Thomas Friedman writes in today’s New York Times that Israel needs to stop building settlements. The rest of his column repeats the now-accepted, yet false myth, that Israel withdraw from Gaza and only received rockets in return. In fact, when you blockade a territory after a democratic election, you better expect some fireworks:
For years, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the pro-Israel lobby, rather than urging Israel to halt this corrosive process, used their influence to mindlessly protect Israel from U.S. pressure on this issue and to dissuade American officials and diplomats from speaking out against settlements. Everyone in Washington knows this, and a lot of people — people who care about Israel — are sick of it.
Indeed, Jewish organisations in many countries, including Australia, have provided political cover for ongoing colony building. They have blood on their hands.