Saturday January 5, 2013

I've Been Thinking:

Remember the announcement about building in the area known as E-1?

Remember that announcement that came the day after the UN vote to change Palestinian status. Remember the announcement that caused the world to stand up and condemn Israel. Remember the announcement that resulted in Israeli ambassadors around the world being called in to their host countries in order to explain themselves.

Well, it seems that the announcement was just that - only an announcement. The plans were approved long ago when Yitzhak Rabin was prime minister. The they were put in a drawer. After the UN vote Israel dusted them off to use as rhetoric. These were simply plans to build 3000 housing units in E-1.

The great part about plans on paper that came out of a drawer is that they can be put right back in. And it seems that is what has happened.

In politics and in diplomacy there is a huge difference between announcing something and actually doing it. In this case Israel wanted to tell the world that they were the masters of their own destiny. No matter how much flack they would take, they alone would decide what was in their own best interest.

The most critical Israeli point of the entire announcement was that Israel was declaring that if the Palestinians were taking unilateral steps (by going to the UN) then Israel would, also unilaterally, announce the building of 3000 new housing units in E-1.

In diplomacy rhetoric is seldom what it seems. The louder the message the more likely it is to be misleading.

Read my new book THUGS. It's easy. Just click.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=halpern%2C+micah

To reprint my essays contact sales (at) www.featurewell.com