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Pity Norman Podhoretz: He ignores the real issue in his recent WSJ op-ed
A good friend, Dan Sabol, President of the Chicago Chapter of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, asked me to comment on Podhoretz’ recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Pity the Palestinians? Count Me Out found here: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304640104579487444112949138?mg=reno64-wsj In the piece, Podohoretz excoriates the Palestinians with gleeful delight – but fails to address the real issues. Here is what I wrote to Dan:
This op-ed is pure, unadulterated tripe. Mr. Podhoretz is known for his Israel right-or-wrong viewpoint, which he promotes vociferously and acrimoniously via Commentary.
He shows his bias from the very first paragraph when he labels John Kerry’s diplomacy as “farcical”.
Provoked by the predictable collapse of the farcical negotiations forced by Secretary of State John Kerry on the Palestinians and the Israelis, I wish to make a confession: I have no sympathy—none—for the Palestinians. Furthermore, I do not believe they deserve any.
I agree that many did predict that the talks would collapse – so therefore the failure was “predictable”. And even more, probably most, while not “predicting collapse”, gave the chance of success as low. But certainly folks said the same thing about George Mitchell in Ireland. As Mitchell so famously said: “We had 700 days of failure and one day of success”. By inference, I assume that Mr. Podhoretz also found Mitchell’s work in Ireland to be farcical as well.
Further, in virtually every paragraph he says something that is either factually incorrect, incomplete or biased in interpretation. [Which I don’t have the time nor desire to go into here – but certainly can]
All this is fine. But there are two things that aren’t.
First, his attitude, which is gleefully acrimonious, tendentious and supercilious.
But my biggest issue with this article is that he does not really address the problem. I, too, have no sympathy for the Palestinians that want to destroy Israel and even less (I don’t know if you can have less than no sympathy, but I do) for those who want to kill all of the Jews. But what Mr. Podhoretz does not address is that while blaming the Palestinians might make us fell righteous and good, the occupation is really our problem – no matter what the Palestinians do. Nor is how other Arab states treat the Palestinians or their citizens relevant to our problem. As a Jew, what I care about is how Jews treat other people. I believe we Jews choose to hold ourselves to Jewish values – higher values. The Occupation endangers Israel remaining both a Jewish and democratic state. That is our problem as Jews. We need to find a creative way to end it.
No water in East Jerusalem for two weeks. Yet Israel claims that ALL of Jerusalem s/b the capital
One of the main stumbling blocks to coming to a peace agreement with the Palestinians is Jerusalem. The Israelis claim the entire city of Jerusalem (as they define it – including the annexation of East Jerusalem in 1980) as Israel’s capital. The Palestinians also demand Jerusalem (Al-Quds) as their capital – although it seems that they might accept East Jerusalem and the holy sites as sufficient.
A recent post in +972, tells about an East Jerusalem neighborhood that has been without water for three weeks:
The East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Ras Shehada, Ras Khamis, Dahyat A’salam and the Shuafat refugee camp, which are cut off from the rest of the city by the separation wall, have gone without running water since March 4.
And further:
So this raises a question: If the municipal authority of Jerusalem does not systematically offer the same services to East Jerusalem as it does to the rest of Jerusalem, how can it claim that it is all part of the same city? In the U.S. there is a law that if you don’t retain some aspects of private ownership over a piece of property, it falls into the public domain. You may notice this via plaques on ground of certain building setbacks or even closing off of small areas of public walkways that exist on private property for some hours or a day to maintain private rights. So, isn’t the current situation in Jerusalem somewhat analogous? That is, if basic municipal services are not being systematically provided, or like in this case, repairs are not made within a reasonable time, doesn’t that provide an argument that, in fact, the municipality has given up some right to claim these neighborhoods as part of its city?
More photos here: PHOTOS: 13 days without water in East Jerusalem
It’s That Time of Year for A Repost: Contemplating the Message of Passover
Pesach is my favorite Jewish holiday. The traditions are so rich and the Seder is the ultimate joyous, jubilant Jewish celebration: the symbols of the Seder plate, the smells and tastes of real Jewish food (I will put Margie’s golden chicken soup up against any in the world), the struggle with matzoh for eight days, the four cups, the laughter, the singing, Elijah. Those are all so memorable.
