Monday, January 25, 2010

Israel and Islamic Terrorism

A study in symbiosis

by Justin Raimondo, January 25, 2010

"The most recent audio missive from Osama bin Laden, claiming responsibility for the attempted Christmas bombing of Northwest Airlines flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit, rationalizes Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab’s act in the name of the suffering of the people of Gaza: "America will never dream of living in peace unless we live it in Palestine," avers the Muslim Pimpernel. "It is unfair that you enjoy a safe life while our brothers in Gaza suffer greatly. Therefore, with God’s will, our attacks on you will continue as long as you continue to support Israel."

This is even better public relations for the Israelis than the heroic feats of their medical teams in Haiti. This framing of the narrative – it’s the evil bin Laden versus Tel Aviv – serves the interests of both bin Laden, and Israel’s lobby in the US, albeit for quite different reasons. ......

As the US capitulates before each and every Israeli demand, and collaborates with them as they steal more land, commit fresh outrages, and generally lead their American patron around by the nose, bin Laden & Co. profit in terms of credibility and recruits. During the eight years of the Bush administration, there was very little space between the American and Israeli positions, although a crack or two appeared toward the end. With President Obama sitting in the Oval Office, and especially since the Cairo speech – and Obama’s stated intention of making the Israeli-Palestinian standoff a top priority – there was plenty of skepticism, and also plenty of hope.

Today, the skepticism has grown into the blackest pessimism, and all hope has fled, as even the President admits it’s a tougher nut to crack than even he imagined. What he really means, and dares not say, is that Israel’s lobby in the US is far too powerful for even a US President to challenge......"

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