LB: I know one Israeli, Reuven Kossover who openly criticises the government, but not for the Gaza siege or the years of disproportionate reactions and collective punishment, but because they don’t do enough to squash the resistance. He believes that Israel should either declare a border excluding Judea, Samaria and Gaza and expel all hostile Arabs from green line Israel, or annex Gaza and the West Bank completely and expel the hostile Arabs. In your experience do a lot of Israelis share similar opinions?
IP: I think yes, but I do think when it comes to voting we alternate every few years between the 'Left' a slower pace of 'squashing' and the 'right, an accelerated one. From the victim's point of view, alas, the result is the same.
LB: How do you think Israel can be stopped from committing ethnic cleansing and genocide?
IP: Only through a coordinated campaign like the one that stopped the apartheid system in South Africa. But for the boycott, divestment and sanction campaign to succeed you also need a strong, united and well orientated Palestinian leadership and strategy. We lack both.
LB: It is currently in the news that Israel faces an existential threat from Hamas and Hezbollah and most Israelis believe Ahmadinejad is synonymous with a second holocaust. Do you share the opinion that Israel currently poses a far bigger threat to the Arab world than the Arab world does to Israel?
IP: Indeed, Israel is an unfinished project of statehood, and would go to any length to impose its will until most of the West Bank would be annexed to it, together with the Golan Heights and strategic control up to the Litani River in Lebanon. Anyone that stands in the way is or will be attacked.
It is interesting that Israeli generals here say that Hizballah and Hamas are mere irritations and not strategic threats, which I think is an accurate description.
LB: It seems to me that the fear of a counter-attack by Israel, the U.S, or both obliterating Iran completely will prevent Ahmadinejad from launching a nuclear attack, or any kind of attack. If it occurs to me then someone in Israel’s leadership must also realize the great threat their nuclear arsenal projects. Am I right that Israel always presents fears for its existence, allowing it to remind people of the holocaust at regular intervals, to stop the world criticising its actions against Palestinians?
Article comments
1 - Bliffle
"Apartheid"
"Evil"
"ethnic cleansing"
"measured genocide".
etc.
Inflammatory words, none of them to solicit negotiation and peace. All to incite partisans. To recruit allies. To bludgeon the uncommitted. Don't give an inch! Conquest is the only solution! Kill the infidels!
They guarantee that the war will continue. Inspired by righteousness more bombers will make bombs. More soldiers will kill families. More death. More arms, legs and bodies torn apart and flying thru the air. More of the same. No letup. Children spitting at each other.
And it will all be SO righteous. Everyone screaming for Justice while avenging themselves.
The leaders will be SO smug that they have characterized the hated enemy with such lurid words. A veritable Holocaust of hate-filled verbiage.
We need an end to righteousness, morality, Justice, and all other frauds that are exploited to promote murder and kill peace and negotiation.
2 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Remember this lovely fellow Liam? You'll be able to have tea and crumpet with him now, if you want. So far as I am concerned, good riddance to bad garbage!
Ynetnews Reports
Jewish students attacked in UK press
Israeli academic lashes out at 'Jewish student lobby,' students reject allegations
Quoted from the article:
The rest of the article can be read at the link above.
3 - David Tabacof
How can Mr Pape imagine that jews and arabs can live peacefully together in one state in Palestine? Look what`s heppening between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza or between Sunni and Shia in Iraq. Does mr. Pape really lives in Israel? How can he ignore realties only do adust them to his thesis. I saw him yesterday on BBC - Have your say-. With jews like mr Pape, who needs antisemites?
David Tavacof - Tel Aviv
4 - A South African
We in South Africa are living in peace! No one thought this would ever happen, but by the Grace of God, it has! I believe the same can happen in the Middle East, we just need to start somewhere! Equal rights and justice for all people seems a good place to start. PLEASE read THE KEY TO PEACE: DISMANTLING THE MATRIX OF CONTROL By Jeff Halper, the Executive Director of the Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
5 - ELISHA AVSHALOM
Reaction: The shleimazel jenociders.
I just recall, as an israeli, that in all fourty years of occupation the sub total of killed palestinians is about six thousand, at least half armed peaple. I would call it a very uneffectiv jenocide, and this is by the state with the strongest army in the midle east! We should have take an example from Sudan, whereas arabs kiled, so far, about quarter of milion of black peaple during two years only. (or maybe from the british, who killed in one night in Dresden double of namber of innocent peaple than we killed in all fourty years in west bank and Gaza.)And to think that we realy call ouerselves nazies! Shame on us!