Two nights back BBC's "World News America" anchor, Matt Frei, stood up more for America in the face of Israeli-government intransigence than the American Congress and press.
The BBC hid its provocative interview behind a bland precis, "Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak talks to Matt Frei from the United Nations in New York about the prospects for peace," but it nevertheless violated several taboos that limit press freedom in the U.S. Ehud Barak didn't "talk to" Matt Frei about peace. Instead, Frei actually pressed Barak about the money: "Now, over the years, over the decades, America has given Israel unwavering support, as well as billions of dollars in aid," as well as "What are you giving them at the moment [in return]?"
Barak, seemingly surprised at Frei's effrontery, fobs him off with the usual spiel: "Oh-oh....America keeps giving a lot to Israel a lot....making sure our security is okay and making sure there is a qualitative military edge for the Israeli Defense Forces....we are part of the American, Western, way of life....the only democracy in the Middle East...surrounded by an ocean of different kind of systems. And I think that that's a great contribution...now at the forefront against, terror, radicalism, proliferation, rogue states...."
Frei tries to interrupt Barak's recitation. Finally, Frei repeats his question about the dough, the massive generosity from the U.S. that receives no return from Israel: "Fine, but considering the amounts of money flowing in your direction from the United States, considering the unwavering declarations of friendship from this country, don't you think that Israel should be giving a little bit more at the moment in order to facilitate a peace process which both sides have agreed to?"
Barak "....We have to do it not because are getting a lot of support from the United States but because it is in the real interests of Israel, ...region and the world as a whole [NO mention of the U.S. interests]....we owe it to ourselves...not doing a favor to the Palestinians by making a peace....core issues...break the deadlock and achieve an agreement."
Frei asks a third time about the U.S. generosity and Israeli lack of reciprocity, this time crossing a new line, imagining that Americans might one day cut Israel off from the spigot: "But the real danger politically in this country is that you have a whole number of people throwing hands up in despair, Hillary Clinton for one, the American public for another. Is it not possible that at some stage, that that unwavering friendship and the money that comes with it is just going to run out?"
Barak: " I don't think so and I hope not,....share with the American people a way of life....democracy, freedom, and so on....Peacemaking takes two...it's like tango, not like war....Palestinians have to make tough decisions on their own."
Frei brings up U.S. support for Israel an unprecedented fourth time and hints again that it could be curtailed: "But the American administration is very frustrated by what Israel has been doing, especially when it comes to settlements and settlement freezes. Are you not worried that at some stage they will really throw their hands up in despair and say 'Enough is enough: you're on your own!'?"
Barak's answer seems almost to hint at blackmailing a weak U.S. President who needs the (fake) "peace process": "I don't think so, I think that too much has been invested...too much is dependent on it...major challenges, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran...radical wave of Muslim terror....proof of the pudding is in the eating, so we still have to deliver and we intend to."
This interview would be less than the bare minimum if the U.S. press would actually report facts or Congress act on them. Matt Frei didn't introduce Ehud Barak as the "Defense" Minister who plotted the war crimes committed in the 2008-9 attack on Gaza, killing hundreds of imprisoned Gazan civilians--a bombardment planned well before Israel pledged itself to the previous six-month truce with Hamas. Frei didn't remind viewers that Israel first broke the ceasefire on Nov 4, 2008, and then after Hamas then offered to renew the truce indefinitely, exploded the calm with a surprise attack on Dec. 27.
Nevertheless, Frei and BBC out-do the American news-"readers." In a fair world, we wouldn't have to feel glad for so little truth, but against the censorship now silencing salient facts about Palestine and Israel, Frei's willingness to keep asking about American money and Israeli ingratitude makes me grateful today. Would that our press and Congressional representatives would do as much. After all, the flow of such gargantuan amounts of money should be the obvious premise of every debate about Israel--for that indulgence enables its illegal Occupation of Palestine--let alone the rights to justice and self-determination of the Palestinian people.
This is a great post. But it’s written into our Constitution than all our major news anchors have to be deferential to Israel.
