Living the Lives of Others

[buffycat]

Living the Lives of Others

excerpt:

No one could have foreseen the extent to which this enterprise damaged Israel's internal cohesion, nor could anyone have predicted the degree to which it compromised Israel's standing in the eyes of the free world.

In June 1967, tiny Jerusalem accommodated 13 foreign embassies. Following the passing in 1980 of the Basic Law on Jerusalem the Capital of Israel, the city was orphaned of all its embassies.

It has been suggested that the Palestinian territories expanded the security margins that "tiny" Israel had. Few recall that in the mid-1960s, several months before the war broke out, the government saw fit to reduce mandatory military service for men by two months. Very few soldiers benefited from this because the security challenges of the occupation forced the government to increase service by 14 months - putting it at three years.

But that's not all. During the Second Lebanon War, the citizens of Israel proper, within the Green Line, paid a steep price for the deterioration of the IDF's abilities. This was a result of its employment as a police force in the territories that Israel conquered in June 1967. This involved guarding the property of Jewish land robbers.

**snip

It is true that there were times when the other side was unwilling to discuss anything, not even the borders of June 4, 1967. But nowadays, the 22 member states of the Arab league declare that they view this border as a basis for peace - an accomplishment no one would have dreamed of 40 years ago.

And so, Israel is missing the opportunity to transform its military victory into its biggest achievement ever. It is losing the war of independence from controlling the lives of others.

****

Great article in today's Haaretz.

Often missing in so much of the discussions is the REAL impact of the illegal settlements - which continue to grow. Some of which house some of the worst of Israeli society the far right settler movements - Frontline did a good doc. about them here:

The Hilltop People

I think it is important to keep in mind the impact of these settlements on not only the Palestinians but the impact on Israel and her standing in the eyes of the world. It is these illegal areas, connected by Israeli only roads, littered with checkpoints and IDF forces which contribute largely to much of the unrest of the Palestinian peoples. The extent of these enclaves is rarely shown in context in the NA media, how they honeycomb the West Bank and thus make any kind of Palestinian state impossible. Not to mention the cost to Israel of protecting and subsidize these illegal settlements - not only in NIS, but also in the broader sense of Israeli security.

It's a shameful situation all 'round.

[buffycat]

BUMP

and adding this:

What was forgotten that morning

Excellent article - again from haaretz.

excerpt:

"Six months prior to the Six-Day War, the heads of the Mossad, Military Intelligence and the Foreign Ministry explored the possibility of Israel occupying the West Bank. Various scenarios that might lead to such an outcome were discussed, such as the fall of King Hussein's regime in Jordan, an Iraqi invasion of Jordan or a Palestinian uprising. At the end of the deliberations, all were in accord that the occupation of the West Bank would be contrary to Israel's national interest. They concluded that Israel would reap nothing good from ruling over the Palestinians, only bad - including an erosion of the country's Jewish majority and a violent uprising against the occupation. "

*****

Just for reference sake here is a rather recent update wrt all the closed borders in the OP:

http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/Booklet_G...aps_March07.pdf

(note it is in adobe format).

I have to agree with the author of the Haaretz article, Tom Segev when he says, "Nothing necessitated the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, not even the attack against the western part of the city on June 5. The decision stemmed from the ministers' hearts, not their brains."