But it is the message that permeates the holiday that is so important. While the book of Exodus holds perhaps more of the basic concepts, precepts, commandments and narratives of the Torah than any other book, the Haggadah‘s lessons seem much narrower.
There are many different interpretations of the meaning of the story from the manifestation of The Lord acting directly in the world, to the molding of the Jewish people into a nation, to the miracles of the Passover and the parting of the Sea of Reeds itself. Yet to me the most straightforward and overriding message is simple:
- REMEMBER. You were slaves in Egypt
- RELIVE. How it felt to be enslaved. To be oppressed
- REPUDIATE. So that, You, personally, and, Jews as a people, will never become oppressors yourselves
Every Jewish holiday harks back to a connection with bedrock stories from the Jewish community’s past like the recitation of the Akedah and story of Jonah on the High Holidays, the Megillah on Purim, Akadmut and Ruth on Shavuot,, or the rededication of the Temple at Hanukkah. But the Seder and the Haggadah ask something of us that is wholly unique and of an entirely different nature than any other Jewish holiday. It specifically tells us that we must place ourselves inside the story – we must be in Egypt to feel the pain and oppression – and the redemption. This is one of the main lessons of the telling of the story of the Four Sons, which acts as an answer to Mah Nishtanah – Why is this night different from all other nights?
So why is it so important to more than sympathize, more than empathize, but to actually experience being slaves in Egypt? The answer seems straightforward. Each of us needs to understand what it is like to be oppressed so that we will never become oppressors ourselves. We must feel the weariness of the excruciating labor, the pain of the task masters’ whips, and shed the tears of a people without rights or freedom. Having lived through it ourselves, it should be unthinkable for Jews to oppress others. And lest we forget, we are commanded to relive our slavery each and every Pesah. We must understand the pain of the oppressed and the evil of the oppressor – so that we never allow the roles to be reversed.
One of the traditional prayers at the end of the Seder is “next year in Jerusalem”. The problem is that now when I look to Jerusalem, I see Israel occupying Arab neighborhoods. Pushing people out of homes that have been in their families for decades or longer. And beyond that, I see checkpoints, and identity cards, and political prisons. Most of all, I see one people subjugating another. This is not fantasy. This is reality for anyone who cares to take a look. But if an American Jew talks about it, he is told, “You have no right to criticize Israeli policy because you don’t live there. You don’t have to serve in the IDF. You don’t have to dive into bomb shelters when the sirens sound. You don’t have to fear that your children will be killed riding in a school bus.” That is so very true. And I am so sorry that life is indeed that dangerous for those living in Eretz Yisrael. But I am also sorry to say that I believe the Haggadah not only gives me the right, but also the obligation as a Jew, to speak out when I see fellow Jews oppressing another people. As Peter Beinart said when he spoke at Northwestern, “The morality of a people must not be measured when they are powerless. The question is how they act when they have the power.”
In Response To A Direct Question In N.H. About Settlements, Candidate John Huntsman Says Best US Policy Towards Israel Is When “There Is No Blue Sky” Between U.S. and the Israeli Government
Image via Wikipedia
Former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China, John Huntsman, gave a stump speech in New Hampshire where he was asked a direct question that given the fact that the settlements seem to be the stumbling block between getting the two parties together what would he do if President. He said that in order to let our closest allies know that they can count on the U.S., the best policy is to align directly with the Israeli government.
Go here to hear John Huntsman’s foreign policy speech. Israel-Palestine question begins at 34:32. http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/301950-1
House Freezes Palestinian Aid
According to the JTA, Ilana Ros-Lehtinen, chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, is holding back almost $200 million of aid to the Palestinian Authority unless they back off their actions at the U.N.
The question: Why? Does she have an answer as to what the potential consequences of withholding these funds will have on the ground? If the P.A. cannot maintain its payments to its security forces or its humanitarian aid – doesn’t this a) increase the likelihood of protests, b) reduce the ability of the P.A. security forces to help quell any violent reaction, and c) potentially increase the attractiveness of Hamas?
