Thanks for bringing this to our notice. If Blinken's statement tonight is one of serious intent, and of course, there's follow-through of substance, then Israel's demise is indeed inching closer.
Blinken and the White House may be pushing for a ceasefire but the Israeli's are having none of it. Netanyahu has come out and stuck two fingers up at the latest proposal. Clear by now that nothing less than total annihilation of Hamas will be acceptable to Israel.
Israel is a nuclear weapons power, the only one in the region who is and who clearly would use it if under existential threat. They aren't going anywhere. (Fascinating story to how they became one-look up the Vela incident and the dodgy antics that went on upon US soil which still irks the CIA)
Much in that but at the same time Apartheid South Africa once looked invincible while Mandela was 'the terrorist' that needed to be destroyed. That was all flipped once the external and internal pressures reached tipping point. Israel is currently the most dangerous place in the world for Jews while proclaiming itself a sanctuary. It is also causing the world to be less safe for Jewish people. The genocide is causing a spurt in antisemitism. And support for Hamas has quadrupled in the West Bank. It is making the world an increasingly dangerous place. The world has seen this before when a society deludes itself that it is the master race and can do what it wants - a point brilliantly made by Gideon Levy.
The last society that believed itself to be a 'master race' didn't have a weapon that could unleash utter devastation to all who dare to militarily oppose it on a large scale, I'm sure the Arab world takes this onboard.
Realistically nobody is going to stop Israel until they themselves have decided to stop. Support for Hamas is further fuel to the Israelis thinking they are right to pursue a total victory, else another October 7 be in the offing. Gaza will be unrecognizable from October 6th and indeed now is.
The Israeli military has clearly made the decision that the hostages are as good as dead and their deaths are on the hands of Hamas, so why hold back?
Question is, did Hamas expect a uprising by the Muslim world in defence of Gaza? If they did they must be sorely disappointed. Protests in Western Countries however well intentioned are similarly toothless.
Even the unprecedented push back from Washington has been met with a brisk "Fuck off" by Jerusalem. They are not interested in a negotiated peace, they are after an obliterating victory, with the Gazans who supported Hamas dealt a cruel lesson.
Sure Steve, the Israelis will threaten Armageddon, and there are cohorts within their corrupt regime with enough intent to make that a possibility. However, the greater such scaremongering becomes, the quicker further corralling of the Zionists will come about.
Whether or not Hamas expected an uprising by the Muslim world in defence of Gazza I cannot say. What I can claim with some certainty is that their actions on October 7th intended to remind the Muslim world and others of their ongoing plight and most importantly staunch the bleeding away of support for it as represented by the Abrahamic Accords.
If this were their goal then they have succeeded, albeit at a terrible price.
"The Israeli military has clearly made the decision that the hostages are as good as dead and their deaths are on the hands of Hamas, so why hold back?"
Accurate assessment, which is what makes Israeli propaganda in the West about returning the hostages so exasperating.
Historically the Israeli government has been willing to make hugely lopsided hostage exchanges to get their own back. It's not happening this time because washing away the humiliation of October's surprise attack with overwhelming brutality and destruction is more important.
It's been confirmed now that the IDF themselves have killed upwards of 30 hostages. This ruthlessness doesn't seem to have attracted huge criticism within Israel.
"Even the unprecedented push back from Washington has been met with a brisk "Fuck off" by Jerusalem."
I'll dissent here and say that actually Biden has been very relaxed on Israel and given them huge leeway. I don't buy this idea fed to the press by his people that "Biden is SO frustrated and SO exasperated with what Israel is doing. That's why he's sending another plane full of 2,000 lb bombs!"
The emerging talking point the Democrats have been trying to reassure the consciences of their base with is to make the focus Netanyahu rather than the Israeli state.
There are past examples of American presidents standing up to Israeli excesses; Reagan, Bush Sr. Biden isn't that category.
Steve - it is bleak. We have the Nazis of our age committing genocide and willing to use the nuke to get their way. But like Henry Joy, I don't think it is a one way street. A rogue regime with a nuke - the nuclear arms treaties were meant to prevent this. I think they will ultimately be corralled. Bigger nukes on the block than the Kapo one. You would know better than me but when you look at the loyalist community why do you think they have an affinity with these Nazi-like characters while at the same time lauding the British efforts against the German Nazis? I know a few loyalists who cannot abide by them but the majority seem to have a high regard for them.
I remember when the Israeli flag started being flown around the various estates- there was little more thought given to it than "Those bastards are flying the Palestinian flag so we should fly the Israeli one". Couple this with the strand of Christian Zionism inherent in the Evangelical types it became imbedded as a "Fuck you" across the divide. There really was zero more thought to it. When the PUL community looked at Israel it saw what it thought was a reflection of itself, surrounded by enemies and even a deep distrust of those who claimed to be either neutral or 'allies', so the whole Israeli flag flying thing became a token in it's own right. There is/was no dispassionate review of what was actually taking place in that region of the Middle East.
Not sure about that. I've seen plenty of NI flags were the star around the Red Hand has been replaced with the Star of David these days. But it's football, nothing boils the blood like it or makes normally civilized rational people behave like utter lunatics so nothing surprises me.
Former IRA volunteer and ex-prisoner, spent 18 years in Long Kesh, 4 years on the blanket and no-wash/no work protests which led to the hunger strikes of the 80s. Completed PhD at Queens upon release from prison. Left the Republican Movement at the endorsement of the Good Friday Agreement, and went on to become a journalist. Co-founder of The Blanket, an online magazine that critically analyzed the Irish peace process. Lead researcher for the Belfast Project, an oral history of the Troubles.