This was not “badgering” as much as it was “pressing” for an answer — which Barak never really gave. And they were really not hard questions either. After all, if Israel really is supposed to be an American proxy state, what can it really deliver in either military, diplomacy, or intelligence? A truly prepared journalist would have taken Barak through the possibilities and shown Israel’s empty hand. Despite the contrast with puff questions in the US, it was still not real journalism.
Netanyahu won over the U.S. Congress, when back in the 90s, he told the House that his goal as Prime Minister was to make Israel independent of U.S. aid. His statement was ridiculed in Israel. One of the Israeli papers’ economics editors explained how such “independence” would devaluate the Israeli shekel against the dollar by about 50%.
No American could ask the key question once, let alone four times. Too bad Americans (including the Tea Partiers) don’t realize AIPAC and its whores in congress and WH are sending the US to hell in a socio-economic hand basket. The signs are all on the world’s wall–Uncle Sam’s version of the Great Game has a large mote in its eye yet its essence is tiny Israel, made large by the only powerful lobby in the USA with the sole purpose of blinding Uncle Sam to his own best interests to support a foreign country, Israel.
Apropos Obama’s recent sucking up to India on his hands and knees, with just a few jobs to show for it while millions in the US are desperate for a job, any job, and while formerly weak and not well-regarded Third World economic countries are doing great making job-creative deals with Europe:
“While American strategic decision makers are unable to stop the deterioration of their country’s status as a result of endemic Zionist control of American political thought, and the control exercised by Israeli governments over the US Congress and State Department, which push the United States to costly military adventures. At the same time, Israel seeks to win China over in preparation for deterioration in American influence in the coming decades.”
–snip–
“Zionist exploitation of American influence and money is ongoing and is pushing the United States to wage wars on Israel’s behalf against Arab and Muslim nations, which is exhausting American power, while its competitors for world leadership invest their resources in order to remove this empire which was one day a model for democracy, human rights, economic prosperity and freedom of the press, to become as a result of its alliance with Israel, an arrogant empire carrying the shame of its wars – which it fights on Israel’s behalf – hostile to freedom and human rights and with a declining economy despite all boasts.”
link to intifada-palestine.com
It’s a silly question. If you’re of a certain political persuasion, Israel protects American interests in the Middle East by serving as the regional hegemon. If you’re of another political persuasion, Israel serves US interests as the only democracy or thing resembling a democracy in the region.
The whole country is also a technological innovator for the defense industry and many others.
Israel’s a bargain for the US.
the US state department disagree with probably because it doesn’t need money from cater to jewish wants.
its so called technical invotations are either things taken from other countries and tweaked or done because of foriegn funding. Israel is not a bargain for the US its a sink for resources. Israel hurts US interests in the region. Is is a failure and needs to go the way of a lame race horse.
Israel is notorious for reverse engineering everything we give them, and then sellling their own resulting product to places like China. Israel is now hell bent on being best buddies with economically booming China, which it hopes to make its next host for its parasitic nature–after Uncle Sam has bled to death helping Israel. Ask the French about this; they have a few related although more modest stories of their own.
probably all the russian jews. the russians were master at reverse engeneering
Yeah, right.
For example, Israel saved Intel:
link to seattletimes.nwsource.com
How is that for saving countless American jobs and US technology?
And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Google “stuxnet”.
You guys clearly have no clue what you’re talking about. This is all just sheer animosity on your part. Israel is one of most technologically advanced societies in the world.
Using US investment, US tehcnology and US innovation.
There’s no evidence any jobs were saved at all. The word jobs appears nowhere in the article.
Intel own a majority fo the market share. Verndors were not jumping ship to other CPU manufacturers.
Did stuxnet create jobs?
eee :
Ha ha ha!
That was good work, apparently.
As Walid said further down here, Israel seems to have often been using its enemies as guinea pigs, or a testing ground for new martial and lethal technologies, and for developing repressive techniques against “recalcitrant” populations. Those are services they can definitely provide to the US, and have been.
1. New warfare techniques
2. Population control / repression
Now you can add to that list “guided missile”-type software (if it really was a creation of the IDF/Mossad).
And yet, one of the most socially backward.
