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whatever. we know that until aipac is handcuffed and defrocked of its power over our politicians, that nothing good will ever come from washington which will be of any value to the palestinians…its lies, lies and more lies. a steady diet of zionist brutality for the palestinians, and our press is guitly of complicity in the abuse of these peoples.
http://www.antiwar.com/reese/?articleid=11283
Avigail Abarbanel, a native-born Israeli Jew who lived there 27 years before emigrating, has even harsher words:
“Palestinian citizens of Israel live under an arbitrary and brutal police state. Their dealings with Israeli bureaucracy are not just frustrating but can be outright dangerous.
“The Palestinians in the Occupied Territories live under a Pinochet-like regime. They can and do disappear in the middle of the night. They are blindfolded, cuffed, beaten, humiliated, taken to unknown locations with no information given to them or their families, tortured physically and psychologically and incarcerated indefinitely, often without charges and regardless of whether they are guilty of anything.
“Israel is not a nice country. It is a powerful police state founded on pathological paranoia with only a veneer of civility, carefully crafted and maintained for the consumption of those who still believe in the myth of Israeli democracy.”
i see hamas and syria believe our tsars words and trust his intentions.
richard, i like hamas a lot, unfortunately my dislike of the other side has grown to that degree…it is now my belief that they are way more honorable in their intentions.
CAIRO, Egypt -
Hamas rejected President Bush’s proposal for a Mideast peace conference, denouncing it Monday as nothing but lies, while Syria said it fears the offer is “just words.”
Without cooperation from key Arab players, Bush’s last major push for a Mideast breakthrough could falter.
Remember, Bush hears voices telling him “invade here,” “found a country there.”
Zhu Bajie
I just noticed that a portion (too small) of this post of yours has gotten quoted prominently by the Slate Blogger (http://www.slate.com/id/2170620/fr/rss/) . Nice work, Richard. I only wish they had published the entire thing. They did link to you, though. Nice.
The thing that really got me about the Bush speech was in the part in which he discussed Blair’s role as Middle East envoy for the EU. He had the gall to say that one of Blair’s tasks will be to convince young Palestinians to “participate in the political process.” Didn’t they do that in 2006?
the brits may be reaching a tipping point…i hope the british people turn up the heat on their leaders and get them the hell out of the middle east. I want to see George the decider and Liar totally isolated.
http://www.craigmurray.co.uk/index.html
July 16, 2007
Afghanistan: British Front Line Casualty Rate Claimed to be Higher than the Second World War
The Telegraph is claiming that the rate at which British soldiers are being seriously injured or killed on the front line in Afghanistan is about to exceed that suffered by UK troops during the Second World War. While there are many reasons to be cautious about their analysis, e.g. they may be unfairly comparing frontline casualties from Afghanistan with total casualties in WWII, the claim is nonetheless striking.
Richard – The term is cat nap, not cap nap.
Absolutely right. I write after midnight and sometimes get a little bleary eyed. I rely on my spell check but it doesn’t catch mistakes like that one. So thanks.
Hi Richard,
Good job with this piece on Bush’s ridiculous peace conference proposal.
Yesterday, I found these two articles in Time magazine online. They both point out the absurdity of ignoring the democratically elected Hamas government. I was surprised to read this in Time. Although, I never read it, I assumed Time did not deviate from the typical mainstream reporting on the Middle East.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1643996,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1635824,00.html
Also, recently Israel removed 178 Palestinian names from its “wanted” or “kill or capture list.” Israel claims that the militants have agreed to turn in their arms and renounce violence. However, it has been reported in the Israeli press that those who signed this pledge have agreed to join in a military effort to defeat Hamas in the West Bank. It is not clear how much military resistance Hamas can muster in the West Bank, but think it may be considerable. It could turn very bloody.
In the category of “the enemy of my enemy is my (temporary) friend,” it is noteworthy that Included on the list of names is Zacharia Zubeidi, the commander of Al Aqsa in Jenin. Israel attempted to assassinate him in April, wounding him in the shoulder. The IDF also more recently killed his deputy Mahmoud Abu el-Hija.
I am afraid this may signal an increased military effort by Israel and the new West Bank government against Hamas. I get the feeling that the US will also have a hand in this.
It is all so sad and senseless, but so is Bush’s War on Terror of which I am convinced the above is a small part.
maybe the decider guy can enlist the help of this group to help in the middle east ….
