Avi Shavit busts loose on the insanity of Olmert's war.
it is destroying Israel. Destroying its soul and its
image. Destroying it on world television screens, in the living rooms
of the international community and most importantly, in Obama's
America. Israel
is not Russia and Gaza is not Chechnya. Israel cannot deal with its
enemies the way belligerent superpowers deal with theirs. Wars must be
just and proportional.
image. Destroying it on world television screens, in the living rooms
of the international community and most importantly, in Obama's
America. Israel
is not Russia and Gaza is not Chechnya. Israel cannot deal with its
enemies the way belligerent superpowers deal with theirs. Wars must be
just and proportional.
What is the Israel's solution to the "Palestinian Question"?
It's nice that Avi Shavit is finally turning against the war, but this was predictable and in fact predicted, though I don't remember where I read it. What I read is that the "liberal" Israelis who initially supported the war (ignoring the Palestinian blockade and the brutality of the war from the very beginning) would, after a week or two, turn against it on the grounds that it was destroying Israel's soul. And Shavit followed this prediction almost to the letter. I wish I could remember where I read it–it wasn't speaking specifically about Shavit, but about the whole category of liberal "Peace Now" Israelis.
You'd think maybe they could figure this out for themselves–that their supposedly just war would sooner or later become bloody enough and brutal enough to make them feel embarrassed and worried about their souls. It's happened before.
"Palestinian blockade"–I meant the blockade inflicted on the Palestinians on Gaza, which as Phil and others have pointed out is an act of war itself.
I copied it from the Norman Finkelstein's website.
The words are so powerful:
The palestinians are damaging sons and daughters of Israelis by being there, or just by being.
Sadly, Israel has been forced to defend itself
An American Jew said as she
Listed the sins of Hamas while failing
To take the rod out of her own eye
She castigated those who throw around
Words like "genocide" while failing
To note the three hospitals Israel
Bombed and the United Nations warehouse
Up in flames
As the people starve
While scant food and fuel and medicine
Trucked in as Israel killed and injured UN drivers
Is consumed by flames
Israeli hatred of Palestinians ignited
She mentioned her cousin in the Israeli army
When settlements were forced to evacuate
But that did not bring peace she lamented
She forgot the crossings were closed
Fruits and vegetables Gazans raised
Rotted at the border closed while economic
Distress and basics were denied the over-stressed
Population festering in the many wounds
Israel inflicts.
She was filled with shock
Dismayed when Palestinians voted for Hamas
How could they spit in the face of Israeli
Largess imagine giving up settlements
On the seashore with gardens and swimming
Pools filled to the brim as Gazans were denied
Water to drink and bathe imagine the gall
Israel remains committed to the peace process
While Hamas rains missiles down
Unprovoked except for Israeli gunships
Incinerating a family enjoying a day
At the beach while they blockaded
Medicines, food, fuel and any hope
The Gaza War is not meant to be an attack
On civilians – far from it – but an effort
To help Gazans rid themselves of resistance
Until Palestine comes to its senses
Accepts the enclosures and Wall
Meant only for their good
And surrenders all rights to us
The rightful owners of their land
We can honestly say
They have brought this upon
Themselves Israel is blameless
In the eyes of g-d and man
And the thousands who have died
So Israeli might live
Shavit: Zionist Bigot, Jewish Racist
Sorry, I just do not see the correlation between Russia and Chechnya and Israel and the Palestinians.
Can we take a short break from the laments over 'the damaged souls of our sons and daughters,' at least until all the Palestinian bodies have been dug out from the rubble?
Well said, D. But I add: can we not lament the "damaged" souls of the mass-murderers-not now and not even after the bodies are dug out?
Kathy, the point is that Russia was a superpower and still is in many
ways, while Israel is nothing without squatting atop Uncle Sam's shoulders. It can only swing its top-heavy weight around so long as
Uncle Sam allows it, and hence its actions should, but do not, reflect
that reality.
Olmerts war hasn't "damaged" Israel, but rather exposed it.
Shavit was being defensive.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the State of Israel received more than 1 million Russian Jewish immigrants, who brought strong anti-Muslim feelings with them and who have generally supported the Russian slaughter in Chechnya.