The Nature of Things

In the Palestinian people's long struggle to have their rights to a state of their own recognized, they finally achieved a tiny victory this week. The United Nations' education, science and culture organization known as UNESCO decided to accept Palestine as a full member even though the geographical boundaries of such a state do not exist.  This means that Palestine, rather than its occupying power Israel, will have the right to nominate World Heritage Sites in its own territory, such as the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and this helps to achieve at least a few of Palestine's long-denied rights as a state. It is likely that other United Nations organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will follow suit.  Inch by painful inch, Palestine may finally be crawling toward a kind of recognition and legitimacy as a world state. And what has been the response to all of this in this country?  Our governm...

Frankly, I am sick of Israel dictating the Middle Eastern policy of the United States. The leaders of Israel, most egregiously Benjamin Netanyahu, show a fine contempt for the government of this country. They seek to control the government through their influence with Republican legislators and the powerful lobbyists at AIPAC. In fact, in his meeting with President Obama this week, Netanyahu did not even seem to attempt to contain his disdain for the man. He is looking forward to being able to address the U.S. Congress next week where he will, no doubt, rally the Republicans, his natural allies, and appeal to rich donors and fund-raisers to put their money on the line to oppose Obama's efforts at a more even-handed policy toward the various countries of the Middle East. President Obama's speech on the Middle East earlier this week showed a good bit of political courage in facing down the Israeli lobby by telling them the truth which they did not want to hear. Israel is an ...