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The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil,    but because of the people who don't do anything about it    
Commentary

TitleDescriptionDate
Fool me once: Did the Joint List make a mistake backing Benny Gantz?Dahlia Scheindlin - +972 "Gantz’s faction, Israeli Resilience, will join a Likud-led government along with Netanyahu’s loyalist bloc, including Shas, Yemina and Torah Judaism. The two remaining Blue and White factions — Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid, and Telem, established by Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon ahead of the April 2019 elections — will join the opposition. Blue and White thus became the first casualty of the new government, and ceased to exist.Some are already saying that the Joint List, an amalgam of Arab-Palestinian-majority parties, is the second casualty. Breaking decades of tradition, party leader Ayman Odeh recommended that Gantz be tapped to lead the next government twice, only to have Gantz deliver Israel back into the hands of Netanyahu. Hadn’t the Joint List been played for a fool?" ca28/3/2020
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In this unprecedented moment, terrible, wonderful things are happening simultaneously.Yoav Peck - Forum of Peace Groups - Dr. Rafi Walden, President of doctors for peace and deputy director of Sheba (Tel Hashomer) hospital: `Strange that a patient can deliver his life into the hands of a senior heart surgeon, who is Arab, at the same time that the prime minister broadly defines the Arab citizens of Israel as supporters of terror. The health system would collapse without the critical contribution of the Arab staffers.[ak]26/3/2020
ContemptGush Shalom - Against the Coronavirus we will sooner or later become immune. But the Corona coup and the contempt for the remains of democratic norms may turn all of Israel into occupied territory. [bz] 24/3/2020
B’Tselem: International Criminal Court does have jurisdiction in PalestineB’Tselem - In trying to deny that the ICC has jurisdiction on the West bank, Israel Attorney General Mandelblit has taken the position that "there is no occupation" – conveniently ignoring the facts on the ground, the principles of international law and the declared positions of the international community. He glosses over more than 52 years in which Israel has kept the West Bank and Gaza Strip under a cruel, violent occupation regime, transforming the area completely. Palestinian space is now fragmented into isolated units in which Palestinians live without political rights or any real control over their lives – which are run by various Israeli authorities. The AG also describes Israel and the Palestinians as negotiating in good faith to bring about full reconciliation. In these circumstances, he argues, the parties do not need “a criminal process to pull them further apart”. Yet the attempt to hide behind supposed negotiations is utterly disconnected from Israel’s actions and declared long-term intentions regarding the Occupied Territories. Israel’s top officials have long since confirmed that the state does not view the occupation as temporary and intends to cement its control over the Palestinians while dispossessing them of land and rights. [ak]17/3/2020
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The toxic fallout of the `deal of the century`Marwan Bishara - Al Jazeera - Kushner and Netanyahu`s `with us or against the US` campaign breeds anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism [ry] 16/3/2020
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An attack on Israel`s Arabs is an attack on us all Tamir Pardo - Ynetnews "The statements made by various members of Knesset and ministers who say joining up with the Arab Joint List poses a risk to the people of Israel, are irresponsible, unacceptable, and are tainted with racism...Those signing the declaration (chief among them Israel`s first prime minister David Ben-Gurion) unanimously agreed that "The State of Israel…will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants, irrespective of religion, race or sex." Perhaps that clause was meant to serve as a sort of countermeasure against the possibility that the country would be one day be led by those who see a contradiction between Israel`s two most basic principles - a Jewish and a democratic country." ca14/3/2020
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The anti-Bibi bloc is about to destroy its chance to replace NetanyahuEdo Konrad - +972 "For a brief moment, it truly seemed like something could change here. The Joint List, made up of Israel’s four dominant Palestinian political factions, which surged in last week’s elections, seemed ready to once again put aside its serious and justified misgivings and vote for a government led by former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz. With their support, Gantz was poised to unseat Netanyahu as Israel’s longest-standing prime minister...On Tuesday evening, the glimmer of hope that bitter rivals — Israel’s Palestinian leadership and an anti-Netanyahu party run by mostly former generals — could momentarily work together faded in a heartbeat. Two Blue and White party members, Tzvi Hauser and Yoaz Hendel, had already announced they would not vote in support of a government that cooperates with the Joint List, and particularly its Balad faction, which supports a state for all citizens in Israel." ca14/3/2020
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Little Ghosts From Gaza Hagai Elad - Haaretz "As long as life in Gaza is governed by Israeli drones, artillery and snipers, this cruelty will continue to kill bodies there – and souls here too...The Israelis don’t want to hear about Gaza. They certainly don’t want to feel that they are to blame for it. After all, we left, and in any case it’s all Hamas’ fault, as the government “explains” from every platform, especially abroad. This is cheap propaganda – as Rani tells Yaniv, after all, we never really left. We’re even still in charge of their population registry, more than a decade after the “disengagement.” ca14/3/2020
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The Joint List’s triumph over hateSamah Salaime - +972 - The support of our Jewish partners has grown this time, whether due to the breakdown of the Zionist left, the strengthening of the Joint List itself, or the incitement of the right. I hope that the surge in the Jewish vote for the List is the first step toward forming a strong, radical, left-wing, non-Zionist Arab-Jewish party. I do not want Jews to simply support the struggle of the Palestinian minority inside Israel. I want as many partners in as many struggles facing oppressed people in this country. I do not want us to stand together — I want us to struggle together. [bz]10/3/2020
