Further evidence that the Israel lobby is on the defensive. AIPAC's memo to me tonight on the ground invasion includes these points:
--"There is no 'occupation,' only a radical Islamist enclave run by a genocidal terrorist group that acts to destroy the Jewish State."
--"For the Israelis, having Hamas on their border is akin to having Osama Bin Laden along ours. We would certainly act to defend ourselves and would expect no less of our government." [Yeah we would have destroyed Osama's government complex...]
--"For the Israelis, having Hamas on their border is akin to having Osama Bin Laden along ours. We would certainly act to defend ourselves and would expect no less of our government." [Yeah we would have destroyed Osama's government complex...]
And this nod to the international p.r. disaster the slaughter has been:
Media and analysts make a mistake of significant proportions to
equate Israel 's legitimate actions in self-defense with the actions of
a terrorist group operating from within civilian territory that it
seized in a violent coup, and whose people it holds hostage to its
violent and deranged radical ideology.
Attack the media. Sign of desperation.
"Attack the media. Sign of desperation."
Phil! Listen to yourself! You spend half your day attacking the media for not spinning Israel/Palestine the way you like!
Your hypocrisy really knows no bounds.
'Ersatz Jim' copped the first post.
"There is no 'occupation,' only a radical Islamist enclave run by a genocidal terrorist group that acts to destroy the Jewish State."
Well, one nutter rant deserves another. Let's parody AIPAC's armchair bombardiers –
"There is no 'Holocaust,' only a radical Hebrewist enclave run by a genocidal terrorist group that acts to destroy the German State."
Howie Kohr, meet Joey Goebbels. Y'all's bruthuhs in arms, aintcha …
I'll admit the nauseating faux southern accent is reminiscent of the old Jim Haygood, but I still don't buy it. Jim Haygood isn't a reactionary hysteric like this guy. This guy is making a moral equivalency between the Occupation (nasty, shitty even) and the Holocaust.
For those of you who forget, that was the systematic murder of 40% of the world's Jewish population between 1941 and 1945. If Israel knocks off a couple million Palestinians within the next few weeks (instead of a few hundred) then we can talk.
I've noticed a desperate blitz on this subject all over the internet. People would like to bring out standard talking points to paint the Israelis as victims and the Palestinians as aggressors in a propaganda battle that really doesn't have much substance. There were IDF initiated exchanges in the ceasefire starting a day after its implementation. This cease fire held until a Nov. 4 IDF incursion. There are obvious political benefits for the Israeli politicians. The Israelis downplayed the threat of the rocket attacks, while the blogosphere likes to keep focused on them as a primary vehicle of propaganda. A simple examination into the issues lay bare the familiar talking points, and thats what need to be recited.
One of the main obstacles in showing up the Israeli state for what it is (an entity based on dispossession and violence) is the lingering respect for Zionism. The apartheid state never enjoyed this ideological immunity because "apartheid" was, in the more enlightened parts of the world, always held to be an objectionable Afrikaner ideological concoction.
The ritual respect paid to "Israel's right to exist" (even found with such scholars as Walt and Mearsheimer)implies recognition of Zionism as an acceptable ideology. But Zionism is inseparable from dispossession and violence and Israel's "right to exist" implies the denial of that right to the pre-Zionist population of Palestine.
Israel exists -to accept that as a fact does not necessitate recognition of its "right" to exist.
"There is no 'occupation,' only a radical Islamist enclave run by a genocidal terrorist group that acts to destroy the Jewish State."
Colin: Claims of genocide from either side are completely ridiculous. Get a dictionary, people, and maybe quit sniffing that paint. Claims that there is 'no occupation' are as nutty as claims that there was no Holocaust. That AIPAC tries to do so shows just how desperate they are to keep the truth from you, dear reader. Israeli 'occupation-denial' syndrome results from their guilt at having dispossessed and brutalized millions of people over the last 60 years, and having absolutely no idea of how to say "I'm sorry, can you forgive me, can we come to some sort of arrangement where we can stay?" Fear of asking this is quite understandable, and illustrates just how vital impartial American intervention is to hammering out a stable final-status agreement. It is really far too much to ask Israelis and American Jews to do this. This is not in any way, shape, or form, a slander on their character. NO people could do it. Not yours, not theirs, not mine, not anyone's. Impartial third-party intervention is ESSENTIAL.
