Yesterday the Institute for Middle East Understanding had a conference call with Rashid Khalidi and John Mearsheimer to talk about the latest offer in the peace process. Both men used the word "charade." It's an entertaining conversation, go to that link. Some of my notes:
Mearsheimer is a two-stater, but he says that Palestinians ought to declare for one state. "I think this whole process is a charade...This demonstrates clearly that you're not going to get a viable Palestinian state." Palestinians should accept that reality and say that Israel can have one state, "and we insist that it be a democratic state."
The men were asked (at 34 or so) if they support boycott, divestment and sanctions as a means of changing the balance of power between Israelis and Palestinians. Qualified yes from both. Khalidi said that "anything that can change the political climate in this country... is much to be supported," though he is not for a blanket, cookie cutter approach to boycotting Israel, out of deference to public opinion, which is so far from understanding anything about Israel. A campaign has to be aimed at giving people the "lineaments" of the issue.
Mearsheimer said, "I would support the U.S. cutting off all aid to Israel, boycotting Israel and putting sanctions on Israel, and that would all be done in support of the two-state solution. ... I believe American pressure if it were possible to execute it could be employed to get a two-state solution."
Khalidi told a funny story. Funny/horrifying.
He had a "little encounter" at the State Department a few months ago, some colleagues and he were talking to the State Department about Jerusalem. "Our interlocutor said to us, Well, I hope this doesn't develop into Israel bashing and the delegitimization of Israel at the General Assembly. My response was, you know it's sort of funny, when Palestinians resist what's being done to them militarily you call it terrorism, and when they resist in a peaceful way you call it delegitimization. What do you expect them to do, roll over like sheep to have their throats cut and just shut up?"
Mearsheimer said a couple of other startling things. Israel is slipping right so fast that Netanyahu will be seen as a centrist before long. "I would not be surprised if within 20 years, Avigdor Lieberman becomes prime minister... that's where this country is headed."
And he said that American Jews don't have a clue because of the media sugarcoating they get over the fact that Israel is committing suicide. "One of the reasons that American Jewish community are not more mobilized in favor of the two state solution is that they have no idea what's going on." If America wanted two states, they could get em, no problem, but it would require real pressure.
But as to the lobby: "The United States has a relationship with Israel that has no parallel in recorded history."
Mearsheimer called Dennis Ross an "agent" for the Israeli government, a delectable phrase, operating inside the American government, though Khalidi demurred on that one. "I don't know that I would call him an Israeli agent, but he has played a tremendously destructive role since the Reagan administration."
Then Khalidi said that Obama's reported offer of F-35s to Israel, and the offer of a security zone in the Jordan Valley to the Israelis, comprising 40 percent of the territory of the West Bank, recall the Balfour Declaration-- a third party gives a second party something that belongs to a first party. Straight out of Night at the Opera. By the way, they played the contract scene from Night at the Opera at Tony Judt's memorial service at NYU Law School. Beautiful. Khalidi was there. You have to channel Groucho to explain the peace process.
So………what’s new?
g-d damn funny. it cracks me up just reading it. and now we’ve got adam sandler and ‘everyone loves raymond’. sigh. comedy ain’t what it used to be.
QUOTE: Mearsheimer said he would support “the U.S. cutting off all aid to Israel, boycotting Israel and putting sanctions on Israel, all in support of the two-state solution.”
Well, good for him. I’ve been waiting for someone more famous, smarter, more “inside” than I am to say that. I said it here and here and here (Dec. 2008).
Mearsheimer said he would support “the U.S. cutting off all aid to Israel, boycotting Israel and putting sanctions on Israel, all in support of the two-state solution.”
The US cutting of all aid to Israel itself would be the biggest sanction, and inclusive of other forms of aid the US lends besides monetary funds, Israel will learn to make peace when the US withdraws its automatic veto power shielding Israel from its legal violations preventing any Palestinian state or solution.
i’m listening now. the US needs to step down as arbitrator. the international community, other governments need to step in and replace the US. it won’t happen but that’s what needs to happen.
Annie,
as logical as that sounds, I don’t see that the international community or other governments could really do a better job. If the population of the US, the single greatest power on earth, could be so easily brainwashed, do you think that any other government would not be as easily manipulated?
occupyresist,
From Haaretz, January 30, 2010
World isn’t buying Israel’s explanations anymore
link to haaretz.com
There is a logic too it in that the world recognized the self-declared state of Israel solely via the UN, so why shouldn’t the UN decide once again be the broker? I imagine a UN broker would at least get all the parties to the table this time. I guess that’s the main reason it won’t be done.
CITIZEN- The UN has been powerless in regards to Israel due to US support for Israel. It would be interesting to see what would happen if the US simply announced that henceforth it would not veto any security council resolutions concerning Israel or otherwise interfere. I have no idea what the result would be, but it would be interesting to find out.
The best way to think of the UN is as a table around which the nations of the world gather to discuss affairs that concern them all.
The UN has no law enforcement mandate, it can only advise, encourage or urge other nations to abide by international law and UN resolutions.
In addition, there are five permanent members at the UN Security Council. These permanent members have veto powers. As such, the United States uses its veto powers to shield Israel from resolutions critical of the state.
Other member states with representatives at the UN General Assembly rotate through the Security Council on a temporary basis.
Thus, for example, in 2006 when Israel bombed southern Lebanon and killing more than 1300 civilians, the state of Qatar — which had a temporary seat at the Security Council — attempted to introduce several resolutions that were critical of Israel and aimed at ending the bombing campaign.
Does “occupyresist” not understand who dominates the media and who has established the “politically correct” line on this issue, namely the nonsense that Israel and the US are inseparable because we are both hypoc–oops, democracies with “shared values.” Because the European press is not Zionist dominated and its legislatures not in thrall to their domestic Zionist lobbies, Israel is not only not popular among the general populace of Europe, polls have shown that Israel is considered either at the top or near the top when people are asked what country is the greatest threat to the planet.
The US government is not as easily manipulated by the Zionists as “occupyresist” suggests. Obama did put up a bit of a battle before he realized genuflecting to Israel’s demands has become part of the president’s job description.
The pro forma ritual denunciation of the settlements coupled with the equally ritual slap down by the Israelis has become part of the president’s job description as well. This particular kabuki play is staged to give the impression of independence on the part of the president, and the inevitable slap down allows whatever sociopath happens to be running Israel at the moment to appear to be the great leader putting the US in its place–a necessity of Zionist vanity. If any president was serious about the settlements, he would have cut off US aid until Israel ceased expanding them.
Jeffrey,
You are factually right, but I’m becoming a cynic.
Whoa!
Danny Ayalon to Norway: Why can’t you keep your artists under control?
RE: “You have to channel Groucho to explain the peace process.” – Weiss
MY REPLY: And to explain a whole lot of other things as well!
“when Palestinians resist what’s being done to them militarily you call it terrorism, and when they resist in a peaceful way you call it delegitimization. What do you expect them to do, roll over like sheep to have their throats cut and just shut up?”
Er … Yes.
You’d think someone like Khalidi would have worked that out by now.