I’ve been under the weather pretty much ever since I ate too much for Thanksgiving Dinner. I think I need a tune up. In any case, I haven’t had my normal energy for writing and reading and there are some stories that are slipping between the cracks. One of them is what’s going on in Israel, where Netanyahu seems to be acting erratically or, at least, unconventionally. And now he has sacked Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (basically for criticizing him in public) and announced that he will soon call for new elections to the Knesset.
I guess my question is for anyone who closely follows Israeli politics. Why is Netanyahu freaking out?
Who’s pushing the Jewish State bill and why is Bibi going along with it?
The best tune up you can give yourself is start running. You lose weight quickly and the endorphins are a godsend.
I know, “running sucks”. Which is why i recommend a nice couch-to-5K regimen.
Because he is a fascist and a liar.
Sweden has opted to recognize the Palestinian state with other European nations to follow. In Spain, UK and France its parliament has/will vote to recognize Palestinian statehood. At the United Nations, a vast majority of countries has already backed the Palestinians.
The settler movement and Zionists move to rid Israel of its Arab citizens, retake to Temple Mount and force Palestinians from East-Jerusalem. The corridor between Jerusalem and Jericho will split the land of a future Palestine. Each election in Israel will move the Knesset to a far-right, nationalist majority. Netanyahu is doing just fine. No friends left in the world with the exception of US Congress and the King of Jordan.
○ 58% of Israelis Support Firing Palestinian Workers According to News Poll
Nothing quite like an adrenaline crash, which considering your Fall, would be in line.
Good piece over at Maddow Blog by Steve Bennen about Putin’s economic disasters and the win for NATO with Ukraine, would seem the Rep observation that Obama has been playing checkers while Putin is playing chess is, per usual, getting it backwards.
All in all, a good time to note that the heroes of the foreign policy Right are imploding.
Link for Bennen’s piece
But he’s still got the Crimea, which was the main event. The rest is just damage control for Putin. I thought Benen was using a very Western lens for his overview and he didn’t even mention the ruble; probably because it is not clear what its decline really portends for Russia.
Things look bleak for Vladimir, to be sure, in the very short term but the consequences of his engagement with China remain to be seen. If Russia survives the current oil price shake-out this relationship with China could prove significant on many levels; not just economic.
Russia’s firm control of their own domestic media has created a bubble which insulates Putin from public opinion; he is the unequivocal leader of a 19th century duchy with a nuclear arsenal. He’s not worrying about his favourables, not yet anyhow.
Another masterpiece by Steve Benen? His piece on France, South Stream and NATO is awfully shallow and just listing the headlines. No analysis whatsoever. What are his credentials on foreign policy and Europe?
○ Foreign policy and the definition of ‘manhood’
On South Stream and Turkey:
○ New moves alter energy routes around Turkey
On France and President Hollande:
○ France delays delivery of Mistral warship to Russia
In the end, France will deliver the two Mistral-class BPCs (helicopter carrying and command vessel) to Russia as they are ready and taylor-made for the Russian Navy. More negatives for France …
“France, which is suffering from record-high unemployment and stagnant growth, not only loses the receipts from this sale but also that its credibility as a weapons exporter is compromised.”
○ Sanctions propel Israel, Russia to expand agriculture ties
Saudi Arabia’s low oil price at $70 will hit US shale exploration:
○ Break-even point and drilling in the biggest US shale formations
Ask yourself this: why is the most restive Arab population right now not in the PA-administered West Bank but Israel and Jerusalem? The writing is on the wall that even if Israel devolves the occupied territories away into a new Palestine, they will have no respite from the next vigorous attack on Zionism that is a civil rights movement for the remaining Arab Israelis. There will be no end to people saying that the greatest aspiration Israel should have for itself is to one day have an Arab Prime Minister and that any divisions between Jew and Muslim should dissolve away into one big happy unitarian family.
