Apocalypse Near - Interview with Noam Chomsky...

[bridgit]

NC: "The "real issue" that is being ignored is the systematic destruction of any prospects for a viable Palestinian existence as Israel annexes valuable land and major resources (water particularly), leaving the shrinking territories assigned to Palestinians as unviable cantons, largely separated from one another and from whatever little bit of Jerusalem is to be left to Palestinians, and completely imprisoned as Israel takes over the Jordan valley (and of course controls air space, etc.). This program of "hitkansut," cynically disguised as "withdrawal," is of course completely illegal, in violation of Security Council resolutions and the unanimous decision of the World Court (including the dissenting statement of US Justice Buergenthal). If it is implemented as planned, it spells the end of the very broad international consensus on a two-state settlement that the US and Israel have unilaterally blocked for 30 years ­ matters that are so well documented that I do not have to review them here."

http://www.counterpunch.org/chomsky08162006.html

[JohnyCanuck]

1. Israel was good friends with the South African government

when the white racists were still running the show. No doubt their South African friends described to the Israelis the perceived benefits of the Bantustan option.

Bantustan plan for an apartheid Israel

Sharon's separation scheme is doomed to fail once it becomes clear what it means

Meron Benvenisti

SNIP

The report about a tacit agreement being reached between the Peace Now movement and Sharon's aides - Peace Now will suspend its "evacuate settlements, choose life" campaign so as not to harm public relations efforts for Sharon's separation plan - illustrates the profoundly confused state of public discourse in Israel. As the Israeli left sees it, the confinement of one and a half million people in a huge holding pen fulfils the ideal of putting an end to the occupation, and furnishes some relief about how "we are not responsible".

Similarly, when in South Africa a failed attempt was made to solve demographic problems by creating "homelands for the blacks", liberals originally supported the idea, and even a portion of the international community viewed the measure as a step toward "decolonisation". But, after a short time, it became clear that the ploy was designed to confer legitimacy on the expulsion of black people, and their uprooting. The bantustans collapsed, demands for civil equality intensified, and the world mobilised for the defeat of apartheid.

The bantustan model for Gaza, as depicted in the disengagement plan, is a model that Sharon plans to copy on the West Bank. His announcement that he will not start to disengage before construction of the fence is completed along a route that will include all settlement blocs (in keeping with Binyamin Netanyahu's demand), underscores the continuity of the bantustan concept. The fence creates three bantustans on the West Bank - Jenin-Nablus, Bethlehem-Hebron and Ramallah. This is the real link between the Gaza and West Bank plans. The link is not what those politicians who will provide a "security net" for Sharon in a Knesset no-confidence vote call "the precedent of the dismantling of settlements".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1203156,00.html

[bridgit]

2. Israel is in no sense blameless, i don't care what 'the lobby' says...

though every utterance is to secure the impression of blameless piety

[Tom Joad]

4. Yes, and Mandela rejected Bantustans. Now when Palestinians

reject such an "option" they are called terrorists.

[neoblues]

3. So long as Lebanon exists and...

Syria and IRAN are of a mind to support the Palestinians and groups like Hizbullah; Israel won't ever be free of it's difficulties with Palestinians. Of course, as they continue to be and are even increasingly marginalized, within Isreal proper (not a very proper treatment), the Palestinians will be both less able to mount any resistance (without outside assistance; think IRAN & Syria) and more driven to resist. Like a cornered, wounded and hungry animal, however, they are likely to somehow manage to present a resourceful resistance. And so, the story continues.

[bridgit]

5. indeed so...

[ooglymoogly]

6. i get a "error you cant recommend from this forum"

what is up with that...i think this needs to be nomed up.
and this is the first time i have ever received this message

[bridgit]

7. dunno, never ran into that myself...

:shrug: you mean to like k&r it or som'thin

[ooglymoogly]

8. i tried to recommend for the greatest page and got the error

message "error, you cant recommend threads from this forum"

[jonnyblitz]

9. you can't recommend threads in the I/P forum.

this thread was originally started in a forum where you could recommend and moved to this forum later on, that is why it has 5 recommends.

[bridgit]

10. ah, hm...oh well...

[ooglymoogly]

11. seems like scensorship...nt