Amazing how the Gaza slaughter continues to reverberate–as the deaths of children should. Pat Oliphant did a stunning cartoon of a jackbooted headless Israeli pushing a star of David over the little people of Gaza. "I paused when I saw this cartoon," writes a Muslim friend. "It does have goose-stepping and imagery (sharp teeth and a Star of David) that seems to be reminiscent of an earlier era." I don't have a problem; these were atrocities, and artists/commenters need to be able to respond in honest ways to it.
The parallel between the Nazi goal of Aryan purity in
Germany is not
very different in principle from a Jewish state that will use various tactics
to main its demographic makeup. The major difference, however, is the use of
genocide. And that is why I do not resort to this comparison.
The fascination here is that:
–It does appear that artists/commenters are finally getting past the inhibition about being labelled antisemitic. Ezra Klein says the Oliphant cartoon isn't antisemitic, Foxman says it is. The average person/writer/speaker ends up saying, Who the hell knows? (Especially when Jeffrey Goldberg wants as little conversation on this subject as possible for the usual reason: that It's all just the Protocols of the Elders of Zion; not a helpful guide.)
–Yesterday the Financial Times did a big piece on the only thing anyone is talking about, Israel's loss of international legitimacy as war crimes allegations gain traction. The Guardian's documentation of atrocities–"Cut to Pieces" is this headline–has had a viral effect. Gaza is undoing the old order. It's catastrophic for the Israel lobby. Dan Levy understood this while it was happening.
–I sincerely wish the Times would begin to cover this story. American leaders need to understand the crisis. Consider: Benny Morris was given the Times Op-Ed page at the start of the Gaza slaughter to "explain" why Israel's loss of international opinion, its sense that the walls are closing in, fed the assault. But was that an explanation or a disturbed rationale?
one violent reaction. Given the new realities, it would not be
surprising if more powerful explosions were to follow.
Oh my. It is scary when a country with nukes goes off the rails of the world community. American media must begin covering this story, because American leadership is essential to finding a way out of this mess; and Obama can do nothing till the conventional wisdom (sole democracy in the Middle East) shifts.
