And replace it with what?
So, according to Gabriela Shalev, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Israel’s goal in the current hostilities in the Gaza Strip is to destroy Hamas.
Let’s assume they can pull it off: what exactly do they expect will replace it? Social Democrats in the European tradition, perhaps?
The recurring inability of people to see that bad is often replaced by worse is nothing short of astonishing.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I’ve tried to understand Zionism, but despite immersing myself in Jewish authors, journalists, poets, historians, comedians,actors and directors, I cannot fathom what makes a people oppressed throughout history, segregated in ghettos, demonized, and damn near annihilated–how can they justify the policies of the Kenesset toward the Palestinians in Gaza? Have they never heard of the Warsaw Ghetto rebellion? Of the Maccabees? Of Masada? I suppose that like the USA under BushCo and Australia under Howard, the Israeli people disagree with their government, yet find themselves horribly misrepresented by the same.. Reading Ha’aretz makes me believe that the people of Israel are disgusted with their “leaders’”decisions to continue with failed policies that only perpetuate the violence.
December 31st, 2008 at 2:12 am
I have a question about this crisis. Hamas has been lobbing rockets onto the Israeli Settlers off and on since……………Anyway, why is Israel bombing school yards and playgrounds at this time? Here, at the end of the Bush Administration? Granted, after 8 years of lies, deceit, sordid spin and insane decisions, I have become cynical at the least; and paranoid at the worst. The United States has fed weapons and money to the Israelis like pablum to babies. They have, in effect, enabled the hostilities to continue. I see no angels on either side, just very vengeful, angry people. BUT, why now? Why is Israel fanning the flames of the tinderbox, igniting the fury of all of Islam? AND, besides the weapons and funding, how involved is the U.S.? Now, I dont say this is so….I am speculating, purely speculating. 1) Is this some vicious attempt to saddle Obama with such a big crisis that it will be an albatross around his neck in the early days of his administration, thus setting him up for a lot of negativity; and/or 2) Is this some maniacal plot to keep power in the hands of Bush/Cheney? Surely not. Nevertheless, nothing these two psychopaths would do would surprise me. The world should never turn their backs on them. We cannot breathe easily until both of them are on planes heading to their palaces of ill-gotten gain. Even then, never turn your backs on them. As a psychiatric nurse, I was taught never to turn my back on a patient. The same applies with this Administration.
December 31st, 2008 at 11:39 am
Always interesting, Larkrise. I too work in mental health and have been itching to do a psych consult on GWB and his sideDick. Talk about homicidal ideation!!!. But back to the Israelis, and again, I am only refering to their government officials, not the actual citizenry held hostage by them. From what I can gather through our media filter, the upcoming elections in Israel are playing a huge part in these bad choices. Likud, headed by Netanyahu, is pushing for big gains in the Kinesset. It would be like a combo of McCain/Cheney/Lieberman and Giuliani all rolled into one taking over our Executive and legislative branches of gov’t. Scary!! And it looks like it’s going to happen, because of the provoked renewal of aggression with Hamas. The Israeli people will be voting out of fear, fear of Katousha rockets aimed at their own civilian population, and they will most likely vote for the baddest asses they can find, just as millions of fearfully deluded Americans voted for a second Bush term in 2004. A good source of info on this ongoing Old Testament Eye for an Eye conflict is Ha’aretz, the Israeli newspaper, and Dr. Barghouti, a Palestinian lawmaker, non-aligned with either Fatah or Hamas. If you figure out what’s really going on, let me know.
January 1st, 2009 at 9:28 am
APOLOGY. Kadima is Netanyahu’s party, not Likud. Livni and Ohmert are Likud, and are taking the John Kerry approach of co-opting the”tougher” military stance. Didn’t work well for Ohmert in the bombing of Lebanon, but I guess if you just try, try again, attempting and failing to exterminate your enemy and neighbor will someday lead to peace…of the grave.