What Mitt Romney said about the Middle East at that $50,000-a-plate fundraiser at the home of a fellow private-equity tycoon is not what is getting the most attention and what Democrats are most energetically spotlighting. That distinction, of course, goes to Romney's dismissal of 47 percent of the electorate as freeloading government dependents who have a victim complex and do not take personal responsibility for their own lives. And Romney's rejection of a negotiated two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which even his friend Bibi Netanyahu claims he supports, shouldn't be all that surprising given the indications of Netanyahu's actual aims and how Romney is outsourcing to him his policies on anything having to do with Israel. One might even gain comfort by noting that some serious and knowledgeable people who study this conflict have questioned whether a two-state solution is still possible. But then one is jolted back to a state of dismay by noting that Romney makes no mention whatsoever of the reason this question arises, which is the continued Israeli creation of facts on the ground by colonization of occupied territory.
Let us try to get away from the politics of the campaign and away from simply piling on and use this as a teachable moment about some important matters involving foreign policy and national security. The ignorance Romney displayed unfortunately seems to be shared by a good number of other people, and the more the results of such ignorance are voiced, the more that still more Americans are misinformed.
There is, first of all, an item that on the surface sounds relevant to that all-preoccupying nuclear program in Iran (Romney twice equated Iran with “crazy,” which has no basis in fact, but that is yet another item.) The candidate presented a scenario about the “crazed fanatics” in Iran giving “a little fissile material” to Hezbollah, which in turn brings it to Chicago and makes a threat about setting off a “dirty bomb.” Setting aside everything about unexplained intentions and motivations for any of this, there is the misconception that fissile material is needed for dirty bombs, known more precisely as radiological dispersal devices. It isn't, and radioactive isotopes of many other substances would be far better for that task. The enriched uranium Iran is working on, as well as natural uranium, would be a lousy ingredient for a dirty bomb. Someone who wanted to put a dirty bomb in Chicago would find better sources of material among medical isotopes in Chicago hospitals. But in the miasma of ignorance that is involved, “Iran,” “crazy,” “nuclear” and “threat” all just sort of get blended together haphazardly.
The central untruth that the candidate voiced on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was that “the Palestinians”—no distinctions whatsoever being made among them—are “not wanting to see peace” and are “committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel.” Today—which is not to be confused with the 1940s—that statement does not come anywhere close to being true for any Palestinians beyond a small radical fringe. It is not true for ordinary Palestinians, as repeatedly gauged in public-opinion polls. It is not true of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority. It is not even true for Hamas, which has indicated its willingness to live alongside Israel. Any Palestinian with half a brain knows that “elimination of Israel” would be impossible even if that were wanted. And the incentives are all in the direction of wanting a peace agreement instead. As the veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat put it, "No one stands to gain more from peace with Israel than Palestinians and no one stands to lose more in the absence of peace than Palestinians."
Romney also echoed a line, from Israelis resistant to yielding any of the West Bank, that somehow giving up this territory would entail a security threat to Israel. Romney's version had Iran bringing “missiles and armament” into the West Bank, as if the Kingdom of Jordan didn't exist and there were some kind of Israeli-Iranian battle front that suddenly would advance to Tulkarm. In fact, any careful analysis shows that the idea of such a threat is a myth. It does not accord with geography, with Israeli military superiority or with any incentives on the part of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, the leaders of which would know that any hint of moving in the direction of something like an Iranian arms depot would, given the understandable Israeli reaction, spell the end of their long-sought state. Israel faces more of a security threat from sitting on top of a dissatisfied population of Palestinians than from living beside a Palestinian state.
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Jim Lobe of LobeLog.com kindly pointed me to this website and I promptly signed up after reading two articles. Well worth the effort and bookmarking.