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Ousting Netanyahu may turn out to be Gantz’s biggest mistakeHaviv Rettig Gur - Times of Israel "Netanyahu, for his part, appears to be angling for a more aggressive approach. If he cannot piece together a new term as premier from Monday’s results, his goal will be to push wedge issues onto the public agenda that will force Gantz’s divided partners to bicker and posture against each other. Rocket fire from Gaza or Gantz’s pre-election promise to carry out some unspecified parts of the Trump peace plan are good places to start...Curiouser and curiouser But that internal Likud debate is not the strangest thing about this political moment. The strangest thing, perhaps, is the simple fact that Gantz’s best hope for prying the premiership out of Netanyahu’s hands may be the very thing that decisively and permanently denies Gantz his hard-fought victory." ca7/3/2020
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Israeli Forces Demolish the Homes of Two Palestinian DetaineesAli Salam - IMEMC "a large Israeli army force invaded the town of Birzeit after midnight, and surrounded the family home of Yazan Maghames, the military bulldozers proceeded to level it to the ground. Youths confronted the Israeli soldiers, who fired tear-gas canisters towards them and at homes causing many suffocation cases." ca7/3/2020
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The Joint List’s triumph over hateSamah Salaime - +972 "The latest elections revealed just how deeply hatred runs in Israeli society. Everyone is now against everyone. The ethnic slurs, Ashkenazi elitism, and delegitimization of various minority groups have left the Joint List as the last bastion fighting for basic democratic rights in this country.... We cannot ignore the fact that 90 percent of Israel’s Palestinian population supported the Joint List. A significant number of Palestinian citizens who previously voted for Jewish-Zionist parties voted for the List this time around. The List’s support in Druze villages — which have historically voted for Zionist parties — doubled at the expense of Likud and Yisrael Beitenu. Arab mayors also expressed their total support, while those who choose to boycott Israeli elections were relatively muted this time around.The Joint List will have four female representatives in the Knesset this time — an achievement that should not and cannot be brushed off. Each one of these women represents different segments of Palestinian society." ca 6/3/2020
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Blue and White’s fatal mistake of distancing Arab voters Afif Abu Much - Al-Monitor "Truth be told, the Blue and White party tried constantly to disguise itself as part of the right. It brought in right-wing advisers and candidates and used “right-wing language” incessantly. The highlight was its decision to disassociate itself from the Arab public, a trait that has become iconic to the right in the Netanyahu era. The only problem is that in the end, the Blue and White party forgot to attract any right-wing voters." ca 6/3/2020
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Why new Russia-Turkey deal on Idlib mattersMaxim A. Suchkov - Al-Monitor "Moscow understands that what happened in the last few days was painful for Erdogan politically and was disastrous for Turkey in the humanitarian domain in terms of refugee flow, so Russia is ready to help stop the escalation and think of ways forward. In a sense, it’s also reflective of the three principles Russia follows in dealing with a difficult counterpart such as Turkey. First, demonstrate empathy on issues that are sensitive and important to Turkish security. Second, clearly outline your own red lines and a corridor of opportunities for future cooperation on these issues. Third, take advantage of mistakes made by the other parties whose position is important to Ankara — the United States — and use the contrast to your advantage." ca 6/3/2020
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No matter who wins elections, Israel’s victory image is clearHagai El-Ad - +972 "Both contenders for Israel’s premiership, Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, are hoping to give the victory speech after today’s vote. Yet regardless of who – if any – emerges the winner, Israelis have already been presented with this election’s victory image: the humiliating poster featuring Palestinian leaders kneeling, blindfolded and defeated, against the backdrop of a destroyed city." ca6/3/2020
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Ace of Base: Why Netanyahu Seems UnsinkableDavid M. Halbfinger - New York Times "What does Benjamin Netanyahu have to do to get defeated? The Israeli prime minister’s fervent base can make President Trump’s look pallid. And they don’t care that he has been charged with corruption." ca6/3/2020
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After 97% of votes counted, Netanyahu still short of parliamentary majority Time of Israel - The small number of votes remaining to count can still make a substantial difference, when every single seat can influence Netanyahu`s ability to form a government. As things stand, though Netanyahu proclaimed victory to cheering supporters, he is two seats short of the 61 needed for a Knesset majority. In April last year, when he had 60 but no way to gain even one more, he went to repeat elections. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz admitted to supporters early Tuesday that the party’s showing was disappointing, but refused to concede, saying he would wait for the final results. Netanyahu, who has served as prime minister for over a decade, also faces a likely legal hurdle should President Reuven Rivlin task him with forming a coalition. An advocacy group, seeking to oust Netanyahu, earlier this year asked the court to rule on whether an indicted parliament member can be designated prime minister and asked to form a new government. The Supreme Court in January declined to rule on the request, saying it was premature, but the issue is likely to come up again. [ak] 3/3/2020
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Together saving the future of us allGush Shalom - Half of Israel`s citizens/ Have decided/ That a nationalist and racist demagogue/ Facing three serious criminal charges/ Is the right person/ To lead this country.// But – the other half/ Do not want Netanyahu/ This half should be/ Organized and mobilized/ For struggle/ Struggle in the street/ Struggle in the Knesset/ Struggle in the court,/ Jewish and Arab citizens/ United in the struggle/ To save the future/ Of us all. [bz]3/3/2020
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