You may have noticed a shift in thinking about Israel lately, or a greater willingness in American political and social life (mostly on the left, but not only) to consider the conditions and injustices under which the Palestinians live.
There may be many reasons for this:
1. A reaction to some of the Bush administration’s failures in Iraq…combined with a weak economy.
2. A still relatively intellectually confused but resurgent American left.
3. A demographic shift toward a larger Arab population in both Europe and the U.S.
4. Our interaction with the Arab world through rapidly advancing technology.
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As Israel sees it (and there are many good reasons for seeing it this way), any concession to the violence of Hamas is unacceptable. Any loss of Israeli life to a Hamas rocket attack is cause for military operation to protect the civil order. Despite the rallying anger, resentment and threats of violence by much the Arab world (to which the Israelis have long since steeled themselves) they’ve gone ahead and pursued a military operation.
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I don’t necessarily have a response to such current events…
…so much as I’d argue that one of our most important shared interests with Israel is still through its functioning democracy: Israeli military force is eventually answerable to the Israeli people through its laws, lawmakers, and ultimately to the people themselves. This is a form of government cast in our own image, with which we identify and understand as vital to our own freedoms and way of life.
The current wellspring of sentiment in America toward the Palestinian situation has important truths to it…but look for it to be used accordingly by groups for peace…for aid…for Islam…for social justice (to rally the blame America first crowd)…and more generally by U.S. politicians as they may eventually navigate these waters. As a result, perhaps U.S. foreign policy in the region may gradually be changing in much the same way…if it hasn’t been already.
Are you convinced?
by pinkturtle2.
Addition: It’s probably pretty obvious I’m been taking a look at Samuel Huntington lately…and don’t fully address the depth of his thinking.
From The Hoover Institution: Stanley Kurtz On Francis Fukuyama and Samuel Huntington…From The American Interest Online: Francis Fukuyama On Samuel Huntington…From Bloggingheads: Eli Lake And Heather Hurlbert On Samuel Huntington…From The Atlantic: Samuel Huntington’s Death And Life’s Work
This is so old and so superficial that no one believes in such claims anymore. The facts and numbers speak louder than words:
Israeli and Palestinian Children Killed, September 29, 2000 – Present:
124 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and 1,441 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000.
Israelis and Palestinians Killed in the Current Violence
At least 6,348 Palestinians and 1,072 Israelis have been killed since September 29, 2000.
Date Range
Palestinians Killed
Israelis Killed
Sep 29, 2000 – Dec 26, 2008
4,908
B’Tselem
1,062
B’Tselem
Dec 27, 2008 – Feb 5, 2009
1,440
UN OCHA
10
Israeli MFA: soldiers: a b | civilians
Sep 29, 2000 – Feb 5, 2009
6,348
1,072
And to say Israel is a democracy is an insult to democracy! When Israelis discriminate against Jews from Russia and Ethiopia or Jews from Morocco, then democracy is not practiced. When the militant “settlers” have their own roads, bridges and water while just across the fence Palestinians can’t even get water and have to travel through 250 Checkpoints a day, then democracy is for Jews only…and some Jews, not all of them. And when the settlers can walk into any Palestinian home and throw out the Palestinian owners, then this is Nazism.
The facts speak louder than Jewish and Zionist claims.
ATW
Originally, I posted this about 14 months ago, so yes, it’s a bit old.
According to your logic, there cannot be discrimination in a democracy, otherwise it’s not a democracy. That’s not a very good definition.
I suppose you mean that even non-citizens of israel must be afforded the same protections under the laws as citizens. That too, is not a very good definition.
There is now greater sentiment (and not always sound reasoning) for the Palestinians in the United States due to our elections. That is the claim I made, and it seems sound to me. The concern currently extended against Israel is now alligned with the political interests of the Progressive left and some popular opinion in the U.S. Whether or not this bodes well for Palestine or Israel is unclear.
I am neither Jewish nor a Zionist, and nor entirely is Israel’s democracy.