4.1.07

Criticism of Israel becoming mainstream in the US ?

Thanks to the paper on the Israel lobby by Mearsheimer and Walt and to the recent book by former president Jimmy Carter 'Peace not Apartheid', criticism of Israel is becoming mainstream in the US, despite current perceptions.

Read here the comments of Norman Finkelstein on Carter's book and on the attempt by some pro-zionist or zionist wary media to discredit Carter's arguments, most notably the comparison Carter makes between the state of Israel as it is now and the south African Apartheid.

The Lebanese daily Star Rami Khoury's ''Israel's dominance may be going into slow reversal'' offers us an analysis of the moves by the Israeli government during the last six monts and concludes that since the July war on Lebanon, Israel is in trouble.

Check Sabbah's post featuring two opinions on the central question in Carter's book: Israel as an apartheid state.

UPDATE: I received an insult from one commentator on this post but I did not publish it. However I can publish the IP of this commentator who is from the US:205.188.117 (aol commercial)
That's just a proof that insults are one of the methods Zionists resort to in order to silence criticism...Other means are: lobbying, Blackmailing, Bombing, Intimidating and Targeted Killings...

7 comments:

Richard said...

Sophia, re; the insult you had - join the club. I've had increasing numbers of 'hate' comments lately. Though nothing as dramatic as some truth tellers regularly receive - ie; death and/or violence threats -- I've been wished dead, told I'd be better in a body bag and been called "anti" almost anything & anyone you'd care to name, etc, etc.

Thank goodness for blog moderation facilties, eh?

Still, as somebody else commented when I mentioned this, it merely proves that we (honest, uncowed bloggers), are shedding light on the things they'd prefer were kept hidden. And, would rather readers remained in the dark.

Take their insults as compliments.

Sophia said...

Yes Richard, somewhat insults tell us that we are making a difference...

Texas Bankruptcy Nerd said...

Here's my policy:

Publish their obscene comments. Show the world how hateful they are. Just don't publish the sophistry they try to spin onto the presses.

Anne Rettenberg LCSW said...

I believe in comment moderation. I read blogs to read information and discussion--when I see a blog that publishes excessive amounts of hateful comments, I stop reading that blog, because I don't want to be subjected to that. I don't think "showing" the world how awful the people are is that useful...because it's the truth v. the lies that's important...Better to write a post addressing popular lies.

Sophia said...

Elizabeth,

I agree with you. I want this blog as a place for discussion and for sharing information and not as a spin machine. One has to be reminded also that a blog is a personal private space in which respect is important.
Thanks for conforting me in this opinion.

Anne Rettenberg LCSW said...

I also agree that criticism of Israel is becoming mainstream. However, discourse does not necessarily become public policy. Reference our Iraq and energy policies (or rather, the lack thereof).

Anne Rettenberg LCSW said...

Just one more thought: I think what has helped criticism of Israel become more mainstream isn't just the Walt/Mearsheimer piece or Jimmy Carter's book, but also the recognition of Palestine in the arts. "Paradise Now" won the Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar; "Munich"--whether or not one liked Spielberg's perspective--publicized Israel's use of terrorist bombings and assassinations against influential Palestinians, and in the past couple of years in New York there has been a Palestinian art show that got good reviews and several theatre pieces that to some degree represented the Palestinian viewpoint, most recently the play about Rachel Corrie.

 
Since March 29th 2006