| US Votes "NO" on the Goldstone Report |
[Oct. 17th, 2009|08:07 pm] |
An internationally renowned jurist, Judge Richard Goldstone, from South Africa, headed a UN Fact Finding Mission concerning the 22-day Gaza Conflict. Judge Goldstone’s team was charged with investigating alleged war crimes committed during the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, nearly a year ago.
The recently released, 575-page Goldstone Report accuses both Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces of possible crimes against humanity and urges both sides to investigate themselves and bring the guilty to justice.
Israel has rejected the findings and condemned the report and its authors.
It is fair to say that President Obama’s first post-Nobel betrayal of the spirit of the award has now been officially registered. The US vote, last Friday, against endorsing the Goldstone Report, is both disappointing and tragic.
It is disappointing to witness more US acquiescence to the will of the Israeli government.
US aid to Israel amounts to over 10 million dollars every day, yet the Israelis call the tune and Uncle Sam dances.
The tragedy lies in the fact that shielding Israel from accountability, for its brutal behavior in the Gaza War, is counterproductive to US interests.
Defending the indefensible actions of the IDF only increases anti-American sentiment across the globe. The IDF used white phosphorous munitions on civilians, Arab babies melted in their mother’s arms.
Now, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has a convenient excuse to kill the already moribund peace process. Continued Israeli intransigence will now be characterized as virtuous self-defense.
Sadly, the US will get nothing but contempt from Israel in return for our attempt to shield the Israeli government and the IDF from this legitimate criticism. |
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| When Will Israel Attack Iran? |
[Sep. 16th, 2009|02:09 pm] |
I was perusing the Google News online site when a headline caught my eye - 'We may have to attack Iran by Dec.' The headline is a quote of the words of former Israeli Deputy Defense Minister, Ephraim Sneh.
The article appeared on the Jerusalem Post's Sept.16, 2009 webpage and it is authored by "JPOST.COM STAFF".
Here's the URL for the JP article:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804586448&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull
I went to the JP article and I just had to comment.
Why?...because the consequences for the USA, as a result of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and its defensive systems could be quite negative. What's in Israel's perceived best interest is not always in America's best interest.
The JP online moderators often reject my Talkback submissions, the fact that they published this one is quite remarkable.
Comments on the JP boards are limited to 600 characters and paragraph breaks are not available.
Here's the text of my post on the Jerusalem Post's Talkback board for this article:
Post #9. Subject: Mutually Assured Destruction
Sneh sez: "We cannot live under the shadow of an Iran with nuclear weapons," Oh really? Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon have been living under the shadow of a nuclear armed Jewish State for the past several decades. If Iran has a nuclear weapons program, something unproven, the Islamic Republic is understandably trying to assert its right to defend itself from a nuclear armed Jewish State, or anyone else. The Persians want to have the capability to deliver mutually assured destruction to those who threaten them with WMD. Israel should understand the Iranian position.
new_york_loner - USA (09/16/2009 17:24) |
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| Crux of the Problem |
[Jul. 29th, 2009|12:15 pm] |
I came across an interesting article appearing on the Israeli Haaretz website and I succeeded in getting my comment approved by the Haaretz moderator-censors. That alone is encouraging.
The piece was written by Nathan Guttman and published in the July 29, 2009 edition of Haaretz.com; it's entitled, "Obama begins pressuring Arab leaders on deal with Israel". Here's the link:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1103685.html
As usual, the Talkback comments are quite revealing. Contrary to the popular perception, when it comes to prejudice and bigotry, the Israelis and their American sympathizers are not without guilt. Their caustic comments speak for themselves.
Since Haaretz limits all comments to a maximum of 600 characters, I was forced to keep it short, if not sweet. Here is the text of my Talkback comment, (post #20):
Here is the crux of the problem, as succinctly expressed by the writer, Mr. Guttman: "Those U.N. resolutions, however, appear to require the refugees` return to homes in present-day Israel, constituting one of Israel`s principal objections to the proposal."
