Eli, count me among the Democrats you believe are reachable. I’m still a liberal Zionist, and I’m hardly alone.
You’re right about the mirror. Miliband’s “you were right” was addressed to marches that never called for two states or the hostages’ release, and that should be said plainly. But Smotrich and Ben Gvir wrote him the material, and pretending otherwise is exactly the easy out you describe.
On Barghouti, I’d go further than you did: Beinart’s call to free him deserves a flat no. And the principle is the same one you articulate: a different future requires different leaders. Israelis deserve better than Ben Gvir and Smotrich. Palestinians deserve better than a man convicted of five murders, and better than the movement that planned October 7.
That isn’t giving up on Palestinians. It is refusing the idea that Palestinian self-determination must forever be represented by men and movements shaped by political violence.
There is still room for a politics that holds two truths at once: Palestinian children deserve dignity, freedom, and possibility — and Israel is not temporary, provisional, or negotiable.
As I said in the piece, there are other factors at play, UK politics among them. That doesn't excuse us from looking in the mirror. And fwiw, it was the Netanyahu government that spent years cozying up to Qatar, allowing suitcases of cash into Gaza and treating it as a partner. If you want to talk about who's shaking hands with whom, that's worth including too.
I’m Israeli- I support Yair Golan and the left wing party. I want a two state solution, if possible. I hate this Israeli government and have protested against it for years. That doesn’t mean I’m blind.
There is nothing moral about labour’s stand - it is purely about getting the Muslim vote because their voting bloc is moving over to the Greens Party (the Gaza Party). {BTW - I liked Stammer although he was often misled, too. But Burnham and Miliband are completely devoid of moral principles).
I think it’s very simple. The only way Israel can possibly win the argument is if it makes a serious effort to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians and to end the situation where they live under a violent military occupation. Micah Goodman can’t ride in on a horse with his Catch 67 to save us anymore.
Do you not think Alex, that the Palestinians are simply not (yet) capable of self-rule? As you know, it’s not for the lack of trying. Ironically the more the “international community” (or its remnants) pushes Israel, the less is required of the Palestinians.
We could complain but it wouldn't matter. However given the state of the UK/France/Germany, I believe the occupation has a decent chance of lasting longer than the integrity of the UK. Clearly President AOC would be problematic to put it mildly.
Great piece. I’m so over the “they’re just going to hate us anyway” bs. It’s either meant to be a permission structure to keep driving Israel off a cliff or it’s learned helplessness. Either way, no one’s buying it except for a shrinking echo chamber.
On the one hand you are completely right. It is essential for Israel to move away from a messianic right wing Government, first of all for internal reasons. On the other hand, Israel must understand that European countries are going to become more and more like Arab countries in the 80s. This is the choice they have made and this is the ideology they have imported. Israel hatred is the pressure valve that will be used more and more by Western governments. So I think that Israel needs to do better for its own sake while finding new alliances in addition to the Western ones, which will probably be less and less reliable.
Eli, count me among the Democrats you believe are reachable. I’m still a liberal Zionist, and I’m hardly alone.
You’re right about the mirror. Miliband’s “you were right” was addressed to marches that never called for two states or the hostages’ release, and that should be said plainly. But Smotrich and Ben Gvir wrote him the material, and pretending otherwise is exactly the easy out you describe.
On Barghouti, I’d go further than you did: Beinart’s call to free him deserves a flat no. And the principle is the same one you articulate: a different future requires different leaders. Israelis deserve better than Ben Gvir and Smotrich. Palestinians deserve better than a man convicted of five murders, and better than the movement that planned October 7.
That isn’t giving up on Palestinians. It is refusing the idea that Palestinian self-determination must forever be represented by men and movements shaped by political violence.
There is still room for a politics that holds two truths at once: Palestinian children deserve dignity, freedom, and possibility — and Israel is not temporary, provisional, or negotiable.
Some of us are still here, Eli.
I think you don’t see the big picture at all. You completely miss it .
Look at who Burnham and Miliband are proudly smiling at and shaking hands with: - Qatar, Turkey and Iran. Get the picture now?
As I said in the piece, there are other factors at play, UK politics among them. That doesn't excuse us from looking in the mirror. And fwiw, it was the Netanyahu government that spent years cozying up to Qatar, allowing suitcases of cash into Gaza and treating it as a partner. If you want to talk about who's shaking hands with whom, that's worth including too.
I’m Israeli- I support Yair Golan and the left wing party. I want a two state solution, if possible. I hate this Israeli government and have protested against it for years. That doesn’t mean I’m blind.
There is nothing moral about labour’s stand - it is purely about getting the Muslim vote because their voting bloc is moving over to the Greens Party (the Gaza Party). {BTW - I liked Stammer although he was often misled, too. But Burnham and Miliband are completely devoid of moral principles).
I think it’s very simple. The only way Israel can possibly win the argument is if it makes a serious effort to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians and to end the situation where they live under a violent military occupation. Micah Goodman can’t ride in on a horse with his Catch 67 to save us anymore.
I agree with you Alex and Israel doesn’t necessarily need to be successful it just needs to show a willingness to keep the option open.
Do you not think Alex, that the Palestinians are simply not (yet) capable of self-rule? As you know, it’s not for the lack of trying. Ironically the more the “international community” (or its remnants) pushes Israel, the less is required of the Palestinians.
We can have continued occupation if we want. But then we won’t be able to complain if the international situation gets worse.
We could complain but it wouldn't matter. However given the state of the UK/France/Germany, I believe the occupation has a decent chance of lasting longer than the integrity of the UK. Clearly President AOC would be problematic to put it mildly.
Great piece. I’m so over the “they’re just going to hate us anyway” bs. It’s either meant to be a permission structure to keep driving Israel off a cliff or it’s learned helplessness. Either way, no one’s buying it except for a shrinking echo chamber.
On the one hand you are completely right. It is essential for Israel to move away from a messianic right wing Government, first of all for internal reasons. On the other hand, Israel must understand that European countries are going to become more and more like Arab countries in the 80s. This is the choice they have made and this is the ideology they have imported. Israel hatred is the pressure valve that will be used more and more by Western governments. So I think that Israel needs to do better for its own sake while finding new alliances in addition to the Western ones, which will probably be less and less reliable.
I completely agree
I don’t think Senor is afraid to look in the mirror and call out injustice & poor thinking - far from it.