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Will Israel Cease to Exist?
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Aaron Klein, author of The Late Great State of Israel, argues that because of internal political turmoil, the Jewish state is facing its gravest threat ever from Iran and Hamas.
Israel is headed down a road that, if not altered, may result in the country's demise.
I've reported for months on end from the rocket-pounded Jewish communities of the Gaza Strip and war-torn Israeli-Lebanese-Syrian borders. I've stood in the trenches during massive nationalist protests and Israeli evacuations of Jewish homes. I've watched intense Knesset sessions and have entered the vipers' den of Palestinian terrorism, conducting extensive interviews with dangerous jihadists, some of the region's leaders, newsmakers, and hundreds of its ordinary citizens. I’ve dodged rockets and mortars, and have broadcast from far-off, remote locations, including once, with my colleague John Batchelor of WABC Radio, from an ice-cream truck on the beach of Gaza.
While Jerusalem's ancient walls are only a symbol of the threat, a look just to the east reveals the living resurgence of an age-old danger, stirring the disturbing feeling that history is repeating itself.
Four years of this work has led me to my frightening conclusion—and I directly point to the Israeli government, among many others, for actively working against the Jewish state's interests, whether intentionally or not.
A gang of internationalist politicians rules the Jewish state—some of whom seem more interested in making a quick buck than saving the country they are supposed to lead. Most of them are hell-bent on pursuing the same failed policies that have resulted time and again in large numbers of Jewish deaths and the handover of strategic land to terrorists, fueling a worldwide perception of Jewish weakness.
Take Israel's recent 22-day offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Cast Lead. The primary objective of that confrontation was to deal a decisive blow to Hamas as a fighting force while obliterating the group's rocket infrastructure. Neither goal was met. Then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert later announced a third objective of his war: to change the situation on the ground so Hamas would not be able to continue smuggling weapons into Gaza from neighboring Egypt. That goal fell farcically short when, just days after the fighting ended, the international news media filed excited dispatches from the thriving smuggling tunnels.
The Late Great State of Israel: How Enemies Within and Without Threaten the Jewish Nation’s Survival. By Aaron Klein. 240 pages. WND Books. $26.
If anything, Olmert's campaign strengthened Hamas politically. Israel's willingness in the aftermath of the operation to indirectly negotiate border agreements and prisoner exchanges with its Islamist foes provided Hamas with much-needed legitimacy. It sent mixed signals to an international community that had already been considering opening and expanding channels to Gaza's rulers.
I’ve seen one Israeli government folly after another. Olmert heavily mismanaged the war of 2006 in Lebanon that, essentially, handed that country to Hezbollah's control through myriad fiascos of Israeli diplomacy. Prominent among these was the Jewish state's legitimization of the Syrian tyranny, with Olmert announcing talks with Damascus while the Bush administration supported the latter's deserved isolation. Israel was willing to tread with the Bashar Assad regime even while Damascus, in full partnership with Iran, continued to welcome terrorist leaders and furiously acquire thousands of advanced missiles. Ongoing lunacy in Israeli policy has emboldened Iran to surround the Jewish state, and to position its proxies on the regional chessboard so that Tehran now possesses the capability to wreak destruction in Israel.
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Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
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This sounds like an intriguing read thanks for the heads up!
Jessica
http://fendmagazine.com/
It would be except this book is just a re-write of David Joseph's book 'The Late Great Israel ' written two years earlier. You can google it to get the facts about it, there is a number of video's about it. You can also find information about the rip-off at www.world-news-breaking.com Nice job Aaron or should I say nice job David Joseph.
Wow. So now the Daily Beast is paying discredited journalists to provide self-promotional coverage? Klein was recently caught editing Wikipedia articles in order to report their contents (which he inserted). And that's only the tip of the iceberg.
In just a few months this has gone from being my favorite new publication to one I view with an increasingly skeptical eye.
