Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the United States and set to give a controversial speech to a joint session of Congress later today, without actually having been invited by the president but, rather, by the Speaker of the House, John Boehner.
This has been rightly described as a breach in protocol, and a major one, at that. After, all, Netanyahu is a foreign head of state, being invited by a prominent Congressional politician here in the United States to address Congress about foreign policy, particularly in the heated Middle East region.
It is understandable that this has elicited strong reactions, and it is likely to increase, if anything,
There is a growing movement here in the United States that is particularly taking root on American college campuses - the boycott-divestment-sanctions movement, or BDS. it is about ten years old, this movement, or push, and is familiar with the strategy to end apartheid in South Africa.
I know many advocates of Israel feel very uncomfortable whenever comparisons to apartheid South Africa are made, but the fact of the matter is that the conflict in Israel and Palestine has been brutal, but Israel has not helped matters. If anything, it has exacerbated things, made things worse, and with an alarming degree of consistency on that level.
With settlement continually being constructed (illegally), and with many Palestinians disenfranchised and being people without a country, things have reached a fever pitch. Many people have been maimed in Palestinian territories by the bombings, and although the Palestinians certainly have to bear some brunt of the responsibility for missile attacks, the fact of the matter is that Israel has far superior arms, and could try and change tactics with a carrot and stick approach, rather than a stick and stick approach.
It has not worked, so it is time for something new to at least be attempted.
Give the Palestinians their own state, and at least give peace a chance.
But the extremism on the part of too many (although certainly not all) Israelis is evidenced by Netanyahu's presence and speech in Washington today, which is without recent precedent.
Something needs to change because, as it stands, there are indeed parallels with the South African situation during the days of apartheid, no matter how much pro-Israelis denounce such comparisons.
In such a case, the only thing left, after decades of stubborn resistance and refusal to grant Palestinians even the most basic human rights is to peacefully force the issue, and make Israel compromise.
Apparently, it cannot be done any other way.
And hey! It worked in South Africa!
Anti-Israel divestment push gains traction at US colleges Associated Press By RACHEL ZOLL March 1, 2015 12:06 AM
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