Custer, WA
June 27, 2024
by Rich Scheck
It’s fascinating to watch the continuing criticism of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s
leadership by high level Israeli military and civilians. https://stateofthenation.co/?p=235090
The latest comes from former PM Olmert who joins one of his predecessors,
Ehud Barak, along with those I described above in skewering Bibi.
https://news.antiwar.com/2024/06/26/former-prime-minister-i-accuse-netanyahu-of-betrayal/
Besides the fact that I agree with them that his policies are both wrong-headed and
self-serving, the part that strikes me as most interesting is that any similar comments
here in the US will likely be considered illegal for violating the new Anti-Semitism
Awareness Act.
That means that the Bill is either irrational and in violation of the free speech provisions
of the First Amendment or that these top Israelis are “anti-Semitic, self-hating Jews!”
Considering that they may arguably be more patriotic and for a saner version of Israel than
Bibi’s far right junta, the answer should be obvious to even those like Speaker Johnson and
Majority Leader Schumer who felt compelled to invite Netanyahu to address Congress.
Maybe it would be better for all of us if these politicians extended their “awareness” to the role of powerful lobbyists like AIPAC’s influence on elections. We just saw this again in New York where an estimated $15 MILLION dollars was spent to defeat Jamaal Bowman mostly because he defied the accepted posturing towards Bibi and Israel.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-york-gop-leader-celebrates-bowmans-double-digit-defeat-pro-israel-democrat-good-riddance-jamaal
It’s beyond tragic for all involved to watch this spectacle play out at such a steep cost in lives, treasure and good will for both Israel and the US.
Can it be true that Phil Giraldi and the many other commentators who populate Judge Nap’s Judging Freedom show are misguided observers despite their impressive credentials? I doubt it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViTjfgIG4M8
They uniformly condemn the excesses of the “thugs” Olmert refers to in his Op-Ed who set
in motion the conditions that led to the October 7th attack by Hamas and share his view that Bibi is guilty of “betrayal” to Israel.
This is more than just Monday-morning quarterbacking by those removed from the complexity of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It reflects the somber analysis from the outside that the more emotional insiders listed above who are pushing for an end to Bibi’s reign have described.
With the so-called presidential debate a mere few hours away, it will be interesting to see how these two men deal with the issue of Bibi’s future and the war in Gaza, especially in light of their previous “iron-clad” backing of our “biggest ally in the Middle East!”
For those of us who are tired of foreign entanglements that embody more of a desire for Pax Americana than for truly humanitarian interventions, the prospect that either of these candidates will display an enlightened vision for our future is grim.
I yearn for the day when someone can elevate the conversation and embrace what I want to see as our proper attitude towards the world instead of the imperial overreach America chose to pursue following the end of WW2. https://stateofthenation2012.com/?p=32281
Perhaps then, a bad day for Bibi will be a VERY good day for America!