Hysteria, ‘hasbara’ and the flotilla

[bemildred]

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If it were up to the government, Gazans would still be unable to receive terrorist infrastructure equipment such as toys, musical instruments, heaters, newspapers, fishing rods, tractor parts, irrigation pipes and, of course, coriander, on relief trucks coming across the border.

Why did that policy change? What forced Israel to start letting everything through except construction equipment, which it fears Hamas might use to make bunkers? It was Freedom Flotilla 1, remember? It was the killing of nine Turks aboard the Mavi Marmara by Israeli commandos on May 31, 2010, after which Israel was compelled by international outrage to begin allowing all those previously banned weapons of mass destruction – cumin, ginger, dried fruit, industrial margarine, clothing fabric, sewing machines and more – into the Strip.

Likewise, if it were up to the government, Hosni Mubarak would still be ordering Egyptian troops to search out and destroy the tunnels built by Gazans to smuggle in goods. But to the government’s dismay, Mubarak was overthrown and Egypt’s new leadership is less eager to collaborate with our Gaza policy.

The result? “Sacks of cement and piles of gravel... are smuggled through hundreds of tunnels in double shifts, day and night, totaling some 3,000 tons a day... Streets are being paved and buildings constructed,” wrote The New York Times’ Ethan Bronner last weekend.

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=227181

[Jefferson23]

1. Me too:

"I’m still waiting for the IDF to release all the videos confiscated from the Mavi Marmara – not just those that show the people aboard beating the commandos sliding down the ropes, but the stuff that happened before and after, too, especially the footage of the commandos killing those nine people."


As for those lethal sewing machines and dried fruit, how brave of the Israeli government for allowing such things.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. The more I read from Larry Derfner, the more I like him...

Given the 'Derfner is the main reason I refuse to subscribe' comment I read, I'm not sure JPost readers feel the same way :)

[oberliner]

3. Are you following Israel Reconsidered?

He's picked up a new debating partner since Richard Silverstein backed out.

[shaayecanaan]

6. Indeed. An interesting passage this week:-

"Regarding Israeli Arabs, Dimi rightly says that Israeli Jews believe that unless they “control every power institution in Israel – government, major private companies, the military, the land administration, and the courts – they will be immediately or eventually exterminated, politically, culturally and, of course, physically.” That definitely is what most Israeli Jews think – but it’s bullshit. There’s no reason why Israeli Arabs can’t have the exact same rights, opportunities and responsibilities as Jews in this country - except, in my opinion, in two areas: the military and immigration.

I don’t think Arab citizens want to be drafted into the Israeli army like Jewish citizens, and I know that Jews, myself include, don’t want Arabs to be drafted, and the reason is that it’s morally wrong, dangerous and finally impossible to force them to fight Israel’s likely enemies, who are, after all, Muslims and Arabs, including Palestinians. Nothing’s going to change that, and until the day Israel (or just about any other state) can live without an army, military service is one responsibility that Israeli Arabs can’t be forced to shoulder. Yet under any arrangement other than a Jewish state, Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs would naturally have equal military responsibilities – and because of history, geography, politics and everything else, that is simply unworkable.

About immigration, I think a Jewish state has to maintain a solid Jewish majority, so its immigration policies must be tailored to that end. Still, that doesn’t mean Israel needs as large a Jewish majority as it has now, and there’s no reason why foreign gentiles, including Arabs, shouldn’t be able to apply for citizenship here and get it. (That foreign gentiles now can only become citizens if they marry Israeli Jews is one of the most hideous laws on the country’s books.)

This is not full equality, I know. What’s more, any country that calls itself a Jewish state must, inevitably, belong to its Jewish citizens more than to its non-Jewish ones. But I still think a Jewish state that sought as much equality as possible – a Jewish state as envisioned by Meretz or the left wing of Labor, or by the New Israel Fund – would be a very good country for all its citizens. At any rate, such a country, I’m convinced, would be far better for its citizens than any alternative kind, and I’ll get to that shortly.

As for the Palestinians, I don’t see why the hell Israel can’t survive next to a fully sovereign Palestine - with an army, with weapons, and with control of its airspace, coast and borders – when it survives untouched next to Egypt, Jordan, Syria and other countries that are not only fully sovereign, but are much stronger than Palestine is likely to be for a very long time, if ever. It’s as simple as that – Israel can offer the Palestinians the same powers of sovereignty that it and every other state exercises; it can end its domination over the Palestinians forever without any threat to its own security. All the rest is ridiculously exaggerated fear."

[azurnoir]

7. quite enlightening as to the 'liberal' Israeli mindset

we know we're being discriminatory against non-Jews but oh well they'll just have to live with it, or perhaps that is why Derf seems to want a Palestinian state

[shaayecanaan]

8. He`s an interesting chap

and unlike his many, many faux-liberal contemporaries he does mean well. He is probably right as regards the military. Palestinians do not want to join the Israeli military and Jews do not want them there.

All part of being a Jewish state I suppose. Another example would be Israel banning missionary work by Christian groups. A Jewish value no doubt and probably supported by the majority of the population.

On the other hand, if a left wing Scandinavian country wants to ban ritual slaughter (whether kosher or halal) because it is concerned for the animals` welfare, then likewise, that is a genuinely held cultural belief that a country like Holland or Sweden is entitled to uphold, again no doubt supported by the majority of the population.

[oberliner]

9. Who are his "faux-liberal contemporaries" who do not mean well?

You say there are "many, many" such persons.

Can you identify a few examples of whom you mean?

[Violet_Crumble]

10. I am. I hope the new partnership works out n/t

[bemildred]

4. He is often interesting. Mr Burston too. They can surprise you now and then. nt

[azurnoir]

5. yep we're seeing lot's of that in these parts

imagine if all the energy that the 'some' in the 'pro-Israel' community put into justifying, excusing, and continuing the situation in Gaza and OPT was put into solving it