As Israel commits war crimes in Gaza (more here and here), a former adviser to the Israeli prime minister argues that the US Zionist lobby offers little more than fighting a perceived “enemy”:
Writing during the Rabin era in an article entitled “Foreign Affairs: Mischief Makers,” Tom Friedman argued, “It is as if these organizations can only thrive if they have an enemy, someone to fight. They have no positive vision to offer American Jews.”
It would require huge institutional and personal efforts and realignments, but it is still not too late for AIPAC to be a part of providing that positive vision. That would mean cutting the umbilical cord to the neoconservatives, the Christian right, and Israel’s (now fringe) Likud party. The alternative for AIPAC would be to ultimately become a much loathed obstructionist footnote in history. The alternative for the moderate majority of Israeli and American Jews will be to forge new alliances and ensure that this time, the shared interest of peace and ending the occupation carries the day.
Zionists are unlikely to take this advice. After all, creating an enemy makes good financial sense.
Is he under that bridge ? Nope , can’t see him there.
Is he under this bridge? Nope, not there either.
Is he under the Power Station? Nope not there either…
Oh , this is good,
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/4011007.html
“………after saying they would drop leaflets urging citizens of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya to leave their homes, Israeli artillery batteries began shelling.”
So, let’s see, what do we think is the purpose of the shelling?
Choose one.
a) To save diesel - D-9 Caterpillars can knock down homes also.
b) To look tough.
c) To clear the way for a free fire zone inside Gaza.
d) To fuck with the Pali’s because we enjoy it.
e) All of the above.
Imagine the US invading Australia and arresting the government because the US did not approve of the Australia’s voters’ choice.
Israeli forces arrested nearly one-third of the Hamas-led Palestinian Cabinet and 20 lawmakers early Thursday and pressed their incursion into Gaza, responding to the abduction of one of its soldiers. Here is the real agenda. Even Israel has not claimed that the legally elected government of Palestine was responsible for the capture of an IDF occupier, yet the Palestinian government is being arrested.
10,000 Palestinian prisoners of war in Israeli detention camps, including several hundred women and children, are deemed to be of no value whatsoever, whereas a single Israeli prisoner of war deserves a major onslaught on the most defenceless and densely populated strip of land on the face of the earth.
This kinda makes me dislike Israel (w/poll)
by Richard Carlucci
Wed Jun 28, 2006 at 12:48:37 PM PDT
Israel gets an unfair rap from a lot of sources in the world - Iran, Hamas, the KKK, nutjobs who think they rule the world through Hollywood and banking, etc - so it’s hard to criticize the country without A)lumping yourself in with the crazies and B)feeling like you’re adding more to an already unnecessarily large pile. The fact that Israel’s knee-jerk reaction to every criticism it receives is to cry anti-semitism also does its part to discourage… but I digress…
There are times, however, when I must ignore the urge to restrain myself and let it all hang loose in the open. This is one of those times: I’m sick and fucking tired of defending these assholes.
I understand that Israel is the constant target of terrorist attacks. I understand that Israel is the Muslim world’s perpetual whipping boy. I understand that there are a lot of countries and people who wouldn’t be bothered at all if Israel didn’t exist. I completely understand that all of these things, and more, make the Israelis an edgy and nervous people. And that’s cool - I can’t blame them for being suspicious and taking every precaution when they live in a rough neighborhood and have such a big target on their backs.
But then they go and do flat out dumb shit like this:
Israel Defense Forces confirmed that Israeli planes had flown over the Syrian president’s country home and Israeli television reported al-Assad was at home at the time.
Let’s ignore for a second that the Israeli response to a single kidnapped soldier was to blow up the only power plant in Gaza and invade the territory with enough troops and tanks to take a small country. That in itself crossed the line of necessity.
But to take it a step further today and commit such a blatant and irresponsible act of provokation as flying fighter jets over the home neighbouring country’s President - who wasn’t even involved in the recent violence - is a step too far.
I’ll stand up for Israel to a point. When I think they’re being at least arguably fair and reasonable, I’m willing to defend them. I’ve got no ill will towards the country. But when they do stuff like this, frankly, they’re just begging for an ass-kicking - and I’m not the kind of person who’s going to allow them those kinds of excesses without consequence.
For years, decades even, they’ve retaliated against the Palestinians in excess of what they probably should have. Palestinians detonate a car bomb and Israelis bomb a house. Palestinians bomb a market and Israelis blow up an apartment building. Palestinians take out a building, and Israelis raize a town…. I always felt they went a little overboard, but I never really complained because I sympathized with them. In some ways, I felt they had a right to retaliate with more aggression.
But no longer. Maybe they think that because we have their back they can get away with anything. Maybe they believe that their nuclear arsenal makes them invincible. Maybe they’re just assholes. I don’t know what it is that makes the Israelis do some of the things they do in response to terrorist attacks.
But I do know that the totally unnecessary actions they took today crossed a whole new line. This wasn’t an over-zealous response to an attack - this was a totally unrelated act of unprovoked aggression. This is the kind of action that starts wars. And if the Syrians decide they want to make something of it, then I for one think they have every right to do so.
If Syria retaliates, I don’t want the US fighting alongside the Israelis. the bottom line is they deserve whatever’s coming to them for what they did - and our support for them does not extend to defending boneheaded, irresponsible antics like this.
Yes but, “Israel has a right to defend itself.” Sonic booming the neighbours is somewhat unconventional but hey, why not put a little fun in defending? No reason to defend yourself with a sour look on your face. What’s the point of having all those Nukes if you can’t scare their asses shitless every now and again. Haw Haw.
Hey how about that Jenny Craig diet we put those Pali’s on.. Now they’re eating diet food under candlelight, how romantic!! Haw Haw..
Addamo
Putting aside the possibility that this did indeed happen in 1975, what the hell does this have to with Hamas?
You are not seriously relativizing Hamas and the Australia parliament? And you could not be so diabolical to compare Australia to Gaza?
Or could you?
“You are not seriously relativizing Hamas and the Australia parliament? And you could not be so diabolical to compare Australia to Gaza?”
And your point?
That’s teh point Orang,
There isn’t one. Just kick up dust and change the subject.
Speakign of which Viva, where si the obligatory Holocasut denier accusation? You must be getting twitchy by now.
Gee I dunno. The Palestinians elected Hamas demnocratically and Israel doesn’t approve, so they have been workgin to xchange it both covertly (starving the Paelstinians until they change their mind and overtly, invading Gaza and arresting Hamas leaders.
Addamo
Well actually what was YOUR point?