No they aren’t for that to happen they would need original ideas not adapting and tweaking old ideas. they are what they are through adapting other innovations and the few totaly internal one asre still based upon foriegn investment
Israel is the only democracy in the world with no fixed borders.
The only one where citizenship is a function of religion.
The regional hegemon goes to war once every 3 years. Can afford white phosphorous but not fire trucks.
A slight correction is in order. About 50 percent of all international boundaries are disputed or not recognized by one or more of the affected states. Over the years, the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have published advisory opinions which explained that there is no rule of law that requires the land frontiers of a State to be fully delimited and defined, and that often in various places and for long periods of time they are not.
Nonetheless, it appears that Palestine is the only entity in the world that cannot be considered a State, until its borders are fully delimited and defined. The ICJ has ruled that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) are legally binding and apply to the Palestinian territory. Those conventions stipulate that all peoples have the right of self-determination, including the right to
determine their own political status (i.e. statehood). However there is an unpublished loophole that permits the US or Israel to waive that right on behalf of the Palestinian people.
hostage, the terms disputed and occupied have different legal definitions under international law. the palestinian occupied territories are not disputed, they are occupied. for example south ossesia is disputed territory. very different set of circumstances.
A slight correction is in order. About 50 percent of all international boundaries are disputed or not recognized by one or more of the affected states.
But Israel is different in that it refuses to define its own borders. Other countries define their own borders, which may or may not be disputed by their neighbors, but there is no other state that refuses to specify its OWN borders.
If you’re of another political persuasion, Israel serves US interests as the only democracy or thing resembling a democracy in the region.
Lebanon more closely resembles a democracy than does Israel, which denies representation to over one third of the people that it rules over. And Israel keeps attacking Lebanon … and threatening Iran, which likewise has something resembling a democracy.
“Lebanon more closely resembles a democracy than does Israel, which denies representation to over one third of the people that it rules over. And Israel keeps attacking Lebanon … and threatening Iran, which likewise has something resembling a democracy. ”
Lebanon doesn’t even have a monopoly on the use of force. It’s barely a country. It’s held hostage by Hezbollah and Syria. Iran is not a democracy either. The last set of elections were not free.
False.
Hezbollah is part of the government, and has accepted it’s minor role in ruling the country.
Neither is Israel. Under a democracy, all people have the same rights. Not so in Israel.
Hophmi, you’re getting monotonous with your “Lebanon is being held hostage.” 80% of Lebanon’s population is happy to have Hizbullah’s arms to keep the greedy Israeli fingers off its waters and now it needs them even more with the newly discovered offshore oil and gas . The other 20% is made up of the pro-US/Israel group. When Israel works its way out of being a rogue state, there will no longer be a need for Hizbullah’s arms.
You are right about Iran’s last elections not having been free, they were tampered with by the CIA, the Mossad, the BBC and CNN and even Twitter got in on a bit of the action. The US-backed Rafsanjani and his group lost in spite of all the help they got.
Hezbollah killed the father of the Prime Minister of Lebanon and threatens to throw the country into chaos if Lebanon continues to fund the investigation.
Wondering Jew, nothing has been proven about Hizbullah having killed R. Hariri. What you’re hearing in the news is what the US and Israel are whispering to the UN tribunal to pin on Hizbullah to start a civil war in Lebanon because Israel got its ass kicked by a couple of thousand Hizbullah fighters on the ground in 2006 in spite of the hundreds of thousands of tons of American-supplied stuff dumped on Lebanon and now they are trying to put out Hizbullah’s lights in another way. Hizbullah is trying to short-circuit the tribunal to avert a civil war that Israel is dying to have started in Lebanon.
“Hezbollah killed the father of the Prime Minister of Lebanon”
Please, WJ, don’t write as though we couldn’t remember the huge push to blame Syria. The bottom dropped out of that.
Why should we now be any more convinced that Hezbollah was responsible?
1. You have no evidence to support that claim. Accusations alone do not and will not suffice.
2. So far, at least a dozen generals in Lebanon’s army have been arrested over espionage for Israel, some of whom participated in the Harriri tribunal as key witnesses. Simply put, Israel has sought to influence the outcome of the trial by paying Lebanese traitors to provide the tribunal with false information. Care to guess why? Oh nevermind.