If you are a Jewish nationalist, these are dire times. Zionism is under serious attack. The occupation is under increasing sanction. Domino after domino falls in Europe as the parliaments of that continent recognize the state of Palestine. The IDF is unable to risk pitched urban warfare in Gaza necessary to finish off Hamas. The United States is in open security collaboration with Iran and Hezbollah in Iraq and Lebanon. They will normalize relations regarding the Iranian nuclear industry by spring and leave Israel’s useful nemesis toothless and fumbling in the dirt for pennies for years to come. Without Iran to “keep the peace” by preserving the conflict, it’s only a matter of time until the second shoe drops and the US joins Europe in betraying Israel before the international community.
Right wing parties can still win (perhaps even easily) by running on hatchet wielding savages overrunning temples and a world aflame, but the Israeli economy can be destroyed overnight by Western sanctions and the political alliance between the US and Israel is frayed irreparably. White reformers never ended up winning a mandate in South Africa, but the revolutionary collapse of Apartheid happened anyway.
I’m going to go ahead and reveal my ignorance: isn’t Israel already a Jewish state? I mean, it’s relatively common to hear Israel referred to as “The Jewish State”, no? Am I just revealing that I read the wrong people?
Israel is officially both, which sets up an inherent demographic tension where any future version of “Greater Israel” that has a majority or near-majority non-Jewish population has to fail either the “Jewish” or “Democratic” side of the conjunction.
Bibi and his right-wing allies simply want to resolve the tension by effectively erasing “Democratic”. Which is a lot neater than the even rather right allies who would just maintain the “Democratic” by active measures on the demographic front: starting with limiting or eliminating voting rights for Israeli Arabs and for some ending up with a Book of Joshua II. I.e. a Promised Land solely inhabited by the Chosen People.
(The Book of Joshua makes for interesting reading. Particularly when you understand that certain influential parties in Bibi’s coaltion basically take it for an Operations Manual. Dictated by Y-h W-h.)
Except the Book of Joshua Jews ended up not doing that.
To be Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water.
Echoes —–
Joshua 6:21
“21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword. “
Joshua 8
“25 And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26 For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. 28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. “
Joshua 9
24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. 25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. 26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. 27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.”
Like I said – interesting reading.
Israel is a Terrorist State. The Mother of All Terrorist States. An utterly foreign occupier perpetrating an American Taxpayer conceived, financed and morally sanctioned genocide upon the indigenous descendants of the “biblical hebrew”. It has no “right” to exist and this world will never know Peace until it does not.
No fear.
As best I can tell, Bibi is freeking out because he has succeeded in moving public opinion so far the right (can we use the words fascists yet with respect to Israel and its ethnic cleansing) that he is now considered and endangered centrist. The sentiment seems to want to finalize the reality of Eretz Israel now–extend the settlements and control over all of the West Bank now and turn Gaza to rubble. And let King Abdullah of Jordan sort out all issues Palestinian.
It is likely to create a major catastrophe for Israel and not what they envision, and even Bibi is beginning to see the damage that is coming. So Bibi is hoping to reduce some of the more extreme (or is it remove more of the rational ones, no one is clear) by having elections now rather than later.
One more collapsing situation for the Obama administration at its shiny new Secretary of Defense to attend to.
“can we use the words fascists yet with respect to Israel and its ethnic cleansing?”
If you do, you will be in distinguished company. It does not refer to “zionism” tout court, of which there are many different versions, including the cultural zionism or spiritual zionism of Martin Buber, Rabbi Judah Magnes, and Einstein himself. But it would certainly include the right-wing Revisionist Zionism that Netanyahu comes out of.
The following letter was signed by Hannah Arendt, Albert Einstein, and Sidney Hook, among others:
Letters to the Editor
New York Times
December 4, 1948
TO THE EDITORS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES:
Among the most disturbing political phenomena of our times is the emergence in the newly created state of Israel of the “Freedom Party” (Tnuat Haherut), a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties. It was formed out of the membership and following of the former Irgun Zvai Leumi, a terrorist, right-wing, chauvinist organization in Palestine.
The current visit of Menachem Begin, leader of this party, to the United States is obviously calculated to give the impression of American support for his party in the coming Israeli elections, and to cement political ties with conservative Zionist elements in the United States. Several Americans of national repute have lent their names to welcome his visit. It is inconceivable that those who oppose fascism throughoutthe world, if correctly informed as to Mr. Begin’s political record and perspectives, could add their names and support to the movement he represents.
