>But there is another set of rights at issue here. Presumably Israelis have
>a right to live in peace behind secure borders. Does anyone have a clue as
>to how that is to be accomplished? Or is the long-term plan for everyone
>now in Israel to move to Greater New York?
No, the plan is to secure the borders at the Jordan River.
Ah, "secure borders" - scratch one of our self-proclaimed "pro-globalization neoliberals" and out pops the old obsession with "borders". What happened to the beneficent free flow of global capital without borders? Palestinian labor doesn't flow too freely these days.
But Mexican labor flows quite freely, if illegally, at present (although - in an irony for 'lesser evilism' - if Bush and the AFL-CIO have their way, they may become somewhat legal, which would be a progressive advance). One trusts that DeLong would have no objection to that, since the Mexicans come in "peace".
But the notion that "another set of rights is at issue here", in which "Israelis have a right to live in peace", presumes that at least a majority of Israelis actually want peace. But the facts - especially the recent facts - say otherwise. Lets put aside for the moment the long, well known history of British/US/Israeli violence and aggression, not "behind" but _across_ borders in the Middle East. The fact is that over 60% of Israeli voters chose war, not peace. The did so not in "retaliation" (to pop a few other US media myths) to the "violence of the Intifada", but in support of a man, Ariel Sharon, who provoked the violence with a deliberate massacre at the Al Aqfa Mosque. Remember that mosque, Mr. Delong? Oh, but Sharon was just "securing the border", no doubt - a "border" that included this mosque, apparently.
The majority of Israeli voters have called for finishing off the Palestinian presence in the West Bank and Gaza. They have a different idea from Mr. Delong as to what constitutes a "secure border", and it is not the 1967 Green Line. Or perhaps Delong agrees with them. It is hard to see how he can't, in practice.
So Delongs' point is, as they say, mooted. Please refer to the usual US media outlets for fresh ideas. Then return here and try again.
And why the reference to "Zionism". It is truly remarkable that some people pretend that such a political tendency does not exist. In the face of concrete evidence that says otherwise, as for example the evidence I posted to this list (and to many other places), concerning a truly vicious series of vandalisms against a politically innocuous Israeli-Palestinian peace mural here in San Francisco, including a potential act of arson. As reported in the SF Bay Guardian 2 issues back.
Who are the people who committed these acts? Just anybody walking along the street? They certainly are a species of terrorist. It is also a safe bet that they are rather militant Zionists.
One thing for sure, judging from their acts, they don't want peace.
Brad Mayer