Centrists and center-leftists in Israel and
abroad, liberals who think of themselves as practical, as realistic, as
“muscular,” have been saying for decades that they want to end the
occupation not for the Palestinians’ sake, God forbid – no, they want to
end it for Israel’s sake. These are tough-minded people, after all,
nothing naïve or effete about them.
Well,
gang, well, Zionist Unionists and Yesh Atidniks, liberal Zionists all,
you don’t have a case anymore. Netanyahu has destroyed it.
Look
around. The occupation is going strong – and Israel’s doing great, just
like Bibi says. We’re as safe as we’ve ever been. The “lone-wolf
intifada” is basically over; we beat the Palestinians again. Mahmoud
Abbas squawks, but he makes sure his troops are hard at work in the West
Bank every day, protecting us. And Hamas? Pretty soon we’ll have an
Iron Dome beneath the ground to stop their tunnels along with the one
above ground that stops their rockets. What are they going to do?
The
economy’s doing fine, about as good as that of any Western country, and
better than many. BDS? It’s become a fundraising pitch for AIPAC, a new
“project” for the machers. It makes a lot of Jewish students
uncomfortable at American colleges; for Israel it’s a useful punching
bag.
Oh,
but we’re becoming isolated abroad, right? Here’s how isolated we are:
Netanyahu figuratively pissed in Obama’s face in front of Congress last
year, and since then he’s gone on building up settlements as much as he
pleases – and all that’s left to decide is whether the U.S. will give
Israel an additional billion dollars a year on top of the annual $3
billion, or sweeten the arrangement even more.
Europe? The French peace initiative? It’s all Netanyahu can do to keep a straight face.
But
here’s the real beauty part – making peace with our Arab neighbors, the
big prize waiting for us if we agree to a Palestinian state? We’re making peace with our Arab neighbors now!
The Saudis love us! The Egyptians love us! Not the people, of course,
but who cares? The Arab dictators, the Arab armies that are fighting
these Islamic radicals, that hate Hamas, Iran and ISIS – we’re their
enemies’ enemy, so they’re our friends! They couldn’t care less about
the Palestinians, they want our intelligence, our technology, our
leverage in Washington. The “New Middle East”? It’s finally starting to
happen, thanks to the government of Bibi Netanyahu, Avigdor Lieberman
and Naftali Bennett!
This is the sort of thing Netanyahu’s been telling the media in these briefings lately, and he’s not lying. He is steering Israel’s ship goddamn well.
So,
muscular liberals, you really want to try to take down the occupation –
now? You want to tell 100,000 settlers – at least – to leave their
homes, you want to uproot Hebron, Yitzhar and all those other fanatical
armed camps – when everything’s going so smoothly and there’s nothing
but blue skies on the Israeli horizon? Why?
For Israel’s sake? Are you that crazy?
No.
No, this just isn’t rational, not anymore. You don’t mess up Israel’s
good thing and pitch the country into chaos, into extreme civil strife
and maybe civil war because you want to do what’s best for Israel. No,
that argument is finished.
If
you want to be tough-minded and realistic, if you want to look out for
Israel’s practical self-interest, then give up this idea of ending the
occupation – and get behind Bibi. Look around the country, see how good
the Jews have got it here, see how pitiful the Palestinians are, how
impotent our Western critics are, and admit that you were wrong and Bibi
was right all along. You want to do what’s best for Israel, then look
into those cold eyes of his and start seeing the world his way.
Nope,
there is no practical, realpolitik case for ending the occupation
anymore. There is no more ending the occupation for Israel’s sake. There
is only one reason left to end it: for the Palestinians’ sake. Because
what we’ve been doing to them for the last half-century is immoral,
forbidden. And in so doing, Israel has become an immoral country.
If
you don’t believe that, muscular liberals, then have the guts to admit
that for Israel’s sake – its material sake, anyway – Bibi is the man.
But if you do believe that Israel has indeed become an immoral country,
then have the guts to stop speaking the language of practical
self-interest and start speaking the language of conscience. Speak up
for an end to the occupation – for the Palestinians’ sake, for the sake
of restoring Israel’s lost morality; it’s the same thing. There is no
other honest case against the occupation left to be made.
Larry Derfner is a copy editor at Haaretz and he blogs at www.larryderfner.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DerfnerLarry
Commenti
Posta un commento