Before irreparable damage is done by way of financial contributions, public manifestations in Begin’s behalf, and the creation in Palestine of the impression that a large segment of America supports Fascist elements in Israel, the American public must be informed as to the record and objectives of Mr. Begin and his movement. The public avowals of Begin’s party are no guide whatever to its actual character. Today they speak of freedom, democracy and anti-imperialism, whereas until recently they openly preached the doctrine of the Fascist state. It is in its actions that the terrorist party betrays its real character; from its past actions we can judge what it may be expected to do in the future.
Attack on Arab Village
A shocking example was their behavior in the Arab village of Deir Yassin. This village, off the main roads and surrounded by Jewish lands, had taken no part in the war, and had even fought off Arab bands who wanted to use the village as their base. On April 9 (THE NEW YORK TIMES), terrorist bands attacked this peaceful village, which was not a military objective in the fighting, killed most of its inhabitants ? 240men, women, and children – and kept a few of them alive to parade as captives through the streets of Jerusalem. Most of the Jewish community was horrified at the deed, and the Jewish Agency sent a telegram of apology to King Abdullah of Trans-Jordan. But the terrorists, far from being ashamed of their act, were proud of this massacre, publicized it widely, and invited all the foreign correspondents present in the country to view the heaped corpses and the general havoc at Deir Yassin. The Deir Yassin incident exemplifies the character and actions of the Freedom Party.
Within the Jewish community they have preached an admixture of ultranationalism, religious mysticism, and racial superiority. Like other Fascist parties they have been used to break strikes, and have themselves pressed for the destruction of free trade unions. In their stead they have proposed corporate unions on the Italian Fascist model. During the last years of sporadic anti-British violence, the IZL and Stern groups inaugurated a reign of terror in the Palestine Jewish community. Teachers were beaten up for speaking against them, adults were shot for not letting their children join them. By gangster methods, beatings, window-smashing, and wide-spread robberies, the terrorists intimidated the population and exacted a heavy tribute.
The people of the Freedom Party have had no part in the constructive achievements in Palestine. They have reclaimed no land, built no settlements, and only detracted from the Jewish defense activity. Their much-publicized immigration endeavors were minute, and devoted mainly to bringing in Fascist compatriots.
Discrepancies Seen
The discrepancies between the bold claims now being made by Begin and his party, and their record of past performance in Palestine bear the imprint of no ordinary political party. This is the unmistakable stamp of a Fascist party for whom terrorism (against Jews, Arabs, and British alike), and misrepresentation are means, and a “Leader State” is the goal.
In the light of the foregoing considerations, it is imperative that the truth about Mr. Begin and his movement be made known in this country. It is all the more tragic that the top leadership of American Zionism has refused to campaign against Begin’s efforts, or even to expose to its own constituents the dangers to Israel from support to Begin.
The undersigned therefore take this means of publicly presenting a few salient facts concerning Begin and his party; and of urging all concerned not to support this latest manifestation of fascism.
ISIDORE ABRAMOWITZ
HANNAH ARENDT
ABRAHAM BRICK
RABBI JESSURUN CARDOZO
ALBERT EINSTEIN
HERMAN EISEN, M.D.
HAYIM FINEMAN
M. GALLEN, M.D.
H.H. HARRIS
ZELIG S. HARRIS
SIDNEY HOOK
FRED KARUSH
BRURIA KAUFMAN
IRMA L. LINDHEIM
NACHMAN MAISEL
SEYMOUR MELMAN
MYER D. MENDELSON
M.D., HARRY M. OSLINSKY
SAMUEL PITLICK
FRITZ ROHRLICH
LOUIS P. ROCKER
RUTH SAGIS
ITZHAK SANKOWSKY
I.J. SHOENBERG
SAMUEL SHUMAN
M. SINGER
IRMA WOLFE
STEFAN WOLF.
New York, Dec. 2, 1948
Another utterly ignorant read of the situation. Netanyahu expects – and is probably correct – that after the election he will be able to shed the centrist elements of his coalition and put together a majority coalition of hard right and Orthodox Jewish parties.