Read more at JTA: House committee chair places hold on Palestinian aid
Related articles
- PressTV: US to punish Palestinians for UN bid (jhaines6.wordpress.com)
+972’s Joseph Dana Posts A Telling Video of Today’s Protests at the Jerusalem-Ramallah Checkpoint
If you want to get a REAL feel for what may be the beginning of the Third Intifada, watch the video filmed by Planxtysumoud & Haitham Al-Khatib and posted by
+972’s Joseph Dana 
. While obviously things have not yet escalated into ‘real’ violence on either side – the video certainly gives a taste of what modern warfare is like. This is not “Band of Brothers”, “The Pacific” or John Wayne. This is a surrealistic scene where passing cars conduct their day-to-day business as the combatants spar in their own highway-divider delineated arena. Where stones, rolling blazing tires, and fireworks match forces with rubber bullets. Where a Fox News reporter can jest that at least the “tear gas is clearing up my sinuses”. But the strongest impression is that for now this is a contest of that certain type of Male Testosterone that dominates young men. Frankly, I don’t really see much difference between these boys on either side. They are kids – representing their people. Two tribes – facing down each other as tribes have done for thousands of years. For now, while tragically there are injuries, they are nothing compared to what we all can imagine will happen if things escalate as they did during the Second Intifada. I only wish that the American Jewish Community would be doing more to prevent it by urging our politicians to hold down the rhetoric here in the U.S. By loudly protesting against the threat of pulling aid from the Palestinian Authority. By supporting the long-held official policy of the U.S. against the building of settlements in the West Bank. The “Israel – Right or Wrong” position of seemingly the loudest and wealthiest in the Jewish community is as dangerous now as the “America – Right or Wrong” advocates were during the Vietnam war. The consequence of stifling debate always leads to bad decisions.
So please – watch this – and let me know your thoughts with a comment below.
Joseph Dana – Ramallah – So much attention has been focused on the question of whether violence will break out in the West Bank due the historic United Nations vote on Palestinian statehood. Yesterday, mass peaceful rallies were held inside West Bank cities such as Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron. However, late yesterday afternoon, clashes between stone throwing Palestinian youth and rubber bullet firing Israeli soldiers broke out at the Qalandia checkpoint, the main checkpoint separating Jerusalem and Ramallah…
The rest of his commentary can be found here: WATCH: Against UN backdrop, violence erupts in West Bank
Related articles
- West Bank sees rallies and clashes as Palestinians bid for statehood (guardian.co.uk)
- The West Bank prepares for (possible) independence (salon.com)
After the Optimism of the Arab Spring – Mayhem Returns All Over the Middle East
Not much time here, so here is a short list of events – with no attempt to prioritize:
- Hama, Syria Under Fire
1. Syria – Tanks rolling into Hama to violently put down civilian rebellion
2. Israel – Protests in the streets re: housing, etc and other, mostly economic, issues. Tent city (Twitter: #tent48) in Tel Aviv
3. Israel – Settlers disrupt protests by engaging protestors with slurs and obscenities (#j14)
4. Israel – Gaza fires missiles into Southern Israel (Sderot & Ashkelon) – luckily only minor injuries
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An Iron Dome missile outside Ashkelon responding to a rocket launch from the Gaza Strip in April 2011. |
| Photo by: AFP |
5. Gaza – Just minutes ago, Israel retaliates with large bombing raid on Gaza. Early reports are a couple of children injured
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A Palestinian man walking at a destroyed beach front facility in Gaza City on February 24, 2011 following an Israeli air strike the previous night. |
| Photo by: AFP |
6. Israel – Knesset continues to move to the right with its legislation – anti-boycott law, proposals to reduce rights of Israeli-Arabs, etc.
7. Palestine – Meeting last night to finalize plans to appeal to the UN for recognition
8. Lebanon – Hezbollah rattling sabres
9. Egypt – Mubarak going on trial
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| Visceral anger at Mubarak and his inner circle helped unite Tahrir Square during Egypt’s 18-day uprising [EPA] |
10. Libya – Fighting drags on
11. Iran – Announces new missile a few weeks ago
Raouf Mohseni/AP – Iranian revolutionary Guards personnel watch the launch of a Zelzal missile during military maneuvers outside the city of Qom on Tuesday.
