This week's postings on JfJfP.com


March 29, 2015
Sarah Benton

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One old hand at JfJfP postings said last week that she gave up because all the news and opinions were the same old same old.

This can seem true to readers and posters alike. But there is something new this week. The contemporary breakdown of trust and conversation between the political leaders of the USA and Israel (no doubt the co-operation of the security services, and money bestowed by Congress continue undisturbed). However, given the US backing of Israel and blocking of Palestinian demands takes place at international meetings where the White House is dominant, this does have some significance.

US unlikely to endorse Netanyahu’s stance on Palestinian state, four articles on the deteriorating relationship’

US-Israel split widens, Barak Ravid on the consequences of the deepening split; how the ‘policy difference’ on Iran is mingled with Republican machinations;

Fifty year Occupation must end says Obama’s fixer
For the first time, a member of the current Administration (Obama’s Chief of Staff) publicly demands the Occupations must end;

Talking about talks, a risk-free game
‘The current brouhaha between the United States and Israel is without a doubt the worst in the modern history of the relationship’ says Foreign Policy – and the split on Palestine has been based on two untruths for Netanyahu has now admitted he will not allow a Palestinian state and Obama knows he cannot actually bring one into being.

We’ve quite often posted pieces about the dissidence of young American Jews and their break with their parents’ loyalty to Israel. This may have been cherry-picking, but here again we find young American Jews protesting about the proportion of rich right-wing Jews who give money to Hillel, the main Jewish student movement in the US.
J-street students protest at power of rich rightwingers in Hillel

Crossing from the US to Europe, Jeffrey Goldbery writes a dire, and ill-informed piece, about antisemitism in Europe (it’s actually about France but has virtually nothing in it about France’s anti-Arab or anti-Jewish history in it). He has the same conclusion as many Americans – Europe is doomed – get out. Antony Lerman (JfJfP signatory we’re happy to say) provides a detailed and informed response in which the most obvious point is that not only is there no state-sponsored antisemitism in France, there is state-sponsored support for Jews.

No doubt someone will say this report from the EU Israel has failed to meet its obligations in West Bank says EU is antisemitic. They can hardly quarrel with the fact that Israel has failed in its obligation to provide essential infrastructure in the oPt.

Yet, says Michelle Pace in EU’s aid to oPt is merely a life-support system for status quo, the actual support given to the PA by the EU – which is substantial- merely keeps the show on the road.

We have four British-based pieces. Our signatories’ blog this week is from Anthony Isaacs who reports on the Equal Rights conference organised by IJV last weekend – excellent speakers and fruitful discussion:
Equal rights is the paramount demand

A debate at the Cambridge Union Union this month on Israel as a rogue state produced a complete reversal on the same debate held in 2010 (yes it is was the answer this time). It sounds as though this was much to do with the tired weakness of the opposers as the vigorous arguments of the proposers.
Israel defenders have lost the plot

The pacific face of British Jews on Palestine is featured in Bringing civil debate into strife about Israel in UK, on Yachad (UK – not the belligerent Israeli Yachad).

And a hostile article from Tablet magazine, Labour slammed as anti-Israel though it’s likely to be true that as Israeli policies have become more right-wing and racist, Labour Party members have shifted from their early enthusiastic support for Israel to disquiet, distaste and hostility.

And more besides.

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