Over the past few days, two interesting developments happened regarding Israel-Palestine. A few days ago, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres suggested that the UN could station peacekeepers in Palestine to “protect Palestinian civilians.” There are several astonishing aspects of this proposal. First, the UN leader did not propose this as an even-handed gesture, as the international body is wont to do (because it doesn’t wish to appear to be taking one side over another). His announcement was intended to protect Palestinians solely. It surely comes in the aftermath of nearly 170 Gazans murdered by IDF snipers during Great March of Return protests each week (two Palestinians were murdered last Friday to add to the toll). The world (excluding Washington DC) is slowly coming to the realization that this is an unacceptable bloodbath. This awareness has arrived glacially unfortunately. But Guterres’ proposal is yet another indication that the world is developing a consensus on this slow-motion massacre.
Israel, of course, rejected the proposal out of hand. And Guterres covered all the bases by acknowledging his proposal would only work if both sides agreed to it. The Palestinians would embrace it readily. So that left Israel to be the rejectionist party (as usual). At some point in the future, the world will tell the parties that they have no choice and the UN or some other international force will be stationed there whether they agree or not. Unfortunately, there is literally no chance any Israeli government would ever agree to this plan. Which is why it will eventually have to be imposed, probably after Israel engages in the sort of massacre Milosevic orchestrated in Srebrenica. It gives me no comfort to predict this. But it will happen. It’s only a question of when and how bad it will be.
In one thing Israel has pursued its objectives shrewdly. Like the frog in a pot of water, the temperature of the water rises so gradually that before he realizes his fate, it’s too late for him to hop out. Israel is doing the same to the Palestinians. They squeeze rights and the life out of them via increasingly savage and oppressive policies. Eventually, (or so Israel hopes) the Palestinians will have the life strangled out of them and they will be left limp and lifeless. Israel refuses to acknowledge that the Palestinians can never be overpowered in such a fashion.
The final straw may come if Israel decides to take a risk and physically expel Palestinians from their lands (inside &/or outside Israel), anticipating the world will not manage to mount a coherent response to such ethnic cleansing. It may be unlikely today. But things that were unimaginable a decade or two ago have currently happened. Who, for example, could imagine that Meir Kahane’s views would be the dominant motif in Israeli political life today? It would be as if the views of George Lincoln Rockwell, a pioneering neo-Nazi from the 1960s, would be embraced and become policy of the ruling American political party (gulp…).
An Israeli Prime Minister Named “Mohammed”
Today, news reports recount that Pres. Trump met with Jordan’s King Abdullah in Washington about a month ago. The King told him that Palestinians, especially young people, were increasingly abandoning the two-state solution and turning to one-state as the only remaining option. Trump responded, in that case it’s only a matter of time before Israel has a prime minister named Mohammed. The sources have softened the astonishment of this comment by saying it was said half in jest. But the truth is that Trump is right.
However, he is right only if Israel becomes a democratic state. If not…if, for example, Israel either expels Palestinians or refuses to grant then voting rights or citizenship, then Israel will be a fully apartheid state a la South Africa.
Returning to Trump’s comment, liberal Zionist two-staters both in Israel and the U.S. have been saying virtually the same thing for years. The only difference is that they didn’t express their fears so starkly (give credit to Trump for his unfiltered id). The truth is that the rejection of the two state solution by virtually every Israeli government of the past 25 years has ensured the only remaining option will be one state. This, in turn guarantees there can no longer be a Jewish state.
Why? Because Israeli leaders have increasingly posed a dichotomy between a democratic and Jewish state. They continually and relentlessly rejected democratic values and embraced Jewish supremacy and theocracy. Perhaps at one time in the past there could have been a state that was Jewish and democrati, if Israel had approached the issue differently. But there is no longer such a choice. It is either one or the other. I, for one, reject the Jewish (perhaps we should call it a “Judean” state to differentiate from normative Judaism) state model offered by Israel’s increasingly racialist government. The only option remaining is a democratic state which empowers all citizens regardless of ethnicity or religion.
That’s why Trump semi-serious statement is indeed prescient. If/When Israel does have a prime minister who is Palestinian, then we will know that democracy has succeeded and theocracy been vanquished.