Mandela marks 89th birthday by launching braintrust
By Rebecca Harrison
Reuters
Wednesday, July 18, 2007; 10:24 AM
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Nelson Mandela marked his 89th birthday on Wednesday by launching an international group of elder statesmen, including fellow Nobel peace laureates Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter, to tackle the world’s problems.
It seems to me that these things always get called by a president named Bush when they need to generate enough of a positive ‘spin’ on their policies towards the Arab world that they can gain support in the ME for another invasion. I sincerely hope that’s not what’s behind this particular piece of news, because there is no way that this can end well.
How can there be peace with הפרדה – why is this translated as ‘convergence’ ?
“I, for one, do not trouble myself over “recognizing” Israel’s right to exist — this is not, after all, an epistemological problem; Israel does exist, as any Rafah boy in a hospital bed, with IDF shrapnel in his torso, can tell you. This dance of mutual rejection is a mere distraction when so many are dying or have lived as prisoners for two generations in refugee camps. As I write these words, Israeli forays into Gaza have killed another 15 people, including a child. Who but a Jacobin dares to discuss the “rights” of nations in the face of such relentless state violence against an occupied population?
I look forward to the day when Israel can say to me, and millions of other Palestinians: “Here, here is your family’s house by the sea, here are your lemon trees, the olive grove your father tended: Come home and be whole again.” Then we can speak of a future together.”
Mousa Abu Marzook is the deputy of the political bureau of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=13315
Is what Abu Marzook says incorrect?
“The writings of Israel’s “founders” — from Herzl to Jabotinsky to Ben Gurion — make repeated calls for the destruction of Palestine’s non-Jewish inhabitants: “We must expel the Arabs and take their places.” A number of political parties today control blocs in the Israeli Knesset, while advocating for the expulsion of Arab citizens from Israel and the rest of Palestine, envisioning a single Jewish state from the Jordan to the sea. Yet I hear no clamor in the international community for Israel to repudiate these words as a necessary precondition for any discourse whatsoever. The double standard, as always, is in effect for Palestinians.”
tangentlama, the case of world jewry is one that boggles the mind. zionism socialism communism or whatever conglomeration of moses hesss’ movement these guys are espousing now stands in the face of humanity and dares anyone to stand up to them. the heroes of our time are the arabs who know this enemy better than the brainwashed west, they will not compromise their islam to the demands of the western powers.
i meant to include these sites which can add some granularity to the zionist history that you mentioned….
these guys have a long history dealing with zionism as a threat to judaism according to them (the rabbis).
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/index.cfm
and although im sure not the favorite of the zionist, ilan pappe nevertheless speaks up against the crimes of that government which others fail to do…he has a few speeches about the early diaries of one of zions leaders
http://www.ilanpappe.org/
My hope for Israel and Palestine is that they be like Greece and Turkey: not necessarily best friends, but not fighting. Greeks no longer daydream of restoring the Byzantine Empire, and Turks have given up imperial illusions, too.
Zhu Bajie
Hafradah would be translated as ‘separation’ & not “convergence.” The Hebrew word for the latter, I understand, is hitkansut.
I think you somewhat overstate the vehemence of Israel’s historic rejection of its Palestinian brethren. And the main diff. bet. the extreme rightist Israeli pols calling for transfer or expulsion is that they do not control government policy while Hamas does.
That being said, I’m in no way defending Israel’s rejection of talks with Hamas which I think is reprehensible.
Finally, I think that Hamas’ rejection of Israel is as troubling as Israeli rightist rejection of Palestinian rights.
That’s perilously close to anti-Semitism if not over the edge. If I understand you correctly you’re blaming Jews for these political movements?? If so, you’re way over the line. I don’t allow such remarks at this site. So be very careful.
Richard, that’s over the edge – it reminded me of right-wing antisemitism and 1950s Judeophobia masquerading as anticommunism/anti-tradesunionism.
I think there have been several key points where Israel has rejected it’s Palestinian brethren, and I do see those moments as vehement!
I’m thinking here of Sa’id Hammami, Issam Sartawi, and from the Israeli side, people such as Henri Curiel (z”l) and Uri Avnery. Both Hammami and Curiel were assassinated 4 months apart, in 78, after the Likud came to power. Hammami was a proponent of the two state solution and sought a peace process through open dialogue. Curiel was an Egyptian Jew who had sought to keep dialogue open with Palestinians.
