IOA Editor – 17 Jan 2011
As we said on these pages a few days ago, History doesn’t repeat itself, it simply continues…
In the final analysis, whether Barak stays in the Netanyahu government as the head of Labor, or as the head of a newly-created “Independent” section, or altogether retires from politics matters not. [For the latest on this, see
Barak has brought about a more extremist, right-wing government and Haaretz.]
This is particularly so after recent Israeli media reports that US government officials felt deceived by Barak. (If true, this is yet another indication of the sophistication of the Obama Administration – having been dumb enough to believe anything Barak told them.)
With Barak or without him, with Labor or without it, with Kadima or without it, the Israeli government will continue its mission full force: the colonization of Palestine and the slow replacement of one people by another.
Several stories from the past few days demonstrate clearly that Israel’s Labor and Kadima parties provide no opposition to the Netanyahu-Lieberman alliance. Not at all. None. In fact, the differences between them and the current government are minuscule. Note, for example, the following:
- Amnon Dankner: Decline to brutality – I am ashamed
- Noam Sheizaf: Here is your peace camp, Israel – Labor’s visit to the settlements
- Akiva Eldar: Border Control / Kadima slides right
- Netanyahu: Building on site of East Jerusalem hotel corresponds with Israeli law
For as long as there is a dunam (a unit of land area equal to approximately one-quarter acre) left here or there, Israel’s colonial project isn’t complete and, with rare (and temporary) exceptions, this is the national mission of all Israeli governments, Netanyahu’s, Barak’s, Livni’s or others’. As always, time is of the essence and there is much work to be done: settlers must settle; investors must invest; donors must donate; rabbis must bless (and curse); the military must attack; extremists must extreme; and, as always, apologists must explain and defend.
The only way out of this scheme is for an outside power to intervene and stop this longstanding, cruel, and criminal reality. And the only outside power that could do it is the US: the enabler of the Occupation via seemingly limitless military, financial, and diplomatic support.
And, if history can teach us anything at all, it is that we should not hold our breath.