Therein lies the rub, the influx of a million displaced Muslim Arabs into present-day Israel would dilute the Jewishness of the self-described "Jewish State".
If these stateless, Arab "victims" of Zionism were allowed to return to their pre-1948 homeland, Herzl`s utopian notions about race and faith-based colonialism, as a way to insure the survival of the Jewish people, would face an "existential threat".
The idea of a "Jewish State" smacks of theocracy, apartheid and even Jewish supremacy. It`s time for a paradigm shift.
If Israel were to welcome these refugees back as Israeli citizens, the world would be much more sympathetic to Zionism and to Israel`s claims of legitimacy and its claims of humanity. (end of post)
As always, I welcome comments on my views. |
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| Is President Obama an Existential Threat to the Jewish State? |
[Jun. 10th, 2009|10:29 am] |
The fallout from President Obama’s Cairo speech is still raining down. Al Qaeda, AIPAC and the Limbaugh-led GOP have basically condemned it, moderates in the “Islamic world” are cautiously optimistic, and the Netanyahu-led Israelis are nervous and jerky.
The big question is this - will the Israelis and their ardent US supporters see President Obama as an existential threat to the Jewish State?
The “special relationship” between the US and Israel has not been this stressed since JFK demanded a halt to Israel’s nascent nuclear weapons program, in the spring of 1963. Israel’s PM, David Ben Gurion resigned rather than comply. A few months later, JFK was gunned down in Dallas. LBJ gave the Israelis the green light to proceed with their nuclear ambitions.
I see a parallel dynamic developing. With a far-right Israeli government currently in power, somebody may be thinking the unthinkable. Is Biden as ruthless and self-serving as LBJ was in 1963? We shall see.
Here is a link to an excellent article appearing on Haaretz.com, with this ominous headline, “Loving Israel by hating Obama “, by Bradley Burston.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1091234.html
It is an eye-opening, provocative piece that dares to expose a racist element in Israel-loving US Jews. I just had to comment.
Here is the text of my post:
Thank you, Mr. Burston, for having the courage and will to speak so openly on such a taboo subject. Please continue to inform us about issues that are uncomfortable and therefore often left out of the news and opinion sections of the mainstream media.
It appears that victimhood, in itself, does not confer righteousness upon the victims.
A history of being oppressed does not seem to engender a sense of collective compassion, sympathy or tolerance in the former victims.
On the contrary, former victims of hatred can become brutal perpetrators - this is true for individuals as well as for nations.
It is more than ironic when the Israeli government and Jewish NGO's speak out about "growing anti-Semitism" in Europe and elsewhere.
The world sees the apartheid wall, the Jim Crow system for Arab Israelis and the squalid Arab refugee camps.
When and if the Israelis abandon their notions about Jewish supremacy in Palestine, the world might genuinely eschew anti-Semitism. |
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| The Hanukkah War |
[Jan. 1st, 2009|03:46 pm] |
Is the latest Israeli military operation in Gaza, the Hanukkah War, a Christmas gift, to the Arabs in Gaza, from President Bush?
Is this George W. Bush’s response to the Arab shoe-thrower?
Judging from the Lame Duck’s latest wise-quacks, it is clear that our Commander-In-Chief is reciting AIPAC–approved talking points and blaming the victims for the violence. Bush is giving Israel the green light to proceed with “Operation Cast Lead”.
The Israelis are too smart to start a major military operation without getting the prerequisite go-ahead signal from their closest ally, the USA. It is safe to assume that the Israelis secretly contacted President Bush before initiating their air assault on Gaza.
I think it is also safe to assume that President-elect Obama was also briefed on the situation and it is safe to assume that he too acquiesced to the Israeli plan.
The Christmas tree may still be up, but the Christmas spirit in America seems to have been short-lived this year. The blaring trumpets of Holy War, in the Holy Land are overpowering Christ’s words about hope, forgiveness, brotherly love, and charity – the traditional themes of Christmas.
Welcome to the Great Theocratic wars of the 21st Century. It’s the Zionist-Christian Crusaders versus the Islamic Jihadists.
