This week's postings on JfJfP.com
At the beginning of the week, March 30-April 5, 2015, the dominant news seemed to be the accession of the PA to the ICC (which formally took place on Wednesday April 1st, 2015) and Israel’s frenetic opposition to this international legal and diplomatic procedure. Whatever the PA is able to do with this new power, it has undoubtedly enhanced the status of Palestinians in their own and others’ eyes, and their sense that they are no longer among the nameless outcasts from the so-called international community.
Various views are expressed on this in Palestinian lawfare and in Making Israel answerable for war crimes. Again, there is a variety of comments and a reminder that Palestine has few friends in that ‘international community’. Ghassan Khatib appeals for outside intervention in this intolerable situation in Unless US/EU force Israel to be accountable no peace in sight. The intolerability of the situation of Palestinians in Gaza is spelt out in Living in wreckage and More Palestinians killed by IDF in 2014 than since 1967.
However, the impact of the Palestine accession to the ICC, and speculation on it, has been swept away in the media by the news of the preliminary agreement in Lausanne between the P5+1 negotiating team (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, plus Germany. Also referred to as the EU3 plus 3) and Iran.
The coverage was massive, with every publication in Israel and the US having several articles of comment and analysis, sometimes by the same person. The attitudes vary from jubilation (Iran). welcome and pleasure (American liberal) through diplomatic doubt to snarling hostility. We don’t think PM Netanyahu will have have had a celebratory seder and Pesach.
Israel’s alarm spiked, Tehran rejoices
The Deal
His hostility has widened the gap between him and all but the most inflexible Republican Americans:
Netanyahu makes the most of Iranian anti-Israel rhetoric
Bibi sees only threats, never openings
Our Signatories’ blog this week comes from founding JfJfP signatory Naomi Wayne on being in Jenin during the Israeli election: Only Joint List broke deep gloom of election result. All signatories are very welcome to contribute to this slot; contact postings@jfjfp.org.
And in what sounds like a final judgment on that election from three experts writing for Politico, Bibi’s hard right tack won him the election and lost him the world
A significant part of that loss is reflected in the huge increase in support for Jewish voice for Peace, JVP supporters increased X 15 since 2011
It’s the Occupation, stupid.