This week's postings at JfJfP.com
This week, August 31-September 6, 2015, for people in Britain the first issue is claims that the candidate for leadership of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, is antisemitic. This is because he has greeted Hezbollah and Hamas in friendly terms. As everyone knows this has to happen before the peace deal that has to take place, what’s the problem?
Jeremy Corbyn – antisemitic by association
The larger theme is settlements – the one and only issue which unites the world in criticism of Israeli policy – feature in several postings. The first results from an Haaretz inquiry,
Cost of settlements bleed the public purse
Free market ideology – to which Israel formally subscribes – is out of the window. They cannot function without heavy subsidy and the World Zionist Organisation, which has acted as the government agency for overseeing settlements and lending them the money to function – is too lifeless a body to collect the debts. In a secretive move, the Israeli state took over, and finds itself being owed many millions of shekels which it has no chance of collecting – so writes off. We have yet to hear what Israeli taxpayers think of this use of public funds.
Secondly, the EU is involved. It has passed many resolutions against the establishing of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land – but the EC’s remit is free trade and European growth so if Israel helps that, why not? David Cronin says the EC has turned a blind eye to democracy in order to give a scientific grant to Ahava, based in Palestinian territory on the Dead Sea. Protests from activists have forced them to be secretive. They are deluded – but can do a lot of damage on the way.
Ahava split: settlement producer v EU finance applicant
Third and most alarming are the men with the folksy name – hilltop youth. Believing that Israel is fatally compromised, they are fighting (violently) for a new, pure Jewish state.
Terrorist militia for a new Israel
Less aggressive but rootedly defensive, the people of Palestinian town Kafr Quddam, overshadowed by new settlement Kedumim, maintain their weekly protest against the theft of their land- which is of huge annoyance to the settlers and the IDF:
Collective punishment by IDF and settlers
It’s too slow for the hilltop militia but a populist judaification/ anti-leftism is spreading across the country. Is anyone opposing this? Caught up in a populist surge against (anti-patriotic) left-wingers, the hammer falls against teachers:
People with leftwing views should not teach
Another target of BDS, Sodastream, has scuttled off to the Negev crying the critique of his firm’s location was entirely due to antisemitism. He wishes.
Sodastream CEO says boycott due to antisemitism
Meanwhile, out of the zone of costly cosmetics, the people of Gaza are pinioned. They can’t leave. With the tunnels closed they can’t import. Free trade is meaningless. This is recognised by international agencies. But none has the power, or courage, to challenge Israel and Egypt which maintain the punitive blockade. They blame the Hamas / PNA split.
Blockade – and disunity – destroying all vestiges of life
That’s in Gaza, a territory which Israel hopes to break off from Palestine. The Israeli state has come round to supporting the new Palestinian city of Rawabi, and finally agreed to connect it to the national water supply.
Entrenching Palestinian middle class
Michael Walzer has long been a significant figure in political philosophy and in Israel/Palestine politics. In an article in Dissent he suggests the left is fearful of criticising Islamism. Is this true?
‘We have to win this fight against the knee jerk anti-American, anti-Israel politics’
As this is not true, how do we demonstrate it? Walzer’s view is criticised by Lebanese-American scholar As’ad AbuKhalil.
Islamophobia passes unremarked
And finally, this story about Jimmy Carter and his announcement of his imminent death from brain cancer has produced both a flood of prayers – and a sour stream promising God’s vengeance for his support for Palestinian rights.
Cancer punishes those who support Palestinians