As we’re still ensconced in the Passover holiday, this will be another short newsletter. Twenty years ago, Jean-Marie Le Pen, an ultra-nationalist with antisemitic and Islamophobic tendencies, made it into the second round of voting for president of France. Shocked and appalled, the French establishment rallied around his opponent, Jacques Chirac, who defeated Le Pen by more than sixty percentage points. This Sunday, Le Pen’s daughter, Marine, who despite a more moderate veneer shares her father’s basic worldview, will face off against incumbent President Emmanuel Macron. Polls
"Palestinians keep saying that the way to stop violence against Israelis is to stop Israel’s systemic violence against Palestinians."
The classic "She was asking for it/she started it" defense. Infamously employed by rapists, children, and domestic abusers everywhere. No surprise then that that's the argument, as Palestine has plenty of all three.
No, but Marine Le Pen may. You guys need to get over your knee-jerk (or is it just performative?) fear/hatred of conservative leaders like Le Pen and Orban. Stop being childish, we beg you!
Although my main interest here is Israel centered and I will get to Odeh in a moment Marine Le Pen is a clear danger much the same as Trump and his acolytes are here in America. How these people manage to fool so many to vote for them escapes me—here is hoping she loses and by a larger margin than predicted.
As for Odeh’s piece in Haaretz, I wish it was true but the history between Israelis and Palestinians is so full of examples that contradict this. The one that comes immediately to mind, is Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, leaving behind a complete agricultural enterprise for exporting tomatoes. In a classic reversal of beating swords into ploughshares, Hamas literally overnight beat the ploughshares into swords. And no I do not defend the heavy handed and even one sided approach Israel has to Palestina attacks while merely slapping the wrists of the settlers. I would like to settler homes destroyed when they engage in violent attacks on Palestinians.
The bottom line in the Palestinian Israeli conflict is that while each side has its historical record, when it comes to the Palestinians they have held on to the belief that they were dispossessed and that the only solution is repossession. Unfortunately, that concept prevents any Palestinian leader from accepting anything less than that solution and it explains why all solutions stall at the point when this equation is nullified.
Interesting: Ultra-nationalists in France - deplorable. Ultra-nationalists in Ukraine - adorable.
"Palestinians keep saying that the way to stop violence against Israelis is to stop Israel’s systemic violence against Palestinians."
The classic "She was asking for it/she started it" defense. Infamously employed by rapists, children, and domestic abusers everywhere. No surprise then that that's the argument, as Palestine has plenty of all three.
No, but Marine Le Pen may. You guys need to get over your knee-jerk (or is it just performative?) fear/hatred of conservative leaders like Le Pen and Orban. Stop being childish, we beg you!
Although my main interest here is Israel centered and I will get to Odeh in a moment Marine Le Pen is a clear danger much the same as Trump and his acolytes are here in America. How these people manage to fool so many to vote for them escapes me—here is hoping she loses and by a larger margin than predicted.
As for Odeh’s piece in Haaretz, I wish it was true but the history between Israelis and Palestinians is so full of examples that contradict this. The one that comes immediately to mind, is Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, leaving behind a complete agricultural enterprise for exporting tomatoes. In a classic reversal of beating swords into ploughshares, Hamas literally overnight beat the ploughshares into swords. And no I do not defend the heavy handed and even one sided approach Israel has to Palestina attacks while merely slapping the wrists of the settlers. I would like to settler homes destroyed when they engage in violent attacks on Palestinians.
The bottom line in the Palestinian Israeli conflict is that while each side has its historical record, when it comes to the Palestinians they have held on to the belief that they were dispossessed and that the only solution is repossession. Unfortunately, that concept prevents any Palestinian leader from accepting anything less than that solution and it explains why all solutions stall at the point when this equation is nullified.
Another political system in dysfunction. LePen’s support has metastasized from a few pockets to most of France