This one took me by surprise as I was expecting some kind of rational appraisal and not this wild-eyed rant in support Israel and not the glimpse of an understanding as to the other sides position. A time waster.
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Israel has a serious case of "little dick" syndrome, and to expect the US to clean up its messes forever is a selfish policy. US national security should not involve fighting wars for pissant little countries that can't get along with their neighbors.
Excellent piece that dares to tell it like it is without the usual anti-Israel bias. Klein is not "discredited;" the Wikipedia controversy to which you refer was proven to be generated by a wildly partisan blog of questionable sourcing.
Proven to be generated by a wildly partisan blog? Klein even admitted to it, though he pawned it off on his research assistant! http://ow.ly/48W0
Israel is being sold down the river. Don't believe otherwise. This book is very timely.
Surprised and disappointed at the same time! leaving all bullshit aside, want to advise Klein to distinguish between the Jews and the Zionists!!!
Why don't you try... your tone seems to suggest that you think you have a good idea. I know that the term zionist is one of the worst understood words used today. Most of the time it is used incorrectly and Zionism has no relevance to what has been happenning since the raison détre of the Zionist movenment (to which the term Zionist is related at 100%) was fulfilled in 1948. There is no Zionist movement today. There are other movements, yes... but no Zionist movement. I am still interested in what you think Zionism means...
In a nutshell Moe, I'm referring to the Ideology today, not the movement itself. conservative ppl like Klein are defaming the Jewish RELEGION Image.
I'm 100% sure that a Jew would not agree on the slaughter of children and the displacement of a whole nation while a Zionist (ei: today's Israeli government and conservative parties and the majority of ppl living in Israel) would.
Every problem has a solution, and in order to get to the solution you have to search for the root cause... please take a minute to think about the root cause... who was forced to the wholly land? What was this country called? Who was living in Palestine before the immigration of the Jews? Who refused to get along with the natives (ei: Palestinians, and I want to stress on the fact that there are Muslim Palestinians, Christian Palestinians and used to be Jewish Palestinians).
People living in Israel talk about being surrounded by Muslims who are eager to killing them all.... That's bullshit, if that was the case, you wouldn't find Christians in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Iraq.... They would have been wiped off long before 1948!!!!
It's true, Hebrews are outnumbered by Arabs (please note that I did not say Jews are outnumbers by Muslims because it's not the case) and if Israel keep its racist strategy and refuse to give the rightful owners of the land some sort of freedom, peace and tranquility, the day Klein is talking about will eventually come.
Solution: Indianapolis and a Genuine peace with the Palestinians.
Enough said I guess....
Where does the hierocracy stop? That is what I would like to know? This is not directed at you personally but to rational thinkers everywhere.
Does the US give back the US to the Native Americans? Should any group of people that migrated from one area to another give back their lands? Where does it stop? The fact is that Palestine has always had a Jewish population. The fact is that European Jewry bought land form Palestinians and other Arab groups before 1948. Does it suck that the people that sold the land were a select group of people who did so with out the approval of the surf class which was the majority population in Palestine when the land was sold? I think so. Does it matter that most of the land that was sold was arid and not used for anything before the land was transformed into cultivated landscapes providing jobs and food? I think so. A lot has happened in Israel/Palestine or what ever you want to call the land before and after 1948. Who has the right to say who the land belongs to today? I don't think anyone does. Who has the right to criticize both the Palestinians and Jews over what is happening today? Everyone with a conscience, in my opinion. Does anyone have the right to be extremely critical of the Israeli hypocrisy in their role in the ongoing slaughter of innocents when Jews should understand first hand what the Palestinians are suffering today? Most definitely.
The worst part in this whole story is that the land promised to the Jews in the bible is in Saudi Arabia. The towns that are discussed in the Old Testament are still in existence today... in Saudi Arabia. When this info was first published by a Lebanese historian by the name of Kamal Salibi the Saudi Government sent bulldozers into the area, which to make matters worse is very close to Mecca, and destroyed all of the villages with biblical names to cover the story up. Should the Jews be given back, or sent back to their promised land? Probably will not happen. Should the Palestinians be given back land that was sold to Jews pre 1948? It will never happen.