Meanwhile, in the Gaza Strip, the death toll is rising. Reliable sources claim that, as of today, at least 380 Palestinians have been killed and many hundreds more have been severely injured, as a direct result of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead.
This American-approved war on Hamas will probably fail to uproot the “terrorists”, the noble goal proclaimed by this war’s proponents; it will certainly inspire a new generation of Arab “freedom fighters” to continue the armed resistance to “militant Zionism in Palestine”.
The stateless Arab refugees from the 1948 and 1967 wars and their descendants are penned-in, like criminals, in the tiny Gaza Strip. The Israelis control their airspace, blockade their ports and coastline and the IDF controls and patrols their land borders, with the help of a compliant regime in Egypt.
Life is hard, in the Gaza Strip – home to a million and a half desperate, displaced Arabs. Unemployment is widespread. Basic items like food, fuel, potable water, medical supplies and electricity are always in short supply. Extremists exploit the general despair.
In all human conflicts, there are causes and there are effects. We Americans need to recognize and deal with the root causes for the Arab and Muslim antipathy toward Israel and its allies.
The architects of the current “war on terror” have mistakenly concentrated on addressing the violent effects, instead of identifying and addressing the underlying causes.
The resolution of the Arab refugee issue has always been assigned to some future “final status” agreement; sadly, this has been the case for the past sixty years.
The so-called “Roadmap to Peace” is upside down, if we can resolve the Arab refugee issue first, instead of last, a major casus belli for the “terrorists” will be removed from the equation.
If we can finally and fairly settle the Arab/Israeli conflict, the militant Jihadists will run out of motivational ammunition. |
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| More Turmoil in The Holy Land |
[Nov. 15th, 2008|08:49 pm] |
The US elections are behind us and the globe continues to rotate. Now that the elections are no longer a distraction, the US media seem to be reporting on more news from abroad.
Once again, things are not good in Gaza. Another man-made humanitarian crisis is looming in the Holy Land.
Here is a link to a pertinent article in Monsters and Critics, the title is: Israel threatens offensive in Gaza Strip. The dateline is Nov 15, 2008, 19:47 GMT. Here is the URL:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1443181.php
A poster, Mike in Texas, commented on this story; his arrogant yet ignorant post inspired me to respond.
Here is Mike’s unedited post: I just don't understand the Gaza situation! Israel gave up Gaza to give Palestinians peace. In response, Hamas refuses to accept the existance of Israel and just want to have truces and fire rockets. They know this won't work, but is their way to gain time. A simple fact is Israel was there three thousand years before the Muslim religion was thought of. Judea and Sumaria were always Israel, but Israel would give them a State as long as they remain peaceful and recognize Israel. The real issue here is the Arabs cannot and will not ever get along with any non Muslim neighbors. I believe Israel should level a Gaza house for every rocket fired. This, they might understand.
The following rant is my response to Mike in Texas and to the millions of Americans who might agree with him; I hope that all this will serve as a proper new_york_loner journal entry. Here it is:
With all due respect, Mike in Texas, you have imbibed way too much of that, Made-in-Israel, Kosher Kool-Aid.
Since when is the United States of America in the business of restoring ancient theocracies?
The answer: Since May 15, 1948. That's the day that the Jewish colonists in Palestine celebrate the birth of their faith-based, race-based, nation-state. For the Arabs of Palestine, that day is known as Al Naqba - the Disaster.
The Arabs were not the perpetrators of the Holocaust, but the Arabs were forced off their lands in order to compensate the Jewish victims who had survived the Nazi death camps. Two "wrongs" do not make a "right".
The Gazans have been living as hapless refugees for sixty years now; their despair spawns the "terror". These people need and deserve just compensation for their losses and third-party nations could do a whole lot more to help with the resettlement of these stateless survivors.
As for any 3,000 year old Biblical claim to the "Holy Land", that is not only irrelevant, that claim has long since expired. The statute of limitations on land claims is very short, just ask any Native American "Indian".