On Nov. 16, Dec. 17, 1973, The Times (London) published articles by Sa’id Hammami, the PLO’s London representative. On March 22, 1974, Yediot Aharonot published an interview with Na’if Hawatma. All of these articles put forward a new approach – the two-state solution – seeking an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank/Gaza strip, talking of peace between the two peoples, with Israel’s borders at their June 4, 1967 placement. The Israeli Govt ignored these forward thinkers of the time. Ignored by Israeli Govt, Hammami sought out unofficial Israelis such as Uri Avnery to discuss these ideas with, hoping
Without official Israeli recognition for these progressive ideas, back in 1975, Hammami had difficulty convincing the rest of the PLO that they should abandon the idea of one, democratic secular state – it took until 1988 before the PLO finally abandoned that in favour of the two state solution. Henri Curiel, the PLO, and the Israeli Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace
It’s not 1975 anymore, but Israel’s government are still ignoring all joint Israeli-Palestinian pleas for negotiation and recognition.
Several times since the famous 2005 ceasfire began, and even before their election, Hamas have taken steps to recognise Israel – they recognise Israel’s ‘right to exist within 67 borders’ but not recognised Israel’s right to exist beyond those borders. Hamas don’t recognise Israel’s right to build like fury on Palestinian farmers land, sell apartments built on confiscated land to American citizens on a buy-to-let basis, permit Settlers in the Occupied Territories to uproot Palestinian farmers’ olive groves, persecute farmers who try to harvest their olives withs settlers screaming ‘this is our land, go back to Saudi Arabia’, etc. I’ve seen at least 4 articles of recognition of Israel, since Hamas was democratically elected by the Palestinian people, and one signed document:
richard,
the mensheviks and the bolsheviks were both a branch of the socialist second international, if you care to take a peek in the 1943 universal jewish encyclopedia under BUND or the Jewish Communal Register for 1917-18,
the Kehilla (Jewish Community) of New York City, 356 Second Avenue, New York City, you can get some clarity from those who published those tomes, history is not faith based.
I have never felt insulted, though i am a christian, when someone has pointed out that many nations under the banner of christianity have commited attrocities. I have felt shame for the association and sorry that they know so little about the ineffable galilean who stepped into human history a little over 2000 years ago, about the time that israel was expulsed from the land that they recently have taken back on their own. my identity as a his follower is not tied to the government of any country, or to any group that chooses to call themselves christians, that violate the mandates of the galilean who impacted history as no other.
this is one of the things that the old pre zionist rabbis feared upon the foundation of zionism; that judaism would be associated to that government.
richard, being called anti semitic has no place when one is recounting history, it is mainly used to keep people from saying something that they dont want told. I hate no people, none. Many people are called anti semitic these days when they dare to question israels policies against the palestinians. (jimmy carter), being called a racist of any type, or being threatened with the label of racist is deplorable.
I am sure you do not feel intimidated by being called a self hating jew due to your stance on israels treatment of the palestinians, your own bloggin career has attracted the ire of many a zeaolot.
my parents lost a country to a marxist leninist leader and i have with great interest dug deep into it’s entrails to know a little bit about it.
the moses hess book “rome and jerusalem” is very informative, in the preface to the 1918 edition the translator called Hess, “The herald of Nationalism and the trumpet of Zionism.”
his continued publicizing for practical socialism in Germany earned him a sentence of death after the 1848 revolution.” (Universal Jewish Encyclopedia)
if you choose to allow me to post here, thank you.
if you choose not too, then good luck in your endeavor to succor the hopeless and helpless in the tradition of judaism.
Bush Told Iraq War Has Helped al-Qa’eda
By Tim Shipman
Telegraph UK
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/071907K.shtml
Wednesday 18 July 2007
Iraq war has helped al-Qa’eda, says Bush ally.
President George W Bush was facing increasingly blunt criticism of his Iraq policy last night as a US intelligence report suggested that the war has made al-Qa’eda attacks on American soil more likely.
Senator George Voinovich, a close ally of Mr Bush, delivered a withering assessment of the situation in Iraq, declaring that the Bush administration had “f****d up the war”.
The Ohio senator revealed that he warned Karl Rove – the President’s chief political adviser – last week that Mr Bush must devise a new plan for Iraq or he would vote with Democrats on Capitol Hill to withdraw troops from Iraq.
He spoke out as a declassified National Intelligence Estimate of the terrorist threat to the US indicated that the Iraq war has helped al-Qa’eda “raise resources and to recruit and indoctrinate operatives, including for homeland attacks”.
