How quickly, David Makovsky moves into the "damage control" mode for Bibi at the New York Times site, saying he was blindsided by his interior minister. If Netanyahu didn’t know about it, which I doubt, the interior minister should be fired. BTW, it is not generally known that virtually all Israel cabinet ministers are appointed not for their skills in any one position but as a political handout. That any appointee has some knowledge about the position he is holding (they’re generally all males) is coincidental. When there are not enough cabinet positions, the PM makes new ones by appointing numerous "ministers without portfolios." I think Netanyahu has broken the record in building his coalition. The system is a total joke and is never reported on in the US press. Makovsky:
A second lesson is about Jerusalem itself. Even if Senator George Mitchell’s efforts make serious strides on demarcating Israeli and Palestinian borders in the West Bank, it is unlikely that the status of Jerusalem will be agreed on tomorrow. As it stands, Mitchell has not been successful in winning acceptance of a housing freeze in East Jerusalem.
Therefore, something more practical is required: namely that Israelis and Palestinians reach a baseline agreement that neither party will expand into the neighborhoods of the other in East Jerusalem.
From Haaretz: A group of "Anglo" Jerusalem residents is mobilizing against the "ugly" practice of orthodox Jews spitting on Christians in the Old City.
Too bad they didn’t spit on Biden.
Why would they? Biden bowed down and showed fealty.
It’s not just Makovsky trying to protect Netanyahu by pretending he was blindsided – Ethan Bronner’s “news” piece yesterday, which undoubtedly reached vastly more people than Makovsky’s online-only post, used the same strategy.
Therefore, something more practical is required: namely that Israelis and Palestinians reach a baseline agreement that neither party will expand into the neighborhoods of the other in East Jerusalem.
No skin off Palestinian noses. I think the Palestinians should also agree to end their occupation and dismantle their settlements if Israeli agrees to do the same. I think we have the basis for a peace deal here.
LOL! Fantastic. :)
Hopefully the Palestinians will scrap their M1-A1 Abrams tanks and F-16s and melt them into plowshares? And, for once, allow the US taxpayers some relief since there are so many jobless in the USA? Wouldn’t that be nice?
But, but, but what about those Judeo-Christian values every Talibangelical in the US keeps talking about?
Ask Sarah Palin.
link to atlanticfreepress.com
I think that what is being lost in the argument is the extent to which the Israeli political establishment is irrelevant. Everyone knows that Israel is an army with a country, and that decisions of war and peace are decided by the Israeli military, then rubber-stamped by the Knesset. Likewise, the U.S. is to a significant degree controlled by the military-industrial complex. Therefore, it seems only reasonable that the path to peace should be negotiated by the U.S. and Israeli military establishments. General to General. Moderated, of course, by Goldman Sachs.
You pretty much sum it up, Keith. General Smedley said it all a long time ago.