I have read the Old Testament accounts that chronicled the saga of how God's Chosen People, the Israelites, built their kingdom on land that they had seized by force of arms. If Israel and its defenders are using the Bible as evidentiary material, then we must conclude that the Israeli claim to the land was never legitimate.
The Biblical accounts are quite graphic, after the Israelites defeated the enemy armies, the surviving enemy men were slaughtered, virgin girls and young boys were spared and used as slaves. Read your Bible, it contains all the gory details of how the ancient Jews stole the land and enslaved or killed the former landowners.
The ancient Israelites believed that their ethnic cleansing activities were Divinely sanctioned; today’s Zionists also believe that they are acting with Divine sanction.
Mike, my fellow American, de facto Israeli agents have infiltrated the US federal government and co-opted the major US political parties. AIPAC-approved Israel-firsters are formulating US policy; doesn't that alarm you?
Last but not least, I must point out that the fourth estate, the US mainstream media, is absolutely pro-Israel.
Ironically, one must read the Israeli newspapers to get a glimpse of the harsh realities for Arabs in Palestine today. The Israelis actually brag about their inhumanity towards their Semitic cousins - the collective punishments, the IDF's assassinations, Jewish settler violence against Arabs etc. The Israelis report the incidents, but spin the story to their liking. And the Israeli posters on the online discussion boards clearly brag about their anti-Arab racism and their belief in Jewish supremacy and Zionist apartheid – it’s all very revealing.
There it is, Mike, the un-varnished and ugly truth. Can you handle it?
My honest advice: Don't drink the Kosher Kool-Aid. Read the Israeli papers and check out their discussion boards. Question authority. |
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| Candidates Send Wrong Signal to Israel |
[Oct. 8th, 2008|11:02 am] |
The internet is crackling with morning-after reviews of the second presidential debate, here's my take on it: Obama won on all counts.
Senator McCain looked and sounded weak and fragile. Maybe McCain was deliberately trying to milk the sympathy angle; he seemed to act more gimpy than usual. Yes, I know all about his ejection-seat trauma and his horrific POW experience - we've heard it all before ad nauseum. Many voters are now experiencing sympathy burnout for this self-serving and shallow politician.
Smirking McCain sounded bitter at times and condescending throughout the 90-minute show. He still refuses to make eye contact with his opponent, whom he derisively called "that one".
Obama, on the other hand, looked presidential. His answers seemed to be coherent and relevant to the questions asked. Obama appeared to display a cooler head and cooler heads often prevail.
I was disappointed in both candidates when they answered the obligatory questions concerning Israel's national interests. Both candidates are sending the wrong signal to the Israelis; neither candidate is making a distinction between the US response to an Iranian first-strike on Israel and the US response to an Iranian retaliatory strike on Israel.
Ambiguity on such a critical point is dangerous.
Here is a link to a relevant story on the Haaretz (Israeli) online site, the piece is entitled "ANALYSIS / Thank goodness for McCain and Obama support on Iran", by Benjamin L. Hartman. Here's the URL:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1027617.html
Here is the text of my comment on the discussion board for that article:
Both presidential candidates tried to outdo each other in sucking up to the Zionists in the Jewish State and to the fifth column Zionists here in the USA.
Of the thousands of questions that were submitted, the Jewish-controlled US media made sure that a question concerning the US/Iran/Israel nexus was put to the candidates. This obsession with Israel’s national interests is a regular feature of the political debates, going back to the primary campaigns.
What is missing from the question is whether the theoretical Iranian attack on Israel is an Iranian first-strike or self-defense, after an Israeli first-strike on Iran.
Israel is getting the wrong signal here, if the Israelis think that they can attack Iran and that the US will defend the Jewish State from a retaliatory strike.
The US needs to make it absolutely clear that if Israel strikes Iran in a first-strike attack, then Israel is on its own to face the Iranian, and possible Chinese and Russian counter-attacks. |
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| Winograd Report Is Released |
[Jan. 31st, 2008|02:26 pm] |
I was surfing the net, looking for news, when this Headline grabbed my attention: “Amnesty: Winograd report ignored Israeli war crimes”. The story appeared on the Ynet website. Here is the link to the piece.
