24 thoughts on “Israel Whitewashes Genocidal Sudanese Regime – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. The king who is situated anywhere immediately on the circumference of the conqueror’s territory is termed the enemy.
    The king who is likewise situated close to the enemy, but separated from the conqueror only by the enemy, is termed the friend (of the conqueror).

    — Kautilya, Arthasastra

    The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

    And diplomacy and foreign affairs are conducted according to interests – not ideals. Ideals usually are there for pretexts, not for substance.

    There were no saints in the Yugoslav wars. Almost all sides engaged in ruthless behavior. Western intervention, however, was focuses against the anti-Western regimes.

        1. From my sickbed:

          As far as Israel’s image in Holland is concerned I have got a tale to tell. I might have told it before. Around the time of the Six Day War the Dutch population was fanatically pro-Israel. It was then regarded as the closest thing to a ‘Republic of Saints’. One illustration:

          Renate Rubinstein relates in her book “Jood in Egypte, Goi in Israel”, how she at that time attended a “teach-in” led by Heldring, then deputy editor of the Dutch quality paper NRC. A participant came up with a question about the alleged use of napalm by Israel. Heldring (later a quite dominant political commentator) answered approximately as follows (I quote by heart). Somebody raised a question about napalm. I am glad he did. It shows that the Israelis are no angels. They are therefore all the dearer to us.

          As to the present mood in Holland: Elisabeth is much better placed to answer that question. I haven’t lived there for a very long time.

          1. We have perhaps one clue to present day feelings about Israel in Dutch society in the open letter addressed to Netanyahu by the spokesman for foreign affairs of the Dutch labor party, Michiel Servaes. I will translate here a section of it:

            “Let us talk therefore about how it came about that support for the policy of Israel has decreased so strongly in the Netherlands. Perhaps you are able to not just point here to others and external circumstances but to look at your own responsibility. It is after all only you and your government who can stop violating international law and show genuine leadership by recognising the Palestinian state. It is not too late yet but with the sad milestone of fifty year occupation coming up the possibilities are quickly dwindling. How quickly understanding for the Israeli approach has drained away in Dutch politics became clear shortly before this summer. A parliamentary majority supported for the first time a motion that states in plain words that cooperation with Israel will be suspended if your government continues its illegal policy and keeps rejecting peace initiatives. A broad majority in Dutch society is of exactly the same opinion.”

            After the publication of this letter, which was read by Netanyahu, Servaes and a few others had a long conversation with Netanyahu. He twittered afterward that it was disappointing. The present situation was the fault of all and sundry except him. Absolutely no self reflection judged Servaes.

          2. Arie, thank you for translating the piece by Servaes. I find it hard to say what the mood is like, as it seems to me that attention shifts here and there. It is all ‘refugees’ one moment, and then on to all kinds of silly hypes. I do not remember this from when I was younger, but attention (in the media at least) shifts rapidly from one hotly debated topic to another all the time.

            In general, people do not believe Israel wants peace, a two state solution, or ending the occupation, but most people do not care much either. People who believe and support Israeli standpoints nowadays are limited groups: sentimental Christian fundamentalists, chauvinist Jews, and right wing extremists. (Apart from the right wing extremists, they are all groups that are dwindling in size…)

            I hope you recover soon Arie!

  2. Oh. And by the way.
    Today, there is no mass killings going on in the Sudan. The killings largely came to an end when (Arab) Northern Sudan let go of southern (African) Sudan, letting it form it’s own country, Southern Sudan, which is currently embroiled in it’s own civil war.

    But why let facts stand in the way of a good story.

    1. @Trippin’Jon: False. One of the conditions for U.S. ending sanctions is that ongoing attacks & Genocide in Darfur cease. If they had ceased already there would be no reason for the U.S. to demand that they cease.

  3. What else is new in the world?
    The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
    And since you consider the Israelis to be on a genocidal path this should seem normal for you.

  4. The problem with US sanctions against Sudan is that a government sponsored genocide in Darfur most likely never occurred. There was definitely a civil war that broke out in that province that began as a dispute between farmers and herders. This was aggravated by some of the Darfurian members of the Khartoum government resigning and turning the civil war into a war of independence. Bashir responded with his military. Most of the deaths that did occur during that insurrection was the result of famine (which is what led to farmer-herder dispute in the first place.). The US concocted the genocide charge because Bashir’s government was hostile to the US.

    Richard you should show a little more skepticism for stories from the NY Times.

    1. @ Trippin’ Jon: Whenever anyone says:

      Let me see if I got this.

      You know they don’t “got” this or anything else.

      The U.S. is fighting wars with the Arab & Muslim world, something Israel has been doing for far longer than the U.S. has. Israel is currently bombing or has bombed six countries in the Arab world as well. Or have you forgotten that?

      Israel is trying to make peace by hooking up with Saudi Arabia against Iran? How do you figure? THis is a peace alliance in which all the region is going to get together and sing Kumbaya? Are you out of your mind???

  5. For those interested this gives the story ofthe charge of genocide in Darfur against the Bashir government:
    http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n05/mahmood-mamdani/the-politics-of-naming-genocide-civil-war-insurgency

    Two interesting points: 1) the charge originated in the US while the African Union and the UN refused to accept it and 2) it was the holocaust museum in the US made the original claim. It seems very unlikely they would have done that without approval from Israel. So it looks like Israel took the lead on this charge and is now attempting to retract it.

    1. @Toivo

      “..it was the holocaust museum in the US made the original claim. It seems very unlikely they would have done that without approval from Israel”

      What makes you say that the State of Israel had anything to do with Holocaust Museum’s decision to call the Darfur violence ‘genocide’.

      1. @ Trippin’ Jon: I’ll make you a deal: find which Holocaust Museum staff person is responsible for filing the complaint against Sudan. Contact that individual and ask them what the Museum plans to do to support or promote this campaign from now on (Since Israel announced it was bringing Sudan in from the cold). If you get no answer or they tell you they’re not doing anything, you have your answer.

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