Israeli Media Reads the Fine Print

In the 48 hours since President Obama's speech in Cairo, Israeli journalists and pundits have had a lot to say. Their comments offer insights into U.S. foreign policy that many American observers might not get at home.

Some were particularly struck by Obama's implicit linkage of Palestinian aspirations and other global struggles for freedom. In the liberal newspaper Ha'aretz, journalist Akiva Eldar wrote:

Obama placed violence against Israel on a par with the settlements and the humiliation of Palestinians in the territories. He spoke in the same breath about the struggle of Palestinians who lost their homes more than 60 years ago and the struggle of African slaves in the U.S. The Israelis could see themselves in the sentence that mentioned the apartheid state of South Africa.

As is a frequent occurrence in U.S. discourse, Obama's words were built around criticism of Palestinian violence. Israeli commentators, however, paid closer attention to what he said than many American pundits did. In Obama's original words:

Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding. This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia; from Eastern Europe to Indonesia.

This tidy framing by Obama skillfully dodged the role of America's bloody Civil War in ending slavery. But setting that aside, the implied link between Palestinians and historically oppressed populations drew a fair amount of official reaction from Israeli media.

The somewhat conservative Jerusalem Post editorialized against Obama's comments:

...we cringed when he associated the Palestinian struggle with the US civil rights movement and with the campaign for majority rule in South Africa -- even if the punch-line of this false analogy was: Terrorism is always unjustifiable.

The full editorial board of Ha'aretz also weighed in, though from a very different perspective:

As such, Obama does not consider some more equal than others. The right of Israel to exist as an independent and sovereign state does not supersede that of the Palestinians. The suffering and humiliation of the Palestinians under occupation are unacceptable, and therefore they must be granted human and political rights; no less unacceptable is the condition of Israeli citizens who live under the threat of rockets.

While much of Israel's media commentary is conducted in Hebrew, key outlets like those above offer English editions that give insight into the thoughts of the Jewish majority. Another such source is Ynetnews, an online English-language news site owned by Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's largest newspaper. Ynetnews reporter Attila Somfalvi analyzed the domestic political implications of Obama's continued call for a two-state solution and an end to settlements:

For Netanyahu, this is a major junction that offers only two directions: A collision course with the world's greatest power, which will lead to Israel's isolation and ostracism in the international arena - or a dramatic policy shift that will exact difficult political prices. In other words: The prime minister must decide whether he's going with Likud's more rightist members, or with Obama.

One of the most interesting reactions focused on a single sentence in Obama's speech. It wasn't the comment itself that was so thought-provoking, but the broader issue it hinted at. Professor Gerald M. Steinberg of Bar-Ilan University responded harshly in the Jerusalem Post Online to Obama's comments regarding Hamas:

The call for Hamas - the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood - to act responsibly to "put an end to violence" and "recognize Israel's right to exist" is extremely far fetched, even for Obama. Hamas belongs in the first part of the speech, which focused on confronting "violent extremism in all of its forms," including al-Qaida and the Taliban.

What Steinberg was referring to was a single carefully-crafted sentence in Obama's speech. Though the words were again structured as a criticism of violence, they contained something even more interesting. Tucked between the commas was a recognition that Hamas must be a part of any successful peace process:

[Emphasis added] To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, and to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, and recognize Israel's right to exist.

Steinberg's comments reflect a fear of this necessary reality -- that Hamas must be included in any successful agreement. In the days ahead, more fears are likely to be expressed. But for Israel and a viable Palestinian state to coexist, Hamas has to be part of the solution.

Comments

[aan3]

The reason why the Palestinians have been stubborn when it comes to recognizing Israel is because Israel wants recognition as a Jewish State and as a "state for the Jewish people" even thought some 20% of Israelis are non Jewish Arabs or Palestinians, Druze, Africans, etc. This would place the non Jewish Israelis at a disadvantage and suggests that Jews will be treated with top priority as that is already the case according to many human rights groups in Israel who studied discrimination and racism in Israeli society. A week ago the Knesset wanted to past a bill making it illegal for the Palestinians inside Israel to remember the Nakba expulsion of Palestinians by Jewish forces during the creation of Israel in May 1948. The Nakba is Israel's Independence Day May 15th. It is true Hamas has said it would recognize Israel but not as a Jewish State or a "state of Jewish people" many Palestinians view the phrase as discriminatory and favoring Jews over Christrians, Muslims, Druze, Bahai, etc and other non Jews who live inside and outside of Israel. Can you blame them?

[S1m0n]

Hamas has repeatedly signaled that recognition of Israel is possible in the context of a comprehensive peace deal. There's nothing far-fetched about it. However, they're not going to recognise Israel in anything BUT a final settlement.

