Israel/Palestine

Israeli

(4,148 posts) Sun Jul 13, 2014, 12:49 AM Jul 2014

Israel’s Strategy and America’s Mythology

Bombs are falling and people are dying in Gaza. It’s headline news in America’s mass media. As usual, though, we get only today’s events, with no historical context to explain what’s really going on and why.

The crucial piece of history our mass media ignore is that one basic principle has always guided Israel’s foreign policy: Keep the perceived enemies divided; never let them unite.
That’s why Israel aided the creation of Hamas in the 1980s. The Israeli government feared the prospect of all Palestinians uniting under the flag of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, dominated by Yassir Arafat’s Fatah party. Hamas seemed to offer a counterweight.

The recent reconciliation of Hamas and Fatah raises that specter again. Israeli leaders want to stop it at all costs, to drive a wedge into the uneasy peace between the rival Palestinian parties. Hence the onslaught against Hamas and Gaza.

Though he’s in his 90s, the veteran Israeli politician and commentator Uri Avnery can see it all quite clearly. After three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped in the occupied West Bank, “the Netanyahu government immediately saw in the incident an auspicious opportunity. Without the least evidence (as far as we know) it accused Hamas. The next day,” he wrote, the Israelis “started an attempt to eradicate Hamas in the West Bank,” with massive arrests of Hamas leaders.

continued....

http://original.antiwar.com/chernus/2014/07/11/israels-strategy-and-americas-mythology/

17 replies

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Highlight:

Israel’s Strategy and America’s Mythology (Original Post) Israeli Jul 2014 OP

The right wing antiwar.com ? King_David Jul 2014 #1

You guys get to use gatestone, the tower, palwatch, memri, etc Scootaloo Jul 2014 #4

Again with the nasty desperate false accusations ? King_David Jul 2014 #11

Say what, now? Scootaloo Jul 2014 #14

You have a fuzzy ass ? nt King_David Jul 2014 #15

Let's just say that I'm well-suited for northern climes Scootaloo Jul 2014 #17

Umm Shaktimaan Jul 2014 #2

umm... its not .... Israeli Jul 2014 #5

That's it? Shaktimaan Jul 2014 #7

Seriously Shaktimaan Jul 2014 #8

Shaktimaan.... Israeli Jul 2014 #9

So the answer to Shaktimaan really is : King_David Jul 2014 #12

The problem is well outlined here and I remember well I was 11 years old in 1967 azurnoir Jul 2014 #3

I was 17 azurnoir... Israeli Jul 2014 #6

I hope more people here read this post of yours, it is poignant, I feel. Jefferson23 Jul 2014 #13

Hamas is on the offensive. Rockets aren't self-defense. shira Jul 2014 #10

That First, Ma'am, Is A Particularly Sound Point The Magistrate Jul 2014 #16

King_David

(14,851 posts)

1. The right wing antiwar.com ?

Reply to Israeli (Original post)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 01:08 AM

Jul 2014

Posted proudly here on DU ?

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)

4. You guys get to use gatestone, the tower, palwatch, memri, etc

Reply to King_David (Reply #1)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 03:03 AM

Jul 2014

And you yourself have rushed to defend far-right, gay-hating, jew-bating sacks of rotten tripe like Kenneth Meshoe and Chloe Valdary. We've seen the likes of Caroline Glick and Dore Gold and Itamar Marcus smeared across this place as if they were good, solid sources. Even some backing of the apparently indisputable Nahum Shahaf, and his theories that Rabin was killed by Shimon Peres.

Your complaint is meaningless, so I will tell you as you guys tell the rest of us - "Address the article, O M G!"

King_David

(14,851 posts)

11. Again with the nasty desperate false accusations ?

Reply to Scootaloo (Reply #4)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 08:56 AM

Jul 2014

They always surface when you think your losing an argument and then the poison and animus comes a flowing .
Doesn't even deserve a reply. Shows more about your character than anything else.

You should read what Juror number 4 says here and take it to heart.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=67824

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)

14. Say what, now?

Reply to King_David (Reply #11)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 02:00 PM

Jul 2014

King_David

(14,851 posts)

15. You have a fuzzy ass ? nt

Reply to Scootaloo (Reply #14)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 02:43 PM

Jul 2014

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)

17. Let's just say that I'm well-suited for northern climes

Reply to King_David (Reply #15)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 03:16 PM

Jul 2014

Shaktimaan

(5,397 posts)

2. Umm

Reply to Israeli (Original post)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 02:07 AM

Jul 2014

More basically, the Israelis have ignored for years the Hamas offer of a long-term truce during which the two sides would negotiate a permanent peace, including a de facto recognition of Israel by Hamas.

This is simply untrue.

Israeli

(4,148 posts)

5. umm... its not ....