Other than that, not much going on…
Related articles
- Israel: July 14th Movement, Arab Spring in Tel Aviv (arabisperatirugativaptiugoslavii.wordpress.com)
- Israel’s biggest protest in decades overlooked worldwide (rt.com)
Another Look at the Obama and Netanyahu Speeches Given In May
Back then, I published a parsing of the speeches given by the President and the Prime Minister. I believe it is worth republishing this comparison since some may have missed it because the topic may not have been clear from the title. Back then, I was upset at how both the MSM (main stream media) and Congress dealt with both the visit in general and more specifically, the speeches that were given. A close analysis of all four speeches shows that they both used virtually the same language in dealing with the topics, yet one would never know it from reading the press accounts or the sound bites of those in the Congress on both sides of the aisle. Additionally, it is worth viewing for yourself the press conference after Obama and Netanyahu’s meeting because you first need to hear what the President said and then listen to Bibi’s response. My take on it was that rather than Bibi “lecturing” Obama, Bibi simply went off into a soliloquy in which he presented his point of view, but wasn’t really addressing the President. It would have been nice if at least one journalist had expressed this take on the interchange – but I have yet to see one.
As for Netanyahu’s speeches, one would certainly have expected a warm welcome from the AIPAC attendees, but the love fest in Congress was over the top. Interestingly, on a recent conference call, I heard one Congresswoman characterize the speech as “masterfully written” because just reading the text clearly showed all of the applause points. As she said: “Who isn’t going to stand up for ‘mom and apple pie'”.
What follows is a topic by topic comparison of the language of the four speeches given in the five days surrounding the Israeli Prime Minister’s trip. These are all direct quotes.
1. Obama at the State Department, May 19
2. Obama at AIPAC, May 22
3. Netanyahu at AIPAC, May 23
4. Netanyahu before Congress, May 24
TOPIC |
OBAMA-STATE DEPT |
OBAMA-AIPAC |
NETANYAHU-AIPAC |
NETANYAHU-CONGRESS |
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Borders |
The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. |
The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. |
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Borders The Sequel |
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By definition, it means that the parties themselves – Israelis and Palestinians – will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. It is a well known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation |
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The status of the settlements will be decided only in negotiations. But wemust also be honest. So I am saying today something that should be saidpublicly by anyone serious about peace. In any peace agreement that endsthe conflict, some settlements will end up beyond Israel’s borders. Theprecise delineation of those borders must be negotiated. |
Borders III |
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It allows the parties themselves to account for the changes that have taken place over the last forty-four years, including the new demographic realities on the ground and the needs of both sides. |
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This compromise must reflect the dramatic demographic changes that have occurred since 1967. |
Enough with the Borders Already |
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We will be very generous on the size of a future Palestinian state. But as President Obama said, the border will be different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. Israel will not return to the indefensible lines of 1967. |
Palestinian Right of Return |
Open issue |
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Palestinians from around the world should have a right to immigrate, if theyso choose, to a Palestinian state. This means that the Palestinian refugeeproblem will be resolved outside the borders of Israel. |
Jerusalem |
Open issue |
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As for Jerusalem, only a democratic Israel has protected freedom of worshipfor all faiths in the city. Jerusalem must never again be divided.Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel. I know that this is adifficult issue for Palestinians. But I believe with creativity and goodwilla solution can be found. |
Israel as a Jewish State |
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Israel as a Jewish state and the homeland for the Jewish people, and the state of Palestine as the homeland for the Palestinian people; each state enjoying self-determination, mutual recognition, and peace. [Emphasis added] |
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My friends, this must come to an end. President Abbas must do what I havedone. I stood before my people, and I told you it wasn’t easy for me, and Isaid… “I will accept a Palestinian state.” It is time for President Abbas tostand before his people and say… “I will accept a Jewish state.” |
Self-Defense |
As for security, every state has the right to self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself — by itself — against any threat |
As for security, every state has the right to self-defense, and Israel must be able to defend itself – by itself – against any threat. |
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When we say never again, we mean never again. Israel always reserves the right to defend itself. |
Security |
Provisions must also be robust enough to prevent a resurgence of terrorism; to stop the infiltration of weapons; and to provide effective border security. The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign, non-militarized state. The duration of this transition period must be agreed, and the effectiveness of security arrangements must be demonstrated.[Emphasis added] |
