Comments on: Israeli Bait and Switch on Shalit Deal http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/02/18/israeli-bait-and-switch-on-shalit-deal/ Essays on politics, culture and ideas about Israeli-Arab peace and world music Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:27:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Margaret http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/02/18/israeli-bait-and-switch-on-shalit-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-107010 Margaret Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:15:55 +0000 http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/?p=6131#comment-107010 Bait and switch, switch. Bait. And 'do si do'. Same old dance and song. Was it Olmert who last fall proclaimed, in a manner indicating he felt himself to embody fearlessness, that the Palestinians couldn't be allowed to keep firing rockets at defenseless Israeli citizens? And he wasn't guilty of whatever he had been charged with? It was Olmert who, after a period without Israeli mortality, didn't prevent 9 Israelis being killed last month, which happened even though he sent the Israeli military to slaughter more than a thousand Palestinians, and starved the rest. Someone should write a song about the twenty-two days. Call it: fail. With war on Iran seemingly stammered to a halt, perhaps Eypt appears vulnerable. Anything to keep the area destabilized, keep the munitions flowing and the off shore bank accounts full. While not appreciating the lack of support for Palestine's inhabitants by it's neighbors, I would protest aggressive action against any of them. Sometimes it seems like Israel just can't play nice. While not appreciating the lack of support for Palestine's inhabitants by it's neighbors, I would protest aggressive action against any of them. Sometimes it seems like Israel just can't play nice. Bait and switch, switch. Bait. And ‘do si do’. Same old dance and song.

Was it Olmert who last fall proclaimed, in a manner indicating he felt himself to embody fearlessness, that the Palestinians couldn’t be allowed to keep firing rockets at defenseless Israeli citizens? And he wasn’t guilty of whatever he had been charged with?

It was Olmert who, after a period without Israeli mortality, didn’t prevent 9 Israelis being killed last month, which happened even though he sent the Israeli military to slaughter more than a thousand Palestinians, and starved the rest.

Someone should write a song about the twenty-two days. Call it: fail.

With war on Iran seemingly stammered to a halt, perhaps Eypt appears vulnerable. Anything to keep the area destabilized, keep the munitions flowing and the off shore bank accounts full.

While not appreciating the lack of support for Palestine’s inhabitants by it’s neighbors, I would protest aggressive action against any of them.

Sometimes it seems like Israel just can’t play nice.

While not appreciating the lack of support for Palestine’s inhabitants by it’s neighbors, I would protest aggressive action against any of them.

Sometimes it seems like Israel just can’t play nice.

]]> By: Alex Stein http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/02/18/israeli-bait-and-switch-on-shalit-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-107009 Alex Stein Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:48:15 +0000 http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/?p=6131#comment-107009 I think you`re right that pressure from the right explains this about turn, but I am not sure on what grounds you argue that Hamas "certainly doesn`t need this deal as much as Israel." Post Cast Lead the opening of the crossings has become even more of an imperative than before, not to mention the rise in legitimacy that any deal would give Hamas. Plus - further down the road or from the start - there`s the possibility of the release of thousands of prisoners. All in all, I think Hamas certainly has as much and perhaps even more to gain than Israel, who would get Shalit back but have the redundancy of the entire approach of the last two or three years vis-a-vis Hamas exposed. I think you`re right that pressure from the right explains this about turn, but I am not sure on what grounds you argue that Hamas “certainly doesn`t need this deal as much as Israel.” Post Cast Lead the opening of the crossings has become even more of an imperative than before, not to mention the rise in legitimacy that any deal would give Hamas. Plus – further down the road or from the start – there`s the possibility of the release of thousands of prisoners. All in all, I think Hamas certainly has as much and perhaps even more to gain than Israel, who would get Shalit back but have the redundancy of the entire approach of the last two or three years vis-a-vis Hamas exposed.

]]> By: Meyrick Kirby http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2009/02/18/israeli-bait-and-switch-on-shalit-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-107007 Meyrick Kirby Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:02:47 +0000 http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/?p=6131#comment-107007 Oh, you've seen nothing yet. Lets see what Bibi and Avigdor do! Oh, you’ve seen nothing yet. Lets see what Bibi and Avigdor do!

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