James Hoge, editor of Foreign Affairs magazine, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the week’s top stories: The ongoing war in Gaza, the gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine and the news that China is buying less U.S. debt.
January 9, 2009
Week in review: Gaza, gas disputes and the Chinese economy
Comments
2 comments
#1
Dear The World,
Friday’s program (9 January) contained interviews with Robert Pastor of the Carter Center/ American University, Dr. Nabil Abuznaid, Fatah’s chief in Washington, and Robert Hoge, an editor of “Foreign Affairs”.
All of the coverage slanted against Israel. Pastor and Hoge asserted that the US was not doing enough about Gaza, and the latter urged engagement with Syria and Iran. Dr. Abuznaid did the usual thing of blaming all on Israel, and refusing even to assign much blame to Hamas.
And, at the end of the program, we were subjected to a piece about Tehran, portraying the positive human side, and ignoring Iran’s ugly side. So, nastiness about Israel, and a puff piece for Iran.
I wonder when the World will expose the level of cynicism displayed by Abbas, Egypt, etc., and go beyond punting Arab views and its all Israel’s fault?
Fatah has shown a history of not caring about civilians that is second only to Hamas. When scores of Fatah fighters fled Gaza after Hamas took over Gaza, Israel let them in. Abbas did not allow them into Jericho and deported them back to Gaza. Some of them may well have been amongst the 35 “collaborators” reportedly executed by Hamas during the current fighting.
As for Egypt - it still refuses to open Rafah, and still most of the food and other supplies to Gaza is passing through Israel. Egypt never cared about individual Gazans when it ran Gaza (from 1948 to 1967) and doesn’t care now. It sees Gaza as a useful thorn in Israel’s side to constantly trouble and threaten Israel.
Finally, as regards Robert Hoge’s call for more US engagement on Arab-Israeli peace. He suggested a new approach, legitimizing Iran and Syria, and perhaps even Hamas. Thus all the pressure will be placed on Israel. This ignores the fact that every Israeli concession in recent years has led only to more attacks and more extremism.
It also ignores President Clinton’s experience - from which President Barack Obama should learn. Clinton lavished attention on Arafat, squeezed major concessions out of Israel - and Arafat responded with war. Abbas cultivates an image of moderation, but his positions on every basic issue are the same as Arafat’s.
No amount of involvement by the US, or UN, or EU, or man on the moon, will bring peace when at heart, it is the mere existence of Israel, in any form, that the Arab world sees as a humiliation. How long will it take to see this? How long will it take to tell that peace can come only when the Arab world stops teaching hate, and endless war against Israel?
01/14/2009 :: 10:14:38 PM
pete Says:
I must have the wrong TV stations - all my TV ever says is “Hail Israel, the Chosen, the Innocent, the Democratic…” - and the only question is “how many planes, bombs, machine guns should we send in ‘09?”