The Public Reappearance Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
The Public Reappearance Of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Sigh, so much that is so obvious, and so much that is not, but so much that is so sad, especially as there seems to be little real prospect of any serious improvement or settlement on the underlying issues. Indeed, it is probably the case we did not see anything happen for a good 7 years because from the Palestinian side things looked so hopeless in the face of ongoing Israeli expansion of settlements in the Occupied West Bank and increasing suppression of their rights, with more and more political figures on various sides declaring that the Two-State Solution was dead, so fuggedaboudit. With Bibi Netanyahu managing to get full control of the GOP line on things Israeli, and getting most of what he wanted from this while Trump was president, including a US embassy move to Jerusalem and recognition of the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights, not to mention the Abraham Accords diplomatic recognitions by UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, all this supposed to “change history,” and without Israel giving up anything to the Palestinians for any of these items, the first two of which had long been bargaining chips held by the US government in order to bring about a sustainable and reasonable Two-State settlement. But no, Bibi could even bring in screaming racists to his government, people the US government used to formally label as “terrorists.” But now, well, history was changed, and the Palestinians were just going to have take what they were given without any whining or complaining, much less any rock-throwing demonstrations or worse.
But it was not to last. The long simmering efforts by Jewish settlers to have Palestinian families in East Jerusalem evicted from homes the UN put them in during the 1950s because previously Jews lived in, them, not ancestors of those bringing the lawsuits to claim their own personal ownership, but on behalf of “the [Jewish] Community,” clearly aggressive rank nonsense. During the recently ended Muslim holy month of Ramadan these efforts brought about demonstrations in front of the Damascus Gate on the north side of the Old City, with Israeli police and other security increasingly violently putting down these rock-throwing demos, and also blocking Muslims from entering the gate to get to the Haram-al-Sharif, the “Sacred Enclosure,” aka “The Temple Mount,” the most hotly contested piece of real estate on the planet, which sits on top of the ruined base of the old Hebrew temple in the southeastern part of the Old City, and which has two sacred Muslim sited on it, the beautiful Dome of the Rock, which contains a rock that the Prophet Muhammed reportedly ascended to heaven for a consultation from, and nearby to it the al-Aqsa mosque, viewed by Muslims as the third most sacred site in their world after the rock in the Kaaba in Mecca and the Temple of the Prophet in Medina.
It was specifically to the al-Aqsa mosque that worshippers sought to go for evening Ramadan services and were blocked, which led to demos at the mosque as well. A few days before the end of Ramadan, without any really specific provocation (although I am sure various Israeli commentators would say otherwise), Israeli police and security forces entered the mosque, shooting people with rubber bullets and other forms of force, reportedly injuring 330, although not killing anybody. But this assault on the third holiest site in all of Islam set off massive demonstrations around the world and among the Palestinians, not only in Jerusalem and the West Bank, but in Israeli cities themselves, the first time ever for this, and, of course, Hamas in Gaza began firing rockets into Israel, over 100 so far. Few of these unaimed missiles went further than 3 miles and 90% were taken out by Isrtael’s Rocket Dome defense system. But a few longer range ones hit both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, killing 9 Israelis. The Israelis have since hit back with massive bombing of Gaza, with the latest reported number dead at 140, 40 of those children. They have also taken down large buildings, although warning ahead of time so people could get out. This could be a lot worse, but it is ongoing, with no clear end in sight, although probably Hamas in Gaza will run out of rockets to fire pretty soon.
A question arises as to why Bibi let the police do something so outrageous and stupid as to invade the al-Aqsa mosque late in Ramadan and shoot a bunch of people, and, although perhaps more understandable, why did Hamas in Gaza think it reasonable after this to start firing rockets into Israel, knowing full well from past experience that the Israelis would bomb them severely, killing many innocent Palestinian civilians.
In the case of Bib, this looks like a last-gasp desperate move to hold onto his position as Prime Minister of Israel. Israeli President Reuvan had shortly before this attack on the mosque invited the main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, to form a new government, after long gridlock and repeated stalemated elections, as well as Netanyahu himself having just failed yet again to form a government at Reuven’s invitation. It turns out that finally after all these decades, the contending possible PMs have begun looking at and negotiating with members of Arab parties in the Israeli Knesset (Yes, this is one difference between apartheid in Israel and South Africa, at least the Arab citizens of Israel can vote). Apparently Bibi tried, but failed to come to an agreement, and other far right wing partied have become disgusted with him (Lapid is only slightly more moderate than Netanyahu). In any case, Lapid had received his invitation, and many thought the moment had arrived for Bibi finally to be out. But, aha! with this massive blowup within Israel itself between the Arab and Jewish populations, it certainly looks like any coalition government by any Jewish leader with any of the Arab parties is out of the question. So this imminent threat that Lapid could form a government and remove him looks to be out for now, although who knows what will come down the road. There has been surprisingly little commentary on this precise matter in the media, aside from vague notes that this was in “Netanyahu’s political interest,” but this is why specifically.
