First some of you may have noticed that IsraelBlog.org is now a domain in it’s own right. No more long and wierd URL references. Hopefully there have been no technical glitches in the transition, and the old links should still work as well. But please email me if you discover any problems.
The “road map” is very much in the news. The American’s and Israelis argue that the Palestinians need a new “democratic” leadership, not tainted by corruption. The Palestinians might agree. But Ali Abunimah makes the case that Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) may not be the man.
“The idea of a prime minister originated from Israel, and was quickly adopted by the United States. As with other Israeli- and American-inspired Palestinian “reforms,” this latest move yet again puts the cart before the horse by focusing on the trappings of statehood (i.e the post of prime minister), rather than the development of an independent state. The most important purpose of these manoeuvers is to change the subject and to promote a theory of the ongoing conflict, which elides its fundamental cause — the occupation and colonization of Palestinian land — and instead focuses attention entirely on internal Palestinian politics. These tactics reflect an understanding on the part of the Israeli government that such spurious interpretations of the cause of the ongoing conflict are essential to prevent domestic and international public opinion from seeing the obvious, which that the occupation is the cause of the conflict and its end is the only solution.”