Bantustans for the Palestinians

[Tom Joad]

http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/coffeehouse/2007/jun/29/bantustan_for_the_palestinians
Not surprisingly, neocons and other elements in the far right flank of the pro-Israel community are celebrating what they hope is the end of the two-state solution.

My favorite reaction came from Martin Peretz, the Harvard lecturer and former owner of the New Republic (Tom's note: this is the magazine that promoted arming Saddam back during the Iran/Iraq war, when saddam was very powerful, and very brutal), who recounted what he thought was an amusing story about a Jewish boy in his neighborhood who saw a sign with the words "Peace Now" written in Hebrew ("Shalom Achshav"). Shalom, in Hebrew, not only means "peace" but also "hello" and "goodbye."

Let me quote the rest of Peretz's story. "The child read, with only a bit of difficulty, the words, Shalom Achshav. 'Daddy, I know what that means. It means 'Good-bye now'." Peretz concludes: "The child got today’s meaning perfectly: Peace Now, Good-bye now."

Peretz is all laughs because he sees the threat of peace receding. Although his take is sillier than the other commentary I have read on the subject of Gaza, the sentiment is typical.

Brett Stephens, the editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal and former editor of the Jerusalem Post, doesn't aim for cuteness, but rather virulence. He predicts the end of the idea of Palestine. “Palestine as we know it today, will revert to what it was--shadow land between Israel and its neighbors--and Palestinians, as we know them today, will revert to who they were: Arabs. Whether there might have been a better outcome is anyone's guess. But the dream that was Palestine is finally dead."
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Read this for Rosenberg's response to the editorial lambasting the sewage that often emanates from the WSJ editorial pages, that no doubt tomorrow will be filled with praise for bush in his "courageous" decision to pardon fascist Libby, warlord Cheney's co-conspirator.

That the opinions of these rightists of the WSJ are held in such thrall here by a vocal few should be of no surprise.