When will people stop talking nonsense and deal with the real issue which is when will the world understand that immigration is a fact of life. How is it that every country on the face of this planet can be so anti immigration that it can even argue cases going back thousands of years? The real issue is that of living in peace, respecting human rights and trying to evolve our conduct with each other... in my opinion.
I was shocked when I saw Jews massacring Palestinians in Baba Yar (not sure if I remember the spelling correctly). I am equally shocked at Palestinians teaching kids, women and men to blow up other innocent victims (yes I believe the suicide bombers are victims as well). Two wrongs do not make a right... not now and not ever. It is time for people to grow up and move forward with intelligence... in my opinion.
Respect Moe.... Really convinced by what you said.
Just want to comments on two points:
1- Yes, 2 wrongs do not make a right, but you need to compare apple to apple.... Not cherry to watermelon.... the death toll on both ends can give you a clear indication.
2- I always imagine myself in the place of the parents of those who died due to the conflict, be it an Israeli dad who's son was killed by a suicide bomber(Jihadist) or a Palestinian mom who lost three of her minors due to an apache missile.
The first will be outrageous and develop and unending hatred to the people who killed his son, people will sympathize with him and indirectly hate the same people and a support group of families will form to help the poor father... this will end with little girls and boys happily drawing pictures on the bombs fired at the Palestinians extra small piece of land.
On the other hand, the Palestinian mom and her 13 years old son who survived the missile will develop the same hatred experienced by the Israeli Dad.
The only difference is that, they do not have a house anymore since it was bombed, they can't go to their neighbors since their house is bombed as well. They can't go to their government (which one to go to anyway?).
They can't flee the country it's impossible due to the siege imposed by their enemy.
They are left alone on the streets with no food, no cloth and no shelter.
The bombs are falling like rain and the enemy tanks are surrounding the quarter.
Rami and his wounded mother are trying to find a safe hideout where they can wait for the ambulance.
They wait and wait and wait, but the ambulance never arrives and Rami's poor mother dies in his arms.....
Now, just imagine you're Rami for a second.... Wouldn't you become a Jihadi in order to revenge you family ? your mom, you brothers and sisters ?
I know I would.....
By the way, the ambulance did never arrive because the Israeli army shoot at it claiming that It carries Hamas members....
The world would be so much more peaceful if Israel disappeared !
Yeah, just like the Sunnis and the Shiia in Iraq.
Fools! If Israel falls, America is next. Heed Klein's warnings.
"with American help, the Palestinians have gained a major foothold in eastern Jerusalem"
I thought they've been there for a good long time now...
"those in power who want the country to resemble a secular, Europeanized nation are at war with a significant segment of the population that wants to keep Israel a Jewish country defined by its profoundly Jewish history, traditions, and character."
you mean those who support the original intent of the secular, leftist settlers who wanted to coexist and had no interest in a unified Jerusalem, vs. the religious fanatics who want to turn the clock back 5000 years and expunge all non-Jews?
If Israel fails, it will be because of the inflexibility of the right. Loony fundamentalism is not an exclusively Christian or Islamic phenomenon.
See LA Times today: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-obama-hamas27-2009apr27 ,0,4563512.story
Obama poised to legitimize Hamas. Klein's article seems on the money.