The document, which represents the considered views of 16 US intelligence agencies, appeared at odds with Mr Bush’s repeated claims that America must prosecute the war in Iraq to prevent terrorists “following us home” with attacks in the US. The three-page report, two pages of which were released to the public, argues that “al-Qa’eda will probably seek to leverage the contacts and capabilities of al-Qa’eda in Iraq”.
The findings echo similar assessments of the terror threat from British spy chiefs.
They inflamed an already febrile atmosphere in Congress, where Mr Bush is haemorrhaging support from Republicans.
this is a priceless piece on the decider guy…this is from one of the Veterans Intelligence Professionals for Sanity.
http://www.antiwar.com/mcgovern/?articleid=11312
“Once a policy has been adopted and implemented, all subsequent activity becomes an effort to justify it…Adjustment is painful. For the ruler it is easier, once he has entered the policy box, to stay inside. For the lesser official it is better…not to make waves, not to press evidence that the chief will find painful to accept. Psychologists call the process of screening out discordant information ‘cognitive dissonance,’ an academic disguise for ‘Don’t confuse me with the facts.’”
Two quotes from 2006:
I agree with several points Mr. Silverstein made.
First, most of the Arab world, extremist or not, despise Sadat… In fact Nasser is seen as sordove hero in Egypt today and despised by most Egyptians… especially the younger generation. Ironically the only places Sadat is revered by the average man in the street is Israel and the US. (perhaps Europe as well…)
Second, if a free and fair election was held today in Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood (Hamas and Al Queda forefather) would likely win by a large margin… Sadat’s party would likely finish 2nd and the Liberals would finish a likely far dead last.
Third, Saudi leaders not only don’t want to be grouped with Sadat in the same sentence because they would then fear for their lives…. please most of the population despise the Saudi Mafia Royal family…. it’s because the Saudi leaders themselves, supposedly “moderate” (I guess compared to Al Queda?) hate and despise Israel’s existence… Remember these are the same people funding Hamas, Al Queda, extremist insurgencies in Asia, and most of the mosques around the world that teach religious extremism and hatred…
Sure, the “Peace Conference” is bogus… but the big problems in the Middle East are not Israel… Israel/Palestinian conflict is 1 of many…… The idea that an Israeli Palestinian situation can be amicably resolved within the context of the Middle East the way it sits today is a tragic and unfortunate fantasy. And the idea that it is the cause of the real endemic problems there an even bigger one.
Bush is simply using it to create PR… how you feel about that and why he’s doing would depend on your outlook on the overall situation in the Middle East. For instance, Lebanon would be another perfect example…..
I meant “Nasser is seen as a hero today” and Sadat mainly despised as a sellout… (Arafat and the Palestinians referred to him as such as well)
2nd correction -
I meant Mubarrek’s party would likely finish a distant 2nd to the Muslim Brotherhood in a real fairly held election today in Egypt.
I’m not arguing that there have not been moments when Israel rejected opportunities represented by people like Hammami or Sartawi. That’s certainly the case & I mourn those lost opportunities as you do. What I argue against is making sweeping generalizations that overstate the case. When I make such a generalization I try to temper it so that it takes into account both positives & negatives & doesn’t give undue weight to either.
Yes, I largely agree with that. But Hamas has never as a group made such a statement. Individual leaders of Hamas have made similar statements to that. And other individual leaders have repudiated such statements. But it would be far better to have a statement representing the entire movement, rather than individuals. Until there is such a statement Israelis are justified in terms of wondering how strong or sincere the statement may be.
You said that Communism was a movement created by Jews. And now you attempt to bring proof that this is so by noting that ‘Menshviks’ & ‘Bolsheviks’ are mentioned in the article about the Bund in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia??? This is getting beyond bizarre. Just note that anything you say in future that I deem anti-Semitic or even bordering on it will be stricken here.
Socialism & Communism are not movements created by Jews. And even implying that the world should blame Jews for them is insidious. I will not tolerate it here & I put you on notice of that. Further, I have absolutely no interest in knowing about your religious beliefs and prefer that you keep them to yourself.
You know the rules. Follow them & you may comment here to your heart’s content. Otherwise, not.
The Saudi royal family funds Al Qaeda?? Prove it. I dare you.
The only people who agree with you are Likudniks & neocons. Every other credible Mideast analyst including most Israeli ones absolutely disagree with you. I disagree w. you. The Baker Hamilton Iraq Study Group disagrees with you. Tony Blair disagrees with you. The entire Arab world disagrees with you. Heck, most American Jews even disagree with you. Other than that it’s unanimous…