Netanyahu's Latest Demagoguery

by Stephen Lendman

He's a world-class thug heading Israel's most extremist government ever - a ruthless apartheid regime on steroids holding millions of Palestinians hostage under brutal military occupation.

His agenda is hugely repressive. He's ideologically over-the-top. His style features demagogic fear-mongering. It wore thin long ago.

He remains prime minister only because multi-party Israeli elections always result in coalition governance. His Likud party got only 25% support in last March's elections (30 Knesset seats out of 120) - for sure no mandate.

He rails against opponents. He rejects the slightest criticism of Israeli policy - especially anything related to ruthless Palestinian persecution including genocidal wars.

He called largely tepid Ban Ki-moon criticism of harm committed against Palestinian children in last summer's Gaza war "a dark day for the UN."

He repeated the same old Big Lies he blustered many times before blaming Hamas unjustifiably for premeditated Israeli aggression - killing over 2,200 Palestinians (mostly civilians), including nearly 600 children and 300 women, wounding over 11,000 more, as well as leaving large parts of Gaza in ruins to this day, its 1.8 million population trapped under lawless siege.

He calls IDF terror tactics "the highest moral standards in combat." There's nothing "moral" about naked aggression against a nearly defenseless population - or daily repression against millions of Palestinians for not being Jewish.

On Friday, Israeli Danny Gonen was shot and killed near the Dolev settlement northwest of Jerusalem. A second Israeli was injured during the incident. The offender remains at large - subject of a widespread manhunt.

On Sunday, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli border policeman at the Damascus Gate outside East Jerusalem's Old City - leaving him critically wounded.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the officer was stabbed in the neck and chest. He's hospitalized in critical condition.

Eighteen-year-old Yaser Yasin al-Tarawah was identified as the assailant. The officer managed to shoot him six times before apparently collapsing.

The attack followed Gonen's two days earlier. Similar violent incidents occurred in recent months.

The latest one comes two days after the start of Ramadan - with thousands of Palestinians from throughout the Occupied Territories praying at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem's Old City. Whether Israel intends blocking them in light of the officer's stabbing and Gonen's killing remains to be seen.

One thing is certain. Netanyahu is taking full advantage of what happened - railing about Palestinian terrorism. Pent up frustration and retaliation best explain what happened.

Not according to Netanyahu blustering "we are faced with constant attempts to carry out terror attacks. Unfortunately some of them succeed."

Ahead of French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius' visit, Netanyahu said "(t)he need to prevent these attacks exists at all times" - without accepting full responsibility for why they happen or admitting ruthless police state persecution of the entire Palestinian population.

Fabius is trying to restart sham peace talks - a worthless exercise, dead on arrival every time. He advocates a Security Council resolution stipulating parameters for future talks.

Netanyahu opposes his idea saying "(t)he only way to reach an agreement is through bilateral negotiations, and we will forcibly reject any attempts to force upon us international dictates."

"In the international proposals that have been suggested to us -  which they are actually trying to force upon us - there is no real reference to Israel's security needs or our other national interests."

"They are simply trying to push us into indefensible borders while completely ignoring what will happen on the other side of the border."

Bilateral Israeli-Palestinian bilateral are worthless every time held. Palestine's legitimate government isn't invited.

Abbas collaborates with Israel against his own people. Worst of all, Israel doesn't negotiate. It demands. It's all take and no give.

The only chance for Palestinian justice is by exerting sustained world community pressure - through growing boycotts, divestments, sanctions and isolation hitting Israel's economy hard.

The more pain, the greater the chance for success, similar to how South African apartheid was defeated. So far BDS initiatives haven't achieved critical mass. Given the commitment of its supporters, perhaps it's just a matter of time.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs three times weekly: live on Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded archived programs.