The head of the Yesha Council has stated the obvious–the settlers have won. In this week’s piece at Souciant, I examine his op-ed and its implications. Ultimately, until progressives, leftists and liberals can find some common ground to work together, there will be no solution until a cataclysmic event decides it. The right is marching steadfastly toward institutional apartheid, and if the left doesn’t get its act together, they will shift the terms of the discourse and the politics yet again, to everyone’s detriment.
Archive for July, 2012
The Road to Apartheid
Posted in Apartheid, One-State Solution, tagged Ali Abunimah, Americans for Peace Now, apartheid, BDS, Benjamin Netanyahu, Churches for Middle East Peace, Dani Dayan, Electronic Intifada. Warren Clark, Irving Moskowitz, Israel, J Street, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Jewish Voice for Peace, Judea, Knesset, Lara Friedman, New York Times, Occupied Territories, Palestine, Rebecca Vilkomerson, Samaria, Sheldon Adelson, United Nations, West Bank, YESHA Council on July 27, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
An Israeli Mother Courage
Posted in Iran, Terrorism, tagged al-Qaeda, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bulgaria, Burgas, Hezbollah, Iran, Israel, Kadima, Knesset, Migrants, Racism, Terrorism, The Holocaust, Toulouse, US on July 20, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
In this week’s piece at Souciant…well, it’s really more of a rant. I’m simply appalled at Benjamin Netanyahu’s cynical use of the murder of Israelis to advance his war agenda. And, it seems, no one, left or right, is calling him on it. Well, I am.
What J Street’s Gotta Do
Posted in BDS, Christians, tagged AIPAC, Americans for Peace Now, BDS, Divestment, J Street, Jewish Voice for Peace, Jews, MJ Rosenberg, Peace Now, Presbyterian Church USA, the New York Times on July 16, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Last week, in a piece on Open Zion, Peter Beinart defended J Street from MJ Rosenberg and myself, and our criticism of its decision to strongly oppose the Presbyterian Church’s targeted divestment initiative. I respond on Open Zion here.
The Only Alternative is War
Posted in International Law, One-State Solution, tagged Ariel, Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu, Geneva Convention, George W. Bush, Gush Etzion, Israel, Levy Report, Ma'ale Adumim, Occupied Territories, Oslo Process, Palestine, West Bank, Yehuda Weinstein on July 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
My column for Souciant this week looks at the execrable “Levy Report” which claims that Israel’s occupation is legal under international law and recommends that Israel retroactively legalize most the outposts that were set up contrary to even Israeli law. Yep, that’s what it said, this is not The Onion. the recommendations are unlikely to be accepted even by teh Netanyahu government that commissioned them, but I explore what impact they will have. Check it out.
Power Concedes Nothing Without Demand–and Neither Will Israel
Posted in BDS, tagged AIPAC, Americans for Peace Now, Barack Obama, Camp David, CUFI, Frederick Douglass, Israel Lobby, J Street, Jerusalem, Mitt Romney, MJ Rosenberg, Presbyterian Church USA, Right of Return, Settlements, settlers, water, West Bank on July 12, 2012 | 3 Comments »
I wrote a piece last week criticizing Americans for Peace Now for their stance on the Presbyterian divestment motion. But my criticism was as nothing compared to MJ Rosenberg’s, and he has now written a few piecesexploring this topic.
Protests against the Gaza War/Operation Cast Lead, in 2009
One difference between myself and MJ is that I spend little time worrying about the stance of J Street on this issue. I’m glad J Street is there; it’s a useful organization and I support it for what it does. But that’s not very much.
J Street is unalterably opposed to any sort of pressure on Israel. They are under the mistaken belief that if they prove they represent the majority of American Jews (compared to AIPAC, they do, but that majority is largely apathetic or lukewarm at best on Israel, while AIPAC’s backers, and those farther right, are zealously passionate and have a LOT more money devoted to their cause), this will convince Israel to change its policies. That’s well-intentioned, but naïve doesn’t begin to describe that view, one which is also completely insulated against political realities and, yes, pragmatism.
APN has a more nuanced approach, but as I pointed out, they still resist any real pressure on Israel, and ultimately, this is a strategy that has no hope to make the slightest dent in either US or Israeli policy regarding the Palestinians.
I must point out here that APN issued a clarification of their statement on the Presbyterian vote. I still think they have it wrong, but it does at least acknowledge that APN recognizes that the Presbyterians were trying to carefully target the occupation and not Israel as a whole.
I have no doubt that MJ is right in saying that keeping their donors from sending their dollars elsewhere is a big factor for APN. But I think there’s more here. I think there is truly a dedication to the notion that by publicizing the spread of Israeli settlements and of their impact; and by raising a Jewish, and Zionist, voice against them that they can get Israel to change its behavior.
To me, this stems from a basic misunderstanding of the words of Frederick Douglass, who said: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
There are important truths in Douglass’ statement, but also some misleading wording.
By using the word “tyrant,” Douglass allows his American, and later Israeli, listeners to believe he is talking about some other people, not our own Liberal, democratic governments whom we love. He also equates “words” and “blows,” a grave error for inspiring social change, implying that words alone might be sufficient to make “power concede.” Doesn’t happen that way, I’m afraid. (more…)
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