Provisions must also be robust enough to prevent a resurgence of terrorism; to stop the infiltration of weapons; and to provide effective border security. The full and phased withdrawal of Israeli military forces should be coordinated with the assumption of Palestinian security responsibility in a sovereign, non-militarized state. The duration of this transition period must be agreed, and the effectiveness of security arrangements must be demonstrated. |
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So it is therefore absolutely vital for Israel’s security that a Palestinian state be fully demilitarized. And it is vital that Israel maintain a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. Solid security arrangements on the ground are necessary not only to protect the peace, they are necessary to protect Israel in case the peace unravels. For in our unstable region, no one can guarantee that our peace partners today will be there tomorrow. |
Obama Admin Commitment to Israel |
As for Israel, our friendship is rooted deeply in a shared history and shared values. Our commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable. And we will stand against attempts to single it out for criticism in international forums. But precisely because of our friendship, it is important that we tell the truth: the status quo is unsustainable, and Israel too must act boldly to advance a lasting peace. |
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Yesterday President Obama spoke about his ironclad commitment to Israel’ssecurity. He rightly said that our security cooperation is unprecedented. Hespoke of that commitment in front of AIPAC. He spoke about it in twospeeches heard throughout the Arab world. And he has backed those wordswith deeds. |
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Security Cooperation |
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It’s why we’ve increased cooperation between our militaries to unprecedented levels. |
He rightly said that our security cooperation is unprecedented |
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Advanced Technologies |
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It’s why we’re making our most advanced technologies available to our Israeli allies |
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Military $$ |
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And it’s why, despite tough fiscal times, we’ve increased foreign military financing to record levels. |
I know these are tough economic times. So I want to thank the president andCongress for providing Israel with vital assistance so that Israel candefend itself by itself |
Thank you all, and thank you President Obama,for your steadfast commitment to Israel’s security. I know economic timesare tough. I deeply appreciate this. |
Iron Dome |
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That includes additional support – beyond regular military aid – for the Iron Dome anti-rocket system. This is a powerful example of American-Israel cooperation which has already intercepted rockets from Gaza and helped saved innocent Israeli lives. … make no mistake, we will maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge. |
I want to thank you all for supporting the IronDome missile defense system |
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Agreement Must Be Between the Two Parties |
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These are the facts. I firmly believe, and repeated on Thursday, that peace cannot be imposed on the parties to the conflict. |
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Delegitimization |
For the Palestinians, efforts to delegitimize Israel will end in failure. Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September won’t create an independent state. |
You also see our commitment to Israel’s security in our steadfast opposition to any attempt to de-legitimize the State of Israel. As I said at the United Nation’s last year, “Israel’s existence must not be a subject for debate,” and “efforts to chip away at Israel’s legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States.”…No vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state. And the United States will stand up against efforts to single Israel out at the UN or in any international forum. Because Israel’s legitimacy is not a matter for debate. |
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Hamas As a Partner |
Palestinian leaders will not achieve peace or prosperity if Hamas insists on a path of terror and rejection. |
Moreover, we know that peace demands a partner – which is why I said that Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with Palestinians who do not recognize its right to exist, and we will hold the Palestinians accountable for their actions and their rhetoric. |
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And Hamas is not a partner for peace. Hamas remains committed to Israel’sdestruction and to terrorism. They have a charter. That charter not onlycalls for the obliteration of Israel, but says ‘kill the Jews wherever youfind them’. Hamas’ leader condemned the killing of Osama bin Laden andpraised him as a holy warrior. |
Hamas-Fatah Unification |
the recent announcement of an agreement between Fatah and Hamas raises profound and legitimate questions for Israel — how can one negotiate with a party that has shown itself unwilling to recognize your right to exist. In the weeks and months to come, Palestinian leaders will have to provide a credible answer to that question. |
And I indicated on Thursday that the recent agreement between Fatah and Hamas poses an enormous obstacle to peace. No country can be expected to negotiate with a terrorist organization sworn to its destruction. We will continue to demand that Hamas accept the basic responsibilities of peace: recognizing Israel’s right to exist, rejecting violence, and adhering to all existing agreements |
