Israeli leaders' price tag against the Palestinians
This price tag meted out by the forum of eight is not much different than the settlers' price tag; it's violent, uncontrolled and seeks vengeance.
By Gideon Levy Tags: price tag IDF Palestinian state UNESCOWhat, for heaven's sake, is so terrible about Palestine being accepted to UNESCO? Why is this considered an "anti-Israeli" step? And in general, what's so bad about the Palestinians relinquishing terror and going over to the international arena? If Israel were to behave intelligently, it would vote to accept the Palestinians to any respectable international organization.
And if Israel were to behave with integrity, the hollow talk about two states would be translated into support for the Palestinians' diplomatic moves to achieve that. International recognition of a Palestinian state is the last chance to thwart a one-state solution. It's also the last chance to preserve the Palestinian Authority's strength and prevent Hamas from taking over instead. Israel should support that enthusiastically.
If the U.S.-led international community that supports Israel were to act with integrity and wisdom, it too would welcome the Palestinians' move. We're talking about nothing less than a friendly step, the best way to ensure Israel's future as the nation-state of the Jewish people. But instead, the Americans and Israelis are meting out punishment and the Palestinians are being punished. It's doubtful whether they received such punishment even during the worst days of terrorism. Two world powers, the United States and Israel, are hitting at their pockets and part of Europe has rushed to follow in a scary way.
This might be one of the only examples in history where the occupied country is punished because of its justified and nonviolent struggle to win its freedom, while the violent occupier that continues its settlement enterprise and control by force wins the West's support. This is the dish Barack Obama's America is serving up and this is the chaotic situation Israel is leading - stopping assistance to a cultural and scientific organization that has accepted into its ranks a nation fighting for its independence.
It's interesting how Obama, who until only a short while ago was in favor of freedom, comes to terms with this before he goes to bed at night. It's interesting how the leaders of Europe, some of whom voted against accepting the Palestinians, explain this to their voters. Muammar Gadhafi was bombed in the name of freedom while they support the continuation of the occupation by Israel, the enemy of freedom, which is thwarting democratic and diplomatic moves aimed at a nation's liberation.
What's left for Mahmoud Abbas to do? What can any Palestinian living under the occupation think? They tried for years to sit quietly, waiting for Godot, but Godot didn't arrive. They tried to fight against the occupation with stones and knives but nothing happened. They tried negotiations, but these dragged on futilely for years and didn't move them a step forward. They tried cruel suicide bombings but nothing changed. There is no one they can talk to in Jerusalem and nothing to talk about.
Now they are trying to enlist the world, and what do they get in return? A punishment that may yet turn into a death sentence for the PA and the most moderate Palestinian leader there will ever be. It was enough to hear Abbas promise an end to the conflict during an interview on Channel 2 Friday night to understand that. That interview should have reverberated throughout every Israeli household. But instead it was received sourly by the analysts who know everything.
A gang of thugs, the forum of eight senior ministers, decided on the steps to punish the man who dared to act contrary to the desires of the familia. They're building another 2,000 housing units in the settlements, which are for the first time being characterized as punishment. And they're stealing the Palestinians' tax money and canceling some of their leaders' VIP passes. At least now we know that every apartment in a settlement is a punishment and every settler who lives there is doing so as revenge.
The Palestinian leaders will also know that their relative and privileged freedom of movement was nothing more than a wretched and insulting bone thrown to them by the occupying power, in return for their collaboration. If they collaborate, they'll get; if they don't, they won't. If they abduct a soldier, they'll get; if they go to the United Nations, they'll be punished.
This price tag meted out by the forum of eight is not much different than the settlers' price tag. It's violent, uncontrolled and seeks vengeance. So settlers, you can continue with your price tag because your country is doing the same thing, and in broad daylight.
קראו כתבה זו בעברית: נקמה ישראלית על אונסק"ו
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I beg your pardon, I recognise one still as a world power, but when did israel acquire the status of world power? Monaco is next? after all, there is a lot of money there too.
The worst enemy of every Israeli right wing government isn't Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran or Syria. It is a moderate Palestinian government. With conciilatory Palestinian leadership Israel loses every excuse for occupation and land theft. With Palestinians shirking terror attacks, true face of Israel is exposed. Face of a hypocritical country, which cloaks itself in a shroud of victim while it engages in the worst colonization since the time of Conquistadors.
For the past five years Abbas has been the only constant face in "face to face" negotiations with Israel. The shifting of power within Israel's political system, the growing influence of ultra-orthodoxy and its settler movement, and the frustratingly duplicitous actions of America have left Abbas with no other option but to appeal directly with the world's leaders. To me, Abbas's message is clear. He has given up playing the game of rigged negotiations and, if Palestine's bid for UN membership is denied, he will disolve all form of lawful government creating Israel's worst nightmare. Overnight, Israel will become one state responsible for the welfare and security of almost 5 million disenfranchised, vote less Palestinians. I trust that the world's human rights activists will be watching the compassion with which Israel handles this self inflicted disaster.
