Ariel Sharon died today, and Ben Birnbaum is unnaturally optimistic that Benjamin Netanyahu will agree to a peace agreement.
Over the coming weeks, Netanyahu will likely find himself in the difficult position that Sharon found himself in the run-up to the Gaza withdrawal: hard-pressed to explain to the right-wingers in his party and his coalition why he is abandoning the principles he stood by for decades. He will of course trumpet the achievements of Kerry’s framework agreement: the Jewish-state recognition, the security guarantees, and the belated Palestinian acceptance of reality on the refugee issue. He will say it in his best Likudish.
But Netanyahu will more likely emphasize what Israel faces should it not accept the Kerry plan: a jilted American administration, a ramped-up Palestinian U.N. campaign, European sanctions, a global-divestment campaign on steroids, a growing Palestinian binational-state movement, a brewing third intifada, and—oh, by the way—the likely collapse of his government. In other words, this time Netanyahu may find that the path of least resistance lies in crossing the rubicon.
I love the positive thinking, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
Lol this is like thinking the GOP will turn a new leaf and ditch the tea party without “dying” first. If there is a hell, there’s a special place reserved for that POS war criminal Ariel Sharon.
Could expect a “come to Jesus” moment for teabaggers — but unreasonable to expect Bibi to go there.
I wouldn’t expect it, but if he could be persuaded that it was to his personal advantage he’d do it in a second. Not as if he had any sincere beliefs standing in the way. Kerry’s commitment is just amazing, I feel he must have understood something we don’t know.
Some people think regardless of the looming catastrophe that they can bull their way through. What would that agreement that Birnbaum is citing look like?
What Birnbaum ignores is that Netanyahu, according to Max Blumenthal, is the last of a generation of reasonable Israel leaders. With Avigdor Liberman being the next most reasonable. And it gets much worse.
So they will lay the Butcher of Shatila to rest with the flag, military and diplomatic honors, and many eulogies. Frankly, my feelings about his death remind me of my feelings about the deaths of Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, and Jerry Falwell.
Yes, this:
Frankly, my feelings about his death remind me of my feelings about the deaths of Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, and Jerry Falwell.
Geez, guys.
Why all the hate for bigots and war criminals?
Zionism is racism. Zionism is what drove Sharon the Butcher and now Bibi the violent bully. Sharon is dead.
May the peacemakers survive. If Obama, Abbas and Kerry find a political solution then Hamas will agree. Unite!
“End the Occupation”
NO
–This has been another episode of simple answers to silly questions.–
(there’s no gun to his head, literally or figuratively, to convince him otherwise, so of course not)
Optimism should only come after any productive agreements are reached. Even then it should only be guarded.
Terror by the young state of Israel
A young commander Ariel Sharon formed Unit 101 to operate across the green armistice line of 1948 in Jordanian territory. He participated in the Qibya massacre and later boasted about it as Ben-Gurion shut his eyes. Yet the “Bulldozer” pulled out of Gaza after George Bush in a letter promised Israel could keep the large settlements and carve-up the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). Bibi Netanyahu disapproved of the Gaza deal and resigned from Sharon’s cabinet along with a few more hardliners. Ariel Sharon had a “soft” spot.
By chance came across the reference in Jewish Virtual Library, for a moment my heart stopped beating …
Please tell me this was an unfortunate conjunction.
See my posts in diary – Former IDF General Ariel Sharon Dies at 85 – 8 yrs In Coma.
When can we notice the obvious authoritarian similarities and start calling the ideological essence of what is happening in Israel, NAtional ZIonism, by a more appropriate handle?
Too soon?