In the aftermath of the murder of Mustafa Tamimi, Israel’s Ministry of Hasbara (that IS what they call it in Hebrew, in English it’s called the Minsitry for Public Diplomacy) last night issued an unprecedented statement acknowleding for the first time that the worst delegitimzer of Israel in the world today is not the BDS movement, nor the New Israel Fund, nor even Iran. The worst delegitimizer is the IDF itself.
The Ministry pointed to the fact that an army Twitterperson (yes, they do have such an IDF job assignment and the skills necessary for the job entitle him to his high rank), Captain Barak Raz tweeted several times in effect blaming Tamimi for his own death. Raz pointed out that Tamimi had a slingshot in his pocket when he was murdered and that he had been arrested in 2010 for inciting violence.
Minister Yuli Edelstein, despite the fact that he is himself an ultra-nationalist settler, apparently had had enough of the IDF’s flagrant disregard for human life (yes, he even conceded that Palestinians were a form of human life) and released this statement:
In this day and age, when Israel finds enemies practically in every nook and cranny of our world, when the BDS movement attempts to block the sale of hummus, one of Israel’s most critical exports, to the Park Slope food coop; and attempts to block the performance of a rock group deemed essential to maintaining the sanity of all Israelis, the Red Hot Chili Peppers; when the New Israel Fund whispers in Judge Goldstone’s ear sweet nothings about Israeli war crimes–to have the IDF fire a tear gas canister at point blank range and kill an unarmed Palestinian is just too much to bear.
Can’t we allow our real enemies to delegitimize us without doing their work for them? Please IDF, if you want to kill Palestinians at least do it off camera next time.
Signed,
Yuli Edelstein
Minister, Settler, Israeli Legitimizer, Hummus Lover
RE: “Minister Yuli Edelstein, despite the fact that he is himself an ultra-nationalist settler, apparently had had enough of the IDF’s flagrant disregard for human life…” ~ R.S.
MY COMMENT: Baruch HaShem! I guess The Times They Are A-Changin’ * (VIDEO, 02:58)!
* IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: As for me (I can’t speak for Bob Dylan, circa 1963), the dropping of the ‘g’ at the end of the word ‘changing’ is not meant to allude to, denigrate, or offend, any racial, ethnic or socioeconomic group. Cross my heart and hope to die!
RE: “I can’t speak for Bob Dylan, circa 1963” ~ me, above
ELUCIDATION: I can’t speak for Bob Dylan regarding his dropping of the last ‘g’ from the word ‘changing’, but perhaps the UK’s Adam Holland will. – https://www.richardsilverstein.com/2011/08/20/adam-holland-negros-greatest-friend/
Thanks for pointin’ out that Bob Dylan was a racist. Adam Holland would be proud of both of us for catching that hidden slur in his lyrics.
For the linguistically interested — anyone that knows a Germanic language (or a Germano-Slavic creole like Yiddish) should be aware that the English gerund (-ing) form conflates historic present participle, infinitive and gerund forms. The present participle and infinitive forms (no final g) have persisted in spoken English long after they have been prescriptively dropped from written English.
Other fossil forms persist in English.
Woe is me! — A fossil dative: Weh ist mir in German.
He is gone instead of he has gone — a frozen perfect with be form as auxiliary — no longer understood by most English speakers.
Contrary to fact subjunctive: If (only) I were a rich man!
Lest + present subjunctive.
The spoken language preserves many other forms.
Maybe I am missing something – is this a joke?
Obviously, Edelstein wrote no such thing – the style is absurd.
Why are you spreading misinformation, even under the guise of a poor joke?
Yeah, you’re missing something…like a sense of irony. I guess right wingers don’t have one.
[comment deleted and commenter now banned for serial comment rule violations]
It is absolutely amazing how the “left wingers” can’t handle any criticism…
The pages on this blog are covered with notes of comments deleted or warning of pending bans.
It is hillarious!!!
Oh my Lord, of 65,000 there are possibly 100 or so who’ve been banned in the past 8 yrs & possibly 100 or so moderated. You run a blog on a controversial subject w 65,000 comments & let’s see how what yr threads look like.
Well, Mr. Silverstein, I can’t read all 65,000 comments in your blog. This particular page has 17 entries (even less when I wrote my comment) and yet there was one user banned and another one warned. So, statistically speaking, the numbers of banned users and “moderated” comments should be much higher than what you claim.
On the other hand I have to give you some credit – you do allow unregistered users to post comments, which is quite unusual for the “progressive” websites.
It would be interesting to see how long I will last here….
2 out of 17 is under 10% and the overall number is far lower than that.
If you want to last here read the comment rules & follow them. Do not insult or use racist terminology to describe the side you dislike most (we all know which one that is).
“do it off camera next time” – Hashem does not need electronic devices to see murderous actions. And neither do we.
The Hasbara completely OVERESTIMATES its ability to persuade or convince. It’s a delusional effort, and led no less by an Eminem wannabe who is about as sophisticated as any sham argument I’ve ever seen advanced from his ministry and a bunch of yokel settlers. But the reply, while directing the blame at the correct party, illustrates an evil rationale. A complete sub-human way to behave.
The Settler admits Israel commits war crimes, needs US imports of their hummus to survive, and in the same breath, urges the continuance of the IDF’s behavior if only off camera.
If this was sarcasm, then fine. But if not…. go hang yourself Yuli Edelstein before someone else does rightfully.
[comment deleted for comment rule violation–your next may cause you to lose your comment privileges]
Next time you’re told BDS is counterproductive, please recall Mustafa Tamimi and remember that only unwavering outside pressure can force Israel back into civilised humanity’s fold.
Hi Richard,
Can you please specify where did you see this statement by Edelstein? I’ve looked in his website, his facebook page and even on the Ministry’s site and couldn’t find this quote nor any other relating to the events on Friday.
If you read this blog long enough you’ll know that periodically, when my emotions & rage get the better of me at Israeli outrages, I engage in ‘fits’ of parody, satire, irony & farce. This was one of those times.
Dear Richard, could you link to the actual statement, so that we can verify your report? Thank you.
No. Can you please develop a sense of irony.
Salute to your brilliance, Richard. I loved this piece and hope your eruptions of parody and satire continue regardless of their cathartic use, in the face of the appalling Israeli Occupation.