I’d probably be better prepared to write about the war going on in Israel and Gaza if I wasn’t still bone-tired from the American presidential campaign. It looks like the violence there is about to ramp up dramatically. The rockets Hamas is firing are creating air siren warnings in Tel Aviv. The response is going to be unmerciful. Israel will not tolerate any threat to Tel Aviv.
So, why is this big fight happening now?
Because just about every Israeli government of any party going back fifty years or so has used the threat of elections as pretext for security-bolstering measures. That may or not actually be successful or wise in any way.
Naturally, I instead expect commentary to focus exclusively on what this means about/for Barack Obama…
And naturally Obama gives them the thumbs up. This is why I hate Israel.
The NYT and BBC coverage have been god-awful.
How Israel shattered Gaza truce leading to escalating death and tragedy: a timeline
BTW, that title is “why” this is happening right now.
Your link mentions that the Hamas leader was assassinated after 24 hours of ceasefire. Regarding this, a dKos diary says:
Daily Kos: Why I’m Rejecting Rabbi Yoffie’s Call for Progressive Jews to Support Israel’s Bombing of Gaza
And naturally Obama gives them the thumbs up.
citation omitted.
Most people who follow such matters wouldn’t consider Obama’s cheering on of Egyptian President Morsi to be “giving Israel the thumbs up.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/17/palestinians-israel-egypt-obama-idUSL1E8MH02M20121117
I’m curious – was there literally anything you saw that led you to your conclusion?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/16/us-full-backing-israel-gaza
From Democracy Now!
US news reports skip the back story and as usual begin with rockets fired from Gaza.
Yup, and Senators are looking to pass resolutions cheering the Israelis on. It makes me sick.
Blame the people, our fellow Americans. They overwhelmingly support Israel.
No, they don’t. Poll after poll has put it at about 50/50. Israel is another example where special interests(AIPAC) run the whole place despite what the public thinks.
Then let’s see it. Every time I’ve ever seen a poll the support is huge, like 60-20 for Israel.
MNPundit is right. People “sympathize” with Israel over the Palestinians something like 65 to 15, +/-5 (so at best, 60-20).
However, a majority of Americans view Israel positive (50%), while a plurality view if negatively (35%) or not at all (15%). That’s the best you’ll get: 35% view it negatively. But if coupled with the Palestine question, it’s no contest: our country worships Israel.
That might change if Western Media actually portrayed Israel as the terrorist state that it is, but that also won’t happen.
No, they don’t. Poll after poll has put it at about 50/50.
citation omitted
Always starting the sequence of events in an I/P escalation with an act on the P side is one common distortion in US media. Another is to completely ignore reality and talk about an existential threat to Israel. Given the military balance, the control of borders and Israel’s settlement policy, the only real existential threat is the other way around. It is quite a feat that this even needs to be pointed out; that the majority of media people could be made to ignore the glaring obvious.
Heh. Speaking of that existential threat:
Israel to `topple’ Abbas if Palestine gains UN status – ISRAEL – PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES – FRANCE 24
Would Israel really be that stupid?
If Abbas is toppled, who do they think would take over the government of the West Bank? Bill Kristol?
Either an even weaker Palestinian leader or the IDF itself. But, you don’t have to wonder that much, this isn’t unprecedented: just ten years ago, Sharon tried to topple then-leader Arafat (with Dubya’s full support).
http://rt.com/news/israel-gaza-strike-election-758/
http://www.thenation.com/blog/171265/israel-escalates-gaza-attack-assassination
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Has anyone heard speculation about a possible deal between Israel and the U.S. in which Israel would make room for diplomacy on Iran in exchange for tacit permission for an escalation against Hamas? That’s just a possibility, I don’t have anything hard on it.
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See my diary – IDF’s New Media – War Propaganda Through Social Media
Rumors have it Jabari had worked on a blue-print for a Hamas truce with the Netanyahu government. Gazans came out of diplomatic isolation with recent visit by Qatar’s Sheikh and allocated funding. I don’t understand why the Gaza militants tripled the number of rocket launches in the month of October. Perhaps the extremist groups willing to sabotage any deal with Israel.
I find it very awkward and poor judgement on part of Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration to be on de side of foreign opposition movement to Assad regime in Syria’s civil war. The US with European allies on the side of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Libyan Salafists, Gazans and other extremist Jihadists funded by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
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Gaza: Assassinated Hamas Leader Ahmed Jabari ‘Was Canvassing’ Truce Agreement with Israel
Hamas has had to do a balancing act to keep the more militant militias under control, lest they do to Hamas what Hamas eventually did to the PA. Lots of interests pushing for escalation on all sides.
I find it very awkward and poor judgement on part of Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration to be on de side of foreign opposition movement to Assad regime in Syria’s civil war. The US with European allies on the side of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Libyan Salafists, Gazans and other extremist Jihadists funded by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
The Arab Spring is not optional.
You want “awkward?” Look down the road in ten years, when the region is full of Arab Spring governments, and imagine that the U.S. has established no influence with them.
Much less awkward would be the types of relationships we have with the governments in Tunisia, Libya, and even Egypt. Isn’t it funny how the terribly skeery al Qaeda Mooslems you kept warning us about in Libya don’t control the government, while pro-American democrats do?
It’s election time for Netanyahu, his military won’t attack Iran, but they will attack Gaza in order to make him a wartime prime minister. Playing the electoral fear card.
There’s an easy way to calm this down and save $3.1 billion a year.
your definition of easy is strange.
Easier for Bibi to do. Not for anybody else.
It’s called shock treatment. And it’s time for it to happen before the election to put Israelis on notice not to use war as a campaign gimmick every election.
Do it and then renegotiate the conditions for restoring aid.
Is the domestic outrage going to be any greater than the poutrage over trying Guantanamo prisoners in NYC or the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque”?
Yes. It’s easy. Much easier than sending troops to fulfill our defense guarantees to Israel when it eventually blows up.
BooMan, the Middle East is Chinatown directed by Bibi Netanyahu.
what everyone else is saying. I’s election time, which means you have to blow some Palestinians up.