Most Israelis Support Annexation, Despite Fear of Violence
A second Intifada was too high a price for the withdrawal from Lebanon; a third Intifada is a tolerable price for annexation.
A second Intifada was too high a price for the withdrawal from Lebanon; a third Intifada is a tolerable price for annexation.
In the run up to Thursday\’s vote in Britain on whether to exit the European Union, Israeli policymakers have studiously avoided comment, desiring not to be seen as interfering in the UK\’s internal affairs.
Iraqis fretted about the ability of their armed forces to protect them from violence after U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday all U.S. troops would withdraw by the end of the year.
This is not just a Jewish phenomenon, though a few thousand years of expecting to be scapegoated, persecuted, exiled or killed certainly contributes to the melancholic gene Jews are known for carrying, the optimism of a Ben-Gurion or Sandy Koufax notwithstanding.
It\’s been nearly two and a half years since the president gave a triumphant speech about Iraq before a banner declaring, \”Mission Accomplished.\”
At the Mercedes-Benz Cup doubles final last Sunday at UCLA, the clumps of Israelis in the grandstands waved their blue-and-white flags between points and yelled out encouragement in Hebrew. They were cheering on the team of Yoni Erlich and Andy Ram, who had reached the finals by defeating the top-seeded team in the world, Americans Bob and Mike Bryan.\n\nAt one point a woman began chanting, \”Yisrael! Yisrael!\” and a few others joined in, but mostly people just clapped and smiled, thrilled that their country could put such a team on center court.
With the planned Israeli withdrawal from Gaza less than three weeks away, right-wing leaders say they haven\’t yet given up hope of preventing it.
More than 500 demonstrators, mostly Orthodox Jews, gathered in front of the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles last weekend to oppose Israel\’s planned, upcoming pullout of settlers from Gaza.
The withdrawal of Israeli settlements and settlers from the Gaza Strip will dominate the Jewish summer.