It’s been a lousy week for the two-state solution. First, tourism minister, Uzi Landau, sniggered at the two-state solution and said the very idea was ridiculous and would never happen under this government. Then, a few days later, Danny Danon, the deputy defense minister and a far more senior official, said virtually the same thing. At that point, Bibi put a lid on his ministers and told them to shut up.
The ultra-nationalist MKs are launching a pro-settler causus in the Knesset. Bibi refused to allow any minister to attend for fear of what they might say to further embarrass him.
But today, Haaretz brings news that Bibi shot himself in the foot on his current visit to Poland. After the draft of a closing communiqué was prepared by both sides which endorsed a two-state position, no less than the prime minister put the kibosh on it. The cancelled statement read:
Poland and Israel will agree that the latter’s legitimacy, the security of its citizens, and the Palestinian right to a state should never be in doubt…
Both governments support the vision of a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, allowing for the self-determination of the Jewish and Palestinian nations, living side by side in peace and security.
No two-state solution for Bibi. As a result there was no final communiqué, which is quite a faux pas in diplomatic protocol.
It could be that this is posturing in the face of Palestinian resistance to re-opening peace talks (though Bibi hasn’t phrased his decision in that way). Or it could be currying favor with his far-right pro-settlement constituency. Whatever it is, clearly Netanyahu is thumbing his nose at the Obama administration and John Kerry’s flailing attempt to revive the moribund peace process.
If this teaches anything (and those who should be taking lessons clearly aren’t listening), the two-state solution is dead. Dead as a doornail. Anyone who maintains faith in the two-state solution is fooling themselves. Not to mention, giving hope where there is none. That amounts to willful delusion and this is a condition the region can ill afford.
Let’s be clear who killed it: Israel. Despite Bibi’s single feeble embrace of two-states in his Bar Ilan speech, this was puppeteering for the sake of the Obama administration. Bibi doesn’t support two-states. Never has, never will. He has no plan for peace with the Palestinians. None.
… that the entire trip was organized for no reason except to stage-manage some photo-ops of Bibi flying economy-class instead of – gasp! horror! – his previous predilection for custom-installed taxpayer-funded flying-bedspreads.
That’s the ONLY reason for this trip, and so it’s little wonder that King Bibi couldn’t be bothered with reading the early drafts of that joint communique. He simply couldn’t give a shit, since as far as he was concerned the purpose of this visit was the trip itself, and not whatever non-business was waiting for him after he landed in Warsaw.
Hubris, writ large, and with a big ol’ dollop of laziness plonked on top. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving dimwit.
he was invited for the opening of a Yad Vashem new permanent exhibition at block 27 in auschwitz. 30 million shekel (or dollar can’t remember) invested by the government.
“he was invited for the opening of a Yad Vashem new permanent exhibition at block 27 in auschwitz. 30 million shekel (or dollar can’t remember) invested by the government.”
!!!!! I’m not suggesting that he turned up at Warsaw international airport unannounced and uninvited.
Of course there was an invitation.
What I am saying is that the invite itself wasn’t the reason why Bibi wanted to go on that flight.
What he wanted to do was to Go On A Flight so that he had a photo-op of him sitting in economy-class.
Q: Why did he want to be photographed wedged into an uncomfortable seat?
A: If you have to ask then you simply haven’t been following Israeli politics.
Get it?
It didn’t matter whether an invitation came from the Poles, or from Peru, or from Palau. Bibi just needed *some* excuse to take a flight, and the first one to come along happened to be this one.
THAT’s the reason why he accepted the invitation, and since THAT’s the reason why he took this trip then he couldn’t be bothered to pay any attention to the diplomatic niceties that were happening around it I.e. He Did Not Give A Shit, probably because he had a sore arse and a bad temper when he finally peeled himself out of his seat.
Laziness, pure and simple, and it bit him on the arse.
Wow, that’s the most immature response i have ever read. what are you 10 yrs old?
your response sits perfectly with any other bitter left winger who just spits bias critics. let’s say that bibi had to go to poland (i’m guessing you checked the PM schedule and found that this trip was a last minute add on bcz of the flight to England fall out, right? he just needed A FLIGHT after all). how would you have preferred he traveled there?
by foot, by car, hitchhiking? do you want him to not learn from his mistakes? is there any non cynical response that would have made you content?
admit that you hate the man’s guts and it doesn’t matter what he does or how – you hate him. and that’s ok. you don’t have to like or vote for him. but please be a little mature about it, laziness as nothing to with not signing a statement. i’m guessing that he or any western world leader is working hard – no matter what side he is on. and as a citizen i think that my PM (no matter who he his) should be at the opening ceremony of such an important matter.
@Noam: Oh please. Bibi is the most shamefully cynical, opportunistic Israeli politician to come down the pike in a long time–and that’s saying a lot considering the competition. Of course, Bibi flew coach class in response to the criticism of his wildly profligate spending ways. It’s almost self-evident, but apparently not to you.
It’s not so much “hate” as understanding of Bibi’s nature.
I’ll try and be charitable and suggest that you have not heard of the big political mess that Bibi got into the **last** time he leased a jet to go on an official overseas trip In Comfort And Style.
And if you **have** heard about that scandalous behaviour then why the f**k are you acting like you are too stupid to put 2 and 2 together?
