Israel occupies Palestine, as well as portions of Syria and Lebanon. Rather than seeking a two-state solution, the Israeli government has continued to build settlements on the West Bank, dividing up Palestinian lands, preventing any sort of cohesive state from being formed.
This is analogous to what happened in South Africa, where blacks were provided with divided and scattered territories known as "homelands" or "bantustans." South Africa received international condemnation, what about Israel?
Israel has over two-hundred nuclear war heads, this from none other than former US president Jimmy Carter. However, while having nuclear weapons, something that makes other countries in the region nervous, Israel does not want Iran to even refine uranium, and is demanding US help on this.
The US government and Canada under Harper unconditionally support Israel, no matter what violations against human rights its government commits. Harper and Baird are complete servants of Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Barack Obama has turned a blind eye to Israel's atrocities. There was initially some hope for change when Obama was first elected, but he has turned out to be a disappointment.
The way Netanyahu is encouraging - demanding - the United States to attack Iran and its nuclear facilities could set the stage for the worst war the world has ever seen. Countries like Pakistan (a nuclear power) may side with their long-time ally Iran, even Iraq may support Iran. The way Saddam Hussein was demonized is the same treatment the Iranian government receives nowadays.
Now I do agree that Iran should not become a nuclear power, but we cannot apply a double standard. Israel must not be a nuclear power either. The hypocrisy of leaders like Barack Obama and Stephen Harper on this is appalling. There is an explosive situation in the Middle East and Israeli leaders like Netanyahu very much bear the responsibility.
Many members of the Jewish community in the United States, Britain, and even Israel itself, have condemned the actions of the Israeli government (one will actually find articles more critical of Netanyahu in the Israeli media as compared to the media in North America). In Britain, MP Gerald Kaufman - who is Jewish - has vocally condemned the Israeli government's policies. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said Gaza is the victim of the apartheid worse than what was seen in South Africa. Recommend this post
LeDaro, your post makes clear one of the key reasons for the explosive discontent that permeates the Middle East and provides fodder for the extremists who embrace a terrorist agenda.
ReplyDeleteHypocrisy never sits well with anyone, but is especially embittering, I suspect, for those living under its oppressive results.
Violence must not be condoned no matter who carries out, Lorne. The violence which America has carried out in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle East countries provides a great motivation for extremists to use to recruit young people to carry out violence.
ReplyDeleteI read the following on one of the blogs:
“3 Americans were killed in Boston and the whole world knew about them.
Thousands are tortured, massacred and murdered every single day all over the world in Burma, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan , Pakistan and Syria ... Well most of the victims are Muslims ... So who cares
Just one example in Iraq, since 2003 half a million Iraqi CHILDREN were killed, that's 50000 per year, that's 1037 per day, ......1 child is killed every half hour !!!!!"
This kind of violence must stop.