This cartoon is in no way intended to absolve Israel of its actions. I’ve been a critic of the way Israel deals with the Palestinians for years. Many years ago, when Israel first occupied the West Bank and Gaza, Amos Oz, the great Israeli novelist (and soldier in the ‘67 war), realized that the occupation was a huge mistake–that Israel would lose its soul if it became an occupier, that it would not be able to function both as a democracy and as an oppressor. He was denounced as a traitor, but he was right. The boarding of the “humanitarian relief” vessels attempting to run the Israeli blockade of Gaza was only the latest in a long series of missteps by Israel as it struggles to maintain its deeply flawed policy. That the Turkish relief effort was a setup from the beginning (the stated goal was to goad Israel into a violent response, and it succeeded) is beside the point. Israel gave the world community yet another reason to condemn its actions.
All that said, the hypocrisy of many of those who express such concern for the plight of the Palestinians is especially galling given the scant attention those same folks pay to the human rights atrocities committed by other, more malignant states. Where is the scalding denunciation of North Korea for its torpedoing of the Cheonan and the death of 46 South Korean sailors, the calls for Hamas and Hezbollah to stop lobbing rockets at civilians, the fury over Iran’s routine executions of dissidents? Who among Israel’s critics also stand against China’s appalling suppression of Tibetan nationalism? Where are the voices demanding an end to Cuba’s dictatorship?
Thus, this cartoon.
To see more cartoons like Outrage, have them delivered to your email, join the discussion, and more, visit EdSteinInk.com
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com
Comments
I decry the behavior of the lunatic Kim Jong-Il, but I regard him as neither an elected official, nor his country as democratic. They are not our ALLIES.
I find Amadinejad to be kinda pretty darn crazy, but he's crazy like a fox - though again, not from a democracy; not a country we espouse to assist, guide, advise or support, fiscally.
The Chinese? Yeah, we do business with them, and it's appalling. Human rights have been making inroads into that communist state, though perhaps too slowly.
"Waltz With Bashir" deserves a mention here, but I am out of time. Give Peace a Chance. It's more than just a slogan.
But this is like Kent State. This is like if federal marshals came out and shot Martin Sheen dead because he handcuffed himself to a nuclear reactor's fence. That's what this is.
What you're mistaking for selective outrage is the emerging frustration of people who are getting tired of the fact that the US position vis a vis Israeli actions is the real third rail in the public discourse. The number of critical politicians can be counted on with one hand, and public commenters who dare dissent with the official policy of carte blanche permissiveness are routinely attacked as anti-Semites.
There is an interesting analysis of the Israeli action against the recent relief convoy at http://www.counterpunch.org/amiri06042010.html
It indicates the real purpose was to ensure that there would be no attempts at resolving the Palestinian question so that Israel would be free to act as a rogue state taking over new Palestinian territory.
It makes sense.
Looking at the comments I also see that people don't understand even when you stick their face in it. Israel has been attacked since it was created by the UN. Countries have a right to defend it's self. What don't people get about that?
I dare say that if Canada fired 1000's and 1000's of rockets across the border at NYC we would make Israel look like the most peaceful nation on the planet. Canada? It would look like a parking lot.
I think Daniel Larison got it spot on: "It will be a far worse day for Israel when the reaction to the next blunder is the sigh of resignation, “Well, really, what can you expect?”"
I strongly recommend John Gray's article reviewing Avishai Margalit's book, "On Compromise and Rotten Compromises". It is possible to find people who look at all of this, clear-eyed. The demonization of Israel, and all who say Yes, But about her virtues as well as her many errors, is sad and ignorant. As sad and ignorant as those who refuse to admit the terrible allowance of religious zealot "settlers" to steal lands and provoke war.
To not see the history, the complexity, the varieties of moral choices in the mideast, is to fall into the True Believer trap.
And Oz is great.
However, it's easy to miss this, for two reasons. First, it's so constant it's less noticeable. Secondly, we're all more sensitive when 'our' side is somehow criticized. This is the same phenomenon that makes sports fans believe that referees are especially unfair to 'their' team.
My second reaction is to second Norwonk's comment from above: we do expect a little more Israel than from North Korea. I'm always exasperated by comments along the lines of "the Palestinians/Iranians/Hamas/Russians do worse!" The idea that there are worse atrocities in the world is a terrible defense. And, yes, a purportedly democratic nation that relies on US support is going to be subject to more expectations of moral behaviour.
I'm also more outraged when countries like the US, the UK, or France are involved in something like the flotilla shootings (or the thousands of Gaza deaths, etc). It was no real defense to Abu Graib to observe that it was not as bad as what Saddam did; that simply sets the bar awfully low.