A Brief History of the Gaza Folly

Michael Balter 6/03/2010 06:53:00 PM Politics
... by Gershom Gorenberg, pictured at right, appears in The American Prospect. Gorenberg has a long history of trying to talk sense to Israelis, notably on the important blog South Jerusalem. In this latest piece, he traces the tragic disaster of Israel's assault on the Gaza flotilla back to its roots, Israeli intransigence and reluctance to accept Palestinian rights and aspirations. Towards the end, he tells the story of Lova Eliav, a former Labor politician who died the day before the assault and who saw early on the folly of Israeli policy.

Were Israel's current leaders able to read the past as Eliav did, to see oneself in one's adversary, they would have seen the implications of the voyage of the Mavi Marmaraand the folly of interdicting it. They might even understand that their consistent effort to avoid a two-state solution is a mistake. Eliav embodied a heroic, humanistic Zionism. The omen of his passing was ignored. It remains for Israelis who believe in his path to demand that the government finally break the chain of folly.


Read the entire piece.
Michael Balter

Posted by Michael Balter

I have been a working journalist for more than 40 years, beginning in Los Angeles as an investigative reporter and then in Paris as a travel, food, and science writer. For more than 20 years I have covered anthropology and archaeology writer for Science, Audubon, Scientific American, SAPIENS, and other publications. I have also covered sexual misconduct for The Verge, Scientific American, and others; I write about mental health, especially schizophrenia; and I engage in occasional media criticism. I returned to the USA in October 2017 after 30 years in Paris, and now live in the New York City area, where I currently teach journalism at City College of New York (I previously taught journalism at Boston University and New York University.) For more about me and what I do, copies of my articles, information about my book, and other goodies, please visit MY WEB SITE

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1 Comments

Anne Gilbert said…
It seems to me that various members of the Israeli government and some "ordinary" Israelis are projecting themselves onto their adversaries. What, under the circumstances, can the Palestinians do? What can anybody do about this? It seems to me the Israelis must look deep inside themselves to find the answer. And fast.
Anne G
June 4, 2010 at 2:39 AM
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