Comments on: Israeli Foreign Minister’s Indictment Imminent

By: Warren

Warren — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:44:01 +0000

Witty, when you say politics in Israel will change, what does that mean, substantively. Will the on-going siege of Gaza end with this “change” in politics you predict? Will the Palestinians (one might even broaden this to non-Jews generally) be treated like full human beings in Israel and the OPT with a political change?

You’ve never to my knowledge declared your opposition to, much less horror at, the current blockade of Gaza. Is it okay with you that Palestinian children are slowly dying of malnutrition, slow starvation and disease because of this blockade? This is happening right now. Without taking a robust ethical stand on this issue, your fortune cookie generalizations become rather empty formulations.

By: Shirin

Shirin — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:18:13 +0000

And how would that be any better other than that they are clever enough to try to hide their agenda beneath nicer-sounding words?

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:45:09 +0000

Maybe it would be led by Kadima.

By: Shirin

Shirin — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:42:55 +0000

“Labor and people like Tzipi Livni are much better at cloaking their militarism and apartheid policies and goals under a welter of shiny, distracting rhetoric.”

Indeed! In fact, in terms of deeds and results Labour has been no better on Palestinians and Palestine than the others. In fact, there was a time when the saying was that while the right talked about colonizing the OPT, Labour was busy actually doing it.

By: Shirin

Shirin — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:40:04 +0000

But it will still be a Netanyahu government.

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:36:59 +0000

Politics in Israel will change.

Its possible that the Netanyahu government will be forced to re-organize.

By: Warren

Warren — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:27:31 +0000

It’s interesting that what might take down Avigdor Lieberman is garden-variety corruption and gangsterism (sounds like the regular order of business of Israeli politics, frankly) and not the fact that he is a fascist who occupies one of the highest posts in the country. Lieberman makes Jorg Haider look like the friggin’ ACLU.

But, you know, in a perverse unhealthy way, there’s something I almost appreciate about Lieberman. You get a bit of Israeli truth-in-advertising with Lieberman in the sense that he represents an important, significant and very influential swath of Israeli society and politics, and I think it’s useful for the world to see what that looks like. And hopefully, then, confront what they see.

Lieberman’s the Arab-hating Greater Israel-espousing Real Deal, so to speak, and he just can’t hide it. Labor and people like Tzipi Livni are much better at cloaking their militarism and apartheid policies and goals under a welter of shiny, distracting rhetoric.

By: DICKERSON3870

DICKERSON3870 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:04:55 +0000

RE: “Israeli police indicate that Avigdor Lieberman’s indictment is near.”

MY COMMENT: Hang in there, Avigdor. Remember your days as a tough guy bouncer in Moldova. Never give up! Never give up! Never give up! Hold on to your cabinet position and make them prove these scurrilous, politically-motivated allegations in a court of law!

PS. No insinuations or generalizations were intended by the preceding comment.