Imagine a sheriff offering the head of a
criminal gang the following deal: 'If you agree to stop
stealing from your neighbours for three months, I'll give
you cutting edge weaponry and block any efforts by other law
enforcement authorities to restrain your criminal
activities.'
Sounds absurd? Then how about this:
in return for a three-month freeze of illegal construction
in the occupied West Bank (but not in occupied East
Jerusalem, where it may continue), Barack Obama has promised
to deliver 20 F-35 fighter jets to Israel, a deal worth $3
billion. Moreover, his administration has vowed to curb
action by the United Nations on the Goldstone Report, block
anti-Israel UN resolutions concerning the Gaza flotilla
raid,
and defeat resolutions aimed at exposing Israel's nuclear
programme at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In
such situations it's important to keep in mind that the
sheriff (Obama) and not the gang leader (Netanyahu) is the
major culprit. This article appeared first appeared on the
LRB blog. Neve Gordon can be contacted through his website
www.israelsoccupation.info
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