Israel-Hamas Ceasefire #1,000,001 Negotiated via Egypt
Israel and Hamas have been negotiating indirectly regarding a ceasefire in Gaza. We are hearing all sorts of proposals many of which are pie in the sky: a new seaport, a new airport, exchange of prisoners, the end of the siege, etc. The truth is that this will come to nothing as every other ceasefire has. The main reason is that Israel only wants a ceasefire on its terms and when it’s in its interests. People in the south are angry at the continuing unrest. They want relief. That offers Netanyahu two options: another massive invasion of Gaza with thousands of dead (mostly Palestinians, but some Israelis as well); or a ceasefire.
Note that the Israeli version of the ceasefire (actually Israel is denying it’s even negotiating such a plan) essentially returns to status quo ante. In other words, Gaza gets nothing except a few palliatives (a few more trucks bringing goods in or out) and Israel gets everything it wants. This is a recipe for more of the same bloodshed.
There are vague promises: if Hamas is good, then Israel will consider X; if Hamas is even better, Israel will consider Y. It all amounts to a hill of beans, to quote Casablanca.
The last ceasefire was negotiated by Ahmed Jabari, who was blamed (by Israel) for the capture of Gilad Shalit. After the ceasefire was signed, Israel assassinated Jabari. The current ceasefire is being negotiated by Salah al-Arouri, who is blamed for the murder of three Israeli settler children in an incident which sparked the 2014 Gaza invasion. My prediction: Arouri is not long for this world. His death will mean nothing. He will be replaced by Hamas. And Israel will only succeed in mollifying its hardline nationalist voters who Netanyahu needs in the next election, whenever it happens.
This is the definition of insanity: repeating the same (destructive) action over and over despite its failing to ever bring the desired result.
There isn’t 1 country in the whole world that has been able or willing to impose anything Israel does. The only way anything can be imposed is when Israel’s guard dog, the US, will, inevitably, have gone down the drain to a level of 1 country among many. But that is still a very long time off. And even a Srebrenica bloodbath will not be able to achieve that, as the 3 previous bloodbaths in Gaza have proven – nobody worries about those anymore. Even the recent mass slaughter of 170 Gazans is now all but forgotten ;-((
Yes please, because the Zionists keep conflating Zionism, a racist political ideology, with Judaism, an honourable religion that has absolutely nothing to do with what the Zionists have created in Israel and the occupied territories. They have hijacked and raped the religion because they have no justification for their creation.
@Richard
I like the way you say that Sarah al Arouri, “is blamed for the murder of three Israeli settler children”, when in fact, he’s admitted that the murders were carried out by his Qassam Brigade, the Hamas’s armed wing, that he founded.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/21/hamas-kidnapping-three-israeli-teenagers-saleh-al-arouri-qassam-brigades
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/07/10/the-enigmatic-hamas-leader-allegedly-behind-the-israeli-kidnappings-that-ignited-war/?utm_term=.396094318960
Salah, and not Sarah … al-Aruri didn’t admit anything, he rather boasted about it from his Turkish exile ! See the difference ? Even Israeli intelligence services did state at the time that they didn’t think Hamas was involved though at least one of the two kidnappers was a former member of Hamad. Did you even follow the story at the time, Barbar ?
@ Deir Yassin: Thanks for reminding me of all that information which I wish I’d remembered. I posted about this at the time. Of course, Frank couldn’t be bothered to Google those posts so that he could advance arguments in light of the information in my posts…
At best, the connection between Arouri and the killers is tenuous. They were probably lone wolves. But I’m sure they were known personally to other Hamas militants like Arouri. That doesn’t make him responsible for the killings.
If I remember correctly, when Al-Aruri was filmed claiming that Hamas was responsible for the kidnapping, various analysts thought that he was rather trying to get back into affairs after being marginalized in his Turkish exile.
No amount of evidence, including an admission, will convince you two of Arouri’s guilt. Not even the fact that he was head of Hamas West Bank operations when the three youths were murdered.
And yes, Richard. Israel really does believe that Arouri helped plan the kidnap/murders.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-appoints-alleged-west-bank-terror-chief-as-deputy-leader/
As for Arouri’s ‘exile’, Turkey was an excellent place for Hamas to liaison with the outside world. i.e., Iran, Lebanon and Qatar.
https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/hamas-appoints-man-behind-west-bank-attacks-to-top-political-role-1.5455790
But this is history.
Arouri has been welcomed back to fold and has even been given a promotion for his murderous efforts.
@ Frank:
Really? This is your proof that “Israel” believes Arouri was responsible? A journalist writing for an Israeli pro-Likud rag says that “Israel” believes something without offering a source, even an anonymous one, and that constitutes proof? Perhaps in your world, my friend, but not for the rest of us.
