There is a fascinating disconnect in this week after Israeli Prime Minister received 29 standing ovations in Congress in defying Obama’s recent Middle East initiative but, according to a poll this week, 57 percent of Israeli voters supported Obama’s initiative.
That is a fascinating disconnect with the two leaders appealing more in pitches in the other leader’s country.
This proves that some shows just play better on the road.
Recently an Egyptian journalist/intellectual whose own father died in a war with Israel (and I am ashamed to say I have forgotten her name — somebody help me here) said accurately that whenever an Arab country wanted regime change, they began to carry on about Israel. The US does no more logical determinations!
http://www.salon.com/news/israel/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/06/01/lyons_netanyahu_obama Netenyahu’s “grandstanding” play did not hurt Obama at all.
Bibi Netanyahu is and always has been a corporatist tool and political fool, who is unfortunately in power due to the vagaries of Israel’s internal politics. He returned to power based on a promise to bring peace and yet has done the opposite since regaining his position. He is a creature of AIPAC and AIPAC is a creature of very rich, highly Conservative and Republican Jews, whose political stance is really more about American politics and the promotion of corporatism. Their influence and support among the majority of American Jewry is much the result of a gullible media, rather than actual support within their own community.
The original West Bank settlements were the result of the ultra-conservative Likud Party, in the person of Menachem Begin, to preclude any return of the captured territory. The subsequent continuance of the settlements serves as an excuse not to return these lands and is also supported by certain Ultra-Orthodox groups, who though small retain a good deal of power in the politically complex Israeli Parliamentary system.
Historically, captured territory is rarely given back as
our own nation’s internal borders easily illustrate. However, in the Mid East, with its vital oil supplies and with the power exerted over the US (particularly Republicans)by the Saudi’s, Israel’s holding of these territories is untenable given geopolitical realities.
The other sound reason for Israel to give them up is that
it cannot sustain itself with millions within its control, who do not recognize it as a State. It is interesting that Jordan, who has the greatest outside claim to the West Bank Territories wants no part of them. The Jordanians were forced to expel the PLO and its people after they tried a Jordanian coup.
The Israeli’s are for the most part pragmatists and so it is not surprising that the majority of people favor the land for peace solution. That Bibi got elected is more the result of a 3 party race and the ineffectiveness of the other candidates, rather than an outpouring of Israeli majority support. The return of the captured territories and establishment of a separate nation obviously is in Israel’s best interests, but as we see in the US when dogmatic fundamentalists join forces with dogmatic ultra conservatives, nothing good results.
Thanks for the links SM, I stopped reading the Joe Walsh story after reading this quote:
“We must be their advisor [sic] and protector.”
That tells one just about all one needs to know about Mr. Walsh. With friends like him, eh? He probably likes his women infantilized and grateful for ‘daddy’ too 🙂
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/its-true-sarah-palin-is-back-national-bus-tour-starts-sunday.php?ref=fpb Looks like things are opening up for Netanyahu supporter Sarah Palin.
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/26/walsh-lectures-jews/ Republican Joe Walsh who is catholic lectures american jews for not being pro-Israel enough.
On 1967 boundaries, Netanyahu needs to give a little
By DeWayne Wickham
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-05-24-Netanyahu-should-negotiate-on-borders_n.htm
“Putting aside Mark Twain’s sage observation that “no … nation occupies a foot of land that was not stolen,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to let a return to his country’s 1967 borders become the basis for a peace settlement is foolhardy for another reason. It sees the future as the past. Netanyahu’s objection is stubbornly rooted in a belief that the Jewish state and its neighbors will be forever in a perpetual state of war. That myopia is a prescription for continued stalemate, and more conflict, rather than a meaningful peace agreement.”
So what has really changed is the date on the calender…..right…
There is no disconnect.
57% of Israelis don’t have their hands in AIPAC’s pockets or AIPAC hasn’t used their spies to get critical dirt on them.
Congress can’t say that.
“You know I take it as a badge of honor, and so should you, that in our free societies that you can have protest,” Netanyahu said after being interrupted by Abileah. “You can’t have these protest in the farcical parliaments in Tehran or in Tripoli. This is real democracy.” -from the link provided by Lottakatz
This “fascinating disconnect” has more to do with Obama than Israel I suspect; most of the people leaping to their feet would have done so for ‘The Situation’ if they thought they could make points against Obama by doing so.
Frank, debate, or dissent (about anything as Code Pink regularly proves) comes with a price if you carry it to Congress:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/24/protester-who-heckled-netanyahu-in-congress-allegedly-beaten-arrested-at-hospital/
Welcome to the United States of Israel.
I read a lot of foreign papers it one of the biggest surprises I have had is how much more open & robust the debate is in Israel than here in the US. It would be as if the only acceptable opinions were those approved by the teabaggers. Eventually even people who are reasonable will be left believing that only teabagging was OK.