As for Hamas, it is also seen to be in their interest, if not quite so immediately so as it is for Ben-Yamin Netanyahu. Hamas has been in a long conflict with the al-Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, led by the 85-year old Mahmoud Abbas, who has put off another election (which he and his group were expected to lose to Hamas). Abbas, clearly a spent political force, has long led the PA government that arose from the now-all-but-dead Oslo Accords of 1993. Unlike Islamist Hamas, secular al-Fatah was willing to recognize and work with Israel on many matters, and still does. The Israeli government will be sad to see it go, and this is likely to be another fallout of Bibi’s attack on the al-Aqsa mosque.
So, the only hope, really, is the Two-State solution. But it looks to be deader than evet and beyond hope. The increasing obviousness of this, along with the increasingly outrageous actions by the slef-confident Israeli government, propped up in that by Trump’s policies, have triggered this uprising by Palestinians, including the deadly rocket attacks by Hamas, although Hamas looks to gain in the longer run from this by helping to bring down Abbas and al-Fattah and to become the undisputed leader of the Palestinian people with their refusal to recognize Israel and their ongoing demand that it cease to exist.
I note that so far the US seems to have done little useful in all this. Supposedly an unnamed “ambassador” has arrived in Jerusalem to negotiate a cease-fire, but nothing has come of it. As for public statements, these have sounded almost Trumpish in their one-sided concern for Israelis facing the pathetic rocket attacks coming out of Gaza, without a word about all those being killed in Gaza. Oh, there was a mild but brief criticism of the attack on the crowd al-Aqsa mosque, but pretty low key, even as many Dems have called for much more support and sympathy for the Palestinians in this. At a minimum, Bernie Sanders has been completely right to call for ending the annual $4 billion in mostly military aid the US gives Israel. Surely they do not need it, much less at this point deserve it.
Two odd personal notes on this.
The best man in my first wedding in 1968 is a guy Peter Dorman may have known whom I shall not name, although he is about to have very serious heart surgery and may die. Back then he was to my political left, and showed up at the rehearsal dinner from the Dem convention Chicago riots with half his hair shaved off and a lot of stitches where a police billy club cracked his skull open. Later he would go through a lot of changes, including a period of being a Sufi, but evrntually went home to Brooklyn, where he became Orthodox Jewish, although, not Chasid/Chared. He went to Israel where he married an Israeli-Yemeni woman and had 8 children, half now in Brooklyn, half in Israel. In 1980 we debated the Israeli-Palestinian issue and he declared that the solution was for the Palestinians “in Judea and Samaria” to be expelled. I did not speak to him at all for a long time after that. We later reinitiated our friendship, but have largely avoided politics other than to make jokes about each other’s highly different views. I visited him in Jerusalem four years ago this month, and among other things he took me on a tour of King David City. I could say much more about him. but I shall for now simply hope he gets through is surgery. His wife is in Israel, but unable to fly to Brooklyn to be with him for the surgery due to the current situation. He has expressed worry about his family there, and I have said I hope they are not hurt.
Also in my distant past I spent serious time in an Arab nation. My Arabic was so good back then that I passed for being an Arab. Some people though I was Syrian (I have also often passed for being Jewish without trying to do so, although I am very WASPy). I back then heard several people say all those terrible things that Israelis claim Arabs think of them: that they should all be killed, that Israel should be pushed into the sea. It is all true. Both sides have been victims; both sides have been guilty guilty guilty. The obvious solution was and remains the Two-State one, but the assassination of its Israeli organizer, the late Yitzhak Rabin, began the long slide to today where all the supposedly smart people declare the Two-State solution to be dead. Well, it had better not be dead, because the only alternative is awful endless bloody war.
Barkley Rosser
Barkley:
To what lands would Palestinians go to? From what I have seen in the maps from the fifties onward, what lands the Palestinians had were assimilated, appropriated into the collective called Israel. There are no more lands for Palestinians in Israel and no country will force Israel to give Palestinians free reign in a land of their own.
