“There’s something rotten in the State of Israel” (Bilad Al-Sham Act 1, Scene 4, Line 99)
The more I think about Bibi Netanyahu and the State of Israel, the more I realize how true Marcellus was when he told Horatio that “there’s something rotten,” but this time, not in Denmark.
In the space of less than seven days, the Israeli Prime Minister has expressed a verbal interest in making peace with both the Palestinians and the Syrians. His statements and his desires for a real and lasting peace just sound too good to be true; they sound too forced and too fake of an effort from an individual who flat-out said “NO” to the establishment of a real Palestinian state and who vowed during his electoral campaign (and other times in the past), never to return the Golan back to Syria. 99.9% of the time, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
What the hell!? Did Netanyahu get visited by the Ghost of Hanukah Past, Hanukah Present and Hanukah Yet to Come? This sudden sense of urgency and interest is what should make all of us think twice. I mean, where was this urgency and this sense of purpose in September when he met with Abbas in Washington? It’s nice to hear, but why now? Netanyahu knows that the Palestinians aren’t ready to talk and with Abbas saying he’s not going to run for President, it’s the perfect moment to extend a hand of “good will” knowing that it’s going to be rejected. As for Syria, Netanyahu says he wants to meet with Al-Assad without preconditions, expressing his real interest to withdraw from the Golan. Without preconditions? Seriously, what happened to the hawkish, right-wing, extremist Netanyahu we all knew and disliked?
Netanyahu can say whatever he wants, but in the end, it’s what he decides to do that really counts. As long as he’s not doing anything to stop settlement building and settlement expansion on occupied land, as long as he maintains his government’s brutal and inhumane siege on the Gaza Strip, as long as his country decides to maintain an illegal occupation of Lebanese territory (namely the Shebaa farms and the surrounding area), nothing is going to change. The international community and the Arabs aren’t stupid to play this serpent’s game, especially when they know what it really is and what it’s utterly capable of.
Whoever believes Netanyahu’s empty words is an idiot. I just hope Abbas and Al-Assad are smart enough to actually see that.
