Israel’s Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has just appointed a man to represent Israel on the international stage who rejects Palestinian statehood and wants to annex most of the West Bank. The move simply confirms that Netanyahu’s true geo-political goal is for Israel to gain sovereignty over the West Bank and create a ‘Greater Israel.’
Yes, Netanyahu recently tried to backtrack from statements indicating that he wants to occupy the Palestinians indefinitely; however, this appointment shows Israel’s current leader has always rejected and will continue to reject any peace agreement which grants Palestinians a sovereign state.
Lest anyone question the extremist politics of Danny Danon, the man who will now diplomatically represent Israel, he has explicitly rejected the two-state solution, remarking when he was Deputy Defense Minister that he would go so far as to block Palestinian statehood if it were to come up for a vote. This is also a man who has expressed a desire for Israel to “gain sovereignty over the majority of the [West Bank] … “with the minimum number of Palestinians” as possible. As for the Palestinians themselves? Danon would rather Jordan figure out their ‘status’ rather than Israel burden itself alone with such matters.
Just to reiterate, Israel’s new U.N. ambassador, the country’s highest-ranking diplomat, is a one-stater who cares little about the rights of Palestinians, and certainly doesn’t think such rights should be Israel’s concern. Indeed, the only thing which differentiates Danon from those proponents of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement who seek a bi-national, democratic state, is that the latter seem to be the only ones who care about democracy.
[Sigh.]
There is a reason that veteran Israeli analysts and hundreds of security experts have stated that Netanyahu is a danger to Israel. There’s a reason that the IDF just yesterday broke from Netanyahu by rejecting the notion that Iran’s nuclear capability is a credible threat to Israel. And that reason is because Netanyahu, along with an increasingly right-wing government, is pushing Israel towards a precipice.
In the United States, nearly every major Jewish and pro-Israel organization is explicitly a proponent of the two-state solution. However, among these, J Street has been the only one so far to critique Netanyahu’s appointment, much less his past statements rejecting Palestinian statehood. All that exists is a mostly deafening silence among Jewish leaders invested in Israel – making them complicit not just in the brutal oppression and subjugation of Palestinians, but in Israel’s self-destruction.
If nothing else, the veil has been lifted even more with Danon’s appointment – a veil which has tried, through public relations campaigns, to mask the Israeli government’s true intentions.
Now those intentions are being represented at the U.N., in plain sight, for all to see. Some might call that chutzpah. I call it honesty.
What you see is now what you’re getting, and it’s not something the international community, the United States government, or global Jews invested in Israel want to see.
It may be too late to save Israel or the two-state solution. Perhaps it was too late a decade ago. History will decide that issue.
For now, the only thing I can do is continue to be a pro-pressure American Jew until hope has finally been lost.
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David Harris-Gershon is author of the memoir What Do You Buy the Children of the Terrorist Who Tried to Kill Your Wife?, published recently by Oneworld Publications.
Follow him on Twitter @David_EHG.
How ironic, David. You purport to be all hot and bothered that Bibi has appointed a one-stater, and yet you have written that you have “formally endorsed” and closely aligned yourself with the BDS movement, which seeks a one-state solution — but one that abolishes Israel as a Jewish state.
Isn’t this just a tad bit hypocritical?
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It must be fun only having yourself as a dance partner.
As one who finds BDS to be a wholly legitimate form of nonviolent opposition to Israel’s policies, as I do with boycotts being a legitimate option for any country or entity, here is what I actually wrote:
David, that was written after your speaking engagements started getting cancelled. The reason they were cancelled was because of your explicit endorsement of BDS, in your piece — appropriately titled “Today I’m Coming OUt in Favor of BDS.”
In that piece you explicitly stated “I have no choice but to formally endorse and embrace BDS.” You said that while fully acknowledging “the long-term damage a sustained BDS movement might do to Israel.”
That piece is found here: http://www.tikkun.org/tikkundaily/2012/07/09/today-im-coming-out-in-favor-of-bds-boycott-divestment-sanctions-against-israel/
Again, you never backtracked from your position until your speaking engagements started getting cancelled. It was only then that you wrote what you quoted above.
I fully expect you to delete this comment, BTW. Let’s see if I am right.
hey David, Israel is helping the Palestinian Authority set up a 3G network. Shoud the PA boycott them?
Free Tibet, Northern Cypress and Isle Malvinas
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This will likely be the only time I respond to you, Fred, since I’m on at the moment. Why am I responding?
To say one thing: your signature “Free Tibet, Northern Cypress and Isle Malvinas” is simply delicious. I mean, one who has little interest in advocating for Palestinians to be “free” could not conceive of a better signature to demonstrate the intellectual absurdity of your positions and the illogical emotions which drive them.
Perhaps “Free Tibet, Northern Cypress and Isle Malvinas (but not Palestine!)” would work better? Amirite?
Cheers!
I guess Palestinians are more important than Tibetans, and Western Cypress. And the evil UK stole Malvinas from Argentina. Palestinians are also more important that Middle eastern Jews who were chased from their homes.
Just an aside, Jordan was once part of Palestine. I believe that the majority of its population is Palestinian. Can we extend the BDS movement to Jordanian occupied Palestine?
“Free Tibet, Northern Cypress and Isle Malvinas
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Perfect response. Thank you.
David likes to whine about Jewish extremists but will try adnd contact Palestinian terrorist bombers to express sympathy for ther plight. I would say that’s an endorsment of murder. Personally I condemn both.
For the Palestinians, the fight for land has become a struggle for civil & human rights. It’s one land for two people. They both know that. The difference is that the Israelis want to subjugate the Palestinians or worse. Equal rights is a struggle the Palestinians can win. For those who cling to the Zionist dream of a democratic Jewish state have Netanyahu to blame for its destruction. If there was a competing Zionist state in some other part of the world, it would take the pressure off of Israel to fulfill that dream that blocks the reality of one land for two people with liberty & justice for all.
Have you ever read the Hamas Charter. If one day they ever conquered israel, do you think it would be a land of “equal rights? Do Palestinians embrace democratic values? If you’re going to finger point, try spreading he wealth equally between the 2 sides. I’m no fan of Bibi or the settlements, but I am a fan of Israelis living safely within their now land. IN the current environment, I can not see that happening.
“If there was a competing Zionist state in some other part of the world, it would take the pressure off of Israel to fulfill that dream that blocks the reality of one land for two people with liberty & justice for all.”
Armenia conquered Negorrno Karabakh and the Azeris liven there fled. No one cares.
It seems to me the Israelis are doing to the Palestinians what you think the Palestinians would do to the Israelis if they could. Me thinks there is a serious display of illogic, that supports a pretext for apartheid & worse genocide.
There are 1 million Arabs in pre 67 Israel with complete equal rights and parliamentary representation. Do you even see any Jews in the Arab world?
But not in post ’67 Israel.
Are there any Jews in the Arab world?
for 1300 years Jews and Arabs in harmony in Morocco!
Mohammed VI’s grandmother was Jewish
Jews and Berbers lived in harmony father they initially arrived with the Roman Empire-that predates the arrival of conquering Arabs. Later Jews arrived for Spain after the inquisition in 1492. Why is it they were forced to leave in the 1950’s in the aftermath of anti Jewish riots