"A Hideous Atrocity": Noam Chomsky on Israel’s Assault on Gaza & U.S. Support for the Occupation

[Algernon Moncrieff]

Democracy Now! "A Hideous Atrocity": Noam Chomsky on Israel’s Assault on Gaza & U.S. Support for the Occupation

Complete transcript and link to today's show at: http://www.democracynow.org/2014/8/7/a_hideous_atrocity_noam_chomsky_on

AMY GOODMAN: Forty years ago this month, Noam Chomsky published Peace in the Middle East?: Reflections on Justice and Nationhood. His 1983 book, The Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel, and the Palestinians, is known as one of the definitive works on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Professor Chomsky joins us from Boston.

Welcome back to Democracy Now!, Noam. Please first just comment, since we haven’t spoken to you throughout the Israeli assault on Gaza. Your comments on what has just taken place?

NOAM CHOMSKY: It’s a hideous atrocity, sadistic, vicious, murderous, totally without any credible pretext. It’s another one of the periodic Israeli exercises in what they delicately call "mowing the lawn." That means shooting fish in the pond, to make sure that the animals stay quiet in the cage that you’ve constructed for them, after which you go to a period of what’s called "ceasefire," which means that Hamas observes the ceasefire, as Israel concedes, while Israel continues to violate it. Then it’s broken by an Israeli escalation, Hamas reaction. Then you have period of "mowing the lawn." This one is, in many ways, more sadistic and vicious even than the earlier ones.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And what of the pretext that Israel used to launch these attacks? Could you talk about that and to what degree you feel it had any validity?

NOAM CHOMSKY: As high Israeli officials concede, Hamas had observed the previous ceasefire for 19 months. The previous episode of "mowing the lawn" was in November 2012. There was a ceasefire. The ceasefire terms were that Hamas would not fire rockets—what they call rockets—and Israel would move to end the blockade and stop attacking what they call militants in Gaza. Hamas lived up to it. Israel concedes that.

Note: I neither endorse nor condemn what Prof. Chomsky is saying. I post it for all to see and discuss.

[Fawke Em]

1. Somebody will be along soon to claim Chomsky is anti-Semitic.

Wait for it.

[countryjake]

2. Yup.

Self-hating, too.

[seveneyes]

3. Well...he is certainly not anti-Hamas

[Fawke Em]

5. Don't know that he's pro-Hamas, either.

I think he is doing just what Pres. Carter said: considering Hamas as a political party rather than a terrorist organization.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidadesnik/2014/08/06/jimmy-carter-calls-for-recognizing-hamas-legitimacy/

[seveneyes]

6. "Hamas as a political party rather than a terrorist organization"

Hamas is certainly a political party, but there is no doubt they are also a terrorist organization.

[rhett o rick]

8. Do you consider the CIA a terrorist organization? nm

[Spider Jerusalem]

11. Sure, like Sinn Fein and the IRA.

And brokering the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland required bringing Sinn Fein to the table. Any peace process in the Israel/Palestine situation will likewise have to bring Hamas to the table.

[totodeinhere]

15. Sinn Fein was accepted at the table only after it renounced violence.

Let Hamas do the same and then we can talk.

[Spider Jerusalem]

18. That would have to be part of any agreement

and it was on its way to happening (see: Hamas/Fatah unity government). Unfortunately that's the last thing Israel wants (hence their cynical exploitation of the recent kidnapping as a pretext for unleashing Operation Protective Edge).

[intaglio]

27. Actually no

Talks occurred before the renouncing of violence. Next do not confuse Sinn Fein with the Provos military wing which only declared a cessation of hostilities and later disarmament.

[sabrina 1]

21. But he's definitely anti-war crimes.

[malaise]

4. in 3...2...1

You Betcha

[countryjake]

9. You didn't type fast enough!

They're like Ping Pong Master Champions. Except, I'll bet that this is one interview that will drop quickly off the front page, as the exposure of solid reasoning like Chomsky's has always been a thorn in the side for both Israel and the USA.

Malaise, I'm sorry if you read my response to you last night as offensive; I surely never meant it that way and I should have just stayed out of that nasty subthread. I feel real bad that I added to that pile-on.

The claims of Anti-Semitism that have been flung at caring, compassionate, intelligent people here, that sort of deflection is just that...diverting the discussion away from pertinent facts, with unfounded smears.

[malaise]

12. Bro we're on a message board and folks have opinions

No worries.
I'm grown up - I can take it

[countryjake]

16. No Bro, here.

I'm just an old woman who also cares deeply about international human rights, been fighting for them for nigh on fifty year. And I love you!

[malaise]

17. LOL

OK sis - love you back - from one old woman to another

[sabrina 1]

22. The false claims of anti-semitism against people who oppose war crimes, are ludicrous

and are not worth even bothering about considering the sources from which they usually come. They are nothing more than a talking point designed to try to silence people.

If anyone is anti-Semitic, it is Netanyahu. It is clear that man is either the stupidest man on the planet IF he actually does care about Israel, or his goal is to destroy it. The world has had enough, all the talking points in the world are not going to silence people regarding these atrocities. Shame on ANYONE who supports them or tries to excuse them.

[malaise]

24. This

The world has had enough, all the talking points in the world are not going to silence people regarding these atrocities. Shame on ANYONE who supports them or tries to excuse them.

[woo me with science]

25. [phone]

I was just about to copy and bold those exact same sentences:

[font size=3]The world has had enough, all the talking points in the world are not going to silence people regarding these atrocities. Shame on ANYONE who supports them or tries to excuse them. [/font size]

[malaise]

26. I wish I could say I am in a state of stunned incredulity

at the defense of these atrocities. Sadly, hate and self interest supersede international law and human rights. War crimes are only war crimes for others.

[countryjake]

28. And they've been committing those same sort of atrocities for decades...

long before Hamas ever even existed. And the USA always ignores and condones and fully supports such actions. Defends them. Today, our MSM is already "moving on" from the devastation of Gaza during the past month.

In a few days, it'll be as tho nothing bad ever happened there. Just like after Operation Cast Lead and every other offensive Israel has launched to "mow the lawn/kill hundreds of Gazans" in Occupied Palestine.


Free Palestine!
Let Gaza Live!

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions
Free Palestine!

[malaise]

29. Precisely

I well remember how they demonized Arafat.

[Garthem]

7. K&R

[DanTex]

10. IBTWarCrimesApologists.

Darn it, I'm too late!

[Uncle Joe]

13. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Algernon Moncrieff.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

20. You are welcome!

I was surprised it hadn't been already posted

[hifiguy]

14. Will ALWAYS K&R

Noam Chomsky. Always.

[woo me with science]

33. +1

[Capt. Obvious]

19. So is he a friend of Hamas or a Hamas lover?

[sabrina 1]

23. I think he's a Putin and Saddam lover also. Aren't we all?

[Comrade Grumpy]

30. I pretty much agree with Chomsky. n/t

[woo me with science]

31. kick

[woo me with science]

32. And rec.

[woo me with science]

34. kick