There is nothing more frustrating in American politics than discussing Israel. Nothing. It is difficult to maintain a balanced view of the situation when many people are ready to lynch you for putting a word wrong in relation to ‘our greatest ally.’
And like many of the real issues underlying the Culture War between the Overly-Woke and The Deplorables, these ab-reactions are meant to stifle debate rather than discuss uncomfortable and inconvenient truths.
I don’t feel like I have many of the answers as to why Israeli officials act the way they do. Sometimes I get feedback from folks who truly want to engage but more often than not what I just described is what happens.
This livestream goes off into that territory a bit while trying to present what I think is happening with President Trump’s foreign policy decisions. This one is definitely NSFW, so fair warning applies.
I had to go there because it is obvious that President Assad in Syria is serious about playing the long game with Bibi in getting back the Golan Heights. Israel may have won the 1967 war, but Syria has won the 2018 war.
In short, two can play that game.
We discuss these things along with the significance of Turkey asking for admission into the BRICS alliance. As I detailed in my post from yesterday that move would improve Russia and China’s ability to support President Erdogan’s obvious intention to walk an independent path from the U.S. despite the fulminations of Trump and the harpies in K Street.
The ultimate goal in discussing these things it to both illuminate truth and find the threads of potential solutions to what has been an intractable problem. I still believe there’s a Grand Bargain possible in the Middle East but I know now that it will happen with some form of capitulation by Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Lieberman (who is aptly named).
Jim Jatras on Trump’s Multipolar Foreign Policy Moves
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/07/28/will-next-steps-iran-point-towards-new-big-three-or-world-war-iii.html
Assad Lays Down the Law to Netanyahu
https://russia-insider.com/en/assad-israel-has-exhausted-our-patience-and-iran-will-stay-has-putin-cured-netanyahu-his-unsuitable
Trump Mulls Indexing Cost Basis for Inflation
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-30/trump-considering-unilateral-100-billion-tax-cut-wealthy
Turkey to make it the BRICTS?
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Tom:
It has always seemed to me that the Big Guns (U.S., China, Russia, leaving aside Iran) could dictate the terms of a settlement to Israel, Syria, Hamas/Hezbollah and other minor players. For some reason, it may be useful to the Big Guns to keep this conflict alive. Or maybe the Big Guns are truly stymied> If so, why? Have you or might you publish any thoughts about that?
I have published some stuff obliquely on that. I’ve also railed that this is the central issue. Trump complained at some point (I can’t remember where I saw it) that peace was possible in the Middle East but that Netanyahu won’t accept it.
That’s where we are.
We are stymied because of political forces wanting to maintain this fiction for their own benefit. Trump is the first person to come along in the White House to call everyone out on it.
The Samson Option, keeps us all in line to the devil in Israhell.