As a realist I can say that the only place on earth that has the ability to save the Jewish people from extinction is the united States of America. I am not talking about the military might of America, I am talking about the ability to bring the the Jewish people here to the US to live in harmony with out the threat of war & extinction. However strong & modern the army of Israel is the millions of Arab's that encircle this very very small nation will one day, in some way destroy these people & butcher them as did Hitler in the 1930's & 40's. This planet is facing the most dangerous times since the so called civilized apes crawled out of the tree's. We have seen since recorded history that by far & away the most dangerous killer of man is not disease, not simple war, no the greatest killer by a magnitude of a thousands is religion. Murder, butchery & all out war has been waged in the name of these fairy tale things called god since our forefathers left the tree's. Today we have a religion of billions that believe that killing anyone that does not believe as they do should be killed, even people of the same fairy tale religion who believe in different traditions need to be killed & if they themselves die while killing these non believers they will ascend to this cartoon place in the sky's with their own god & if they are a male, they will be greeted by 72 virgins. These religious fanatics can not be talked to, can not be convinced, sadly they are unstoppable in their quest to kill all non believers. Israel is living in the very middle of this crazy world of Muslim extremist bent of destroying them. Nothing Israel of any nation trying to help them can do anything to stop this massacre other then simply moving the Jewish people out & turning the whole of the middle east over to the Muslims. Some would say the Muslims movement to Europe would be next & in truth they would be right if the people of Europe don't stop that migration NOW & if the free world does not send all the Muslims back to the countries they came from. nothing short of a virtual wall around the whole of the Muslim world will save this planet from being destroyed in one final religious war. In closing nothing short of the extinction of religion itself will ever save this planet & maybe with the two major religions separating themselves with this virtual wall & stopping the mixing, maybe just maybe both sides will see that what they in fact believe is nothing more then the fairy tale it really is. Sadly I think the possibility of this realization is if anything, very very slim. Weak, poor, hungry people since time began have reached out for something to save them & mankind has come up with the concept of a god. Only when all of us see that our future is not in this mythical creation of a god but in the people themselves & in their ability to live & love together will this planet ever have a real future.
I say seriously everyone back off and let them have it out. No one should be cleaning up after Israel or Palestine, they need to come to an understanding outside of mainframe politics and as long as one or the other has the support of the G8 and the UN no one will win.
An excellent piece. The book sounds interesting -- finally someone actually reporting on the subject and not just strumming their own heart-strings.
Even tho many people -- including those commenting here -- would love to see Israel "disappear", Klein makes the point that those who would cause it to disappear (i.e. destroy it) would also turn their sights on Western, secular civilization.
I'll be buying the book, if only to see what someone who actually meets with Hamas and Fatah terrorists has to say about the situation in the Middle East.
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They will come after Israel, Iran, China, Russia, all the Arab states. Have no fear, Jesus Christ will be here to save Israel and the rest of the world.
that's about the last thing we can expect
That's a real fairy tale. Do you also believe in the Tooth Fairy?
I have to go walk my unicorn. I don't want him peeing on the rug.
all the armies of the world will gather in the miidle east to try and defeat Isreal but in the end god will crush them because,the isrealites are his chosen people,and the bow to a saudi king shows us, who mr. obama's alliance is with.
Western Civilization will cease to exist and not just Israel.Israel and the west must recognise how to defend itself against the Islamic mindset.The Mr nice guy attitude must cease.Muslim's aggenda is to utilize western values of human rights and protect civilians at all cost attitude enabling terrorists to mingle and mix with non combatants and choose the time and place to fight the infidels where ever it might be. Israel Africa Europe Aghanastan Lebanon etc etc etc.It should be treated like cancer as it really is. Muslim countries where terrorist find shelter officially or unofficially should be give 3 months to sort themselves out by deciding the way of life they wish to persue.They either rise up against the tyranny the claim they live under or perish with the tyrants.At the end of the 3 months the west should attack with no mercy all the key players engaging in war with the west and Israel.Just remember their were millions of innocent Germans and Japanese who lost their lives by the action of their leaders. They are now the most anti war nations in existance.I am afraid its time to lower our humanity for the greater cause of civilisation. It is rather sad that we must lower our standards to protect ourselves but that is the only language mulims understand.....The rule of the sword...nothing else will secure our survival.
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