The premier attacks the Arab spring. What a tragic misreading of history– by a rightwing leader of a coalition with racists in it. But could Labor or Kadima do any different? Maybe not. The Guardian:
Binyamin Netanyahu has launched a scathing attack on the uprisings in the Middle East, saying that Arab countries are “moving not forward, but backward” and support from the US and European countries was naive.
The Israeli prime minister said the Arab spring was becoming an “Islamic, anti-western, anti-liberal, anti-Israeli, undemocratic wave”.
Speaking to the Israeli parliament amid…
(Hat tip MW commenter seafoid)
Netanyahu does, for once, say something actually true:
“Reality is changing all the time, and if you don’t see it, your head is buried in the sand.”
But he also demonstrates that truth:
“I ask today, who here didn’t understand reality? Who here didn’t understand history?”
He is not changing at all, so he has no understanding of reality or either question, no matter how many times he mouths that truth.
So the answers to his questions are blowin’ in the wind.
Reality is the choice of taking the easy way of learning from the mistakes of history, or of taking the hard way of being destined to be the one repeating them.
He has chosen to bury his head in the sand and doesn’t see what’s just around the corner.
Zionist Israel is about to repeat the history of the demise of Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and apartheid South Africa.
When will they ever learn?
love the title phil
lol
“moving not forward, but backward”
the natives were so much happier under the dictatorship we provided for them.
Sad enough that Netanyahu and Likud are firmly stationing themselves on the wrong side of history but, through the corrosive influence of the Israel Lobby in this country, Israel’s wrongheaded position will poison our foreign policy as well. Thanks to being joined at the hip to Israel courtesy the Lobby, we risk missing all the strategic and economic opportunities the Arab Spring might otherwise afford us.
Bibi: “When he cautioned Barack Obama and other western leaders against backing the revolt against Hosni Mubarak’s regime, he was told he failed to understand reality. “I ask today, who here didn’t understand reality? Who here didn’t understand history?”…”
In other words: ‘I told ’em — Israel must be the …. ONLY Democracy [nb: using Bibi’s definition of Democracy] in the Middle East! Come hell or high water — we needed those paid thugs around us to keep order and to maintain our unique little State of Jewish values and priviledge. bunker down mutter mutter bunker down — we will keep what is ours forever and ever.’
Is there a checks and balances sanity clause in Israel?
In so called meantime.
“The latest multipurpose nuclear aircraft-carrier The George Bush of the US Navy has been redeployed from the Persian Gulf to the SYRIAN SHORES. The ship is capable of carrying up to 70 aircraft, including 48 attack jets. The aircraft-carrier is escorted by a group of vessels which contains a destroyer.
In this connection, experts are giving both a pessimistic and comparatively moderate prospect of developments near the Syrian sea border. Maxim Minayev from the Russian analytical Centre of Political Situations says:
“This is preparation for a military operation AGAINST SYRIA. These activities are reminiscent of a similar initiative WHEN A GROUP OF NATO vessels were concentrated NEAR LIBYA. Washington wants to collect a MAXIMUM dividend from the series of revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa.
With this aim in mind, Washington is likely to start a military intervention even without UN sanctions. Now we are witnessing the FIRST STAGE stage of NATO naval contingents drawing up NEAR THE Syrian shorelines.”
Oleg Kulakov, an expert in Oriental studies from the Armed Forces University, is not inclined to feel too emotional about the situation.
“The reinforcement of the US aircraft-carrier fleet in the Mediterranean is more likely to be a THREAT. They are building up muscle in the region and this is undoubtedly an element of strong political intimidation. Military pressure is likely to be augmented by possible diplomatic demarche. However, all this does not mean direct military intervention.”
Meanwhile, whipping up tension around Syria is taking place along different lines as well. The day before The George Bush was redeployed near the Syrian coastline, the Al-Arabiya Saudi TV channel circulated a piece of news from the Russians Are Coming! set. It reported that three Russian Navy ships entered Syrian territorial waters. The TV channel referred to a source close to Syrian top authorities.
This news published by a Saudi newspaper was carried on by the Haaretz Israeli news source and a number of other regional media. The Russian Defence Ministry did not confirm this information in a conversation with The Voice of Russia.
However, there is a Russian naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus, so it is small wonder that Russian Navy ships could be seen there. That port is the only Russian military base abroad at present. The agreement on keeping Soviet facilities there was signed by the Syrian government 40 years ago. At present there are only 50 Russian Black Sea Fleet sailors there. They have three piers, a floating repair shop, a peripherals warehouse and some utility rooms…”
http://english.ruvr.ru/2011/11/24/60966368.html