It seems that Amnesty International has criticized the recently released Winograd Report, for not addressing alleged human rights violations carried out by the IDF, during the Second Lebanon War, in the Summer of 2006.
I left a comment, #15, on their Talkback. Board. A poster going by the username of GZLives noticed my post. He/she left three articulate though lengthy posts, all devoted to giving me a “reality check”. Of course, I responded with post #44.
The Winograd report itself was the subject of this Ynet article. The headline: “Winograd: IDF put troops' safety over operational needs“ is quite damning and the article merits reading.
The following “rant” is the text of my original post (#15), I thought that it might serve as a journal entry here.
Sadly, most Israelis view any criticism of the Jewish State as being “anti-Semitic” by nature. That's the problem with using the adjective "Jewish" as the modifier of the noun "State". Any and all critical commentary is easily dismissed as racist diatribe.
This same fundamental flaw applies to the Islamic Republic(s) and to any self-described "Christian Nation". These exclusive self-descriptions, in the 21st century, are anachronistic at best.
For nations that use a religious modifier to describe themselves, dismissing criticism, as abusive bigotry, is a clever way to ignore constructive criticism and to avoid needed self-examination and vital internal re-evaluation. It may be comforting, but it can eventually lead to pathological self-delusion.
Israel often ignores International Law and routinely violates the accepted norms of human decency; but legitimate criticism is repeatedly dismissed as nothing more than anti-Semitic bigotry. Self-defense is the usual justification for these amoral state-policies.
No, the ends do not justify the means, even for Zionism.
While claiming to be the only rule-of-law, secular democracy in the ME, the Israeli government operates on a moral plane very similar to that of its despotic and theocratic, neighbors.
The price of Israeli self-delusion is compassion fatigue for the Jewish State concept.
Sympathy burnout for the descendants of the Holocaust victims, in the USA and elsewhere, poses a potential "existential threat" to the "Jewish State" idea.
Apartheid in the Occupied Territories, "Jim Crow” for Arab-Israelis, pre-emptive wars with neighboring states, state-sponsored assassinations and meddling in US foreign policy formation at the highest levels - these are the kinds of issues that illustrate the failure of Herzl's well-intentioned utopian scheme. Israel is rapidly becoming a pariah state. It’s just not working out as advertised.
The US needs to quickly divest and disassociate itself from the militarized, faith-based, race-based colonial enterprise in Palestine, before we are drawn into fighting another costly war at Israel’s behest.
Bring the Diaspora to America! Let the discredited Zionists fend for themselves. |
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| President Bush Visits "The Holy Land" |
[Jan. 10th, 2008|01:45 pm] |
After seven years in office, President Bush is finally flying into the eye of the storm - he's personally visiting the site of the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Optimists say, "better late than never".
Cynics contend that Junior Bush is obsessed with his presidential legacy, ergo: this trip to Israel, and the West Bank, is just a taxpayer-subsidized pitch for future donations to the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
As always, there are the good reasons and the real reasons.
Let us all hope that Bush, now seasoned and hopefully more wary, can see through the self-serving rhetoric coming from all sides in that troubled region, and do what must be done, from America's perspective and with America's best interests in mind. Sadly, President Bush seems to believe that what is good for Israel is good for the USA.
The Israeli news sources are full of stories about this historic visit and how it may or may not be effective in resolving the sixty year-old conflict.
Here is a link to the Jerusalem Post. And here's a link to Haaretz. Last, but not least, here's a link to Ynet.
For the sake of balance, here's a link to Al Jazeera. Finally, here is a link to the Tehran Times.
The highly touted Annapolis Conference produced handshakes and smiles but little more. Maybe Cowboy Bush will finally "run herd" on the conflicting parties, as he once promised, and bring about a genuine and lasting peace.
Go, cowboy, go! |
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