Beinart: Netanyahu Never Wanted Peace
Yesterday I wrote about how Israeli PM Netanyahu’s demand that Palestine recognize Israel as a Jewish state was a clever means of making a two-state solution impossible. The argument went that by insisting that Palestinian recognition of a contentious Israeli self-definition, Netanyahu is issuing demands that he knows will be rejected by the Palestinians. In … Read more
Evidence of Racism and the Hope for Justice
The peace talks, for now, are on hold. The settlement construction moratorium ended and Israeli settlers began to once again carve up Palestinian land. US President Obama once again displayed its inability to pressure the Israeli government into anything. The Palestinian leadership once again threatened to walk out of talks, but remains in diplomatic purgatory … Read more
Construction Freeze Extended; Netanyahu Says Peace a Priority
At least that is what the logical headline would say. Reality, however, rarely follows in the footsteps of logic. Today, Sunday September 26, marks the end of the settlement freeze in the Palestinian territories, settlers and pro-settler politicians held a rally in the West Bank settlement of Revava in an attempt to put on display … Read more
Are Jewish Settlers Less Terrorizing Than Hamas
Later this month, the 10 month settlement construction slow-down instituted by Israeli PM Netanyahu is set to expire, leaving the PM with what appears on the surface as a difficult choice between holding together his governing coalition and continuing peace talks with the Palestinians. Unfortunately for those pushing this simplistic narrative, the true situation is … Read more
Settlers, Settlements and Peace
It is pretty common knowledge, at least for those following the Israel-Palestine conflict that in November of last year Israeli PM Netanyahu implemented a 10 month settlement construction ‘freeze.’ It is equally known that that ‘freeze’ is set to end on September 26, creating what could be the first possible end of the probably short-lived … Read more
Is the Israeli Government Dysfunctional or Lying?
Is it really that difficult for Israel supporters to see how the current Israeli government can be at least perceived as incapable or unwilling to make peace with the Palestinians? Not only is the governing coalition by far the most conservative in history (the Kadima party is really considered to be the extreme left?), but … Read more
What to Think of the Talks, Part 3
For the last couple of days I have been trying to catch this site up, after a brief hiatus, on the direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine. So far, I have only reviewed what others have said (see Part 1 and Part 2) and have yet to put down some of my own thoughts. While … Read more
Is Israel Jewish or Democratic?
Yesterday, I wrote about the sad death of Tony Judt, the Jewish scholar that, among many other accomplishments, argued that because Israel’s national identity remained centered on an antiquated ethno-religious characterization, it lacked the ability to be a true democracy. Similarly, analyses of Israel also quickly discover the impossible juxtaposition of Israel’s desire for peace … Read more
A Settlement Freeze Extension?
Yesterday I mentioned the anger of settlers at the possibility of an extension of the (ineffective) settlement freeze after it expires at the end of September (“As we near the end of the building freeze, the public feels that it is necessary to stick to our guns and make it clear that if the freeze … Read more
A Palestine Divided
I have been pretty clear about the severe impediment that a divided Palestine represents for any peace talks with Israel. The continuous blasting of Hamas by Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah led PA coupled with the ‘West Bank first’ approach of the US and Israel has completely removed Hamas and the Palestinian people of Gaza from the … Read more