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Israel’s Right to Exist |
And Palestinians will never realize their independence by denying the right of Israel to exist. |
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My friends, this must come to an end. President Abbas must do what I havedone. I stood before my people, and I told you it wasn’t easy for me, and Isaid… “I will accept a Palestinian state.” It is time for President Abbas tostand before his people and say… “I will accept a Jewish state.” |
Gilad Shalit |
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And we once again call on Hamas to release Gilad Shalit, who has been kept from his family for five long years. |
And you’ve joinedPresident Obama and me in denouncing Hamas and demanding that it release our captive soldier, Gilad Shalit |
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New Proposals? |
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There was nothing particularly original in my proposal; this basic framework for negotiations has long been the basis for discussions among the parties, including previous U.S. Administrations.…By definition, it means that the parties themselves – Israelis and Palestinians – will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. It is a well known formula to all who have worked on this issue for a generation …If there’s a controversy, then, it’s not based in substance. What I did on Thursday was to say publicly what has long been acknowledged privately. [Emphasis added] |
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Palestinian intransigence |
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So why has peace not beenachieved? Because so far, the Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state, if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it.…You see, our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state. |
Iran |
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See below |
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A nuclear-armed Iran would ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle East…This is why I ask you to continue to send an unequivocal message: That America will never permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons. |
Obama’s Actions Against Iran |
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You also see our commitment to our shared security in our determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Here in the U.S., we’ve imposed the toughest sanctions ever on the Iranian regime. At the United Nations, we’ve secured the most comprehensive international sanctions on the regime, which have been joined by allies and partners around the world. Today, Iran is virtually cut off from large parts of the international financial system, and we are going to keep up the pressure. So let me be absolutely clear – we remain committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. |
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It is even worse because thereare many who rush to condemn Israel for defending itself against Iran’sterror proxies. But not you. Not America. You have acted differently. You’ve condemned the Iranian regime for its genocidal aims. You’ve passed tough sanctions against Iran. History will salute you America. President Obama has said that the United States is determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He successfully led the Security Council to adopt sanctions against Iran. You in Congress passed even tougher sanctions. These words and deeds are vitally important. |
Arab Teaching Hatred |
For Israelis, it has meant living with the fear that their children could get blown up on a bus or by rockets fired at their homes, as well as the pain of knowing that other children in the region are taught to hate them. |
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They continue to educate their children to hate. They continue to namepublic squares after terrorists. And worst of all, they continue toperpetuate the fantasy that Israel will one day be flooded by thedescendants of Palestinian refugees. |
Related articles
- Israel’s 1967 borders ‘indefensible’, Netanyahu tells Aipac (guardian.co.uk)
- “Former AIPAC Official Dodges Questions On Whether 1967 Borders Has Been US Policy For Years™” and related posts (wonkroom.thinkprogress.org)
– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Related articles
I’m Back
It’s been quite awhile since you’ve heard from me – and I apologize for that.
I could tell you that I’ve been on vacation, that I’ve been very busy with work and family, and that I’ve been meeting with various folks all summer. While that is all true, the fact is that events in the Middle East (and perhaps even more so, here with domestic politics) have left me both depressed and dumbfounded. As many have said, we seem to be on the way to a “train wreck” in the Middle East, and I feel like it’s an extremely excruciating one. Kind of like watching that fantastic scene from “The Fugitive” (the movie, not the TV series) where they are transporting Harrison Ford downstate by bus, a fight ensues and the bus goes over a railing and ends up straddling some train tracks with a huge freight train barreling down on it. There is a tremendous crash which allows him to escape into the woods. The train crash is shown in intimate detail, from several different angles, and as the engine caroms off the track, we see dirt and metal and wood flying all over the place as the train’s inertia keeps tearing through the underbrush.* All of the time, Harrison Ford is trying to hop away with his arms and legs shackled. Pretty good analogy for what is happening in the Middle East from all sides – the Palestinians, the Israelis, us and the Europeans – trying to avoid the fallout from the prospective UN vote. Oy!