Gee, did we just promise Iran 30 billion free dollars to cover its next decade, and did we even more recently offer them a free squadron of F-35s?
Twaddle Hopmi.
Hezbollah’s relationship is rather well explained by UNSC Res 1701. Pays to read things rather carefully. The Lebanese are not fools.
I’m guessing though, that useful fools actually believe the propaganda they’re drip fed.
For example, was the war in 2006 between Israel and Lebanon?
I’ll trust you to leave an answer BEFORE you hit the link. (You can be trusted? Yes?)
link to wp.me
Hostage
Israel is LYING about it’s non-defined borders.
ShortLink link to wp.me
Furthermore your analogy is ill thought out, how can I put this politely………BULLSH*TE
States with border disputes have those disputes because the states concerned RECOGNIZE their own borders as having been established/fixed. The disputes arise over exactly where.
If Israel has no fixed borders, how can it have a dispute as to where they are, when there AREN’T ANY!!
Hostage
” Nonetheless, it appears that Palestine is the only entity in the world that cannot be considered a State, until its borders are fully delimited and defined.”
Arguments (in order) against the silly notions..
1) INDEPENDENCE
2) Declaration for the Establishment of the State of Israel, FIRST LINE
3) The Israeli Declaration did not come into effect until AFTER the British occupation (LoN Mandate for Palestine) ended. “The Act of Independence will become effective at one minute after six o’clock on the evening of 14 May 1948, Washington time.”
An entity cannot effectively declare independence whilst the territories being declared are under the control of another entity. It contradicts the notion of independence.
Indonesia was required to withdraw in order for East Timor to declare independence. The British had to leave before Israel’s Declaration came into effect.
Israel will have to withdraw from all Palestinian territories. THAT is the problem.
Israel now fears the solution to what it has purposefully and foolishly created. Civil war. Hundreds of thousands of Israeli’s are unwittingly living outside of Israel, having been convinced through years of propaganda that they’re in Israel.
Meanwhile, there has never been a single moment in the history of Palestine where some or all of it’s territories have not been under the control of another entity. Contrary to the Hasbara, there has never been an opportunity to miss.
” The ICJ …etc etc… However there is an unpublished loophole that permits the US or Israel to waive that right on behalf of the Palestinian people. “
There is no loophole. There is only the protection of Israel by the US veto vote in the UNSC.
“… Can afford white phosphorous but not fire trucks. ”
I always thought that the phosphorus was graciously donated by the Americans along with the free fuel for all of Israel’s military equipment.
Everyone is asking what is Israel giving back to to the States. All the donations that Congress people don’t count for anything? Even if they are made by Americans, they are made on behalf of Israeli interests.
(thanks for the edit function)
Oooooops…seafoid “Israel is the only democracy in the world with no fixed borders”
Pays to check every word of ye olde Hasbara…
After years of sifting thru documents available on the UN, I finally found a document which simply cannot be contested, showing Israel KNEW it had fixed borders dating from 14th May 1948.
May 22 1948 The reply of the Provisional Government of Israel (S/766) to the questions addressed to the “Jewish authorities in Palestine” was transmitted by the acting representative of Israel at the United Nations on May 22.
Question (a): Over which areas of Palestine do you actually exercise control at present over the entire area of the Jewish State as defined in the Resolution of the General Assembly of the 29th November, 1947?
“In addition, the Provisional Government exercises control over the city of Jaffa; Northwestern Galilee, including Acre, Zib, Base, and the Jewish settlements up to the Lebanese frontier; a strip of territory alongside the road from Hilda to Jerusalem; almost all of new Jerusalem; and of the Jewish quarter within the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem. The above areas, outside the territory of the State of Israel…” link to wp.me
Those days are long past. The US is not served by Israel periodically smashing Lebanon to bits.
Still waiting for this magical Israeli democracy to spread across the region. I do see tin-pot dictators propped up by the US though.
How noble – war profiteers! When business gets quiet, just get the US to invade another country, as occurred w/ Iraq. Iran is next right? Israel’s business model is clear.
