Analysis By Dr. Lawrence Davidson
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On February 12, 2009 then head of the CIA Leon Panetta
( who is now Secretary of Defense )
endorsed a secret CIA analysis
“predicting the demise of Zionist Israel within 20 years
if general political trends in the region continue.”
[ oh, good. ]
Not too long ago I gave a talk on the Palestinian bid for statehood.
In the audience was a Russian-Israeli expatriate who politely took exception to my criticisms of Israeli policies and behavior.
His main point was that I could not credibly criticize the Israelis
because I had not experienced what they had and did not know what they knew.
Or, to put it in a more homey manner,
I had not walked in their shoes.
“Israelis have been trying to find solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian dilemma for over sixty years,
so what gives you the wisdom to criticize them
and tell them what they should do?”
This is an old and often used objection and,
if taken literally,
would suggest that outside mediation is never possible.
My response to this was quite pointed:
it is exactly because Israelis have been entangled in this dilemma for so long and,
in addition,
have passed off to themselves
as well as others
their hidden expansionist ambitions
as “security” needs,
that most of them are incapable of coming up with a just and equitable solution.
They therefore very much need those with an outside and relatively objective view to critique their actions.
[ … because it sure as hell doesn’t look like they’re able to solve this Conflict on their own ]
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