Gee Grandma, What Big Teeth You Have: “When Perfidy Parades as Patriotism”

Israel’s March of Folly

Excerpts;

“One by one the layers of absurdity are being stripped off the bizarre mix of irrationality and irresponsibility that has masqueraded as government policy in the country for almost a decade and a half since the fall of the Shamir government in 1992.”

“Probably few remember that the current ‘March of Folly’ began during the 1992 election campaign. It was then that the Labor Party, headed by the late Yitzhak Rabin and spurred on the wooly-headed dovish elements in his own party and by reckless radical factions to the left of it, proclaimed to the Israeli electorate it would break what they denounced as decades of unnecessary stagnant stalemate on the Palestinian issue.”

“Within nine months, they promised, it would be possible to reach an agreement on extended autonomy in the ‘West Bank’ and Gaza with the local Palestinian leadership and thus end the iniquities of ‘occupation.'”

“However, as these efforts ground – predictably – to a shuddering halt, Rabin and his party had to decide whether to admit they had miscalculated, or to renege on another election promise – not to negotiate with the PLO, then considered a terrorist organization not only in Israel, but in the U.S. as well.”

“It appears that the Israeli left’s animosity towards domestic political rivals has always been greater than its affinity for the national interest, so the decision was an easy one: Rather than acknowledge they had been wrong (and, by implication, that their political opponents may not have been), they reneged on the promise not to engage the PLO, an organization of unusual – and well-known – savagery.”

“Whereas previously they urged withdrawal, concession and retreat within the context of a negotiated bilateral agreement – enthusiastically claiming there was a viable Palestinian negotiating partner, now they urged withdrawal, concession and retreat within the context of a unilateral initiative – dolefully claiming was no viable Palestinian negotiating partner!!!”

“And so the idea of “disengagement” was born — an idea so bizarre and ludicrous that it is difficult to believe any sober individual would entertain it seriously. The twisted “logic” behind the idea of disengagement is something like this: Since there is no Palestinian negotiating partner, Israel will – in exchange for nothing – yield the maximum conceivable concession to the Palestinians.”