Bibi took an absolute hammering for his extravagance the last time he took an overseas trip, and so he was utterly determined to go on another overseas trip A.S.A.P. to be photographed with half his arse hanging over the side of an economy-class seat.
You don’t have to be a brainiac to work that out; all you need to do was look at the photos plastered all over the Israeli newspapers.
This is all news to you, is it?
Man, what rock did you just crawl out from under?
That’s a fetching image!!
Israel is marching further away from reality…..when the center-right Polish government thinks the two-state solution is a good idea you know that Netanyahu’s position is seen by outsiders to be lacking. When he is finally voted out, BN will have left Israel back at square one.
RE: “If this teaches anything (and those who should be taking lessons clearly aren’t listening), the two-state solution is dead. Dead as a doornail. Anyone who maintains faith in the two-state solution is fooling themselves… Let’s be clear who killed it: Israel. Despite Bibi’s single feeble embrace of two-states in his Bar Ilan speech, this was puppeteering for the sake of the Obama administration.” ~ R.S.
AS JOEL KOVEL PUT IT ON 1-20-13:
SOURCE – http://mondoweiss.net/2013/01/israel-nominaton-hagel.html
RE: “If this teaches anything (and those who should be taking lessons clearly aren’t listening), the two-state solution is dead. Dead as a doornail. Anyone who maintains faith in the two-state solution is fooling themselves.“ ~ R.S.
MY COMMENT: Most of them are fooling themselves as to the viability of the two-state solution by using one or more defense mechanism to keep the old cognitive dissonance in check! ! ! As Stuart Smalley was wont to say, “denial ain’t just a river in Egypt”.
If these people were to admit to themselves that the two-state solution is moribund, then they would experience a lot of very unpleasant cognitive dissonance.
FROM WIKIPEDIA [Defence mechanisms]:
SOURCE – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_mechanisms
@ Richard,
you missed the entire point of what i said. i agree with the fact that the reason he flew coach is bcz of the criticism he suffered from, of course he took the opportunity for a photo op (he his a politician after all) . BUT to suggest that “that the entire trip was organized for no reason except to stage-manage some photo-ops of Bibi” IS what i was referring to as personal hatred of bibi.
on top of that, this commentator said that bibi didn’t sign the statement bcz he was lazy! think of him what you will i don’t think he his lazy. that is an irrelevant statement by this commentator which reflects his personal feelings towards bibi. now, whether or not he was right or wrong about not signing, or whether he did it bcz of inner political reasons or it was some other reason and whether bibi really believes in the two state solution – these are the important issues in this matter.
by the way, the earlier thread you wrote about bibi’s syrian post got more than 100 comments bcz “hasbristas” and others saw that you are also letting your personal feelings towards the guy dictate your comments on his actions.
I can’t say what motivated the trip. There may’ve been some real business done. But the fact that they couldn’t even agree on a joint communique indicates a hastily arranged, poorly conceived trip. Which may indicate Bibi did it purely for the reasons indicated. Bibi is cynical enough that he might arrange a trip just for such purposes. It would be stupid if he did. But Bibi’s not the brightest bulb in the socket.
Noam, your argument runs foul of the facts, which obviously point to Netanyahu being Asleep At The Wheel whilst that joint communique was being drafted.
That’s a diplomatic blunder of the very highest order, and the most logical reason why it happened is that Netanyahu didn’t give a Rat’s Arse about being **in** Poland.
Soooooo, why would he **go** to Poland if he didn’t have any interest in being **in** Poland?
I’m quite confident that the answer is as I suggested: Netanyahu couldn’t have cared less where his trip was taking him, because all that he was concerned about was making sure that everyone saw him Taking A Trip In Economy Class.
@ funny, if you would only read my comments then you would see that i mentioned his trip to England (“flight to England Fall out”) in which a special bed was installed for him on the plane (maybe you didn’t know that the bed’s destination was England for thucher’s funeral).
and i can’t see any “foul facts” i might have written. but since you used the words “arse” and “bibi” in the same sentence over and over than you probably know best… i’m guessing you didn’t even know that there was a ceremonial opening in Auschwitz.
@ Richard, the fact that they couldn’t agree on a joint statement is the only issue here – and it is a pharse no doubt about it.
but claiming that bibi flew his entire staff, security and 5 ministers just for a photo is far fetched – filled with hatred and bitterness.
@ to both of you:
“photographed with half his arse hanging over the side of an economy-class seat
That’s a fetching image!!”
thank you, you just proved my point.
@Noam: C’mon. Bibi has a $10,000 a year ice cream bill. He just broke an ankle trying to play soccer. He’s rotund. That’s ridicule, not hate. Laughing at the foibles of one’s political opponents isn’t hate. I don’t hate the man. I have absolute disdain for him and his views. But hate is too strong a word–at least for my views.
I’m not going to deny any facts – not the bed and not the ice cream. you have every right to feel how ever you like – and in some cases he even deserves it. but there’s no need to push it over the edge – to exaggerate and throw bias untruths. that is all i am saying.
btw, another example for the way he sometimes gets treated unfairly here is the broken ankle you just mentioned. he broke it while playing soccer in an event for israeli and arab kids. i see no wrong with that.
thank you for your replies.