Greetings Readers,
While residing overseas I frequently receive magazines and other periodicals a couple weeks late. That happened recently when I received the Time Magazine issue of 30 April two weeks after its printing. Opening the pages I was delighted to find several articles which I favor reading. The first of interest was a column by one of my most liked unbiased writers Joe Klein, a prominent American Jewish journalist whom I admire for his fairness. I read his column as often as I can because I value his opinions finding them worthwhile to explore.
The Klein article that caught my eye was his “Disgrace in Victory” with the byline ‘Benjamin Nethanyahu won a tragic election by vilifying Arabs and defaming Israel’s history.’ And apparently Bibi did just that.
Klein opens the piece by describing an incident during a drive from Jerusalem to the city of Bethlehem in the West Bank to have dinner with a Palestinian reporter friend. The friend often reports for the magazine and is a sophisticated levelheaded man when it comes to politics. After dinner, Klein drove back to Jerusalem with the gentleman. As a matter of routine they had to pass through Israeli Checkpoints along the dull forbidding security wall. An Israeli soldier asked for our papers and I gave her my passport. You’re an American? She asked, not rather officially. ‘I love America. Where are you from?’ New York, was the replied. Wow, she said with a big smile. Then she turned serious and said “What are you doing with, nodding toward my Palestinian friend, ‘with that Animal?’
And that is precisely the reason Benjamin Netanyahu “Won” the Election even though there is a strong economic case against him, Israelis were getting tired of him, and 200 former military and intelligence leaders all publicly oppose his bellicose foreign policies. Klein surmises Bibi won mainly because he ran as a “Bigot.” A great many Jews have come to regard Arabs, particularly the colonized Palestinians, as the enemy within, a hated group, as Jews were traditionally identified as hated enemies within European countries.
The Jews have cause to lash out at their deplorable history reliving their persecution. More recently they have been rocketed and in the past suffered brutal terrorist attacks, but so have the Palestinians been placed in the same dreadful position of fear and loathing these past five decades. There is a severe anti-Jew bigotry in the Arab world of course, and unreasonable calls for the destruction of Israel by Arab Sunni nations including Shiite Iran. But the Jews have an arrogant sense of superiority, revenge, and redemption on their plate that lethally clashes with the Arabs. This has been particularly true for decades from the 1930’s onward, and has transpired into horrible invasions and confiscations of Palestine land by the newly created Zionist nation.
The deliberately planned May 1948 Zionist attack code name “Delet” was executed by vicious, immoral, well armed and mechanized volunteer gangs of raiders, the Stern Gang, the Haganah, and Ingun and backed by newly formed elements of the IDF, Israeli Defense Force. The attack against unarmed villagers included mass expulsion, destruction of property. and brutal massacres. At least 750,000 were forced from their homes, fields, and businesses over a few weeks and had to flee in terror while thousands who were unarmed during the seige were killed. Israel may not have been firmly established without the expropriated land and without the murders of many innocent men, women, and children.The invasion has been well documented, but mostly forgotten in the current multi-mazes of Middle East crisis.
In order to psychologically prepare for the savage expansionist feat, the Arab people had first to be officially dehumanized as chattel victims that predicated and encouraged barbaric behavior leading to the founding of the Zionist state.
The Israel election was predicted to be a close race, and the shrewd, skilled politician Nethanyahu desiring to garner victory used several last-minute tactics for which he later half heartedly apologized and backtracked but only after the ballets were counted. Prior to the vote Netanyahu announce to the half million member settler block that “As long as I’m in office there will be NO TWO STATE SOLUTION.” They loved it. Further he announced Israeli Arabs “are rushing to vote in droves in busses fueled by foreign money for the purpose of my political demise.” Israel has two million second class Muslim and Christian citizens in its population. Bibi virually hit the nerve endings of security conscious Jewish voters as they headed for the booths. As It turned out it was a ploy and a fake accusation.
Regrettably most of the Zionist settler electorate supports a “Greater Israel” beginning with the take over of Samaria and Judea and in the future to include all of the West Bank with Palestinians as water carriers. Most international observers believe Israel has become a bigoted tyrannical state and its actions have over decades borne out these assumptions. It was astonishing the election victory was applauded by American Neo-conservatives as well as European anti-Semites for different divisive reasons.
By retaking office Benjamin Netanyahu has made history in reverse assured the world while he is in office there will not be two states, only one, as well as continued conflict with occupied Palestinians, and contrary to peace in the region if not actual war with Iran over nuclear issues.
The illustrious James A Baker III was interviewed in celebration of the coming Release of a Public Broadcasting Service, PBS documentary depicting his life and political times. Baker is an outanding mediator and a first-rate compromiser as well as a candidate for the honorary title of “Statesman.”The moderate Texas Republican has served three presidents starting with Ronald Reagan’s Chief of Staff, and subsequently Secretary of Treasury, George H. W. Bush’s Secretary of State, and George W. Bush’s Election strategist. Baker is close with the Bush family and has advised them many times over the years. Baker has a stellar reputation as a negotiator which has prompted pundits to write: “Where are the deal makers today? Where are the Jim Bakers who know how to cut a deal when a deal need to be cut?” — Alan Murray, President , Pew Research Center.
Reminded that he successfully engineered a Middle East Peace Deal 25 years ago was asked have the Palestinians and Benjamin Netanyahu precluded a possible of a two state solution? Baker inferred he does not think so there is still hope “I don’t think there is any other way that Israel can maintain both a democratic character and it Jewish character. At the end of the day the Israeli body politic is going to want to do that. They had better realize that compromise is in their best interest and means the survival of Israel. Baker was extremely reluctant to supporter the George W., Dick Cheney invasion Iraq in March 2003 and Baker had other misgiving with Republican foreign policy as was George W’s father the 41st President of the United States, but they allowed the then president to proceed with the ill-fated and foolhardy invasion by muting their criticism.
When asked about the GOP’s Letter to the leaders of Iran, Baker stated “OUr Constitution vests the President of the Untied states with the primary power, authority and responsiblity to conduct foreign policy. You can conduct foreign policy with 535 Secretaries of State.” In other words he plainly doesn’t believe the act and was a misguided effort to intervene in Statecraft.
In response to the current tepid Administration policy toward’s Putin’s Russia, Baker recommended we stand up to Russia and warn them not to continue in their aggression or else grave consequences will ensue. If they continue we must take some kind of action to stop them. (But what exactly, Baker does not say, and what can be done only NATO intervention?)
Questioned as to the ISIS plague, is it a serious threat or a distraction to the U. S.? Baker replied “It’s a serious problem. I agree with the president’s statement that he want to degrade and destroy ISIS, but I don’t think we have a strategy in place to do that. We cannot win a war from the air; theIr will have to be boots on the ground to do it. Those boots should not be American boots. We’ve had quiet enough of young Americans bleeding and dying in the Middle Eass for a while. (The supposition ‘for a while’ should concern us all.)
Are we headed in the right direction with China for the relationship we want to have with the Chineses 20 years down the road? Baker believes we are; I hope we are. I don’t think we’re destined to be an enemy of China and vice versa. And it we handle it right the tensions and the reationship properly, we don’t have to get there. We oaught to coooperarate where we can on those issues where our interest converge and manage out differnces. (Too early to tell)
All the Best,
Ron Miller
