Gaza War Crimes Fallout Deepens Political Rift in Israel

[bemildred]

A year after Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip, fallout from the war is deepening political divisions in the Jewish state. The three-week conflict claimed the lives of 1,400 Palestinians, according to Arab accounts, and 13 Israelis.

A right-wing Israeli advocacy group has ignited a storm with a public campaign targeting an Israeli human rights organization that assisted United Nations officials investigating the Gaza War.

The U.N.'s subsequent Goldstone Report accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza, prompting outrage in Israel. The popular view among Israelis is that the nation was acting in legitimate self-defense in response to years of Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza.

So the right-wing group Im Tirzu launched an ad campaign accusing the left-wing New Israel Fund of treason for helping the Goldstone Commission bring war crimes allegations against Israel. Im Tirzu spokesman Erez Tadmor says the fund is backing the Palestinian militant group Hamas that rules Gaza and is giving a bad name to the Israel Defense Forces.

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/human-rights/Gaza-War-Crimes-Fallout-Deepens-Political-Rift-in-Israel-84301112.html

[Chulanowa]

1. Are Israelis dumb enough to fall for this bullshit?

I mean, hey, I try to keep my vociferous opinions about Israel restricted to the politicians and military of the state, but if the average Uri on the street is buying this claptrap... Man, I don't know what to say about that.

[aquart]

3. Three Jews and a typewriter equal five political parties.

Nothing new about internal dissent among Jews.

[BeFree]

2. heh

That sounds like an obstruction of justice. The UN is a recognized signer of certain treaties with Israel and so the UN has judicial rights with Israel, this is an obstruction and is itself treasonous.

[bemildred]

4. People tend to get upset when taboos are violated and sacred cows made into hamburgers.

How it comes out, what the eventual Israeli political result will be, I don't know. I can't say I'm optimistic. The only comment I will make it that it is clear that tension is increasing, things are not mellowing out.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Sadly typical of everywhere; the right always accuse...

left/liberal critics of their country's actions of treason.

I went to Im Tirzu's website...

'Regrettably, in recent years, anti-Zionist trends have been proliferating in Israeli universities, which have gradually displaced, marginalized and excluded the Zionist discourse, preventing Zionists from making their voices heard. ...'

How similar the paranoid extremes sound! The Zionists are controlling discourse in America/Britain/etc. and SUPPRESSING the other voices! The anti-Zionists are controlling discourse in Israel (snort!) and SUPPRESSING the other voices! Similar logic IMO...'


'Regrettably, Israel's difficult circumstances on the international arena stem mainly from activities of Israeli organizations and persons who have spearheaded anti-Israeli propaganda...'

Yes, it's all those dreadful Israeli leftists. Even Israel's INTERNATIONAL problems are their fault. Middle Eastern enemies - the oil lobby - traditional antisemitism in many countries - not to mention foolish Israeli government policies- oh, those might have some influence, but it's MAINLY the fault of those enemies within; The Wrong Kind of Jews.

Ahh, the wonders of the xenophobic-isolationist right ... and the fact that their isolationist attitudes never seem to prevent them from sounding so *similar* across countries and cultures.