending guilt heavy into his stomach.

“H-hello,” you sputter, only to lose the word in a fit of choking coughs. He quickly finds your water, helping you to drink before settling you back onto the pillow. “I’ve been dreaming,” you grin sleepily. “Fairy tales.”

“Perhaps because I’ve been reading them to you in your sleep,” he responds, forcing a strained smile.

You try to sit up, only to yelp in pain and fall back onto the pillow. Looking to Sam in confusion you raise a hand to your neck, finding the bandage. Then your attention is drawn to the pain at your sex as you suck in a sharp breath.

He wants to run, not only from the impending confession but all the pain he’s caused you. He wishes he were a lesser man and he could hide from you, and what you’ll think of him, once you realize what he’s done.

“What happened?” you ask, softly and full of genuine bewilderment.

“I-” he starts, voice wavering. After clearing his throat, he starts again. “Things didn’t go as planned. I’ve hurt you quite badly.”

This takes a moment to sink in as you shift again taking stock of all the aches and pains. “What is this?” You pat at your neck.

“I bit you. Several times,” he forces out, waiting for you to realize the true horror of it.

“Why?” you ask.

“I don’t remember it. I suppose I was spurred on by the urge to claim you. If you’d been an Omega, been like me, the bite would have healed. But you’re not and I nearly killed you. In fact, there’s no guarantee I haven’t killed you. You’re still in the early stages of healing.”

“I’m alive now,” you state simply, swallowing hard. “Sam, if you bit me does that mean I’m going to turn into a wolf like you?”

“No,” he assures you with a defeated smile. “I wasn’t a wolf when I bit you, I was just a man.”

“I see,” you’re thinking, still a bit disoriented. “And what happened here?”

You nod, indicating the pain between your legs and his eyes flutter shut. “You tore. I didn’t stop when I should have. I’m so sorry, I must have lost control.”

You sigh, face heavy with despair as the depth of the situation settles in.

“Oh,” is all you say, tears welling up and spilling down the corners of your face.

“I understand if you can’t forgive me,” he explains, reaching out to take your hand but stops himself. It’s a reflex that seems to upset you even more.

“I know you would never choose to hurt me, Sam.” Looking away from him more tears fall. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

“Please, don’t cry. I’ve no right to ask you that, but it breaks my heart all the more. Tell me what I can do to make this right?”

“There’s nothing that can be done,” you shrug, reaching back to find his hand. Your sweat-sticky little fingers curl around his fist, squeezing tightly. “We’re not meant for one another. Not in the way we’d both like. So this is just...how things will be.”

#alpha!sam winchester #sam winchester fanfiction #sam winchester x reader #sam winchester smut

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telavivgallery-blog · 5 years

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Independent Study II

For this week’s independent study, I will discuss and review the unique and new luxury hotel in Tel Aviv, called the Jaffa Hotel. Within one week, I ventured to 3 different hotels, each with its own price range, crowd, and style to find my favorite one, and the Jaffa Hotel won! Tel Aviv is a popular spot for tourists who visit the Middle East. Around 2.5 million visitors travel to Tel Aviv every year, and the number is growing! According to the National Geographic, Tel Aviv is one of the top 10 best beach cities in the world. The city is known especially for its bustling nightlife, fun energy, and young spirit. Tourists also travel to Tel Aviv for its unique architecture and eclectic aesthetic. Tourists also flock to the city to enjoy laid-back beaches and long walks on the city’s promenade. Many visitors travel through the city on scooters, Segways, or bicycles, to explore the city as much as they can. The city consists of 44 hotels in total. Top hotel brands, such as Sheraton, Dan, Hilton, and Isrotel, have developments in Tel Aviv. There are also several boutique hotels that are world-famous for their interior design, top-notch service and Tel Aviv touch!

The Jaffa Hotel is located on Louise Pasteur Street 2, in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Jaffa is a neighbourhood in Tel Aviv that is famous for its port, its Friday flea market, and its art culture. The neighbourhood also features ancient buildings and charming alleyways covered in pink hydrangeas. The Jaffa Hotel integrates and highlights all of these qualities that Jaffa holds into one high-end, flawless development. An average room at the hotel is quite pricy and can range between $400 and $700, depending on the season.

The hotel’s modern design, spearheaded by Israeli architect Army Gill, English designer John Pawson and New York hotelier Aby Rosen, bleeds fantastically into the hotel’s preexisting 13th century structure. The Lobby of the hotel is striking and features contemporary, baby-blue and bright orange furniture by Japanese and French artists. The walls of the hotel lobby are adorned by blue-chip artists like Damien First and George Condo. These artists are rarely seen on walls in Tel Aviv, so I was amazed but not surprised to see them on the Jaffa Hotel’s walls. I was also amazed by the charm of the hotel’s outdoor pool and by the sleek design of the hotel’s spa and gym. I also got to take a peek at one of the hotels 120 rooms, which are all designed exquisitely. The room that I visited was most notably beautiful for its large window that casts a stunning pattern on the hotel bed’s soft white sheets. The design of the room was perfectly underwhelming and its color palette was soothing and easy on the eye. Colors like lime green and baby blue jumped out of the tan carpet and egg-shell walls of the minimalistic room.

