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One-Sided Deal
Imagine a sheriff offering the head of a criminal gang the following
deal: 'If you agree to stop stealing from your neighbours for three
months, I'll give you cutting edge weaponry and block any efforts by
other law enforcement authorities to restrain your criminal activities.'
Nov 15, 2010
Imagine a sheriff offering the head of a criminal gang the following
deal: 'If you agree to stop stealing from your neighbours for three
months, I'll give you cutting edge weaponry and block any efforts by
other law enforcement authorities to restrain your criminal activities.'
Sounds absurd? Then how about this:
in return for a three-month freeze of illegal construction in the
occupied West Bank (but not in occupied East Jerusalem, where it may
continue), Barack Obama has promised to deliver 20 F-35 fighter jets to
Israel, a deal worth $3 billion. Moreover, his administration has vowed
to curb action by the United Nations on the Goldstone Report, block
anti-Israel UN resolutions concerning the Gaza flotilla raid, and defeat resolutions aimed at exposing Israel's nuclear programme at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In
such situations it's important to keep in mind that the sheriff (Obama)
and not the gang leader (Netanyahu) is the major culprit.
This article appeared first appeared on the LRB blog. Neve Gordon can be contacted through his website www.israelsoccupation.info
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Neve Gordon
Neve Gordon is a professor of international law and human rights at Queen Mary University of London. He is an Israeli activist and the author of "Israel's Occupation" (2008) and co-author (with Nicola Perugini) of "The Human Right to Dominate" (2015) and "Human Shields: A History of People in the Line of Fire" (2020).
Imagine a sheriff offering the head of a criminal gang the following
deal: 'If you agree to stop stealing from your neighbours for three
months, I'll give you cutting edge weaponry and block any efforts by
other law enforcement authorities to restrain your criminal activities.'
Sounds absurd? Then how about this:
in return for a three-month freeze of illegal construction in the
occupied West Bank (but not in occupied East Jerusalem, where it may
continue), Barack Obama has promised to deliver 20 F-35 fighter jets to
Israel, a deal worth $3 billion. Moreover, his administration has vowed
to curb action by the United Nations on the Goldstone Report, block
anti-Israel UN resolutions concerning the Gaza flotilla raid, and defeat resolutions aimed at exposing Israel's nuclear programme at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In
such situations it's important to keep in mind that the sheriff (Obama)
and not the gang leader (Netanyahu) is the major culprit.
This article appeared first appeared on the LRB blog. Neve Gordon can be contacted through his website www.israelsoccupation.info
Neve Gordon
Neve Gordon is a professor of international law and human rights at Queen Mary University of London. He is an Israeli activist and the author of "Israel's Occupation" (2008) and co-author (with Nicola Perugini) of "The Human Right to Dominate" (2015) and "Human Shields: A History of People in the Line of Fire" (2020).
Imagine a sheriff offering the head of a criminal gang the following
deal: 'If you agree to stop stealing from your neighbours for three
months, I'll give you cutting edge weaponry and block any efforts by
other law enforcement authorities to restrain your criminal activities.'
Sounds absurd? Then how about this:
in return for a three-month freeze of illegal construction in the
occupied West Bank (but not in occupied East Jerusalem, where it may
continue), Barack Obama has promised to deliver 20 F-35 fighter jets to
Israel, a deal worth $3 billion. Moreover, his administration has vowed
to curb action by the United Nations on the Goldstone Report, block
anti-Israel UN resolutions concerning the Gaza flotilla raid, and defeat resolutions aimed at exposing Israel's nuclear programme at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In
such situations it's important to keep in mind that the sheriff (Obama)
and not the gang leader (Netanyahu) is the major culprit.
This article appeared first appeared on the LRB blog. Neve Gordon can be contacted through his website www.israelsoccupation.info
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