The Three Myths that Distort Every Discussion of Israel and the Middle East
“It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” –William Shakespeare, “Macbeth”
By Barry Rubin
Whatever side you are, or aren’t, on and whether you never think about these issues or are an impassioned activist, there are three fundamental issues about Israel, its enemies, and the Middle East that tie the narrative into knots.
Each of these wrong ideas, of course, has a basis in fact. Yet no matter how counterintuitive you find the following points questioning that conventional wisdom they are nonetheless accurate. You can’t understand events without grasping them.
1. 1, Israel’s existence is jeopardized.
There is no question that Israel’s existence is challenged or threatened by various forces but what’s essential is that these forces cannot succeed. Every day, after 65 years of failure they are further from that goal. Israel becomes stronger on all levels. The economic and strategic gaps are getting wider, not narrower, for reasons...
The untold story of Gaza’s bloom
When New York Times’ Ethan Bronner came through the Erez crossing into the Gaza Strip this week, he expected something completely different.
This was not his first visit to the Strip. During the past three and a half years, Bronner, who heads the newspaper’s Jerusalem bureau, visited the Palestinian enclave on several occasions.
During Operation Cast Lead he stayed in Gaza for two weeks and his visits usually last more than a day, as the border crossing closes at 3 pm.
Like other journalists who do not carry Israeli passports – Bronner, who received the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for a series of investigative reports about terrorist organization al-Qaeda – has no trouble getting into the Strip. The Erez Crossing is open six days a week and no one gave him a hard time.
With the spotlight diverted from Gaza in recent months, Bronner found himself travelling to other destinations. He spent a long time in Egypt and went to Bahrain to cover the...
“Jordanians” do not include Palestinians
By Ted Belman
King Abdullah recently visited the Northern Badia tribal leaders and stressed the need for unity. By that he means that the Bedouin tribes and the King must stick together.
The leadership for its part, pledged allegiance to the King and said “This country belongs to all Jordanians,”
Retired Lt. Col. Faraj Fawaareh said his tribesmen pledge that they will sacrifice to protect the Kingdom and will not allow anyone to “cross this red line”, commending the King’s reform efforts.
But for them, what they refer to as “Jordanians”, does not include the Palestinians who constitute 75% of the population. In fact the Bedouin are insisting that the citizenship of the Palestinians be revoked.
Mudar Zahran believes that this alliance cannot stand the test of time, but apparently it is. At a minimum, the balance of power will shift from the King to the Bedouin. They will find a new accommodation.
U.S. Must End P.A. Aid If P.A. Takes Israel to ICC
Abbas’ P.A. Seeking Non-Member State Status in U.N. So It Can Pursue War Crimes Allegations against Israel through International Court
ZOA
NEW YORK, April 12, 2012 — Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) is seeking non-state membership in the United Nations so that it may then apply to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes. “The Obama Administration needs to state publicly that the award of statehood status by the UN and any subsequent action by the PA to bring a war crimes suit against Israel in the ICC will result in an end to U.S. aid and diplomatic support for the PA.”
According to PLO observer at the UN, Riyad Mansour, Palestine can still pursue an investigation into possible Israeli war crimes during Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli counter-terrorist operation in Gaza during December 2008-January 2009. On April 3, the ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo rejected the PA’s...
Thank you Cherna and Dr Irving Moskowitz
By Ronn Torossian
In the latest headlines of the Presidential race, Dr. Irving Moskowitz has donated $1 million to American Crossroads, the Karl-Rove linked super PAC, in a move The Huffington Post called “eye-catching.” What is more “eye-catching” is that anyone in the Jewish community can support Obama – the worst President Israel has ever faced.
The great Jewish religious leader, Hillel, one of the most important figures in Jewish history, said: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am ‘I’? And if not now, when?” Dr. Irving Moskowitz, and his wife Cherna epitomize the essence of what Hillel spoke – acting and working tirelessly for the people of Israel. And they do it with tremendous self sacrifice – negative publicity and threats to their safety.
There are those in the media who have had an obsession with these Jewish heroes – and what is it that has caused this obsession? The Moskowitzs have devoted their life to...
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Ted Belman
Jerusalem, Israel
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