Netanyahu

Israel's Netanyahu was facing a very tough election contest, and not being one to lightly let go of power, he played on Israelis' fears and racial distrust: Arabs want to attack and carry out another Holocaust, and only he can block such dark designs. In pursuing that line of campaigning, however, he seemed to discard the long-treasured two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, promising that there would be no Palestinian state under his premiership.

This has stirred up some serious controversy for American diplomacy. We conduct peace talks under the pretense of neutrality, but how can we now support Israel while at the same time promising the Palestinians that we are working to create their state? Naturally, our neutrality was always suspect, as it is hardly a great national secret that we are partners with the Israelis, but Netanyahu has really ripped away our fig leaf. Obama is making his disgruntlement known. In his post-election congratulatory phone-call to the Israeli leader, Obama said, “We will need to re-assess our options following the prime minister’s new positions and comments regarding the two-state solution.” Presumably, we will not turn away from Israel and feed the Jews to the United Nations, but Israel might have to feel our pain. The quagmire in the Middle East seems to only grow deeper and ever more fatal.

[Source: Real Clear Politics]

The Past

"I don't want to live in the past, but it's a nice place to visit."

-- "I'll Be There" (song) by CHIC

I suppose that phrase has some personal pungency for the musicians since this is a band that goes back to the 1970s, putting out a new album after 23 years of quiet obscurity. They must feel as though they have been trapped in the past. (Indeed, they are still unable to let go of disco as a lost cause.) It is a good universal phrase, though, especially for those of us who perhaps spend too much time wallowing in yesterday's failures, and in the past, one is always young. Hell, maybe I would like to live there. My youth may have been pretty bad, but it beats my today, and the future only chills me.

"CHIC feat Nile Rodgers - "I'll Be There" (Official Music Video)" (Watch on YouTube)

A Non-sponsored Post

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