And unfortunately, that ain’t the only thing going on. Here is my current rundown of agita producing events:
Middle East:
- Upcoming September vote in the UN where the Palestinians will be seeking recognition as a State
- The erstwhile flotilla and fly-tilla of “humanitarian” aid headed for Gaza
- The recent passing in the Knesset of an “anti-boycott law” wherein anyone who supports a boycott of Israeli products, services etc. can be sued for both actual and potential(!) damages.
- As always, new announcements of continued settlement activity.
Domestic:
- The Republicans refusal to compromise on a balanced package to raise the debt ceiling.
- The Republicans ability to lie with a straight face – and have the public not able to see it. We had 8 years of the “no tax increase” policy under Bush and it destroyed the economy. (However, it did result in the largest transfer of wealth to the top 1% of the country in history. And I thought that the Republicans were against redistribution of wealth?)
- The Democrats inability to come up with virtually any effective messaging. If I hear the “corporate jet-owners” and “big oil companies” one more time I’ll puke – it just isn’t working.
- Obama’s refusal to get mad as hell – and call out the Republicans. (He’s starting to, but it is a case of too little too late.)
- I have hardly heard one commentator speculate that the Republicans actually have no interest in raising the debt ceiling because if the economy melts down, so do Obama’s chances of reelection. I hate to be so cynical, but it appears that the Republicans have no qualms about the doomsday option because they will be able to blame the disaster on Obama and the “unreasonable” Senate Democrats who refused to bring their Cap and Trade (oops, Cut, Cap and Balance) bill to the floor. And those same Senate Democrats who wouldn’t bring their own budget bill to the floor. (Of course, they forget to inform the American public the minor detail that the way our forefathers set up the Constitution, budget bills can only be originated from the House.)
OK, so I am going to try to overcome my doldrums and begin explaining why I am so upset by some of these issues – and you should be to. But my next post will actually be about some very positive news – the current tour of several extremely prominent Israeli military and political figures who have come to the U.S. to discuss their assessment of the urgency of coming to a two-state agreement as the only way to assure Israel’s security. They are here to discuss the Israel Peace Initiative and the activities of the Council for Peace and Security in Israel.
*By the way, that was a REAL train crash in The Fugitive that they set up and filmed – however, I would guess that Harrison Ford wasn’t actually running from it! Check out the aftermath 18 years later: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFGNkkWf4_M&feature=related
Breaking News: Salam Fayyed Says He Is Going To Remain As Palestinian Prime Minister
Image by World Economic Forum via Flickr
Bloomberg News has reported that Salam Fayyad plans to remain as Palestinian Prime Minister. The significance of this is that Hamas has previously stated that Fayyad is unacceptable, so if this holds up it almost certainly means that the unification deal between Hamas and Fatah will fall apart (as has happened before – and therefore was predicted by many). Fayyad is very well liked and respected in the West because he has a PhD in Economics from the University of Texas, he has cleaned up a tremendous amount of corruption, he has administered the country such that the current economic growth rate is claimed to be about 7%, and finally, his Palestinian police force has worked so well with US General Dayton and the IDF that many checkpoints were able to be eliminated.
Come to think of it – those are probably the same reasons that Hamas rejected him.
From the Bloomberg report:
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said he will resist pressure to resign and aims to continue in office while the rival Hamas and Fatah factions try to form a joint government.
Fayyad, speaking to reporters today in the West Bank city of Ramallah, said he wants to at least complete his two-year plan to build the institutions for Palestinian statehood that are supposed to be ready in August.
Related articles
- Hamas rejects Fayyad nomination for prime minister (jta.org)
- Fatah-Hamas unity meeting canceled (jta.org)
- In Cairo, Palestinian factions talk unity Cabinet (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Fatah nominates Fayyad to head interim Palestinian government (cnn.com)
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