As far as the rockets coming out of the Gaza, 90+ percent are short range and fall harmlessly. The reaction by Israel can be equated to shooting fish is a barrel as there is no place Palestinians can hid and be safe in the Gaza. Twenty-five miles long and three to eight miles wide, a 155mm M109 howitzer (which the Israelis have) can shoot most of the width of the Gaza.
Two million people crammed in an area one and half times the size of Madison, WI. to put it into perspective. Not a fight, a slaughter.
Run,
Is it not clear I do not support expelling Palestinians, so I am not interested in answering that question. My friend making this statement calling for this back in 1980 led to me not speaking to him for a long time.
I put in the post that most of the Gazan rockets are short-range and not even guided. However, I did see a claim in a report yesterday that 160 rockets have been fired at Tel Aviv, which is more than three miles away. I think we do not have full information on all this.
I am disappointed that Biden is not being more supportive of the Palestinians in this difficult situation, way too pro-Israeli.
Barkley:
You are clear, I was giving more detail and some of my technical expertise from working with the howitzers the Israelis have used on the Gaza. There is no escape. Gaza is too small for more Palestinians, the West Bank is almost gone also, much of it having been resettled by Israelis. Where do the Palestinians go?
The numbers of deaths in the Gaza strip “again” out number those experienced in Israel. Why people believe it is appropriate to retaliate against all of the Palestinians is enormously flawed logic. I am disappointed the country as a whole have not taken a stronger stance with Israel. As a part of 8th Marines, rumor had it, we were almost called out to rescue their asses.
There are some characteristics of Biden I find weak when he should be stronger.
Milestones: 1945–1952 – Office of the Historian (state.gov)
“”Creation of Israel, 1948
On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on the same day…”
[Ordinary Joe is not the first to get pounded by this bad penny.]
A long time ago, when I last watched Bill Maher I remember a joke he told.
Columbus went to Queen Isabella with his plans to sail west to the Spice Islands. Isabella asked him why he would risk death going into the unknown instead of taking the usual route through the Middle East.
” I’d rather sail off the fucking end of the earth than talk to those people one more time!”
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/05/19/world/israel-palestine-gaza/
Biden Says He Expects ‘Significant De-Escalation Today’ in Israel-Hamas Fighting
The president’s remarks, to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Wednesday morning, added to growing international pressure to end the conflict. …
Malthus rules!
We have too many people on this tiny planet.
Palestine was sparsely populated barely a hundred years ago.
We really must figure out how all of us are to get along.
@EMIke,
ROTFLMAO! THX.
Bill Maher is a precious resource.
Colonial America and subsequently the United States of America were founded upon the principle that a people can take whatever that they want from other people if that people possesses sufficiently superior military technology. The Israeli state was founded upon centuries of white men’s guilt.
Israel’s Netanyahu says he’s ‘determined’ to continue Gaza operation after Biden urged de-escalation in call https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/19/nation/biden-netanyahu-call-urges-significant-de-escalation/?event=event25
EMichael,
Amusing. But I must point out that the joke is based on a misconception long taught in schools; I was taught it as a kid.
No, the issue was not whether the earth was flat or round. Everybody knew and agreed it was round. The issue was the size of the round earth. As it was, it was Columbus who was wrong while his critics were right. He was convinced it was only half as big as it really is, while his critics believed its size was about what it is. So Columbus was pushing that it would not be all that far to get to India by going west. He was wrong, and he never made it to India. But he did get to the Americas, although, frankly they all should have known it was there or might be there given that knowledge of the Norse colonies there had been known to the Church for 500 years, although it is true those were much further north.
EMichael,
Very amusing. However, this joke is based on a widely spread misconception about the positions of Columbus and his critics. They did not differ on whether the earth was round or flat, but on how big the round earth was.
As it was, Columbus was wrong. He was pushing a view the earth was half its actual size while his critics were pushing a size about right. If he had been right, going west would have gotten him to India somewhat easily, while his critics said, nah, it is reall far that way. They were right. But he did bang into America on the way, and inaccurately labeled the native inhabitants “Indians” before he enslaved them and killed them in large numbers.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli media say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet has approved a unilateral cease-fire to halt an 11-day military operation in the Gaza Strip.
The decision came after heavy U.S. pressure to halt the offensive. …
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/22/us/israel-gaza-conflict.html