Yesterday I made an entry regarding the Chief Negotiator for the Palestinian Authority's statement where he said Israel is not interested in peace.
Additionally, Uri Avnery wrote an incredible piece about the new Israeli Government working to deceive the Obama administration regarding peace with Palestine. He puts forth the argument, using history and facts, the “Biberman” government AKA (Bibi Netanyahu and Avigdor Liberman) or “Bibarak” AKA (Bibi and Ehud Barak) will work diligently to pretend to want peace whilst indeed working to destroy it. This is a chilling warning to Americans and the American Government of what it could very well face in its quest for a fair and just peace in the Middle East. Let us all work hard to keep the Obama Administration on the course it chose. As we have already witnessed the nastiness and smear tactics of the American Jewish Lobby (AIPAC, ZOA, ADL and So many others!!) that have controlled US politics for too many years, when it forced the removal of Chas Freeman and other potential choices made by Obama. America elected Obama, not Netanyahu, Americans need to remember that and make certain that no foreign country is allowed to create America’s course. America needs to do what is best for America, and if that is counter productive to the whims of Israel then too bad. Link to the full analysis can be found at the end of this post.
Netanyahu’s grand strategy is to avoid peace by deceiving the US and Europe
By Uri Avnery
29 March 2009
Uri Avnery argues that, conscious that his government's opposition to peace with the Palestinians will put it on a collision course with the US, Binyamin Netanyahu will “present to the world, and especially the US and Europe, a false picture, pretending that our new government is yearning for peace ... while doing the exact opposite”.
”Liberman, Netanyahu, Barak, Ellie Yishai of Shas and Danny Hershkovitz of the “Jewish Home” party are in total agreement about the Palestinians. All of them agree on the need to prevent the establishment of a real Palestinian state. All of them agree not to talk with Hamas. All of them support the settlement enterprise. During Barak’s stint as Prime Minister, the settlements grew even faster than during Netanyahu’s tenure. Liberman is himself a settler, Hershkovitz’s party represents the settlers. All of them believe that there is no need for peace, that peace is bad for us.”
Binyamin Netanyahu has proven that he is a consummate politician. He has realized the dream of every politician (and theatre goer): a good place in the middle. In his new government he can play off the fascists on the right against the socialists on the left, Liberman’s secularists against the orthodox of Shas. An ideal situation.
The pinnacle of his achievement was the acquisition of the Labour party for his government.
In one stroke he turned a government of lepers, which would have been viewed by the whole world as a crazy bunch of ultra-nationalists, racists and fascists, into a sane and balanced government of the centre. All this without changing its character in the least.
The most ardent supporter of this feat was Liberman, the new foreign minister of Israel. This extreme racist, this spiritual brother of the French Jean-Marie Le Pen and the Austrian Joerg Haider (I hope both, the living and the dead, will not feel insulted), was very anxious about what was awaiting him. In his imagination he saw himself extending his hand to Hillary Clinton and being left with his arm dangling in the air. Leaning forward to kiss Angela Merkel only to see her draw back in horror. Unpleasant.
The addition of the Labour Party solves everybody’s problem. If the social democrats are joining the government, all this talk of fascism must be nonsense. Obviously, Liberman has been misunderstood. He has been misrepresented. He is not a fascist at all, God forbid. He is not a racist. He is just a traditional right-wing demagogue who exploits the primitive emotions of the masses to garner votes. Which elected politician could object to that?
Indeed, the whole government has been given a kosher certificate by Ehud Barak. He continues the glorious Labour Party tradition of political prostitution.
Why did Barak do this? And why did the majority of the Labour Party support him?
Labour is a government party. It has never been anything else. As early as 1933 it took over the Zionist movement, and since than it ruled the Yishuv (the pre-1948 Jewish community in Palestine) and the state without interruption until Begin’s ascent to power in 1977. For 44 consecutive years it held unchallenged power over the economy, the army, the police, the security services, the education system, the health system and the Histadrut, the then all-powerful Labour federation.
So what will be the real platform of this government?
In four words: Deception for the fatherland.
On this government’s chosen path there lies a huge rock: the United States of America.
While Israel made a big leap to the right, the US has made a big leap to the left.
Netanyahu is conscious of this problem, perhaps more than any other Israeli leader. He grew up in the US, after his father, a history professor in Jerusalem, felt himself deprived of his rightful place in academia because of his extreme right-wing views and went to America. There Binyamin attended high school and university. He speaks the fluent American English of a travelling salesman.
If there is one thing that unites practically all Israelis, from right to left, it is the conviction that the relationship between Israel and the US is critical for the security of the state. Netanyahu’s main concern is, therefore, to prevent a serious break between the two countries.
The clash seems inevitable. Obama wants to create a new order in the Middle East. He knows that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict poisons the atmosphere against America in the Arab world – and indeed in the entire Muslim world. He wants a solution to the conflict – exactly what Netanyahu and his partners want to prevent at any price, except the price of a breach with the US.
The solution is written in the Bible (Proverbs 24:6): “For by ruses thou shalt make thy war.”
(In the King James version, the Hebrew word Takhbulot is translated as “wise counsel”. In Modern Hebrew it means ruses, tricks, ploys – and that is the way it is understood by all Hebrew-speakers today.)
From the beginnings of Zionism, its leaders have known that their vision necessitates a large measure of make-belief. It is impossible to take over a country inhabited by another people without disguising the aim, diverting attention, hiding the acts on the ground behind a screen of flowery words.
Because of the special circumstances of their enterprise, the Zionists have had to use deceit perhaps a bit more than usual.
Now the task is to present to the world, and especially the US and Europe, a false picture, pretending that our new government is yearning for peace, acting for peace, indeed turning every stone in search of peace – while doing the exact opposite.
But deceiving, like dancing the tango, takes two: one who deceives and one who wants to be deceived.
Netanyahu believes that Obama will want to be deceived. Why would he want to quarrel with Israel, confront the mighty pro-Israel lobby and the US Congress, when he can settle for soothing words from Netanyahu? Read it all HERE
