Netanyahu: 'An Eye for Danger; Blind to Solutions' (Trouw, The Netherlands)

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Netanyahu: 'An Eye for Danger; Blind to Solutions' (Trouw, The Netherlands)

"A belief in the demonic intentions of his opponents explains Netanyahu's actions - and not just about Iran, but all enemies; from Hezbullah via Hamas to Fatah and Palestinian President Abbas. By only seeing them as apocalyptic forces driven by religious hatred of Jews, he excludes the possibility that his adversaries might operate rationally and be willing to compromise. That makes negotiations pointless."

By Stevo Akkerman

Translated By Marion Pini

February 5, 2015

The Netherlands – Trouw – Original Article (Dutch)

When Benjamin Netanyahu climbed the pulpit of the U.S. Congress, against the wishes of a certain Barack Obama, he began what is likely to become a speech too far. Not because of a lack of danger posed by Iran's nuclear program - a topic that Republicans have assigned to him - but because the Israeli prime minister has a keen eye for danger, but is blind to solutions. The fact that he thinks he's helping his country by ruining his relationship with Obama underlines that.

In 2012, Netanyahu was at Hotel Des Indes in The Hague having an informal meeting with Dutch journalists. Although such meetings are supposed to be off the record, I'm giving away no secrets when I say that the prime minister is convinced that the Ayatollah regime in Tehran is out for Israel's demise even to the detriment of itself; a suicide mission on a colossal scale.

Apocalyptic forces

It is this belief in the demonic intentions of his opponents that explain the actions of Netanyahu, and not just about Iran but all enemies; from Hezbullah via Hamas to Fatah and Palestinian President Abbas. By only seeing them as apocalyptic forces driven by religious hatred of Jews, he excludes the possibility that his adversaries might operate rationally and be willing to compromise. That makes negotiations pointless.

It must be said that Iranian, Arabic and/or Palestinian extremists aren't making it easy to see the many opportunities for pragmatism in the anti-Israel camp; anti-Semitism runs deep and they want Israel gone, there's no doubt about it.

Posted By Worldmeets.US

Yet it isn't prudent to judge countries and movements by the most radical voices within their ranks. It's much smarter to isolate radicals from the moderates with whom it might be possible to talk. That is what is happening in the international talks with Iran that frighten Netanyahu to death. Incidentally, not all radicals are as irrational as their rhetoric suggests. I've been at the bedside of a Hamas fighter in Gaza - he had just lost both legs in a confrontation with an Israeli tank - who sighed: "let them leave us alone, then we will also leave them alone."

Weakening

It's not surprising that an all-or-nothing attitude also governs Netanyahu's campaign for the March 17 elections. It deals entirely with the existence of the country, whereas other values like democracy, human rights and peace are subordinated. Paradoxically enough, that leads to a situation in which the foundation of Israel is weakened rather than strengthened. Sad.

Netanyahu wants to codify that Israel is a Jewish state so that the country would obtain a formal ethnic basis. This raises important questions about the status of the Palestinians: if they are deprived of their own state - something Netanyahu is aiming for - what will be their rights be? And what if they form a majority thanks to their birthrate? Israelis who think differently than Netanyahu he calls "Anti-Zionist." Earlier this month, he even attempted to keep such types off of the jury of the prestigious Israel Prize.

To lose friends, he'll do anything.

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[Posted By Worldmeets.US, March 5, 2015, 7:55am]

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