Writing from the confines of what some Palestinians call the “Ramallah bubble“ (Ha‘aretz, 1/1/09), Thomas Friedman (New York Times, 6/30/10) thinks he knows how to solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: “quietly support[ing]“ the Palestinian Authority while it builds a “real economy, a professional security force and an effective, transparent government bureaucracy.“
Friedman has a curious definition of a Palestinian state, which according to Friedman is ‘in the West Bank and Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.â┚¬Ã‚ Gaza is missing from this equation, and probably not by accident, as Friedman has a history of trying to dismiss Hamas-run Gaza as ‘undemocratic,â┚¬Ã‚ and therefore illegitimate–despite the fact that Hamas was democratically elected and the Fatah-run Palestinian Authority is in power illegally (FAIR Blog, 6/16/10). Friedman seems to be following the ‘West Bank firstâ┚¬Ã‚ approach (New York Times, 6/19/07), first begun by the Bush administration and now followed by the Obama administration, that seeks to shower economic support on the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank while isolating Gaza. If the Gaza aid flotilla affair taught the world anything, though, those looking to end the violence in Palestine canâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t ignore the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The irony of Friedmanâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s column is that the same day it was published online, Al Jazeera English (6/29/10) reported that a new Save the Children UK report set to come out today paints picture of life in the West Bank, particularly the Israeli-administered zone known as Area C, thatâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s almost an exact opposite to Friedmanâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s cheery view:
“The international community has rightly focused its attention on the suffering of families in Gaza, but the plight of children in Area C must not be overlooked,” Salam Kanaan, Save the Children’s director in the occupied Palestinian Territories, said.”
Palestinians in the West Bank are widely thought to enjoy a higher standard of living but tragically many families, particularly in Bedouin and herder communities, actually suffer significantly higher levels of malnutrition and poverty.”
The organization called for Israel to immediately cease home demolitions and land confiscations in the West Bank and said the Palestinian authority should take “urgent action” to develop services and improve food security in Area C.
“Palestinian children cannot wait for the stalled peace talks between the Palestinian Authority, Israel and the United States to find solutions to this crisis,” Kanaan said.
Friedmanâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s chat with an ‘upbeatâ┚¬Ã‚ Salam Fayyad, the prime minister for the Palestinian Authority, apparently didnâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t touch on what Save the Children calls ‘grinding povertyâ┚¬Ã‚ in the West Bank. That discussion would surely put the kibosh on any benign and happy view of life under Israeli occupation.
What really bothers me is that there was a time when I took Tom Friedman seriously. Of course, that was before the internet. At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
great post my friend
Je suis d’accord!!!
Great article courageous and factual
Finland doesn’t suffer scornful inferiority that much as the finnish foreign minister Alexander Stubb visited Gaza “He stressed the need for freedom of movement for people and goods in and out”
Amnesty international reported on Finnish arms trade that flouts EU regulations, These dealings made Finland the second largest provider of missile technology to Israel, playing second fiddle only to the United States. Finland is also Israel’s ninth most important supplier of arms and ammunitions, according to Amnesty International
Finland appointed a homosexual lobbyist as its new foreign minister on April 1, replacing former minister Ilkka Kanerva.
Alexander Stubb, who served as a Member of European Parliament for Finland, was chosen to replace Kanerva following a scandal in which the media revealed over 200 sexually suggestive text messages Kanerva sent to a stripper.
Stubb, who turned 40 the day he was nominated for the position of foreign minister by Finland’s National Coalition Party, Kokoomus, has served as a MEP since 2004. He is the vice-president of the European Parliament’s Gay and Lesbian rights intergroup, a lobbyist body that ensures the goals of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals are implemented in the decisions made by EU institutions.
While Israeli flags are being burned in many European capitals in the aftermath of the dead flotillaraid, thousands of people took part a pro-Israel rally in Helsinki on Thursday.
The Finnish capital’s streets were filled with Israeli and Finnish flags as participants marched towards the port while chanting slogans in support of the IDF and waving banners protesting what they claimed was the biased media coverage of the flotilla raid.
A Place Where Israel is Loved
There are churches where the Israeli flag is proudly displayed side-by-side with the Finnish national colors, and where entire Christian congregations recite “Hatikva” first in Hebrew and then in Finnish.
Reference:
Finnish-Israeli arms trade flouts EU regulations
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10557.shtml
Finland appointed a homosexual lobbyist as its new foreign minister
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08040308.html
Pro-Israel Rally in Helsinki Finland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuVsupCvOdQ
Finland – A Place Where Israel is Loved
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/3670
http://support.slightofmind.net/topic/ugg-boot-questions-out-of-use-them-to-make-sure-you-tidy-up-individuals#post-30780