No Israeli Government, be it left or right would ever view or adopt Iran as a potential friend unless there is a major policy shift in Iran. The rhetoric exists on both sides.
Iran is a relatively modern and tolerant culture, though, compared to Israel's other neighbors. In spite of their current disagreements, I consider them to be Israel's best shot.
Have you missed the parts where the right wing are already fired up and it is the glaring reports of the media and Western countries that are forcing Netanyahu to actually act against them, the easing of the blockade is a prime example.
And it is only going to result in making the right-wing in Israel more vicious and more defensive. Fortunately, Livni has capitalized on Netanyahu's lapse, and she may be able to force a renegotiation of the current government.
There is an inherent racism within the Israeli society and it is strongly supported by the right. Feeding the fear of Arabs in general, even if they are Arabic Jews. But along with that, they feed the fear of all Jews that Muslims are out to get them.
You see? You call anyone who criticizes the Arabs racists, and then you tune them out. You wonder why I get so coarse. There you go.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_Saudi_Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the main backer of Hamas. They obviously don't have a very forward-looking concept of human rights. In fact, their laws have been officially geared, for a long time, toward denying people the right to practice their religion publicly. If Hamas had practices mirroring those of Saudi Arabia, how would you expect the Jewish people to be treated?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_the_Palestinian_National_Authority
Even in West Bank, which is a progressive paradise compared to Gaza, the state of religious freedom is actually quite bleak.
Now, please try to seriously contemplate being an Israeli-born Jew, and you have people like S.A.M. saying that you are obligated to live under a government in which the Muslims have majority control over the laws that you are forced to live under.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Israel
Although Israel's record on human rights is far from perfect, which is not difficult at all for me to acknowledge, there is a double-standard at play, here.
When I try to drive at this point, you seem to ignore it. It doesn't even seem to register with you. While reading my posts and those of certain others embroiled in this discussion, all that you seem to be able to see is a caricature that you have built-up in your head.
You are living in a dream-world where you can put the players involved here into neat categories, and all of them seem to play the roles that you have set for them. You have the cartoon villain, the innocent victim, the ignorant outsider, and trouble-making goons you try to ignore. Reality is never quite that tidy. You know this, but you don't seem to have fully realized it. Whatever script you have in your head, quit just assuming that someone who doesn't go by it is some random trouble-maker.
At some point, one would hope that the day to day Israeli would start to question.
This is not going to happen if they are made to feel defensive, Bells. We are dealing with human beings. You can't just manipulate human beings by puppeting them into positions that you find to be attractive. In the real world, this only serves to create resentment, often violence.
She is willing to sell out to the bad side. Apparently they have cookies.
The "bad side." Please, don't be ridiculous.
[quite]She also stated she would not change anything into the incursion into the Gaza Strip.. And she supports the blockade during that incursion, where nothing was getting in..[/quote]Of course. She did help to set up the blockade. Hamas is a very violent organization, and they do tend to go to a lot of trouble to smuggle weapons into the region. I do not think that her decision was very productive, but I understand why she made it.
Unfortunately, I cannot think of any alternatives that I could honestly say would work. That doesn't sound like a very attractive statement, and I don't intend for it to be. It is a statement of my complete helplessness to manufacture a solution that I honestly think would work in the long-term.
Yes, I know that your solution is for the IDF to simply withdraw from Gaza Strip altogether and start making nice with the Palestinians, but you don't seem to comprehend what would actually happen. If the Israelies were to altogether withdraw, Hamas would use it as a chance to recoup and to strengthen their old on Gaza Strip. They would continue attacking supporters of Fatah. It just wouldn't work.
I have no love for Hamas. But Livni and the right need to recognise that punishing the Palestinians will push them more towards the people who claim to want to help them, they being Hamas. By denying them their basic human rights, it's not going to make them turn on Hamas.
They are putting pressure on the Palestinians, though. Remember, you advocate putting external pressure on the Israelies in order to force them to change their policies for the long-term. Well, the Israelies are using their blockade as a means of external pressure. You obviously think this sort of measure works, so I would logically think that you would agree with it. Personally, all I think it's apt to do in the long-term is breed resentment, but what the fuck do I know.
However, I do have a peculiar view on it, and I assure you that I am not doing it for the sake of being a gonzo. If you would hear me out on it, you might start to see how I am putting this together. Although Netanyahu probably never planned it this way, the way he has reacted to the world's reaction to the recent flotilla incident might very well have changed the way that discourse is carried out in this conflict. That is, the incident may very well have proven to some of the Palestinians that there is a means of getting what they want without firing a single weapon.
Well, let's assume the theory that the incident actually has awakened in some individuals the concept of seeking out non-violent solutions. If we can soak up the governing principles of the effect, then we can formulate a model for replicating it.
Hmm. Thanks, Chomsky.
And they were voted in democratically.. Which speaks of the desperation of the Palestinian people to be honest.
Personally, I think it speaks more of their stupidity. You seem to be operating under the pretext that being "victims" somehow absolves them from any responsibility for their own actions. You seem very hesitant to make any serious criticism of the choices they have made.
What the Palestinians need is a new front. One that isn't supportive of violence and does not call for martyrs.
Actually, I think that "martyrdom" has an inextricable sense of importance in Islamic culture. However, what
Shahid entails can be interpreted in various different ways, some more metaphorical than others. For example, you can be called a martyr if you die in child-birth, but you can also be called a martyr if you die in the defense of your own property. If you want to be extremely liberal, perhaps a martyr needn't die at all. It is a very complicated concept.
Unfortunately, Hamas tends toward a more literalist, violent interpretation, so they are dangerous. On the other hand, there are some other Jihadist movements out there that have shown promise. In fact, I consider Hezbollah to be a bit of a model.
I don't criticise Israelis for being Jewish. Why should I? What I do criticise is the pushing of religious superiority and exclusiveness..
Then why don't you ever object when Muslims do it to others?
More like trying to make others see that the West pushes for democracy and will only support the people if the side the West supports wins. The joys of democracy and the utter hypocrisy of it. I detest the hypocrisy and the irony of our own follies.
Whereas I tend to favor republicanism, lower-case spelling.
As a woman of colour, I can assure you,
Irrelevant unless what you are assuring me about is your skill as a maid.
Because her ideology is not that far from the right. She is the most right of the left they can use to try and recapture support.
Well, it was the apparent weakness of the Alignment that caused them to lose popularity in the first place. Remember, there was a lot of upset over the fact that the Israeli government was releasing reams of convicted criminals just to get back a handful of IDF soldiers. This sort of thing left a lot of Israelies disaffected with the Alignment. Livni has no other choice but to market Kadima as having a stronger backbone than Likud.
And as I said before, Israel will never ever get along with Iran unless Iran goes through its own other revolution and has a massive policy change.
Mousavi can handle himself. He is a bright boy. However, Iran would still have their Supreme Leader, even under Mousavi's government. Mousavi is still probably not entirely what the Israelies are looking for. They'll just have to learn how to compromise. For that matter, Mousavi would have to compromise a lot of his ideals to be able to function in the government that he hopes to become a leader in; expecting a nice, compliant Iran is for people who are living in a fucking dream-world. I never wanted it, either. I'd rather see a strong Iran that serves as a leader in the region.