It doesn’t matter what Arouri’s role was at the time. He was in Turkey. He didn’t know everything happening in the West Bank and certainly couldn’t control what every Hamas militant did there. Blaming him is ludicrous unless you can come up with credible direct evidence tying him to the crime. Can you?
I’m not talking about an anonymous claim by an Israeli source or speculation by someone claiming to know. I’m talking about direct evidence.
Do not publish another comment in this thread.
It is hard to see what is the difference between a one-state solution to a two-state solution if one doesn’t believe in Israel’s right to be a Jewish state. At some point, both states would have a PM named Mohammad.
@ Yoni: I’ll tell you what–you tell me how Israel can be a Jewish state and a democratic state. That is, a state that offers full equality to all its non-Jewish citizens. When you offer a satisfactory account of how that can happen, then we can talk about Israel as a “Jewish state.”
Obviously, you think so and I’m not going to convince you anyway.
There is no perfect democracy. On international indexes, Israel scores pretty high https://pages.eiu.com/rs/753-RIQ-438/images/Democracy_Index_2017.pdf
Only 19 countries are categorized as a full democracy. the rest are flawed democracies.
Democracy isn’t white and black.and as someone who calls Iran a democracy, I assume you know that.
@Yoni: I’ve been reporting here on numerous international indexes of human rights, free speech, corruption, democracy for years. Before you post nonsense, review what I’ve written and what the surveys say. Israel is consistently in the lower half of all surveys.
You have chosen the Economist democracy index. As a conservative free market publication, it skews to the right politically. Making it more favorable than it should be to Israel. Freedom House does a similar index and it too is right-wing. Unfortunately, there is no other independent index ranking countries by their level of democracy.
Israel would not score “pretty high” or even high on a truly independent democracy index. It is indeed a deeply, fatally flawed “democracy.”
.
Yoni may I ask what is that second state in your Israelis mind. The only solution Palestinians can and will accept is based on 1967 borders. Without that you can only give them equality or try continue your slow Third Reich type final solution. Seriously Yoni there are no alternatives.
The reality in the second state? If more than 0.5 million Jews (=settlers) live in the second state, what will happen? Palestinians as normal humans naturally will treat the settler Jews like they have been treated by Jews. Equal treatment with these cattle checkpoints, walls, attack dogs, incredible paper bureaucracy, “security” attacks to settlements in the nights, stone trowing Jewish children put for years in prison, soldiers shooting “knife” using Jews etc all that what you have given them for over halve a century. Would that be morally wrong when it is certain, that some second state Jews will react violently and the protecting own people excuse, which Israel uses, becomes valid? If racist apartheid is OK in Israel, why is not OKin the “second state”. Same principle order based on equal laws and rules in both states, only the religion of Untermenschen is different.
Yoni if it is OK to be someting like a Jewish state in the modern world, then also what Germany declared in the 30’s – a Juden rein country – is obviously OK. Most European countries and USA have had as government ministers, some even as the prime minister, a Jew. Yoni imagine in our Christian countries has happened such monsterous things. By the way Yoni in Hungaryin the 1930’s 60 percent of doctors and 51 % of layers were Jewish when Jews represented 5 percent of the population. Fair or unfair? Let speak about rights. 🙂
Let me enlighten you. Jewish state doesn’t mean no one else can leave there. And the new law doesn’t mean non-Jews have no rights.
Many countries consider religion as part of their identity. Muslims and Christians.
But if your point is Jews should not have their own country, why is it mixed up with the Israeli Palestinian conflict?
Tell me which democracies have a special status for one religion, Yoni. Feeling that something is your identity is not the same as claiming that identity as superior to those of others by law. And Simo drew a very clear picture of what a tit for tat treatment of Jews by Palestinians would look like. I am convinced that the Israeli hatred and fear of Palestinians is born from a bad conscience: What if they would treat us like we treat them….
More like “what if they treat us like they treat other Muslims from another denomination.
@Yoni: Ismamophobia is NOT permitted here. Consider this a first warning.
In recent years it happens is Muslim countries but it is true for any country with very large population from other religions or denomination.
When was the last time two countries were merged into one? But new countries are being created almost regularly.
Ireland, for example, is very anti occupation but they had full rights in the U.K. why didn’t they want “one state” solution?
And have they agreed to give up some of the land? Because at some point absolute “justice” is an obstacle.
