Israel: Showdown or Shutdown? (Addendum Dec 4, 8 pm)

Is the end of Israel in sight, or just the end of Nazi Zionism?

Israelis dig trenches during the Six Day War (Wikipedia)

(CALGARY, Alberta) - I remember the Arab-Israeli Six Day War of June 1967 as if it were just six days ago. My friends and I rooted for the Israelis as they routed the Arabs, and we all confirmed among ourselves that “nobody f…s with the Jews.” We all read the book (or watched the movie with its stirring theme music) Exodus by Leon Uris.

How the Israelis have since sunk in the eyes of the world—from courageous, heroes—to Nazi-like perpetrators of their own international crimes against humanity. This reminds me of the fad “dance” trend of the 1960s—The Limbo: How low can he go?

At the United Nations General Assembly on November 29, 138 nations voted in favor of upgrading the status of the Palestinians and 41 nations abstained. Eight other countries (count ‘em) voted against the motion: the United States, Canada, the Czech Republic, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Panama and Palau. Israel didn’t even have the courage to abstain.

Nauru, a single island nation (below) has a population of about 12,000.

Palau. About 21,000 people are spread out over 250 islands. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US. The islands gained full sovereignty in 1994 under a Compact of Free Association with the United States.

Palau limestone islands

Politically, the Marshall Islands is a presidential republic under a Compact of Free Association with the United States, with the US providing defense, funding grants, and access to social services. Having few natural resources, the islands' wealth is based on a service economy, as well as some fishing and agriculture, with a large percentage of the islands' gross domestic product coming from United States aid.

Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest.

All these island nations are economically beholden to the United States so their votes with the U.S. are no surprise. If they might have wanted to vote their conscience—for the Palestinians, their votes would have been politically coerced.

Panama is in a similar political situation.

The Czech Republic vote is not so easily explainable but it’s only one developed nation (in a manner of speaking) that came on in support of Israel.

Canada’s conservative Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, was a lapdog to G. W. Bush. I don’t think the relationship with Obama is quite the same, but Harper is a born in the wool Americaphile, no matter who the President is.

A vote for the Palestinian motion was a vote against the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians. If you know anything about history, there is a clear parallel between how the Nazis treated the Jews after the Rise of Hitler in 1933. In those years, no one stood up for the Jews. Now, eight decades later, they have their own country, but again, virtually no one stands up for them, except a few island nations in the South Pacific. The American government is on their “side”, but how long before they lose the American people.

Addendum

Read: "Cheering U.N. Palestine Vote, Synagogue Tests Its Members"

"B’nai Jeshurun of Manhattan issued an enthusiastic endorsement of the decision to grant Palestine nonmember observer status. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/05/nyregion/jewish-congregation-applauds-un-vote-on-palestine.html?

Daniel Johnson is a born and raised Calgarian. He is currently working on a book The Occupy Wall Street User Manual which is scheduled for publication in spring 2013 by Polymath Press In 1990 he published his first (and so far, only) book: Practical History: A guide to Will and Ariel Durant’s “The Story of Civilization” (Polymath Press, Calgary) Newly appointed as the Deputy Executive Editor in August 2011, he has been writing exclusively for Salem-News.com since March 2009 and, as of summer 2012, has published more than 210 stories. View articles written by Daniel Johnson