Reply to Shaktimaan (Reply #2)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 03:35 AM

Jul 2014

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-peace-activist-hamas-leader-jabari-killed-amid-talks-on-long-term-truce.premium-1.478085

Hours before Hamas strongman Ahmed Jabari was assassinated, he received the draft of a permanent truce agreement with Israel, which included mechanisms for maintaining the cease-fire in the case of a flare-up between Israel and the factions in the Gaza Strip. This, according to Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin, who helped mediate between Israel and Hamas in the deal to release Gilad Shalit and has since then maintained a relationship with Hamas leaders.

“I think that they have made a strategic mistake," Baskin said, an error "which will cost the lives of quite a number of innocent people on both sides."

"This blood could have been spared. Those who made the decision must be judged by the voters, but to my regret they will get more votes because of this,” he added.

Shaktimaan

(5,397 posts)

7. That's it?

Reply to Israeli (Reply #5)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 05:43 AM

Jul 2014

Everything I read about it showed it for what it was.

Let's see the full agreement. What it demanded. What was promised in return.

Havanas has never agreed to even the concept of a permanent peace treaty with Israel. But let's see what you've got.

Shaktimaan

(5,397 posts)

8. Seriously

Reply to Israeli (Reply #5)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 06:20 AM

Jul 2014

This quote is nothing from a nobody. Do you even have the purported text of the agreement to show me? And maybe some evidence that it's a real list of treaty conditions sent between diplomats, or something.

If what you're saying is true then it should be super easy to find. Sending me ambiguous paperwork like the above doesn't exactly inspire confidence in your sources. You've yet to show me anything that IS what you say it is.

Israeli

(4,148 posts)

9. Shaktimaan....

Reply to Shaktimaan (Reply #8)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 07:15 AM

Jul 2014

I'm old and I'm tired ..... and I'm sick of this conflict.

You believe whatever you want to believe .

King_David

(14,851 posts)

12. So the answer to Shaktimaan really is :

Reply to Israeli (Reply #9)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 08:58 AM

Jul 2014

"No there's no text ."

azurnoir

(45,850 posts)

3. The problem is well outlined here and I remember well I was 11 years old in 1967

Reply to Israeli (Original post)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 02:26 AM

Jul 2014

In the aftermath of the Six-Day War of 1967 a second myth came to the fore in the US, one that saw Israel as a permanent victim of constant hatred and attack from its neighbors. It’s familiar to Americans from endless hours of watching television: cowboys against Indians, cops against robbers, and any number of other variants on the “good guys against bad guys” myth – with no doubt allowed, in this case, that Israel is the good guy. Maybe we should call it the “Israel can do no wrong” myth.

That’s also a widespread view showing up now in headlines in this country, even in our most influential newspapers, like: “Rockets Hit Israeli Heartland as Offensive Begins.” Though the story speaks of Israel’s offensive against Gaza, the cursory reader (and aren’t most readers cursory?) who sees only headlines would assume that it’s Hamas on the offensive – “as usual,” the mythic voice adds subliminally. After all, that voice says, Hamas is a “terrorist organization,” isn’t it? Israel’s just defending itself, isn’t it?

Now these two myths are working together to put blinders on American journalism.

Israeli

(4,148 posts)

6. I was 17 azurnoir...

Reply to azurnoir (Reply #3)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 04:07 AM

Jul 2014

to be honest I dont remember that much ....anxiety,fear, worry about my older brothers ...I tend to block out memories of past wars ....self survival I guess .
Although 1991 and the scuds keeps going thru my mind now ...it has a similar feel about the situation for us today ... only back then I had babies and a husband to worry about at home and today its just me and the dog ....when the alert goes off I just ignore it .

Now these two myths are working together to put blinders on American journalism.

I've met many americans (over here .. I've never been to America ) that just dont have a clue ...I see it here also in their posts .... total ignorance .
Maybe American journalism is to blame ?
I dont think the European press is as blinkered .

Jefferson23

(30,099 posts)

13. I hope more people here read this post of yours, it is poignant, I feel.

Reply to Israeli (Reply #6)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 09:05 AM

Jul 2014

The narrative on Israeli policy presented in the US MSM is a mostly narrow one. With the
internet that has changed. TV land news is of poor quality here in general, and many issues
are also treated with a biased slant...not just Israel.

shira

(30,109 posts)

10. Hamas is on the offensive. Rockets aren't self-defense.

Reply to azurnoir (Reply #3)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 07:25 AM

Jul 2014

You've bought totally into their propaganda.

The Magistrate

(95,244 posts)

16. That First, Ma'am, Is A Particularly Sound Point

Reply to azurnoir (Reply #3)

Sun Jul 13, 2014, 03:14 PM

Jul 2014

This is an excerpt from something I posted here several years ago:

"One of the great unspoken facts of support for Israel here has always been the shared characteristics of a frontier/settlers society: we had Indians, they have Arabs, and expansion into a hostile frontier existence defined self-image of both societies to a fair degree. Fifty years ago popular culture here presented our expansion into the western plains as a fight between good White soldiers and settlers and bad, cruel Indians who above all could never be trusted. Today, these images are pretty much reversed, and the supply of people who grew up taking the former picture as an elemental frame of their moral universe and self-image as Americans is dwindling fast."

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