Sunday, April 10, 2011

Israel's damage control: Netenyahu in Europe; Peres in the US

Israel's stock in the EU is low. It is of course better in the US, but for how long since behind the scenes debates are becoming sharper and more critical in the White House and department of state?
So, it is not surprising to see Reconstructionist Zionist prime minister Netenyahu in Russia, the Czech republic, and Germany, to shore up flagging support as the UN slouches not so slowly, to recognise Palestine as a state 'de jure' and 'de facto'.
Nor is it startling to see the old hawkish veteran, president Shimon Peres at the White House.
In the case of Netenyahu, the press covered him. However, in the US, Peres' presence almost went unnoticed: no phot op with Obama, no press conference in the Rose Garden, his visit slipped under the press wire but for an opinion piece in the Murdoch 'New York Post' by Benny Avni.
Peres has been around so long, he carries a legacy from the creation of the state of Israel until today's Zionist state's leaning more and more to the right and fallen into corruption, intolerance, and decadence, these last 60 years. An embattled warrior, he lobbied hard the US president and members of the UN in New York not to take the step of raising to the ranks of an independent state.
As far as GuamDiary can make out, both Netenyahu and Peres have not been as successful as they would have hoped. The word is out: Israel has crossed a line whereby it has flouted the Geneva Conventins and international law for its pre emptive, collective punishment blitzkrieg against Gaza during 'Cast Lead' and its repeated acts of piracy on the high seas, resulting in the killing of nine peace protestors on the 'Mavi Mamarai', braving the blockade of Gaza, and its continuing 'Drang Nach Osten' by illegally seizing Palestinian territory in the occupied West Bank and throwing Palestinians out of their own homes in scenes recalling the way the Nazi Army acted during the second world war.
Judging by the past, Israel could sluff off outside criticism; it could and still does count on unconditional US support--diplomatic, economic, and military. Nonetheless recent events in the Middle East have raised the question of the utility of anchoring policy on Jerusalem. The US and the EU are scrambling hard and fast to redefine and realign policy in the changing Arab world.
Israel has done everything to buck the strong incoming tide of change among its neighbours, relying on bankrupt, hoary 'smash 'em in the face' solutions which are proving more and more a losing choice.
So the damage control is not succeeding much to the Zionist's chagrin.

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