I had to teach myself to stay focused depiste the types of distractions you describe (my opinion). I didn't realize Palestenians can be Christian too - walk in a church in the State of Israel where the iconogrpahy is in Arabic, and the Bible is written in same language (odd experience for me). And one can argue, Palestenians can manage global business pretty well (let them have a port in Gaza, and it could be comparbale to Rotterdam); the mayor of Ramallah is Christian (I believe); so do I need to understand more about the religious mix and motivations?.....At the same time, what we call the West Bank is recognized as "Samaria" and "Judea" by the State of Israel - a spritual enclacve with lots of personal meanings for Israelis who will do everything to keep it in their fold....Is it worth learning how the partitions were made? Not a topic I dare approach alone; thanks. -Trevised 9/19
Yes, quite a few people are peddling untruth and ignorance. Alas it's not just Romney and Obama."The central untruth that the candidate voiced on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was that “the Palestinians”—no distinctions whatsoever being made among them—are “not wanting to see peace” and are “committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel.” Today—which is not to be confused with the 1940s—that statement does not come anywhere close to being true for any Palestinians beyond a small radical fringe. It is not true for ordinary Palestinians, as repeatedly gauged in public-opinion polls. It is not true of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority. It is not even true for Hamas, which has indicated its willingness to live alongside Israel. Any Palestinian with half a brain knows that “elimination of Israel” would be impossible even if that were wanted. " http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/eliminating-israel-5627 'And last week it received the approval of 73 percent of Palestinians in a poll run by American pollster Stanley Greenberg, conducted jointly by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, based in Beit Sahur in the West Bank, and the Israel Project, a peace-promoting international nonprofit organization. The finding was based on lengthy interviews with 1,010 Palestinian adults in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. About 80 percent of those polled agreed that it was the duty of all Muslims to participate in jihad to eradicate Israel.The poll also found that 61 percent of Palestinians rejected the American-Israeli formulation for a settlement of the conflict based on two states for two peoples, one for the Arabs and one for the Jews. Only 34 percent of Palestinians questioned supported a "two-states-for-two-peoples" solution." "As the veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat put it, "No one stands to gain more from peace with Israel than Palestinians and no one stands to lose more in the absence of peace than Palestinians.""http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/t... "However, it is highly doubtful that Israel can survive another half century of its subjugation of the Palestinians. The region has been radically transformed by the emergence of Islamic regimes that, unlike their predecessors, will not suppress Arab furies provoked by Israel's permanent disenfranchisement of the Palestinians. America's ability to impose its own political order on the region is in decline..." [And if some Westerners feel that way - it would not be unreasonable for Palestinians to stall intentionally] "Romney also echoed a line, from Israelis resistant to yielding any of the West Bank, that somehow giving up this territory would entail a security threat to Israel. Romney's version had Iran bringing “missiles and armament” into the West Bank, as if the Kingdom of Jordan didn't exist [Why, the autocracy of Egypt did so well in preventing arms to Gaza] and there were some kind of Israeli-Iranian battle front that suddenly would advance to Tulkarm. In fact, any careful analysis shows that the idea of such a threat is a myth... or with any incentives on the part of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, the leaders of which would know that any hint of moving in the direction of something like an Iranian arms depot would [Which is why the PA doesn't exist anymore after Karin A. Oh, wait...], given the understandable Israeli reaction [The entire situation is a result of 'understandable Israeli reaction' and we see how much support Israel gets on these pages], spell the end of their long-sought state."One can continue this way for the entire article, but let's skip to the end: "One thing was at least internally consistent in the candidate's remarks: he may as well write off any intention of trying to bring about a negotiated settlement of this conflict, because he has destroyed whatever standing he may have otherwise had to be an honest broker." Sure, because honest brokers believe 'terrorism is just a tactic', and ' Jerusalem can't be recognized as Israel's capital' but having a position on the borders [which happens to work against Israel] is perfectly honest brokering.
One more question: Does Russia have a security guarantee with Iran? What will Russia do? No one I read mentions this component yet. The one time - I recall - a Russian president visited Iran, he was hosted by the "Supreme Leader." Thanks -T.
The entire situation is a result of 'understandable Israeli reaction' and we see how much support Israel gets on these pages