So the greatest progressive candidate in American presidential politics in 40 years visits Israel and the occupation, and what happens the next day? Israel announces more colonies, “settlements.” Why do they do so? Because they are arrogant, because they know they can, because they know Obama won’t hold a press conference in Paris on the subject, as he should. Because they know what our press won’t say, but Haaretz will (obviously influenced by the recent visit of Walt and Mearsheimer): that “the Israel lobby” has made our politicians into pantaloons.
The chief difference between apartheid South Africa and Israel/Palestine–says James North, who has seen both societies–is that after the Soweto uprising, in 1976, black South Africans knew that history was on their side and that the world would slowly strangle the regime. They had confidence. And lo, apartheid ended sooner than anyone anticipated. While in Palestine, North says, the Palestinians have none of this confidence. Especially when a leading progressive American visits and he can’t make more than a coded peep about their conditions. It makes them desperate. I imagine I’d be crashing a construction vehicle into Israeli property if I were an Arab.
Speaking of South Africa, here is Dershowitz acolyte Joel Pollak writing in dispositive Dershowitzian form in a Harvard Law School publication on why it is time to stop discussing the “apartheid” issue and move on to creating a Palestinian society: “That means..asking real questions about the
challenges facing Palestinians today. What is preventing peace? How can
peace be achieved? What sort of Palestinian society do we want to
build? All else is a distraction.”
What sort of Palestinian society do we want to build? Asked by an American, a Jew, a Harvard law student? Oh my. When will Americans ask that most radical and democratic of all questions: What do Palestinians want?
