This lays out the situation more clearly than all the "impassioned" opinion and editorial pieces I've read elsewhere, and I couldn't agree more. My only disagreement is with the comment that Netanyahu is our ally. Israel is, but he is not. He is a blatant opportunist who'd be at Putin's door with his hand out if the US didn't financially backstop the Israeli people.
Putin will support anyone he thinks will keep a distracting controversy going to take the Russian people's minds off of his growing incompetence and the failing war in Ukraine. If supporting both sides keeps the Israeli/Hamas war going, he'll be right there.
Dave that definitely went through my mind but I’m not sure how that would work financially. But then I alternatively hear Russia is flush with cash and that they’re flailing. 🤷♀️
I think that part of it depends on how you view money and the paths it takes around the world. From a US perspective, Russia shouldn't be able to do much right now because of all the 'sanctions' we've put on them. They do still manage to move oil and gas to Iran, among other places and the PRC appears to be enabling some movement of the cash that results from that movement. The flailing comes about when the need arises for current technology, most of which is western although a fair amount is made in the PRC and clearly manages to find its way to both Russia and Iran so that they can produce the drones and missiles needed to keep the wars going. Both Putin and the Ayatollah would cheerfully see their people starve rather than give up any power because neither has much life expectancy once they're out of office.
There are plenty of article out there saying Netanyahu funneled money to Hamas to provide a distraction and justification for the often violent settlement of the West Bank. A hand on the table and a hand under the table is a popular move in certain circles.
Thanks for this post, TC. I have only fairly uninformed opinions about the situation in the middle east and this retaliatory war that Netenyahoo has started. I say "started" because he directly caused the situation that allowed Hamas to grow in the first place, and ignored all the information that their attack was coming.
It is increasingly disturbing that Netenyahoo is defiant of President Biden’s call for a two state solution regarding Palestine. As Biden works with the Arab States to secure agreement toward normalizing relations with Israel, the Israeli government now announces they will rather displace all Palestinians completely
It is next to impossible to envision continued US support of Israel’s position going forward. It makes me wonder if the Netenyahoo Government believes it is invincible. But then again Bibi faces Trump’s fate when he loses control of the court system that is keeping him out of prison for corruption
Mr. President: Stop supporting Netanyahu and the Zionists and doing the bidding of the Israeli lobby and you can win in 2024! That seems to be the wisdom of the street in my neck of the woods that nobody in officialdom is willing to talk about, although it reflects the majority view as far as I can tell. "Taking such as position makes political sense," as you write, "since his (Biden's) ongoing unconditional support for the war has cost him support from voters who enabled him to beat Trump in 2020...The fact that Biden is not conditioning U.S. support for Netanyahu's government on its acceptance of his proposals, which seem to me to offer the only way that Israel can survive as a democracy, is a major mistake. Enough with the unconditional support of Netanyahu's malevolent stupidity."
These words will be enshrined in my notebooks for the duration, and if Biden loses to Trump and the fascists in 2024, this clear, succinct analysis of the situation in GAZA will serve as a fitting epitaph, not only for Israeli democracy, but for what's left of American democracy as well. Here's hoping that your message is received by the Biden administration before it's too late!
I think Biden is going to win, regardless--among other things, Trump's dementia is showing increasingly--but it would certainly help for Biden to do what you suggest. And Netanyahoo's policies are not helping Israel.
I can't BELIEVE he has adopted a slogan primarily associated with Palestinian resistance and used BY HAMAS in its charter. It was originally a Zionist slogan back before the modern state of Israel was founded, per Wikipedia. But it has been a Palestinian cry for a very long time. I guess Bibi wants to be an equal opportunity bigot. In fact, most Palestinians, at least before the current onslaught, wanted a a two state solution. They may be ruled by Hamas, but it doesn't represent them. Saying it does is like saying Solzhenitsyn was a Stalinist.
I think you pretty much nailed this. Thank you. I'm going to send an email to President Biden just now in words that I hope will be as clear as yours. Netanyahu, Trump, and Putin are in the same camp and always have been. It's complicated but we have to support democracies, not self-serving autocrats.
I watched an interesting item on TV today covering this, about the media in Israel, that touches upon how the South African case before the International Court of Justice could give the Biden administration a credible reason to distance America from Netanyahu's diplomatically destructive whirlpool of chaos.
A cease fire would be wonderful, and I'd love to hear "the plan" for the day after. Who runs Gaza and the West Bank afterwards given all the usual suspects have failed miserably for 70 years? The UN, various NGOs, other Arab countries, the Palestinians themselves, all have been incompetent, if not overtly complicit in the rise of Hamas and other genocidal anti-Israeli groups. Also, the outrage over the military campaign may have merit, but given situations in Sudan, Yemen, Syria, etc, it seems awfully selective.
Well said, TC. Netanyahu has to go--the sooner the better. He is a cancer on the body politic of Israel. There is no justification for the rampant destruction of Gaza---the far right wingers have said it out loud as has Netanyahoo--river to the sea (strange, when the Israeli govt. says it there is no condemnation).
This lays out the situation more clearly than all the "impassioned" opinion and editorial pieces I've read elsewhere, and I couldn't agree more. My only disagreement is with the comment that Netanyahu is our ally. Israel is, but he is not. He is a blatant opportunist who'd be at Putin's door with his hand out if the US didn't financially backstop the Israeli people.
He may go begging if support from the US is withdrawn, but not to Putin. I doubt Putin would support both Iran and Israel.