The hotel is also home to 3 delicious restaurants, Don Camillo, which serves Italian food, Golda’s Delicatessen, which serves a traditional Ashkenazi-Jewish cuisine, and the Chapel Bar, which in my opinion is the most special part of the hotel. The Chapel Bar is a lively lounge that is constructed inside an old church. This church became a hospital for British soldiers during the British mandate of Palestine. Thus, the bar is special because of its historical significance. The designers of the bar appropriated some of the space’s history into its contemporary design. For example, the menus are shaped as bibles and the waitresses wear nun costumes. In addition, cocktails feature names such as, “Mexican Prayer” and “Sin of Gin.”

Although I did not spend a night at the Jaffa Hotel, I would highly recommend a stay at the hotel for any tourist looking to immerse themselves in art and history at once. When walking around the hotel, I truly felt I was learning at every step. Is was remarkable. Even the staff informs you constantly on the background of the art, furniture, and architecture. From what I can tell, the service is also supreme. Everyone working at the hotel was friendly. In addition, I had a bagel for lunch at the hotel’s Golda’s Delicatessen, and although it did not compare to a fresh New York bagel, it was certainly delicious. The street that the hotel is situated on is also calm and charming. Although the price point is high, if you’re willing to spend on a lavish hotel in Tel Aviv, the Jaffa Hotel is the place to do it.

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tripile · 5 years

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THE JAFFA TEL AVIV

Within the walls that once housed a hospital and a convent, the impressive hotel The Jaffa has now opened its doors. Today, people can restore their senses by taking a dive into the pool or having a cocktail in the most magnificent bar in the world.

Jaffa

Jaffa is one of the oldest cities in the world and it used to be an important port. It is now part of the city of Tel Aviv and Jaffa is a tourist hotspot that should not be missed. It offers a splendid view of the city, you can roam around the narrow streets where many artists have their galleries and workshops or visit the flea market. British architect John Pawson, famous for his minimalist designs, was commissioned for the interior and succeeded to create a contemporary hotel while retaining (part of) the old city wall. This wall simply runs right through the hotel lobby.

A game of backgammon under Damien Hirst

The hotel does not do knickknacks. There is no doubt that this is a luxury place. But it is not in your face. While passing the outside wall, you feel that something beautiful is hiding behind it but you can’t see it just yet. Once inside, a long hallway takes you to the lobby. The light filters softly through the windows and everything is designed around the wall that runs right through the lobby.

There is a seating area with Togo armchairs and couches by Ligne Roset, but my eyes are drawn to the backgammon corner: five tables with incorporated boards. Yes, the people of Israel take their board games seriously. As they do their art; the artwork hanging above the tables is by Damien Hirst. But this can also be due to the hotel owner as property developer and fervent art lover Aby Rosen also acquired that stunning Alexander Calder sculpture for the lobby of 11 Howard in New York.

Architectural perfection

Everything is, in fact, positioned around the patio that you enter from the lobby. A wonderful place to be during the hot summer months because you will always find a shady spot between the many plants. Here, you also find the restaurant where guests can have their breakfast and a Golda’s Delicatessen cafe. The cafe is renowned in New York and here they serve the same classics such as bagels & lox, cheeseburgers, and triple-decker sandwiches. The patio also leads on to the swimming pool: a dream come true. The architectural design is absolutely amazing: the interplay of lines created by the pool, the lounge chairs, the hotel walls and, last but not least, the old chapel above on the right is sheer perfection.

The Chapel

And now the showpiece of the hotel. The bar called The Chapel. Your jaw will drop when you enter this space which feels grand and, at the same time, radiates femininity with its thick pink curtains, stools, and yellow chairs (by the Italian designer Cini Boeri). The walls don’t have images of Mary and Jesus but of famous actors that once played a priest. The bar opens at 4 p.m. and is a must when you visit Tel Aviv – whether you stay at the hotel or not.

Check out: www.thejaffahotel.com

The post THE JAFFA TEL AVIV appeared first on PETITE PASSPORT.

THE JAFFA TEL AVIV published first on https://oceandreamblog.tumblr.com/

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outsidespaceblog · 5 years

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THE JAFFA TEL AVIV

Jaffa

A game of backgammon under Damien Hirst

Architectural perfection

The Chapel

Check out: www.thejaffahotel.com

The post THE JAFFA TEL AVIV appeared first on PETITE PASSPORT.

THE JAFFA TEL AVIV published first on https://whartonstravel.tumblr.com/

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comfsy · 5 years

Text

THE JAFFA TEL AVIV

Jaffa

A game of backgammon under Damien Hirst

Architectural perfection

The Chapel

Check out: www.thejaffahotel.com

The post THE JAFFA TEL AVIV appeared first on PETITE PASSPORT.

THE JAFFA TEL AVIV published first on https://takebreaktravel.tumblr.com/

0 notes