About Israel being the technical innovator, not to be forgetten is that during Israel’s 20-year occupation of southern Lebanon, that area was used to test the unmanned drones, the white phosphorus, the Bunker Busters, DU and DIME munitions and so on for the US and Israeli defense industry and this testing was done on the Shia civilians in Lebanon’s south; it’s no wonder these people hate Israel with a passion.
Absolutely Walid – and Jeff Halper in his vid on YT, “The Global Pacification Industry” describes Palestinians in Gaza and the WB/EJ as a captive population on which the Israel death industries test their latest weapons. The playstation remote control machine guns on the Gaza border (manned by teenage girls) is just such a system – in development, refined by shooting and killing Palestinians – like children in the buffer zone collecting gravel [I've linked all these stories many times forgive me if I don't again].
But, Hophmi, the US would be better off with more balance in the Middle East. Our over-the-top support of Israel right or wrong is the key reason the US has to worry about the Middle East at all.
There difference being that there’s evidence for the latter and none for the first.
Most of that technical innovation is technology it stealsl from the US. What it doesn’t steal is given to it.
Just like the bailout of the banks was a bargain for the taxpayer.
Susie,
Do you have a link to the original broadcast?
The link in the first line of the article will get u there MRW.
But here it is anyway, just in case: link to news.bbc.co.uk
“The bottom line is money. The US government dances to Israel’s tune because it is afraid to risk campaign contributions from a few dozen (Israel Firster) fat cats. That is the whole story.” How far will Uncle Sam bend over? As far as Israel wants. Berman’s bill passing in the House is just the latest nudge, as MJ Rosenberg concluded today. link to english.aljazeera.net
Beautiful work by Matt Frei. The salient point can be boiled down to this excerpt:
Unstated by Barak is that Israel actually constitutes a massive liability for the United States, giving it nothing in return but a heightened risk of terrorist attack.
And his customary riff about Israel being an outpost of American values is a Big Lie. Israel’s segregated schools, segregated housing, and rank ethnic supremacy codified in law represent a contemptuous rejection of American values.
The truth will out …
I faintly see those pidgeons way up there in the blighted USA sky–when and where will they come home to roost?
When the break comes it will be sudden. Israel is on an unsustainable path and the deeper in it goes the more it cuts itself off from a viable future.
Seasfoid, that’s why Israel is wooing China like crazy. It plans to be around and still the local big bully–way after it’s former lover Uncle Sam is even more sick in his frail bed. Israel goes both ways.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Israel still went ahead and sold the AWACS to the Chinese behind the America’s back. If it was able to sell the Pollard shit to the USSR without batting an eyelash, what’s selling the AWACS technology to the Chinese? It’s just a question of time before Israel drags the US down.
As an Asian, I find that HIGH-larious. The idea that China, a nation for whom the word “inscrutable” was practically invented, is going to be saddled with a albatross that can only shriek “Remember the Holocaust” is just hysterical.
There’s nothing in any religion, that says you have to love a pigeon.
But it has no d in it.
There is another word, “pidgin” which refers to a simple language made up of a major established language spoken in child talk mixed with some words of a native language. This has nothing to do with the worthy bird that carried our messages back when ships were wood and men were iron.
You’re right homingpigeon–Sorry. No d. My bad.
great write up phil, thanks for putting this center stage where it belongs.
susie! wow, sorry i didn’t realize. great write up susie. ;)
“”Fine, but considering the amounts of money flowing in your direction from the United States, considering the unwavering declarations of friendship from this country, don’t you think that Israel should be giving a little bit more at the moment in order to facilitate a peace process which both sides have agreed to?”
It has become so so clear that Israel is not willing to give anything…nothing at all. They along with Berman, Ros Lehtinen, Ackerman, Boxer, Schumer etc will not give up the illegal settlements or expanding of the illegal settlements all. Does not matter that this illegal expansion has jeopardized Israel, the national security of the U.S. They do not give a rats ass.
