Here it is, yesterday America renewed its wedding vows to Barack Obama when he officially began his second term. I knew Romney never stood a chance because the saying is once you go Black you don't go back. However, across the ocean our friends in Israel seem determined to re-elect their abusive stern asshole husband Benajmin Netanyahu. Now, this isn't a rant against Israel or one for Palestine. Instead it's an analysis of a question: Can you be pro Israel but against their current regime? I think the obvious answer is yes.
Over the years Netanyahu has ignored settlement agreements, directly threatened Iran, and also given plenty of headaches to Barack Obama. On the other hand he's managed to keep a stable Israeli economy. So he's kind of like a bad boy Italian husband with the Israeli people playing the role of mafia wife. "Yeah, I know he's an asshole, but man can that guy provide."
When judging the situation over in Israel I think it's important to look at it in terms of if the far right took over America. That's exactly what's going on over there. And before we call Israel crazy or depict them as an evil regime let's remember it was the right in our very own country which administered The Patriot Act, The War in Iraq, AND The War in Afghanistan. Peace is determined by the people in charge. With Netanyahu's probable re-election i'm guessing it means strained relations with Palestine and the rest of the Middle East. However, let's not use this as a time to blame Israel or add to the division. Let's call it for what it is: Our friend is in love with an abusive asshole. Let's blame him not the people.
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You make an interesting point, and I think we agree a bit. But I'm gonna make a brief statement about what I disagree with, because I feel that disagreement in my gut!
ReplyDeleteBasically, I disagree with a line of thought (which I hear here and have heard you express at other times) that goes like this: both sides are fucked up, and we have these pro-Palestine and pro-Israel camps that are blinded by their own ideologies, but what really needs to happen is to drop the ideological bullshit, make some comprises, and play nice. What I don't like about the description of things is that it completely obscures the fact that it is the Palestinians, not the Israelis, who are oppressed. That is to say, it is Palestinians people who live unfree lives and are denied full (maybe even partial) humanity by the actions of Israel.
Now I agree that Hamas has done some fucked up things, things that I hope I wouldn't do under similar conditions of oppression. But what I'm not willing to concede is that the oppressed (and their supporters) are to be blamed in some way by acting as if they are engaged in a struggle, and viewing Israel’s actions as contributing to Palestinian subordination and assigning blame. I don’t mean to get all Frederick Douglass on your ass, but “power concedes nothing without dissent.” The idea that the problems lies with both sides, because neither side is self-reflective, rational, or interested in comprise (and trust me, the Palestinian have offered many comprises over the year) completely misses that Israel is in power and using that power to oppress.
Two other quick points: 1) I didn’t support “The Patriot Act, The War in Iraq, [or] The War in Afghanistan,” so am I still allowed to call Israel crazy? Second, can the same logic apply to Palestine; that is, can we say that Hamas leadership is abusive but Palestine is still our (its supporters) friend.