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October 7, 2006
Nir Rosen is a Mensch
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bernhard posted this in ot-94 earlier this week and it has been haunting me since. coincidentally, an israeli friend, with whom i had a “discussion” about israel’s parting gift of cluster bombs, apologized to me today for the argument. of course, the main reason she acknowledged that it is true is that it has been all over the cover of the nyt, not just in the “dangerous blogs” i read. i do give her credit for the admission and apology. it can’t be any easier for an israeli to go through the process of patriotic disillusionment than it has been for americans who care to face the truth.
Posted by: conchita | Oct 7 2006 3:51 utc | 2
Thanks for linking to this Billmon, and Bernhard, especially now.
Posted by: Aladdin Sane | Oct 7 2006 3:54 utc | 3
The NYT piece: Israeli Bomblets Plague Lebanon
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an article on Sept. 12 anonymously quoting the head of a rocket unit in Lebanon who was critical of the decision to use cluster bombs. “What we did was insane and monstrous; we covered entire towns in cluster bombs,” Haaretz quoted the commander as saying.
Repeated efforts to get Israeli officials to explain the rationale behind the use of the bombs have proved fruitless, with spokesmen referring all queries to short official statements arguing that everything done conformed with international law.
The only way to truly occupy foreign territory, and enjoy its resources in peace, is through ethnic cleansing of whomsoever enjoys them now. And their children. And their little dogs, too.
The trick is to pretend you aren’t doing that, that you didn’t even know about that strategic approach, that you would never knowingly consider such a thing. Much less plan it. Much less do it.
Once that’s clear to everybody, well, we all know the bastards deserved it, you know.
The only good Injun’s a dead Injun.
All over the world.
–
Posted by: Antifa | Oct 7 2006 4:51 utc | 5
THIRTEEN years ago, I left a comfortable life in the United States for an uncertain future in the West Bank. Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization had just signed the Oslo Accords. Like many others, I saw an opportunity for Palestinians to finally build a society and economy that would lead to freedom — to a thriving Palestine alongside Israel.
As a Palestinian-American businessman, I was determined to do my part. So I moved to the West Bank city of El Bireh, where my family has lived for centuries. There I helped create a $100 million telecommunications company, which today employs more than 2,000 Palestinians. I earned an M.B.A. through Tel Aviv University. Then I developed a $10 million shopping center — the first of its kind in the Palestinian territories, employing more than 220 Palestinians. I married and had two beautiful daughters.
Now the Israeli authorities have decided that my life here has come to an end.
…
If Israel’s Lebanon fiasco is template for our Iran attack, America’s non-negotiable lifestyle’s terminal.
Big surprise: where force failed, more force also failed.
Due to the real revolution in military affairs, people living atop “our” resources now have effective defense and, having long hated our policies, need no longer tolerate them.
There is no military solution.
Leaders who see all problems as nails, hammers being their only tools, need to take a long overdue, if unearned, silent retirement.
Only honest negotiators can resolve our grievances.
Otherwise, our future is the INS Hanit and Wadi Saluki’s smashed Merkavas writ large.
Posted by: Pvt. Keepout | Oct 7 2006 6:30 utc | 7
Chris Allbritton on cluster bombs in Lebanon War’s Deadly Aftermath
Billmon links to definitions of mensch – there’s an excellent movie in which the term is used at a crucial turning point – The Apartment (1960), directed by Billy Wilder, main stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine – http://imdb.com/title/tt0053604/
Posted by: mistah charley | Oct 7 2006 11:05 utc | 9
To my surprise, the Palestinian entrepreneur without-a-home (posted above by b) was given a FULL page in the International Edition of Le Monde. I was surprised because, to a large number of readers this will be new news – the msm generally keeps well away from permits, visas, zoning, marriage, passeports, etc. as anyone in Europe immediately understands the issues, even if the mention is garbled or softened. Readers and viewers are supposed to see Jewish (not Israeli) – Palestinian opposition as a simmering turf war resting on ethnic hatred and ancient irreconcilable oppositions.
There are also mutterings in France (and Switzerland) about repealing the anti-racist laws. As everyone knows, these only target ‘anti-semites’ and ‘holocaust deniers’ – although Switzerland has investigated one ‘armenian genocide denier’ (Yusuf Halacoglu, historian), pursued others (Dor Perincek), and acquitted others (12 dopes who signed a petition.) So there are some exceptions…
At the same time, EU politics are aligning with USuk ones (Sarkozy, just wait; Merkel, etc.) It poses a grave problem for them. One the one hand, the ‘right’ (e.g. Blocher in Switzerland) want these laws repealed so that spewing hate (e.g. towards Muslims) and denying (e.g.) the Armenian genocide is allowed; but on the other hand, getting rid of them will give a free reign to Holocaust deniers.
Bit of a pickle, heh.
Posted by: Noirette | Oct 7 2006 14:04 utc | 10
The Angry Arab said I could quote:
Nir Rosen on Hizbullah (the Nation magazine refused to run the piece because it was not sufficiently pro-Israel. Yes, you may quote me on that. I know what the editor of the magazine wrote).
Posted by: anna missed | Oct 8 2006 7:30 utc | 11
Nice contrast to the Mir Rosen article is provided here. “If you want to be a reporter choices have to be made”, says the New York Times, and more specifically its current in-house asshole ethics man (high turnover in that position): either be a reporter or be a human being. Can’t be both sorry.
Posted by: Guthman Bey | Oct 8 2006 21:08 utc | 12