Benjamin Netanyahu reminds me of a helmsman denying that his ship is full of holes even as his feet get soaked. Someone should tell the Israeli prime minister that his neighbourhood has transformed when he wasn’t looking.
He can no longer boast with a smirk that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. In fact, that system of governance—much touted by pro-Israel neoconservatives championing its imposition from 30,000 feet in Iraq and Afghanistan—could turn into a regional tsunami from which the Jewish state will struggle to survive.
Netanyahu’s ‘democracy is mine’ attitude has been exposed along with his convenient belief that Arabs weren’t ready for freedom and political self-determination. The fact that he pleaded with US President Barack Obama to support former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s last cling to power was illuminating.
He cared not one jot about the legitimate aspirations of Egypt’s youth in his eagerness to maintain the comfortable status quo.
The peace between Cairo and Tel Aviv may have been superficially icy but the partnership between Mubarak and a succession of Israel governments was staunch on a number of issues, including the blockade of Gaza, the tracking down of extremist elements, strategic cooperation, and a Qualified Industrial Zones accord allowing free entry into the US of goods produced through Israel-Egyptian cooperation.
While it’s absolutely true that Egypt’s Facebook revolution wasn’t driven by anti-Israeli sentiment and the country’s caretaker military rulers aren’t set on rocking the Egyptian-Israeli-US boat, any new elected government will be bound by the foreign policy demands of the powerfully re-invigorated Egyptian street.
Egypt presidency
My bets are on Arab League chief and former Egyptian foreign minister Amr Mousa for president, primarily because he is a well-respected household name throughout the country. Most other contenders enjoy little grassroots support.
Mousa’s presidential rival Ayman Nour has called for renegotiating the Camp David Accords; it’s likely that Mousa would seek to do the same. In that event, it’s more than probable that Jordan would reassess its own peace treaty with Israel.
At a time when ‘democracy’ is a clarion call throughout great swathes of the Arab world, Israel doesn’t seem to be getting the message. Turkey is making hostile anti-Israel noises, Iran has signed a joint naval-training programme with Syria while its warships have access to the Mediterranean, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has called for the Galilee to be conquered. At the same time, there are demonstrations in Ramallah calling for Palestinian unity and Hamas has come up with a new initiative to heal its rift with Fatah.
The deck is being rearranged. It’s no more in Israel’s favour. So what is the Israeli leadership doing to ameliorate its shaky position? Not much, it seems. Haaretz reports that the expansion of West Bank Jewish colonies has quadrupled since the end of the temporary freeze, which is far from encouraging.
As each day passes, the world is turning its face against Israeli intransigence as was evidenced when US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice departed from US allies to raise her hand to veto a UN Security Council Resolution critical of illegal Israeli colonies.
Moreover, the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have done wonders for Arab PR in the US. Americans saw no ‘Great Satan’ banners or anti-Semitic slogans or fanatics calling for an Islamic caliphate on their television screens.
Instead, they were charmed by eloquent, educated young people prepared to lay down their lives for freedom. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak had admitted that Netanyahu’s right-leaning government isn’t conducive to an advancement of the peace process.
Given the rapidly changing climate, the Israeli people need to do some soul-searching. Perhaps this is the moment that Israelis should launch a revolution of their own.
Linda S. Heard is a British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.
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Netanyahu’s ship riddled with holes
Posted on March 9, 2011 by Linda S. Heard
Benjamin Netanyahu reminds me of a helmsman denying that his ship is full of holes even as his feet get soaked. Someone should tell the Israeli prime minister that his neighbourhood has transformed when he wasn’t looking.
He can no longer boast with a smirk that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. In fact, that system of governance—much touted by pro-Israel neoconservatives championing its imposition from 30,000 feet in Iraq and Afghanistan—could turn into a regional tsunami from which the Jewish state will struggle to survive.
Netanyahu’s ‘democracy is mine’ attitude has been exposed along with his convenient belief that Arabs weren’t ready for freedom and political self-determination. The fact that he pleaded with US President Barack Obama to support former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s last cling to power was illuminating.
He cared not one jot about the legitimate aspirations of Egypt’s youth in his eagerness to maintain the comfortable status quo.
The peace between Cairo and Tel Aviv may have been superficially icy but the partnership between Mubarak and a succession of Israel governments was staunch on a number of issues, including the blockade of Gaza, the tracking down of extremist elements, strategic cooperation, and a Qualified Industrial Zones accord allowing free entry into the US of goods produced through Israel-Egyptian cooperation.
While it’s absolutely true that Egypt’s Facebook revolution wasn’t driven by anti-Israeli sentiment and the country’s caretaker military rulers aren’t set on rocking the Egyptian-Israeli-US boat, any new elected government will be bound by the foreign policy demands of the powerfully re-invigorated Egyptian street.
Egypt presidency
My bets are on Arab League chief and former Egyptian foreign minister Amr Mousa for president, primarily because he is a well-respected household name throughout the country. Most other contenders enjoy little grassroots support.
Mousa’s presidential rival Ayman Nour has called for renegotiating the Camp David Accords; it’s likely that Mousa would seek to do the same. In that event, it’s more than probable that Jordan would reassess its own peace treaty with Israel.
At a time when ‘democracy’ is a clarion call throughout great swathes of the Arab world, Israel doesn’t seem to be getting the message. Turkey is making hostile anti-Israel noises, Iran has signed a joint naval-training programme with Syria while its warships have access to the Mediterranean, and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has called for the Galilee to be conquered. At the same time, there are demonstrations in Ramallah calling for Palestinian unity and Hamas has come up with a new initiative to heal its rift with Fatah.
The deck is being rearranged. It’s no more in Israel’s favour. So what is the Israeli leadership doing to ameliorate its shaky position? Not much, it seems. Haaretz reports that the expansion of West Bank Jewish colonies has quadrupled since the end of the temporary freeze, which is far from encouraging.
As each day passes, the world is turning its face against Israeli intransigence as was evidenced when US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice departed from US allies to raise her hand to veto a UN Security Council Resolution critical of illegal Israeli colonies.
Moreover, the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have done wonders for Arab PR in the US. Americans saw no ‘Great Satan’ banners or anti-Semitic slogans or fanatics calling for an Islamic caliphate on their television screens.
Instead, they were charmed by eloquent, educated young people prepared to lay down their lives for freedom. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak had admitted that Netanyahu’s right-leaning government isn’t conducive to an advancement of the peace process.
Given the rapidly changing climate, the Israeli people need to do some soul-searching. Perhaps this is the moment that Israelis should launch a revolution of their own.
Linda S. Heard is a British specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She welcomes feedback and can be contacted by email at heardonthegrapevines@yahoo.co.uk.