This week's postings on JfJfP.com

Obviously, the dominant theme in this week’s postings, March 16th-22nd, is the Israeli election. But first, for the benefit of those who are sick of reading about the election or were never interested in the first place these are some of the other pieces of interest:

Tony Blair’s performance as Quartet envoy, a position from which he has stepped down / been pushed out is assessed in Blair gets the heave-ho as Quartet envoy. Yes, the ever-smiling multi-millionaire – not an automatic definition of ineptitude – does not get a good report.

Tony Klug first appears in a report of his submission to the all-party inquiry into antisemitism in which he insists on the centrality of Israel’s relationship to Palestinians to manifestations of antisemitism.
Israel policies at heart of Jewish-Muslim hostility

The second in a letter to the Guardian,  Voting for security, against religious fringe. Apart from arguing against the dominant interpretation of the Israeli vote as a swing to the right, he argues  Likud’s 10-seat gain was entirely at the expense of its religious allies and parties further to its right.

Our Signatories’ Blog, written by Deborah Maccoby, explores how the Israel/Palestine conflict has been treated in fiction. A good read – even if the books she looks at aren’t. Don’t forget – this space is open to any signatory who has something to say. All inquiries to postings@jfjfp.org

Palestine, as an independent entity, appears only twice this week, a manifestation of its enforced political weakness. The first in An end to the charade called PA, analyst Daoud Kuttab looks at the PA’s withdrawal of security co-operation with Israel, the humiliating price it had to pay Israel in order to get its due tax income and to be left in peace. It’s an optimistic examination of what can happen next. But, less happily, is another report of the failure of the Palestinian Unity Government, largely due to the new dominance of the military on Gaza, though we think the failure of the PA to hold elections enables this debacle.

All other postings are to do with the Israeli election (incidentally raising the question of why this occasioned so much interest outside Israel. The most likely answer is that western governments have a big investment in Israel being the sensible, stable agency in the middle east – and Netanyahu’s victory and the terms on which he gained it have frightened /calmed them).

International sorrow and shock at Bibi win (The NY Times response will be particularly important to Israelis)

For once the estimable Barak Ravid seems to have got it wrong in his belief that the social protest movement would not be taken in by the ‘Security’ agenda or he may have overestimated their numbers and influence:
Whatever the result, Netanyahu is doomed

More realistic, Gideon Levy despairs of the Israeli people and their fears:
If after six years of sowing hatred and despair this is the nation’s choice then it is very ill indeed

And equally realistic are Amira Hass and Dr. Jamal Zahalka who examine not just Israeli fears but also what Israelis gain from the Occupation – a sort of welfare state (housing, subsidised services…) This is a truly important insight:
An election that shunned reality

For weeks before the election both polling companies and the media were predicting the rout of Netanyahu and the succession of Zionist Camp to government. Wrong. There is a variety of explanations of why this wrongness became the hegemonic story in How could the media have been so blind?

There’s no single explanation. Here are the main ones.

Bibi’s tactics involved a clear racist appeal to Jews against Arabs of a sort that would not be tolerated in the West. As such, why are Jewish organisations with their constitutional commitment against racism applauding Bibi for his win? Sigal Samuel lays down the challenge:
Time Americans stopped defending Israeli leaders

Likud’s success was obtained by ignoring what they were doing to Palestinians, and classifying all Palestinians as a security risk. Meanwhile ignoring pressing issues of welfare for Israeli citizens.
An election that shunned reality

The anxiety about sustaining a Jewish community against assimilation inflicts Robert Cohen only insofar as it’s based on unJudaic practices of injustice. The universal mantra of ‘the 2-state solution’ has shakily kept all together – but in reality the Jewish establishment is for Israel, right or wrong, in a shocking abandonment of Judaic principles.
The myth that holds British Jews together