Yoni in Israel /Palestine is not the guestion about merging, because the second state doesn’t exist. The guestion is that should all people living there have equal rights and the military occupation and theft to end. Or is the area divaded fairly in two parts. Give the 1967 area plus 25 percent of Israel (Palestinian minority’s share) and then you have a pure Jewish state. And let (=demand) all Jews around the world move to their “own” country and burn their old passports. If you do not tolerate religious minorities, why should others? As you see you can not have an apartheid theocracy and the next minute demand religous freedom and equality outside your fantasy land.
The Israeli Arabs aren’t interested in becoming Palestinians. They have made it clear in the past and many have called Avigdor Lieberman racist for suggesting that.
@ Yoni: You haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. And the notion that you know what Israeli Palestinians (NOT “Arabs”) believe is laughable. Israeli Palestinians are Palestinian and the vast majority define themselves as that. It’s insulting and racist that you would have the chutzpah to make claims on their behalf.
Here is an article from Haaretz which supports what I wrote.
Ahmed Tibi says the idea itself is illegitimate.
https://www.haaretz.co.il/magazine/.premium-1.2212485
Do you actually support this transfer of land? or you argue for the sake of argument? (both are fine/fun)
@ Yoni: You’re completely mixed up. Of course Israeli Palestinians don’t support their ethnic cleansing from Israel, which is their homeland. Of course they don’t wish to be expelled from Israel and annexed to Palestine (a country which Israel refuses to recognize and doesn’t exist). That has nothing to do with whether Israeli Palestinians are Palestinian. Of course they are. All Palestinians, whether they live in the West Bank, Gaza or Israel are Palestinian. What you’re doing is only making the argument stronger for a single unitary state in which all Palestinians are citizens of the state of Israel-Palestine, or whatever you choose to call it.
You are done in this thread.
@ Yoni: Once again ( and as always). You’re not a historian, not a sociologist, not a political scientist. There are literally scores of countries in the world with diverse religious and ethnic populations that get along rather well. The problem is you live in a country in which such groups live in constant conflict and where one lords it over others. So you believe the entire world is that way, when it isn’t.
The last time two countries were merged into one: East and West Germany? After the Revolutionary War 13 colonies became one country here.
Are you daft? You don’t have a clue about the history of Ireland. Your ignorance is breathtaking. The Irish have been slaughtered and starved by England for centuries and the Irish Republic wants nothing to do with Britain (at least in terms of being part of it).
Your ignorance is becoming not just annoying, but offensive. Up your game my friend or you will find yourself on the outside looking in.
RE: “Israel and Hamas have been negotiating indirectly regarding a ceasefire in Gaza. . . The truth is that this will come to nothing as every other ceasefire has. The main reason is that Israel only wants a ceasefire on its terms and when it’s in its interests . . . “ ~ R.S.
THE LATE, GREAT JOEL KOVEL (1-20-13):
SOURCE – http://mondoweiss.net/2013/01/israel-nominaton-hagel.html
I agree. It’s kind of a collective PTSD exacerbated (exploited) for years now, and cynically it seems, by fear mongering. The price is intensified intra-communal splitting. apart, warfare. Judaism seems to be taking on a different meaning or definition depending on your side with the question (again) of who is a Jew popping up… excommunication of some by some. Can Reform or Conservative, Atheist or Agnostic or Buddhiist or even Arab also be a Jew,? Does a Jew have to be one who supports and defends this Israel right or wrong, supports this particular form of Zionism, and is living strictly according to halacha? Can a Jew also be an anti-Zionist? The drawbridge is being pulled up.
[Comment deleted: off topic. Further, my last response to you told you not to publish another comment in this thread. You defied that instruction. Consider this your final warning. Your next comment rule violation leads to moderation.]
In Teaneck, NJ, which is a predominantly Orthodox town of some age described by Ha’aretz as NJ’s “most Jewish town” (on basis of demographics, but also culture, etc., as well since many store fronts and more in the town are Jewish owned, managed and catered in Jewish style), there is a Muslim mayor named, Mohammed Hameeduddin.
Not sure if the timing of the coincidence, makes any difference. In an article in Walla couple of days ago , it stated that Israel’ Population is close to 9 million people and over 85% are satisfied with their life, it also added that the most familiar names are “ Tamar “ & Mohammad “…so go figure.
@ Nelly Jaber: These happiness polls are terribly misleading. But of course Israelis are happy. Alfred E. (“What Me Worry”) Newman was happy to. If you could live prosperously on the stolen land of another people and not face any consequences, all the while enjoying the fruits of your theft, you might be happy too.