Explosive Dust-Up Over Iran Policy

[Scurrilous]

Conference Exposes Wide Rifts Among Israelis and Diaspora

<snip>

"The Jerusalem Post Conference, a star-studded seminar on Israeli policy held on April 29 in New York, was a public relations coup for the English-language daily. It’s not clear, though, that it was the kind of coup the right-leaning newspaper had in mind.

The daylong event, which drew more than 1,000 people to the city’s Marriott Marquis Hotel, put the Post at the center of Israel’s news cycle for a full day and grabbed headlines worldwide. But it inadvertently gave attendees an embarrassing glimpse inside the steadily worsening rift between Israel’s elected political leadership and its senior defense and intelligence establishment over critical issues on which Israelis prefer to be seen as united.

Highly anticipated appearances by senior, recently retired Israeli security officials, meant to brief attendees on the challenges Israel faces, produced harsh denunciations of their former boss, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over his handling of the Iran crisis and the Palestinian conflict. No less awkward, one Israeli speaker harshly denounced President Barack Obama to widespread cheering from many of the American Jews in the crowd.

Sore points in Israel-Diaspora relations were also exposed, most dramatically when Harvard legal scholar Alan Dershowitz pleaded with Israelis on both sides of the divide, asking that they “not bring (their) domestic political battles to any forum here.” Rather, he urged them to “speak in a united fashion” and “present the consensus case.”

<snip>

"Another flashpoint was the caustic, 15-minute attack on President Obama by arch-conservative Jerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick, who brought parts of the audience to its feet with repeated cheers for her, boos for the president and a standing ovation at the end. Speaking soon after her, Dershowitz angrily warned the crowd against undermining Israel’s relations with Washington by such hostile displays. “Do not ever, ever boo a president of the United States” when “speaking in the name of the state of Israel,” he scolded. The crowd’s response was a mix of polite applause and more angry boos."

Read more: http://www.forward.com/articles/155621/explosive-dust-up-over-iran-policy/?p=all#ixzz1tjCk29vQ

[leveymg]

1. These zealots are creating the conditions for yet another pogrom and Diaspora, and perhaps

a 21st Century Holocaust.

Fact is, Israel cannot survive without the (highly finite) patience and protection of the United States. Likud and American Right-wing Jews are pushing the limits of both. Not smart. Not righteous. What's the Hebrew word for Hubris?

[oberliner]

4. Creating the conditions for a 21st Century Holocaust?

Right-wing Jews are pushing the limits of the patience of the United States?

Wow.

How exactly does one go about creating the conditions for a Holocaust?

[leveymg]

8. By forcing the US into a choice about its interests or Israel's, Likud has strained the

ties that keep Israel from destroying itself. There are elements within that if not restrained would make a mad rush toward some self-perceived Apocalyptic destiny - or, at least, several Israeli governments have capitalized on that perception. In 1967 and 1973, Israel essentially used the Samson Option as nuclear blackmail to leverage the United States into a position vis-a-vis Israel's opponents the American government was otherwise reluctant to take. We paid dearly at the gasoline pump after the '73 War. The Israelis are playing that Card again, this time with Iran.

The U.S. might just not put forth the effort this time to allow itself to be blackmailed into compromising its own interests. And, what then? Uncharted territory.

[oberliner]

9. Don't you think the use of the phrase "21st Century Holocaust" is a bit extreme?

Incidentally, Likud wasn't in power during any of those years that you mention.

In 1967, the PM was from the left-wing Mapai party and in 1973, the PM was from the Labor party.

[leveymg]

10. WB Yeats (1920) on how holocausts start, over and over again:

TURNING and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

. . .
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

You're probably right. But, now its Likud's turn to cast a pebble and see how far the rock flies.

[Jefferson23]

2. That's a good one, they need Dershowitz to help them keep a lid on it, lol.

Olmert: The day’s most startling insight, however, was Olmert’s response to the scorn heaped by government spokesmen and by audience members on Dagan, Diskin and their colleagues.

“What has happened that all the leaders of Israel’s security services suddenly think in the same way?” Olmert asked. “Until they expressed their opinion in public, they were brave and admired fighters.

Suddenly, they are enemies of Israel? Suddenly, they don’t care about Israel’s security?”


Get use to it Olmert, that's how it works.

[oberliner]

5. Interesting to see Olmert getting such positive press these days

Especially from those who derided him constantly as recently as this year.

Reminiscent of what happened with Norman Finkelstein but in reverse.

[Jefferson23]

12. You're confused with the concept of positive press imo. n/t

[azurnoir]

3. Interesting if not amusing Glick and Dersh playing good cop bad cop. n/t

[oberliner]

6. What does it take to get him out of the papers?

I think he does no one any good.

[azurnoir]

13. Him what about her? n/t

[oberliner]

14. I don't think she has as high a profile

At least not in the US.

[azurnoir]

15. realisticaly though IMO neither of them

should be out of media let 'em talk perhaps I trust human nature too much but if your not already there or leaning towards it I really don't think they'll find many new fans

[oberliner]

7. No one can snip an article quite like you

Turning a brown sweater into a blue vest is quite a skill - and you've mastered it.

[King_David]

11. Obama's Jewish Support Rises Sharply: Poll

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11349329