Yesterday on the house floor Poe, Ackerman Berman etc spun the I/P’s situation as Palestinians fault. They kept repeating over and over again that Israel has tried and tried and tried. Kept repeating complete lies like Barak. Clearly Israel will continue to do as they please
not willing to give anything
it’s a one way street
Barack says Israel is doing what it does (or doesn’t do) for its own self-interest and for the rest of its region and the world. He claims Israel has helped to defeat Communism too. And that Americans give so much to Israel because Americans share the same values and so, because Israel is the only real democracy in the Middle East. He then says “we” in this context, meaning by implication the US & Israel, says that we are dealing with other challenges in his region, such as Iraq and Afghanistan. I didn’t know the IDF was fighting beside us in those countries, and aiding us so much in other ways. Live and learn. Bush Sr kept Israel out of the Gulf War as otherwise the US wouldn’t have had the cover of supporting arab armies, international imprimature. The same Bush Sr who later wrote in his book that the US cannot afford to appear as if it is fighting Israel’s battles for it. I wonder how much the international community will support the US with its national military when Iran is attacked from the air? That did not matter to Bush Jr when he attacked Iraq. It might matter a tad more next unilateral time around.
One thing people don’t understand about the aid given to Israel. Israel does not need the money.
It did 30 years ago, but not now. The money is pushed through congress by defense contractors who get to sell F-15′s and F-16′s and other equipment.
Having Israel use your equipment is like Britney Spears endorsing your perfume. It helps you sell in many other countries. And the line workers at these factories are very happy to have work in this difficult times.
Whether or not you like this situation, it will never change. Just like your worldwide revolution to kill all the rich people.
Good deadpan delivery. It’s unfortunate that you have no evidence to support that nonsense, which has been ‘pushed’ here before by your type. Try harder next time.
I’m sure your response in support of your claim will come in the form of a question asking, Are you going to tell me that Americans don’t need the work?. I know, I know, Focus on what can be easily proven.
Yes, well done Matt Frei, but I have to say that the BBC are hugely criticised in the UK for it’s bending over backwards so as to not offend Israel. BBC World News America is on BBC News 24 at some time past midnight in the UK; not many viewers then. I heard the other day that the UN Human Rights Council’s report on, and damning of Israel, as regards the murderous attack on the Mavi Marmara was mentioned very briefly on BBC News 24, but on no other BBC News channel, whether TV or radio. Glad to hear Matt Frei was brave enough to do that though, as the BBC have twice investigated Jeremy Bowen for his reporting in the Occupied Territories (they must be inundated with complaints from the rabid “Israel can do no wrong” contingent).
One more point: the BBC refused to air an appeal for the people of Gaza under a multi-charity umbrella after “Cast Lead”, followed by Sky News, whereas the independent channels had no doubts about airing the appeal, which was a purely humanitarian one.
Mary, I agree. –And, thanks, dear Friends, for all for your other great comments.–
The BBC used to report the actual facts about Palestine and Israel, but since Andrew Gilligan reported (correctly) that the Blair government “sexed up” the evidence of WMD in Iraq, the BBC has squelched itself. After Gilligan was smeared by an inquisition-–commonly called a “whitewash”–-led by Lord Hutton, the BBC fired or “allowed to resign” its heads, Chairman Gavyn Davies and Director General Greg Dyke.
link to news.bbc.co.uk
link to news.bbc.co.uk
British weapons expert Dr. David Kelly was outed by Blair as Gilligan’s source; tragically, Kelley was found dead in the woods amid furor over the leak. People continue to speculate about Dr David Kelly’s death; recently Rawstory reprinted others’ claims that Dr. David Kelly was killed:
link to rawstory.com
link to dailymail.co.uk
Even without murder, Kelly’s death was terrible–another casualty of among thousands of an illegal war.
Eventually, though, “The Independent” and others verified Gilligan’s claim–and Kelly’s information–that “Secret Emails Show Iraq Dossier Was ‘Sexed Up’”
link to independent.co.uk
Meanwhile, the Downing Street memos proved that Sir Richard Dearlove, who was chief of MI6, told PM Tony Blair about Bush’s plan to attack Iraq:
“There was a perceptible shift in attitude. Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, though military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy.”
link to timesonline.co.uk
link to guardian.co.uk
Later “The Guardian reported how Dearlove now argues that “the government placed too much weight on intelligence claims to help persuade opponents in parliament to support the war. Sir Richard Dearlove said Iraq demonstrated the dangers when ‘policy was built round intelligence and little else or when it was used for the primary justification for government action.’”
link to guardian.co.uk
It was a noticeable shift at BBC
“Now, over the years, over the decades, America has given Israel unwavering support, as well as billions of dollars in aid,” as well as “What are you giving them at the moment [in return]?”