Thanks for bringing this to our notice.
ReplyDeleteIf Blinken's statement tonight is one of serious intent, and of course, there's follow-through of substance, then Israel's demise is indeed inching closer.
Blinken and the White House may be pushing for a ceasefire but the Israeli's are having none of it. Netanyahu has come out and stuck two fingers up at the latest proposal. Clear by now that nothing less than total annihilation of Hamas will be acceptable to Israel.
ReplyDeleteIsrael is a nuclear weapons power, the only one in the region who is and who clearly would use it if under existential threat. They aren't going anywhere. (Fascinating story to how they became one-look up the Vela incident and the dodgy antics that went on upon US soil which still irks the CIA)
Much in that but at the same time Apartheid South Africa once looked invincible while Mandela was 'the terrorist' that needed to be destroyed. That was all flipped once the external and internal pressures reached tipping point.
DeleteIsrael is currently the most dangerous place in the world for Jews while proclaiming itself a sanctuary. It is also causing the world to be less safe for Jewish people. The genocide is causing a spurt in antisemitism.
And support for Hamas has quadrupled in the West Bank.
It is making the world an increasingly dangerous place.
The world has seen this before when a society deludes itself that it is the master race and can do what it wants - a point brilliantly made by Gideon Levy.
Hold the front page.
DeleteIsrael & Ulster both say NO!
The last society that believed itself to be a 'master race' didn't have a weapon that could unleash utter devastation to all who dare to militarily oppose it on a large scale, I'm sure the Arab world takes this onboard.
DeleteRealistically nobody is going to stop Israel until they themselves have decided to stop. Support for Hamas is further fuel to the Israelis thinking they are right to pursue a total victory, else another October 7 be in the offing. Gaza will be unrecognizable from October 6th and indeed now is.
The Israeli military has clearly made the decision that the hostages are as good as dead and their deaths are on the hands of Hamas, so why hold back?
Question is, did Hamas expect a uprising by the Muslim world in defence of Gaza? If they did they must be sorely disappointed. Protests in Western Countries however well intentioned are similarly toothless.
Even the unprecedented push back from Washington has been met with a brisk "Fuck off" by Jerusalem. They are not interested in a negotiated peace, they are after an obliterating victory, with the Gazans who supported Hamas dealt a cruel lesson.
Sure Steve, the Israelis will threaten Armageddon, and there are cohorts within their corrupt regime with enough intent to make that a possibility. However, the greater such scaremongering becomes, the quicker further corralling of the Zionists will come about.
DeleteWhether or not Hamas expected an uprising by the Muslim world in defence of Gazza I cannot say. What I can claim with some certainty is that their actions on October 7th intended to remind the Muslim world and others of their ongoing plight and most importantly staunch the bleeding away of support for it as represented by the Abrahamic Accords.
If this were their goal then they have succeeded, albeit at a terrible price.
@SteveR
Delete"The Israeli military has clearly made the decision that the hostages are as good as dead and their deaths are on the hands of Hamas, so why hold back?"
Accurate assessment, which is what makes Israeli propaganda in the West about returning the hostages so exasperating.
Historically the Israeli government has been willing to make hugely lopsided hostage exchanges to get their own back. It's not happening this time because washing away the humiliation of October's surprise attack with overwhelming brutality and destruction is more important.
It's been confirmed now that the IDF themselves have killed upwards of 30 hostages. This ruthlessness doesn't seem to have attracted huge criticism within Israel.
"Even the unprecedented push back from Washington has been met with a brisk "Fuck off" by Jerusalem."
I'll dissent here and say that actually Biden has been very relaxed on Israel and given them huge leeway. I don't buy this idea fed to the press by his people that "Biden is SO frustrated and SO exasperated with what Israel is doing. That's why he's sending another plane full of 2,000 lb bombs!"
The emerging talking point the Democrats have been trying to reassure the consciences of their base with is to make the focus Netanyahu rather than the Israeli state.
There are past examples of American presidents standing up to Israeli excesses; Reagan, Bush Sr. Biden isn't that category.
Steve - it is bleak. We have the Nazis of our age committing genocide and willing to use the nuke to get their way. But like Henry Joy, I don't think it is a one way street. A rogue regime with a nuke - the nuclear arms treaties were meant to prevent this. I think they will ultimately be corralled. Bigger nukes on the block than the Kapo one.
DeleteYou would know better than me but when you look at the loyalist community why do you think they have an affinity with these Nazi-like characters while at the same time lauding the British efforts against the German Nazis? I know a few loyalists who cannot abide by them but the majority seem to have a high regard for them.
I remember when the Israeli flag started being flown around the various estates- there was little more thought given to it than "Those bastards are flying the Palestinian flag so we should fly the Israeli one". Couple this with the strand of Christian Zionism inherent in the Evangelical types it became imbedded as a "Fuck you" across the divide. There really was zero more thought to it. When the PUL community looked at Israel it saw what it thought was a reflection of itself, surrounded by enemies and even a deep distrust of those who claimed to be either neutral or 'allies', so the whole Israeli flag flying thing became a token in it's own right. There is/was no dispassionate review of what was actually taking place in that region of the Middle East.
DeleteI have this hazy memory of a match at Windsor between NI and Israel when loyalists were waving Swastikas at the Israeli team.
DeleteNot sure about that. I've seen plenty of NI flags were the star around the Red Hand has been replaced with the Star of David these days. But it's football, nothing boils the blood like it or makes normally civilized rational people behave like utter lunatics so nothing surprises me.
Delete