Putin will support anyone he thinks will keep a distracting controversy going to take the Russian people's minds off of his growing incompetence and the failing war in Ukraine. If supporting both sides keeps the Israeli/Hamas war going, he'll be right there.
Dave that definitely went through my mind but I’m not sure how that would work financially. But then I alternatively hear Russia is flush with cash and that they’re flailing. 🤷♀️
I think that part of it depends on how you view money and the paths it takes around the world. From a US perspective, Russia shouldn't be able to do much right now because of all the 'sanctions' we've put on them. They do still manage to move oil and gas to Iran, among other places and the PRC appears to be enabling some movement of the cash that results from that movement. The flailing comes about when the need arises for current technology, most of which is western although a fair amount is made in the PRC and clearly manages to find its way to both Russia and Iran so that they can produce the drones and missiles needed to keep the wars going. Both Putin and the Ayatollah would cheerfully see their people starve rather than give up any power because neither has much life expectancy once they're out of office.
There are plenty of article out there saying Netanyahu funneled money to Hamas to provide a distraction and justification for the often violent settlement of the West Bank. A hand on the table and a hand under the table is a popular move in certain circles.
Thanks for this post, TC. I have only fairly uninformed opinions about the situation in the middle east and this retaliatory war that Netenyahoo has started. I say "started" because he directly caused the situation that allowed Hamas to grow in the first place, and ignored all the information that their attack was coming.
It is increasingly disturbing that Netenyahoo is defiant of President Biden’s call for a two state solution regarding Palestine. As Biden works with the Arab States to secure agreement toward normalizing relations with Israel, the Israeli government now announces they will rather displace all Palestinians completely
It is next to impossible to envision continued US support of Israel’s position going forward. It makes me wonder if the Netenyahoo Government believes it is invincible. But then again Bibi faces Trump’s fate when he loses control of the court system that is keeping him out of prison for corruption
Trapped Rats
Thank you for helping me understand the situation,TC.
Mr. President: Stop supporting Netanyahu and the Zionists and doing the bidding of the Israeli lobby and you can win in 2024! That seems to be the wisdom of the street in my neck of the woods that nobody in officialdom is willing to talk about, although it reflects the majority view as far as I can tell. "Taking such as position makes political sense," as you write, "since his (Biden's) ongoing unconditional support for the war has cost him support from voters who enabled him to beat Trump in 2020...The fact that Biden is not conditioning U.S. support for Netanyahu's government on its acceptance of his proposals, which seem to me to offer the only way that Israel can survive as a democracy, is a major mistake. Enough with the unconditional support of Netanyahu's malevolent stupidity."
These words will be enshrined in my notebooks for the duration, and if Biden loses to Trump and the fascists in 2024, this clear, succinct analysis of the situation in GAZA will serve as a fitting epitaph, not only for Israeli democracy, but for what's left of American democracy as well. Here's hoping that your message is received by the Biden administration before it's too late!
I think Biden is going to win, regardless--among other things, Trump's dementia is showing increasingly--but it would certainly help for Biden to do what you suggest. And Netanyahoo's policies are not helping Israel.
Agree 100%.
Hear, hear!
Love "Nitwityahoo."
I can't BELIEVE he has adopted a slogan primarily associated with Palestinian resistance and used BY HAMAS in its charter. It was originally a Zionist slogan back before the modern state of Israel was founded, per Wikipedia. But it has been a Palestinian cry for a very long time. I guess Bibi wants to be an equal opportunity bigot. In fact, most Palestinians, at least before the current onslaught, wanted a a two state solution. They may be ruled by Hamas, but it doesn't represent them. Saying it does is like saying Solzhenitsyn was a Stalinist.
Exactly right.
I think you pretty much nailed this. Thank you. I'm going to send an email to President Biden just now in words that I hope will be as clear as yours. Netanyahu, Trump, and Putin are in the same camp and always have been. It's complicated but we have to support democracies, not self-serving autocrats.
Thank You. I get it now. Sadly.
I watched an interesting item on TV today covering this, about the media in Israel, that touches upon how the South African case before the International Court of Justice could give the Biden administration a credible reason to distance America from Netanyahu's diplomatically destructive whirlpool of chaos.
Video available here... https://www.aljazeera.com/program/the-listening-post/2024/1/20/war-on-gaza-what-impact-will-the-icj-case-have
Well stated!
I hope President Biden sees this.
He won’t remember. Send it to Jill.
Please spare us the ageist remarks.
Nothing ageist about it.
Yes.
A cease fire would be wonderful, and I'd love to hear "the plan" for the day after. Who runs Gaza and the West Bank afterwards given all the usual suspects have failed miserably for 70 years? The UN, various NGOs, other Arab countries, the Palestinians themselves, all have been incompetent, if not overtly complicit in the rise of Hamas and other genocidal anti-Israeli groups. Also, the outrage over the military campaign may have merit, but given situations in Sudan, Yemen, Syria, etc, it seems awfully selective.
Bibi was more than complicit when it comes to creating and maintaining Hamas.
Bibi is like Trump, he'd sacrifice his country to save himself, and he's too greedy and stupid to stay out of legal jeopardy.
Be that as it may, so what’s the solution?
Well said, TC. Netanyahu has to go--the sooner the better. He is a cancer on the body politic of Israel. There is no justification for the rampant destruction of Gaza---the far right wingers have said it out loud as has Netanyahoo--river to the sea (strange, when the Israeli govt. says it there is no condemnation).