Ambassador David Friedman’s racist advice to Israeli — “you don’t have to live with [a] Palestinian state, you have to live with the Palestinian state when the Palestinians become Canadians,” is a perfect echo of Dov Weissglas saying Palestinians could have a state when they became Finns. And it reveals the bad faith in Trump’s deal of the century.
The creation of the modern Hebrew language in Israel built upon romantic and messianic concepts of ‘return’ to the ‘promised land.’ It served a purpose of ethnic cleansing, as it serves the application of apartheid today.
Polls showed that Netanyahu would win a fourth election in Israel, and the deal he cut for a unity government with Benny Gantz reflects his strength. Fewer than a third of Israeli voters believe Netanyahu will respect his rotation agreement with Gantz.
Scholar Achille Mbembe was booked to speak at a German festival, but he has been smeared as antisemitic for likening Israel to apartheid South Africa and supporting the boycott campaign. Israel lobbyists are also targeting the festival director, Stefanie Carp.
As a deadline looms in Israeli election tonight, Netanyahu has broken Benny Gantz and may be playing for a fourth election, as the coronvirus PM. Gantz and Netanyahu appeared to be very close to a unity government agreement in Israel, between Likud and the now-reduced Blue White. But then Netanyahu wanted to renegotiate terms, and Blue White broke off.
This week, several extreme measures were taken to suspend core features of Israel’s ‘democracy’ – the parliament was closed, the courts, and more. This has been framed as a necessary response to the coronavirus epidemic. But Israel has a long and sordid record of exploiting ’emergency’ for cynical aims.
Palestinians are on the front lines of Israel’s fight against coronavirus as doctors and nurses, but unfit to be part of an emergency government, Netanyahu says, continuing his racist incitement against Palestinian politicians and the third-largest party in the country.
The Israeli left is shocked when one of its legislators– Orly Levy-Abekasis — refuses to support a government that has the outside backing of Palestinian politicians. They shouldn’t be shocked. This is Zionism.
A stomach-churning report in Haaretz. Israeli snipers who targeted unarmed Palestinian Gazan protesters boast of fulfilling their duty by racking up knee-destructions and hitting “ducks.” This is not shooting and crying, but maiming and bragging.
The big surprise of the Israeli elections was the lead that Likud got over centrist Blue White, 36 to 32. ALthough just short of a right-wing majority for Netanyahu’s bloc, the lead spells hope for Israeli rightists out from the deadlock of the past year.