An Associated Press story about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at Bar Ilan University was heavily biased, factually challenged and showed strong evidence of a double standard. This Comment and Analysis touches on some of the lowlights of the article.
The text of the article may be found on the Connecticut Post web site.
The text of Netanyahu's speech is available on Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site.
(Comments are quotes from the article; analyses are PRIMER's.)
Comment:
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's grudging endorsement of Palestinian independence -- couched in layers of stifling conditions -- does not necessarily signal the hawk-to-moderate transformation that hard-line Israeli leaders before him have undergone.
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's grudging endorsement of Palestinian independence -- couched in layers of stifling conditions -- does not necessarily signal the hawk-to-moderate transformation that hard-line Israeli leaders before him have undergone.
Analysis:
This article was published as if it was a news story, but the very first sentence reveals it as a heavily biased opinion piece.
This article was published as if it was a news story, but the very first sentence reveals it as a heavily biased opinion piece.
Gutkin refers to so-called "stifling" conditions, but neglects to point out they are in line with American expectations and far from stifling. He also neglects to make any references to the intransigence of the Palestinian Arab leadership and the absurdity of their demands.
The writer also implicitly labels Netanyahu as a hard-line hawk, but nowhere labels the Arab leaders.
This is a clear double standard.
Comment:
Netanyahu's major policy speech was as notable for what it did not say, as for what it did: No acceptance of previous peace strategies. No reference to any Muslim connection to the land. No talk of uprooting Jewish settlements to make room for a would-be Palestinian state.
Netanyahu's major policy speech was as notable for what it did not say, as for what it did: No acceptance of previous peace strategies. No reference to any Muslim connection to the land. No talk of uprooting Jewish settlements to make room for a would-be Palestinian state.
Analysis:
Given that all previous peace strategies have been dismal failures, that should be considered a positive aspect, but the writer clearly implies it is a negative.
Given that all previous peace strategies have been dismal failures, that should be considered a positive aspect, but the writer clearly implies it is a negative.
It's ironic that the writer implicitly criticizes the lack of any reference to the extremely weak Muslim connection to Eretz Yisrael when the core of the conflict is that the Arabs, including the Palestinian Arabs, not only refuse to acknowledge the connection of the Jewish people to their historic homeland but aggressively deny that connection.
The writer exhibits a blatant double standard in effectively criticizing Israel for not promoting the Arab cause; few ever criticize the Arabs for not being Zionists.
Comment:
And he pointedly avoided mentioning an Arab peace initiative that offers to trade normalized ties with the entire Arab world for a complete Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in 1967, a demand Israel rejects.
And he pointedly avoided mentioning an Arab peace initiative that offers to trade normalized ties with the entire Arab world for a complete Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in 1967, a demand Israel rejects.
Analysis:
The writer omits any reference to other stifling conditions in the so-called "Arab peace initiative," which was presented as an ultimatum, such as the redivision of the Israeli capital, the acceptance by Israel of the immigration of millions of hostile Palestinian Arabs and the creation of hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees by forcing them out of their homes in the disputed territories.
The writer omits any reference to other stifling conditions in the so-called "Arab peace initiative," which was presented as an ultimatum, such as the redivision of the Israeli capital, the acceptance by Israel of the immigration of millions of hostile Palestinian Arabs and the creation of hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees by forcing them out of their homes in the disputed territories.
A complete withdrawal from the disputed territories would also be a violation of United Nations Resolution 242, which calls for the negotiation of secure borders, and of the 1949 Armistice Agreements, which specified the armistice lines were not to be used to determine permanent borders.
Comment:
Palestinians called Netanyahu's speech a nonstarter that will not serve as a basis for talks, and Arab leaders rejected it as disappointing and not conducive to peace.
Palestinians called Netanyahu's speech a nonstarter that will not serve as a basis for talks, and Arab leaders rejected it as disappointing and not conducive to peace.
Analysis:
Arab leaders have never responded positively to any Israeli concession.
Arab leaders have never responded positively to any Israeli concession.
Comment:
Netanyahu's demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people -- essentially giving up any right of return for Palestinian refugees -- "scuttles the chances for peace," Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Monday.