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"…that it seized in a violent coup, …"
Colin: There was no Hamas 'coup'. There was a Hamas 'counter-coup'. Hamas won free and fair elections, then forestalled a coup against their elected government by the Dahlan faction of Fatah, which was backed by a neoconservative faction in the United States government, against the wishes of not only many other American neoconservatives, but many Israelis.
Read The Gaza Bombshell. I'm not joking. Do you want to have the vaguest clue what is going on? Do you want to be played for a sucker? Read it.
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" … and whose people it holds hostage …"
Colin: Apologies to Paul Simon, "Who do you think you're fooling?" Please refer to the whole 'election' thing.
Far from the tide turning against Israel, Israel has so far done remarkably well given the typical kowtowing to the Palestine lobby.
The President of the EU has outright come out in support of Israel's actions.
At the UNSC, it is not just the Americans who have threatened to veto the typical parade of one sided resolutions by nations that are at war with Israel. Several other countries told the Arab lobby "cut the crap and get to work on a real deal."
And several Arab leaders outright blamed Hamas for its clear responsibility for this mess, notwithstanding the fact that it is politically incorrect to do.
Yes, there is a tide turning. But it's not what you think. Even the typical constituencies where the anti-Israel bloc finds comfort are sick and tired of the song and dance the Palestine lobby puts them through.
The socalled 'holocaust' is your only surviving religious item, isn't it, Steve R? Well, you hang onto that, for all the resigious solace it gives youl, and we needsn't talk anyway, since there's nothing to say. Your filthy dream is over, Steve R. It's OVER. It just hasn't stopped twitching yet, that's all.
What? No "worse than Hitler!" rhetoric?
I guess they're just not that serious about Hamas.
Keep up the good work Rowan. Meanwhile, who runs the fucking world, and who is an unemployed wanker?
Joshua wrote:
"The President of the EU has outright come out in support of Israel's actions."
You are clutching at straws. The Czech Republic (population 10 million) that presently holds the rotating EU presidency for six months is mainly representing itself here. There are already differences of opinion with France on this.
Former Soviet bloc states are often falling over themselves to be on the right side of the US but far from being the "new Europe" as rummy Rumsfeld had it they are not taken very seriously in the political centres of Europe.
"Who runs the fucking world," Steve? You tell us.
I'll admit the nauseating faux southern accent is reminiscent of the old Jim Haygood, but I still don't buy it. Jim Haygood isn't a reactionary hysteric like this guy.
Absolutely. "Jim Haygood" has developed into a virtual Mondoweiss multiple personalities pool. The question is, is the original "Jim Haygood" still occasionally among the choir, or has he moved on for good?
well, LeaNder, you became 'Fritz' on Xymphora for a little while, a couple of weeks ago, so that we could continue to discuss the very CSS scripts which make such transpositions of ID and destination possible on this site, didn't we?
Sorry, Rowan, never once in my life I commented on Xymphora. Besides I wouldn't use Fritz.
But you are correct, I joined the "Jim Haywood" choir. I think it were three comments altogether. In one case I was considered "half-Wittiesk" and interestingly enough cryptic. Or better inscrutable. Which could have been considered a good enough hint. But it was interesting to watch reactions with slightly more information.
Would you be so kind to send a link to "my comment" on Xymphora? It would be interesting to see what you consider "LeaNderesk".
Do you mean this? Fritz on Xymphora
So your evidence is. Fritz keeps correcting itself. Has a peculiarly floating grasp of what to feel and think? And seems to be German?
this website: "initiativevernunft…" unfortunately pretends there was freedom of speech in Germany, at least they're partial ignorant. They have not heard of freedom to investigate history.
Fritz | 12.01.08 – 10:46 pm | #
Does this sound like me, Honey?
The political parties are machineries let through the most adjusted to the system, anyone thinking more than the limited program is sorted out.. eventually, who has a bit of loyalty to the own country is defamed as brown swamp nazi. Like they defamed and boycotted Joerg Haider. Once "Liberal" parties have become "market-liberals" not anymore supporting independent shop owners, middle class, freedom of speech but now making way for international corporations and finance. A "working class" may be found in China or is full of immigrants without solidarity.
Das wüsst ich aber! Our main Cologne comedian would say.
sorry. Keeps correcting himself. He or she. Maybe we should believe it is indeed a male. Sounds like one.
Interesting. send me a link, if you had something else in mind