Just goes to show how badly things go wrong when a party governs through a locked-in coalition of minority nutjobs; there is a salutatory lesson in there for Americans which will probably not be noticed.
He’s cornered, and is behaving like cornered critters generally do.
I think a lot of people assumed he was incredibly clever, one step ahead, but really, he’s just an ass who speaks great English, sucked up to the right business interests, and jumped from bandwagon to bandwagon to keep his career going.
I guess he can’t see what his next jump is.
Just for the record, Netanyahu has never been popular with the American Jewish community, and is less so now than ever, I think.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2014/1106/Going-against-Netanyahu-84-percent-of-US-Jews-
favor-Iran-nuclear-deal
This is precisely backward. Netanyahu’s current coalition is fragile and has moderate elements that Netanyahu finds to be a hindrance. He wants an election now because the hard right parties that support him will do better today than they did two years ago.
Netanyahu will undoubtedly be Prime Minister after the election. He expects that he will be able to put together a coalition without Livni and her party, HaTnua, which favors negotiations toward a binational state, or Lapid and his Yesh Atid party, which emphasizes issues of interest to secular Jews.
If he’s right, his new coalition will include only the hard right, including the settler parties and the Orthodox Jewish parties. He’s going to emerge from the election stronger than ever.
From today’s Times of Israel:
“Snap polls by the two major television stations indicated that if elections were to be held today, Netanyahu’s Likud party would make gains at the expense of Lapid’s and Livni’s parties.”
http://www.timesofisrael.com/lapid-liberman-kahlon-alliance-said-to-be-in-the-works/#ixzz3Kz5p8tPt
Follow us: @timesofisrael on Twitter | timesofisrael on Facebook
Presumably elections can return an even more rightwing Knesset. It’s pretty doubtful Bibi thinks that strengthening whatever political opponents still exist is a likely result.
Israel’s chief benefactor and apologist just had its national elections, and the party most sympathetic to the militarism, disproportionate violence and oppression of Israel won a massive victory. In two years, a Prez who will be much more sympathetic to Bibi and his movement will be elected—Dem or Repub. So the politics of The Great Idiot are decidedly in Bibi’s favor
I read Joe’s recitation above of coming doom and just don’t find it too convincing, even as a description of the Israeli right’s mindset. The Israeli Right have no concerns about the continued (essentially permanent) backing of the US, I don’t know what is the basis for the “frayed irreparably” line. The WH does not even take the steps it could take to advance statehood or put pressure on Bibi. Certainly it’s rather unrealistic to think the Congress (or electorate, for that matter) is moving away from Israel in the slightest, especially now. Indeed anything Obama were to try now will be fought every step of the way by Bibi’s Boneheads in the Congress. And being called “chickenshit” isn’t too concerning, even for an egomaniac…
Yes, there are some largely symbolic votes in Europe supporting statehood, such as France’s today. This seems hardly likely to cause the Israeli electorate to change gears anytime soon. Especially with the US counseling “caution” and “wait another 47 years” to the Palestinians on everything.
The Iranian bogeyman has been used as a distraction by Israel (and us for that matter) for 30+ years now. But Israel is still the nation with the nukes, after all. And lots of ’em, whether Obama cuts some deal with Iran or not. The (half a century old) occupation that is supposedly “unsustainable” actually looks quite permanent. Certainly the Israelis will do whatever it takes to sustain it militarily, and no one in Europe or the US will object over much to whatever steps Israel assert it must take to keep the boot over the victim’s throat.
Hamas’s haphazard Gaza fireworks play into the Israeli Right’s hands anyway, they certainly know there is no existential threat there. Bombing Gaza to bits every 5 years is certainly a sustainable sideshow. And if that isn’t good enough for the cruel Israeli electorate, some newly elected Israeli strongman can perhaps undertake a new Stalingrad campaign against Gaza. The sky’s the limit.
Bibi’s Right is starting to plan out what needs to be done to suppress the Arab citizens. Non-voting, second-class status, hell, even expulsion. It’s not like it hasn’t been done before. How do we think the “Holy Land” was cleared in the first place?