Thanks Gideon for revealing the true faces of the Israelis. As you say These people has a hidden agenda, a conspiracy with the US, not only against the Palestinians but against the entire Arab World. The reason seems to be to the let the Palestinian issue alive so that the marionettes in the Arab World can continue to run the errands of Israel and US. The move to punish the Palestinians for seeking to join the international community is an order to them to seek the armed struggle. Is that what Israel and the US want?
The problem with your theory is the idea that "glass half full" works with nation-states and terror. The "Palestinians" have not stopped terror and gone to the UN instead. Not when rockets hit Beersheva the same day you drafted this puff piece. If the "Palestinians" really gave up terror your premise would be better. Unless you are suggesting coming to piece with only the west bank: three states for two people, perhaps. You must not live in the south.
All the Israeli government does, in any field, is a BIG LIE.
Negotiations are dead. The Palestinians and most of the rest of the world understand that the time wasting process, broken promises and high drama of the last 20 years are not only over, but should never have taken place. Whatever took place behind closed doors could always be spun in Israel's favor and always was. Israel would re-neg on signed agreements, and then tell the world that there is no partner for peace, or the Palestinians aren't "ripe" for peace. Now, with the various UN initiatives, we're moving into a more open environment, where Quartets with lackeys like Ross and Blair are completely irrelevant, and where dirty words like "international laws" and Geneva conventions take precedence. It will no longer be possible for an arrogant Bill Clinton to tell Yassir Arrafat that Camp David is not the UN. Now they are in the UN, and now the game has changed.
If you don't know why UNESCO acceptance is so terrible, you shouldn't be writing. Levy's assersions and conclusions are so, so off base. You'd really think this article was written by a Palestinian. Perhaps, it was.
Peter, I am not Gideon Levy. I am not a journalist. Please explain to me why UNESCO acceptance of the PA is so terrible.
I think the Israel goverment wants Hamas to take over the West Bank . after all they are the one's who invented such thing as Hamas in 87.
Yes - unfortunately. Every word is correct
america wants negotiations to allow this to happen. france wants negotiations, but doesnt want negotiations to stop the palestinian state like the americans want. hence thier support.
It is clear Israel does no want the moderate Palestinians to be strong. This has been the case for decades. Netanyahu and his group prefer to have Hamas, it gives them the excuse to build settlements etc. But one day the only solution is a one state. Then what? Apartheid?
No, then another nakba, another genocide, and then, most probably, a thermonuclear holocaust to follow. Its suicidal. But Israel's leaders are twisted, evil men.
Not apartheid. Expulsion. Unless the international community soon imposes a two-state solution, Israel will create a pretext for the expulsion of the palestinians.
the two-state solution. This will make the one-state solution inevitable which will mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state. Israel is living in a fantasy and fails to see that it's its own greatest enemy
A voice(s) of sanity and truth in Israel.
and of course, it's much much preferable that the PA began negotiations with the Israeli government, despite the divide, because then we'd see the true face of this coalition government about peace. It's an over-reaction to the PA's diplomatic plan of action, which will hurt the PA - Israel's only peace partner now, but the U.S. and Quartet has to intervene towards immediate talks. Netanyahu has no clue as to what he's going to achieve with continuing the deteriorating relations with the PA. The response in announcing the planned E. Jerusalem housing put against the necessity of addressing the core issue, "dafka", substantiates the wrong doing by the Netanyahu government. What I'm wondering is why is the political opposition silent? Doesn't anyone learn from mistakes anymore? It was already proven that unilateral action such as Israel's disengagement from Gaza without negotiations with the PA cost Israel and the Palestinians needlessly, in all aspects. It's a total misjudgment in course of action, once again attempting to isolate the PA because they a not Swedes! We'll be waiting for some time then.
ISrael had its negotiations. They were a sham, a stalling tactic. Livni admitted as much. Whats the point in a further circus of 'negotiations'? We all know the only thing ISrael is willing to offer is a choice between leaving, suffering or dying.
Because Gideon, Netanyahu is taking the 'Holocaust Business' to new heights. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g that doesn't fall the way HE wants it to fall is NOW "delegitimization of Israel" (his replacement term for the old worn out "anti-Semitism"). And the "price tag"...oops, I mean punishment...is because he's not interested in peace or Israel's long term welfare; he's interested in the fall of the PA, the complete deterioration of the security situation, and his chance to re-occupy ALL of the West Bank to finally bury any concept of two states. It's all in the master plan - outlined in Danny Danon's editorial in the NY Times, May 18, 2011.
My heart aches , reading this, as I acknowledge the truths that are expressed here. How can Israelis continue to shut their eyes and ears to what is coming from the Knesset? How can they conceive of a future which carries on in this manner? Thank you, Gideon Levy, for knowing this, and more, and still being able to write, with I imagine, some hope that it will make a difference.
The Palestinians have walked into a trap on this one. To get the rights and freedom they want, they have to give up the short term benefits of a stable and reasonable normal life under the PA and give Israel back responsibility. Every avenue they have tried has failed. Admit it and ask for rights in the country they actually live in "Greater Israel"
Well perhaps one. Forced palestinian birth control, but isn't that just a more heinous form of ethnic cleansing?
but they won't get. And how will the international community be able to pressure Israel to respect Palestinian rights when this is an internal matter, when they can't pressure Israel now, when its acts are blatantly illegal according to international law?