I'm an 'I' supporter. As much as I hate this 'team' business when everyone's getting killed, I'm one of those people that sees Israel, at least theoretically, as a good and essential concept. Not the Likud government with it's 'you fuck with me--I'll fuck up your whole town' response--because that's really what it is--and I condemn them for it--but i tend to be someone who will speak up in favor of 'I' because I think that, to be honest, the international media hates it. Sometimes because of actions like it's taking now, sometimes because of latent or overt anti-Semitism--particularly in Europe and the Middle East--which is real despite the attempts of some to pretend that it doesn't exist. I think there's a tendency here, in the international media, and elsewhere, to downplay, ignore, and almost praise militant groups like Hamas--or at least pretending that what they're doing is no big deal. It is. And the condemnation of Israel's actions would actually be even stronger if you honestly acknowledged what groups like Hamas have actually done to exacerbate the situation from their side--rather than pretend it doesn't exist--even if the scale of death and destruction is much less.
So in that sense, I tend to defend Israel here--or at least temper some of the more haphazard and profoundly anti-Israeli commentary--because people are so angry sometimes hateful things come out, and given the history of the Jews in Europe and elsewhere that's usually not a good thing, even if its origin is purely policy-related.
So in that sense I'm an "I" supporter. But I can't abide this shit that they're doing now--rockets or no--and what I want to discuss--briefly--below are some of the American perspectives that are contributing to this. No, pro-'I" group, I'm not abandoning my liberal Zionism or the two-state solution--but I want these horrors to stop, and there's a bunch of things that we are doing in the U.S. that are helping to keep them going.
Over the fold...
The Palestinian cause, in American political parlance and the American press, is a collection of sound-bites, false sympathies, and pre-packaged apologietic nonsense. From the left to the right wing press--aside from maybe the far left, Palestinians come across as some sort of third wheel who we happen to notice in the corner while we're at the bar with the Israelis. The entire scope of our political rhetoric is 'We have a wonderful, magnificent, special relationship with Israel, who has every right to defend herself ........ [but quit bothering the Palestinians...just for tonight...ok?]
I know this feeling. It's like when you're in 7th grade and all your friends go out to the mall and somehow forget to call you although they didnt' really forget--they never wanted to in the first place. Then they'll call a couple days later and say 'oh, man, sorry--we completely meant to have you come out with us...we just....well, sorry' (I got new friends : ) )
This is the way the U.S. media has continued to treat the Palestinian cause--as if it's this whole mess of trouble to acknowledge that Palestinans are people at all, let alone equal partners. They're not a group that's wanted around here. And as a I-supporter--a liberal Zionist, it's always disturbed the hell out of me. As someone who regularly condemns Hamas rockets, I've never understood why anyone would in a million years accept us as an honest broker when we've never demonstrated that we give a flying rat's ass about anyoe in Gaza or the West Bank. Occasionally we may act a bit to calm things down, perhaps--but not because we give a damn about State 2 in the 2-state solution. It's cheap lip service to the demands of the international community.
I don't understand this. I don't see how it weakens either Israel or our alliance with them to raise Palestine up to an equal partner. Now I know there are some around here (who I'll admit I don't like) who have their theories, and let it be clearly known that I roundly condemn those around here and elsewhere who spout some AIPAC/Israel conspiracy over our media, our government, our economy, whatever else as flat out anti-Semitic. Because it is--and there's far too much of it here (it's here--I don't need to cite examples. If you don't believe me, you'll have to look again with your eyes open) Yeah, I don't support Adelson/AIPAC either--but get real.
But the U.S. perspective is bullshit. As the major power player with influence in the region the ONLY way anything will ever get done is if we deal with Palestinians as people under horrific circumstances--not as cheap museum pieces to gawk at. I don't know who we deal with, I don't know how to stop the rockets, I don't know how we get rid of Hamas, I don't know any of this. But I know that I haven't seen a lick of fairness in our political dealings. And that's getting both Palestinians and Israelis killed....all the time.
Anyway. That's been bothering me for years--figured i would post it.