New 'Paradigm': You've Got to Be Kidding!

Submitted by Joe (United States), Aug 17, 2010 at 18:57

Pipes states:

Israel's standing has deteriorated for decades, he argues, "not because of this or that set of facts, but because the paradigm through which educated Westerners are looking at Israel has shifted."

In other words, Israel itself, its government, its people, its policies----Have no bearing on the decline in Israel's global 'likability factor'. You've got to be kidding. This is the new thought leadership that is going to help Israel deal with isolation and deal with the 12th Imam crackpots in Iran and Hezbollah? Incredible. This Hazony argument sets back the Israeli cause by decades because it institutionalizes the worst thinking in Israeli isolationism and encourages western Jews and non-Jews to define their relationship to their own government based on that governments view of Israeli policy. The short word for this is 'treason'.

Why? Because this line of argument entombs the Israeli people forever in a cocoon of permanent irresponsibility, i.e. that 'people in the west just don't get us Jews'....'an anti-Jewish leftist paradigm has enveloped the west and they don't get us anymore." Boo hoo hoo. Nonsense. Permanent victimhood mentality. More refusal to own one's own behavior in the world. Content without context.

Here's what I mean by 'content without context'. Like Obama saying he supports a mosque at Ground Zero because he supports religious freedom in general. Sure, Americans support religious freedom in general, but there is nothing "in general" about Ground Zero. It's a mass grave. Same with Israel. Americans support Israel in general but not every action of the government of Israel. And unless we do support every action, Hazony (and Pipes) believe we're well on the way to being just another whiney Kant. In other words, 'My country right or wrong' is better than 'global village with no nation state'. Bad corner to paint yourself into

Not once have I ever thought Daniel Pipes was a mouthpiece for ham-handed Zionism....Until now. His advocacy for Hazony's new paradigm theory is misplaced and disappointing. Especially at a time when Israel may be forced to unilaterally defend itself against Iran.

Prediction: If "Pro-Israeli" commentators keep attacking the west as the problem and refuse to look at the behaviors of Israel on the world stage as one legitimate ingredient in the overall equation, Israel will continue to grow more isolated.

Here's an alternative. I seriously suggest that Israel apply to become the 51st state before it's too late. As absurdly far-fetched as that policy sounds, it would make the country more secure than defeating the 'new paradigm'. If Israeli policy organizes itself around new paradigm theory, I fear the west's reaction will be more Pontius Pilate (wash our hands of the problem) than Eisenhower (liberate Europe).

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