Bravo Philip. This has needed to be said, and I'm glad that someone with the gravitas of an ex-FT columnist is saying it (because the FT itself isn't . . . )
I can only reiterate and agree with your points that:
(1) Netanyahu has gone WAY beyond 'defence' into action that resembles genocide;
(2) his excessive carpet-bombing of Gaza ('precision strikes', my arse) will only serve to hurt Israel's standing in the region and the world, making it LESS secure and turning it into a pariah state;
(3) Western double standards on Israel do indeed undermine the 'global south's support for Ukraine;
(4) finally, it is NOT, repeat, NOT anti-semitic to criticise the actions of Netanyahu, the IDF and Israel's West Bank settlers
Very well written Philip. For myself, I think any sympathy accruing to the Israel Government as a result of the holocaust and the terrible suffering of the Jews, has been wiped out by the terrible suffering inflicted by Netanyahu on the Palestinians. It is hard to believe people treated so cruelly could behave with such cruelty towards their fellow man.
Biden being an “Israel Guy” has put a magnet to the West’s moral compass, whatever that still means.
The mistake of too many is that they are drawn into semantic or historical frameworks to justify their actions or support for flawed reasoning and the dire toll at the hands of Hamas, Hezbollah or the IDF.
The last year sees bad actors lashing out to stay relevant as regimes, proxies or simply to stay sheltered from justice.
The US had one lever to pull but Biden tied his own hands - it will go down as a huge and catastrophic misjudgement with awful human suffering, social and physical destruction and the unsettling question of what the region looks like afterwards.
Democracies everywhere are under pressure but they have, in much of the West, failed to exert any of their own on one that’s gone rogue.
A very good article indeed. We need to find an away of supporting the official Israeli opposition in getting rid of Netanyahu, who seems keen on a wider ME war. He is out to wreck any hope of a two state solution by allowing more settlements in the West Bank.
As another has said below, 'spot on' Philip, in terms of the carefully intertwined logic and the expression of the disbelief and helplessness so many people have experienced over the last year. I can still not even nearly understand the continuation of US support, but much worse the supply to Israel of so many munitions of mass destruction.
Is it worth recalling that there was something called the Oslo peace accord? Has Biden forgotten that? I heard Senator George Mitchell being interviewed by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart recently on their podcast. In his view if one thinks that the conflict in Ireland was intractable one hasn’t considered the depth of antagonism between parties in the Middle East I must admit it had never been put as strongly as that but it only goes to show how much has been lost by Netanyahu’s actions on behalf of the people of Israel.
Spot on. But it’s worse than that: Netanyahu is being allowed to kill here there and everywhere on the pretext that his scorched earth policy will usher in a new less militant, pro-Israeli order in the Middle East that will benefit its allies. History teaches us that violence only begets more violence in the region
Bravo Philip. This has needed to be said, and I'm glad that someone with the gravitas of an ex-FT columnist is saying it (because the FT itself isn't . . . )
I can only reiterate and agree with your points that:
(1) Netanyahu has gone WAY beyond 'defence' into action that resembles genocide;
(2) his excessive carpet-bombing of Gaza ('precision strikes', my arse) will only serve to hurt Israel's standing in the region and the world, making it LESS secure and turning it into a pariah state;
(3) Western double standards on Israel do indeed undermine the 'global south's support for Ukraine;
(4) finally, it is NOT, repeat, NOT anti-semitic to criticise the actions of Netanyahu, the IDF and Israel's West Bank settlers
Thank you, much appreciated
Very well written Philip. For myself, I think any sympathy accruing to the Israel Government as a result of the holocaust and the terrible suffering of the Jews, has been wiped out by the terrible suffering inflicted by Netanyahu on the Palestinians. It is hard to believe people treated so cruelly could behave with such cruelty towards their fellow man.
Thanks Philip,
Biden being an “Israel Guy” has put a magnet to the West’s moral compass, whatever that still means.
The mistake of too many is that they are drawn into semantic or historical frameworks to justify their actions or support for flawed reasoning and the dire toll at the hands of Hamas, Hezbollah or the IDF.
The last year sees bad actors lashing out to stay relevant as regimes, proxies or simply to stay sheltered from justice.
The US had one lever to pull but Biden tied his own hands - it will go down as a huge and catastrophic misjudgement with awful human suffering, social and physical destruction and the unsettling question of what the region looks like afterwards.
Democracies everywhere are under pressure but they have, in much of the West, failed to exert any of their own on one that’s gone rogue.
A very good article indeed. We need to find an away of supporting the official Israeli opposition in getting rid of Netanyahu, who seems keen on a wider ME war. He is out to wreck any hope of a two state solution by allowing more settlements in the West Bank.
As another has said below, 'spot on' Philip, in terms of the carefully intertwined logic and the expression of the disbelief and helplessness so many people have experienced over the last year. I can still not even nearly understand the continuation of US support, but much worse the supply to Israel of so many munitions of mass destruction.
Thank you John
Is it worth recalling that there was something called the Oslo peace accord? Has Biden forgotten that? I heard Senator George Mitchell being interviewed by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart recently on their podcast. In his view if one thinks that the conflict in Ireland was intractable one hasn’t considered the depth of antagonism between parties in the Middle East I must admit it had never been put as strongly as that but it only goes to show how much has been lost by Netanyahu’s actions on behalf of the people of Israel.
Spot on. But it’s worse than that: Netanyahu is being allowed to kill here there and everywhere on the pretext that his scorched earth policy will usher in a new less militant, pro-Israeli order in the Middle East that will benefit its allies. History teaches us that violence only begets more violence in the region
Absolutely, Olmert realised some time ago that winning wars does not provide Israel with security