Netanyahu's demand that Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people -- essentially giving up any right of return for Palestinian refugees -- "scuttles the chances for peace," Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Monday.
Analysis:
That says more about Mubarak, who continues to refuse to visit Israel, doing so only to attend the funeral of Yitzhak Rabin, than about Netanyahu.
That says more about Mubarak, who continues to refuse to visit Israel, doing so only to attend the funeral of Yitzhak Rabin, than about Netanyahu.
Comment:
"The call to amend the Arab initiative and drop the right of return will not find anyone in Egypt or elsewhere to agree to it," the state-run MENA news agency quoted Mubarak as saying.
"The call to amend the Arab initiative and drop the right of return will not find anyone in Egypt or elsewhere to agree to it," the state-run MENA news agency quoted Mubarak as saying.
Analysis:
This is confirmation that the Arabs view their so-called "peace initiative" as an ultimatum rather than a peace proposal, which by its very nature would be subject to negotiation.
This is confirmation that the Arabs view their so-called "peace initiative" as an ultimatum rather than a peace proposal, which by its very nature would be subject to negotiation.
Any so-called "right of return" for Palestinian Arabs to immigrate to Israel, a country where the overwhelming majority have never lived, is in fundamental conflict with the very concept of the establishment of a separate Palestinian Arab state. Nowhere does the writer even hint at the absurdity of Mubarak's words.
Comment:
It's also unclear if Netanyahu uttered the words "Palestinian state" because he really believes in one, or because he is trying to get out of a tight spot with President Barack Obama.
It's also unclear if Netanyahu uttered the words "Palestinian state" because he really believes in one, or because he is trying to get out of a tight spot with President Barack Obama.
Analysis:
Who cares? Does anyone criticize Mahmoud Abbas for not being a Zionist?
Who cares? Does anyone criticize Mahmoud Abbas for not being a Zionist?
Comment:
The European Union also called Netanyahu's endorsement a step in the right direction, but questioned his stance on other disputed peace issues such as Jewish settlements and Jerusalem's future status.
The European Union also called Netanyahu's endorsement a step in the right direction, but questioned his stance on other disputed peace issues such as Jewish settlements and Jerusalem's future status.
Analysis:
One might question the EU's lack of questioning of the Arab demands for the creation of hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees by forcing them out of their homes in Judea and Samaria as well as their demand that Israel divide its own capital.
One might question the EU's lack of questioning of the Arab demands for the creation of hundreds of thousands of Jewish refugees by forcing them out of their homes in Judea and Samaria as well as their demand that Israel divide its own capital.
Comment:
He demanded that Palestinians not only recognize Israel's right to exist, but to exist as a Jewish state -- another way of saying Palestinian refugees must give up their hopes of returning to lost homes inside Israel.
He demanded that Palestinians not only recognize Israel's right to exist, but to exist as a Jewish state -- another way of saying Palestinian refugees must give up their hopes of returning to lost homes inside Israel.
Analysis:
Most of those "Palestinian refugees" are not refugees, but descendants of refugees, never lived inside Israel and have no lost homes inside Israel. The youngest of those refugees are now 61 years old.
Most of those "Palestinian refugees" are not refugees, but descendants of refugees, never lived inside Israel and have no lost homes inside Israel. The youngest of those refugees are now 61 years old.
Comment:
In truth, some of Netanyahu's conditions were not surprising or new.
In truth, some of Netanyahu's conditions were not surprising or new.
Analysis:
This is an understatement. None of Netanyahu's conditions were either surprising or new and all fall within a consensus within not only Israel but the United States.
This is an understatement. None of Netanyahu's conditions were either surprising or new and all fall within a consensus within not only Israel but the United States.
Past peace talks did not envision a Palestinian state with offensive military capabilities. And a number of Palestinian leaders have privately acknowledged that millions of refugees and their descendants are unlikely to return to Israel in a final peace deal.
Analysis:
The fact that they recognize that reality but continue to refuse to publicly concede the obvious shows just how far the Palestinian Arabs are from being ready to live in peace with Israel.
The fact that they recognize that reality but continue to refuse to publicly concede the obvious shows just how far the Palestinian Arabs are from being ready to live in peace with Israel.
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