Ultimately, the Israeli Right of today doesn’t seem to care too much what the rest of the world thinks about them or their policies, despite some public hand-wringing for PR consumption. They only care that they are never “weak” again. At this point the Palestinians are so weak the only action they can undertake is to be slaughtered as cannon fodder, especially the kids.
But that strategy assumes someone will care if you are slaughtered and take actions to protect you. That’s sure looking pretty unlikely and certainly not about to arise in this country. Just keep the annual $3 billion coming, there will be no questions asked….
As usual, your commenters on Israel have very little to offer except rants. Some actual information:
The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (aka the Israeli Declaration of Independence) does “declare the establishment of a Jewish State in the Land of Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.” So yes, Israel is the Jewish State.
But the Declaration does not have the force of law. Courts don’t look to it to decide cases.
Israel does not have a written constitution (neither does the UK, for example). It does have a set of what it calls “Basic Laws,” which are enacted by the Knesset and can be repealed by the Knesset, to establish the sorts of rules and principles that we think of as “constitutional.” These have supra-legal status and other laws are interpreted in light of them. Israel continues from time to time to amend them and to enact new ones.
Until 1994, there was nothing in any of the Basic Laws that legally privileged the Jewish religion or Jewish ethnicity over others. (Israel does have laws that distinguish between Jews and others, such as the Law of Return, and the laws relating to military service, but these are specific laws and not constitutional principles.)
In 1994, a new Basic Law of Human Dignity and Liberty was enacted that described Israel as a “”a Jewish and Democratic State” – not as a definition but merely as a description.
Even so, in law, the country is a nation of all its citizens – 20% of whom are Arabs, who are all described equally as “Israeli nationals.”
The proposal is to enact a new Basic Law that would say:
“The State of Israel is the national home of the Jewish People in which the Jewish People realizes its right to self-determination in accordance with its cultural and historic heritage.
The right to realize national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish People.
The State of Israel is democratic, based on the foundations of freedom, justice and peace in light of the visions of the prophets of Israel, and upholds the individual rights of all its citizens according to law.”
Note that the law preserves the “individual rights” of all citizens but privileges the communal rights of the Jewish People over the communal rights of other citizens. That would be novel development.
The Basic Law would make Hebrew the only official language (today, Arabic is also official), would make the Law of Return a Basic Law, and would provide that “Jewish law shall serve as a source of inspiration for the Knesset.”
Up to now, “Jewish and democratic” were equal and it tension. The new Basic Law would privilege Jewish over democratic. Additionally, the reference to Jewish law is a potential opening for theocratic elements to enter into Israeli law.
Many secular Jewish leaders (including those who are not particularly leftist) are against the proposal. Former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (one of the two cabinet ministers who were just forced out) is strongly opposed. Before her ouster, she said she “will not allow the damaging, weakening or subjugating of [Israel’s] democratic values to its Jewish values – this is the substance of the Declaration of Independence and the basis of our existence.”
Netanyahu is behaving perfectly rationally. He is pushing out the moderate elements of his coalition – Livni and Lapid, who both head smaller parties – who he never wanted in the first place but needed for a majority. Lapid poses a potential future threat as a candidate for Prime Minister and Netanyahu wants to cut him down now. Livni is a weakened former front-runner and Netanyahu wants to finish her off permanently.
Israeli public opinion is inflamed at the moment over the murder of the four rabbis, and Israelis, unlike Americans and Europeans, believe in the main that the Gaza operation was not severe enough and that Hamas should have been destroyed. Netanyahu is likely to come out of new elections with a more right-wing and more supportive coalition government than he has now.
The Jewish State bill is both a sop to the right-wing Orthodox parties whose support Netanyahu needs, and a bloody shirt to wave in front of the more secular nationalists. The Orthodox see the bill as opening the door for increased religious power over daily life, and the nationalists see it a step toward depriving Israeli Arabs of their full nationality.
These are the voters that Netanyahu wants to rely on. He’s not looking to get the moderate software programmers who live in the middle class suburbs of Tel Aviv. This a red-meat effort to GOTV among the most reactionary elements of the voting public.