To their cost, Palestinians have discovered that as soon as they recognise Israel and renounce violence--as Arafat did a number of years ago--Israeli interest in negotiating any further plummets. They will not make the same mistake again.

[aofh]

Peace will occur when the Israelis allow it to happen. That means that they will have to acknowledge the suffering and injustice visited upon the Palistinian people from the British mandate in the 1930s through the present. And they will need explain, not justify, why they've done the things they've done. (The European world will have to explain its part, too.) Only then will the proper groundwork for peace be lain.

Though the Israelis have the upperhand now, it's hard not to see parallels to 66 A.D. Their stubbornness will make the rest of us Romans.

[wanttruth]

I want peace and security for everyone involved!

[bigben1986]

Norkas: It is easy to look at the problem in Israeli's eyes. Put yourself the other way. How would you feel when IDF came barging in the middle of the night woke the whole family and told them to leave right away because their home will be dulldoze in the morning. Accuse you of building your house with out a permit in your own land and in your side of the country. This is happening even now. Limit the water suppy while the other Israeli settlements had their swimming pools. Control your every movements. Can't go to your farm for fear of being shot. Is this fair to you? Not all Palistinians are extrements and yet they all suffer collective punishments. I applaud Mr. obama for his balance voew on this matter. It is ABOUT time.

[alexa07]

Thanks for the insightful analysis.

[Wael Nawara - Huffpost Blogger]

This is a great perspective to Look at.

The commentators really read between the lines - between the paragraphs and even cross tab between different issues ...

I loved this piece! It is very educational as of what to expect when you are not expecting this kind of analysis!

[whoa20]

he's lost my vote, if he really thinks Israel is like old time South Africa. he is clearly another Carter in the making.

[tommyj7648]

George Washington on Israel

"A passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification." ~George Washington Farewell Address

"The nation which indulges toward another habitual hatred or habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interests." ~ George Washington

"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none." ~ Thomas Jefferson

[alexa07]

President Carter has the courage to describe the conditions in Palestine as Apartheid. Imagine your community: one specific group only has more than adequate & reliable electrification; water; sewage control, garbage collection & the like as well as access to permits for building, etc. Same group is also protected by soldiers in watchtowers with rifles poised at your neighbors who don't belong to your group. Roads, tunnels with access for your group only whose members may travel long distances fairly rapidly, while the other groups endure long waits at hundreds of checkpoints that may or may not be open. Likewise airports, etc. These situations are similar not only to Aparthied So. Africa, but also to the degrading aspects of our segregated institutions in the USA before the Civil Rights Legislation. Perhaps the most egregious aspect of life in Palestine is the imposition of the ugly barrier walls that divide Palestinian communities from each other; the killing of peaceful protesters of these walls by the IDF & the harrassment by the primary group of all others who live there too, but unequally.

[skialethia]

He sees what we all see. Only difference is we have nothing to lose by stating the plain truth; while he will have to take a political risk to do what needs to be done. First step is recognizing the truth, next is to utter it. Finally he needs to address and face the solution and make it happen.

Pull all funding to Israel. Stop enabling injustice.

[Macready]

totally agree with you skialethia

[TheEmptinessOfTruthiness]

If only the American media were capable of reading fine print. Their collective myopia doesn't explain the incapacity.

[SiberianRat]

You quote Haaretz in the article which is great, but the Jerusalem Post has been full of vitriolic, venomous articles about Obama and the US. Much of Israel is NOT a friend of the US.

[norkas]

The fact that Israel was attacked with 200 rockets before they made a move was stupid and not a smart move to protect their people.

Hamas wanted to destroy Israel just like Egypt and Jordan there was war war and many lives lost befor peace

Iran is one of the big problems with any peace process. The settlements will not be discussed before a real effort is made by the Hamas to reconize Israel right to exist.

In war you take land just like Israel did with Egypt and Jordan and Israel returnd it when there was a reall effirt to make a lasting peace.

This is the time for a real peace and the settlement issue will be resolvd.

Many Israel are racist and that is a FACT. Even between Jews ones of darker color are looked down upon and the ones with lighter skin feel they are superior.

When Obama was running for election Isrealis were telling people all over the world he was a Muslim. I heard it many times in NYC and Bloomberg asked those spreading it to put a stop to it.

This will be the last time for peace in my opinion if Hamas does not allow this to happen and attach Isreal with rockets like they did before this will NEVER be a PLO state nor will there be any land lfor them to live on. They may all end up in Iran

[Hedonist]

Many Israelis may be racist but every single place on earth has many people who are racist.

[Hedonist]

Compared to Israel's neighbors, who have daily "Death to America" rallies, Israel is the only real friend the U.S. has in the region.