Is it just my flair for the dramatic, or does this Netanyahu speech exude bunker mentality? He doesn’t understand that Israel’s standing has never been lower internationally because of factors Netanyahu can actually control: Gaza, killing the Goldstone report, suppressing peaceful protest, endless colonization. From a JPost report on Netanyahu speech to the Knesset:
"Goldstone is a codeword for an attempt to delegitimize Israel’s right to self defense," Netanyahu told the lawmakers. "The international battle against Israel began in UN Durban Conference I, and continued in the 2005 IJC advisory opinion against the security fence and in the Durban Conference 2, as well as the Goldstone Report [on war crimes committed during Operation Cast Lead]. This is a comprehensive attack, not on a specific Israeli government but on the state of Israel."
The prime minister went on to stress that "Fighting against terrorists requires internal unity. We mustn’t search for the cracks through which to weaken or attack the government at these times."…
"I did not promise a paradise in the West Bank, I promised economical prosperity….
"[A]ll we got [in return for these gestures and actions]," Netanyahu said, "was [the] Goldstone [report], [US pressure to stop all building projects in the Jerusalem neighborhood of] Gilo, all kinds of preconditions [for resuming peace talks] that were unprecedented and unjustified."…
"Our internal unity is important in order to successfully deal with the attacks on Israel’s right to self-defense and in order to continue the peace process. When we fight against false accusations made against Israel we must fight together. We must do this together. The real options are either to ram the government or to support it. This is no less than what I asked of the opposition only several months ago when I was chairman of the opposition," Netanyahu asserted.
"The only option is to support the Israeli government at this time," the premier concluded.