When a few brave congress people start asking these questions we might witness a shift. I will not be holding my breath. One would think that our congress folks might have noticed that there is a shift taking place
No, our congress folks only notice Code Pink wears pink and is loud. They do notice when the AIPAC funds come into their campaign coffers. But you know that.
Interesting that Barak flounders so badly, sounding like an ill-prepared student who hasn’t done his homework. The best he can manage is to splutter some inane and banal generalities, none of which would stand up to a moment’s examination. Clearly he, and his partners in crime, never expect to be asked some simple questions like this, since he is unable to answer them coherently or convincingly. So the arrogance displayed daily by Israel is laid bare here – the assumption is that Israel can do what it likes, and still boss Congress around through its financial purchase of most senators, allied to its bullying of the media and presumption to silence dissent.
What really stands out though is the plainly and demonstrably untrue, pathetic excuse: “We are part of the Western way of life…” What hogwash, as anybody who has been there knows. News for Israel – you are a Middle Eastern state, your principles of ethno-nationalism and segregation coupled with your racist state apparatus have nothing in common with Western countries at all, and it is an insult to most Westerners to even think you are. You are also not that infantile phrase “the only democracy in the Middle East” since you are not a Western style democracy, whose crucial characteristic is one vote for all citizens within its borders and equal civil and human rights for all.
Your presumption and arrogance that your warmongering paranoid pathology which is hellbent on defining half the globe as an enemy has anything in common with other countries in the West or elsewhere only emphasises your isolation, The only countries you have anything in common with are Burma, China and other despotic states who wage warfare on indigenous populations.
Yeah, justicewillprevail, Barak really did reveal he was at a loss as to what to say like a stupid and ignorant school kid–and, yes, it’s because he never gets those questions, especially in public. He doesn’t need to study some talking points before his usual appearances in the public eye. His complete and banal code-worded arrogance is rationally justified. It’s always worked before. I’d like to see Obama get asked the same question even once in public, let alone 4x in a row. And I think Obama knows all about what VR says re the deeper negative macro-historical and continuing implications. Yet I doubt he’d do much better than Barak considering that surmise on my part–Obama would likely at most briefly imply a moral equivalence sandwiched between Israel and Palestine, butter on the Israel side, hold the stress on the gigantic power imbalance and respective daily life of the two peoples.
I think Barak gave a little more than people are aware of with his reply, particularly –
“…we are part of the American, Western, way of life…”
The changing goal of all colonialism and exploitation is to convert the “savages,” because the assumption put forward is that the “other” way of life is wrong, not civilized, certainly not Western. This is always the excuse for colonization and exploitation of the indigenous, and Barak is only fulfilling – voicing – this ancient theme. The process of “westernization” is what is supposed to be irreversible, and this is the goal for the entire Middle East by US admission – you know “the clash of civilizations” (which just means oppression and exploitation). Barak says that Israel assists in that process, and people need to consider that this is the chief goal of the Euro/American alliance whether it is acknowledged or not. The river runs deeper than you imagine –
<a href="link to youtube.com
TURN YOU INTO ME
I was doing some reading the other day about the Agricultural Revolution which took place during the 8th century in the Muslim empire.
Fast forward to 1948 when Zionist Hasbara claimed that the East European pioneers taught the Arabs how to work the land, farm and cultivate crops.
Cute. I guess those Ay-rabs should be thankful, eh?
If you want a real glimpse of what is in store for the ME (check out the links on the site for the ME), take a look at this link –
MEFTA
You have this constant refrain of “we are looking out for your development,” this is short hand for exploitation and economic oppression. Look at the players in the proposal(s), and try to read between the lines.
Yes “democracy” is blooming everywhere, similar to the type of democracy I am familiar with during demonstrations – its heaven
DEMOCRACY
Sorry –
I’LL TURN YOU INTO ME