"In Pakistan, we pay the Pakistani Army to be two-faced, otherwise it would be only one-faced and totally against us. In Bahrain, we looked the other way while ruling Sunni hard-liners crushed a Shiite-led movement for more power-sharing, and we silently watch our ally Israel build more settlements in the West Bank that we know are a disaster for its Jewish democracy.
But we don’t tell Pakistan the truth because it has nukes. We don’t tell the Saudis the truth because we’re addicted to their oil. We don’t tell Bahrain the truth because we need its naval base. We don’t tell Egypt the truth because we’re afraid it will walk from Camp David. We don’t tell Israel the truth because it has votes. And we don’t tell Karzai the truth because Obama is afraid John McCain will call him a wimp."
Well, let's think about this. Israel evacuated Sinai to gain peace with Egypt. Israel unilaterally evacuated southern Lebanon and Gaza, and was rewarded with rocket and missile fire in both instances. Moreover, past Israeli prime ministers Barak and Olmert were willing to evacuate the West Bank along the 1967 lines, and current Israeli prime minister Netanyahu also favors a two-state solution. However, for the sake of "fairness," Friedman would still castigate Israel for its settlements and lump Israel together with countries that behead persons for witchcraft, tolerate "honor killings," imprison and whip women who have been gang-raped, and execute people who abandon Islam. Friedman fails to mention that, as acknowledged by chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, Israeli settlements presently cover only 1.1 percent of the West Bank (see: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/11/17/settlements-obstacle-to-peace/), and many of these would be evacuated in a negotiated settlement.
Yes, I know, Tom, we must never miss an opportunity to bash Israel and pander to the increasingly left-leaning readership of The New York Times even if this entails telling less than the whole truth. There mustn't be a whiff of understanding for a constant, time-tested, democratic ally of the US.
This is something I never understand ... How can an individual be so low? An independently wealthy who could retire any moment ....
ReplyDeleteThis is more than indecency - this is evil.
Tom is an apologist for the victim. He relishes standing atop the Mount and being heard as the King of the Fair. If this were Old Jerusalem in the priestly garb he would stretch his hands and find a way to admonish everyone there. He thinks he's smarter than everyone else. He is not the man who shoved bodies into the crematorium. He is the crematorium.
ReplyDelete