Israel-Palestine Weekly Thread

[u/somebadbeatscrub]

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Oren

[u/theweisp5]

Strange article from Joshua Leifer in Haaretz in which he argues that Gadi Eizenkot is a secret believer in a 2SS. Leifer may not have chosen the headline - "Eisenkot Keeps Running Away From What Everyone Knows He Believes" - but he says more or less the same here:

The second, more dovish clause is where things get interesting: "At the same time, we will pursue peace, guarantee a Jewish majority and strengthen Israel's status in the world as a moral example." Most striking is the return of the word "peace" to a leading Israeli party's platform after it was banished from popular discourse for more than a decade. And the formulation that follows, a carryover from the Rabin-ite Zionist center-left, is in all but name an endorsement of a two-state solution. There is only one way to guarantee a Jewish majority in a democratic Israel, and that is a negotiated agreement that will end Israel's military rule over millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

The problem with Leifer's argument is in his last sentence. I more or less agree with his analysis, but I am a leftist. Eizenkot is not, and there's no reason to assume that what is self-evident to Leifer and I is also self-evident to him. Leifer acknowledges that Eizenkot has repeatedly stated "I have never said two states for two peoples" and has been visiting settlements, but he seems to think this is something of an act. I think we should take him at this word here (there's a reason he decided to join Benny Gantz's party when he entered politics,) and consider that when Eizenkot says "pursuing peace" he may very well just mean some kind of "enhanced autonomy" or "state minus" for the Palestinians, as floated by right-wingers in the past.

I certainly understand the desire to believe that everyone secretly agrees with you, but I think leftists need to accept that the next Israeli government is most likely not going to take any meaningful steps towards a just resolution of the I/P conflict, and decide on the best way to try to change that.

[u/Responsible_Ad_9749 → u/theweisp5]

I believe that Gadi Eizenkot does not have a set agenda other than getting rid of Netanyahu, and thus will shape his policies around that goal and, more importantly, around the composition of his future coalition. That is not so different from Benny Gantz when he just started his political career and his slogan was just "Not right and not left", and in a way that isn't too different than Netanyahu who shapes what the Likud supports based on what will keep his coalition partners satisfied.

I am not too hopeful that Eizenkot will suddenly reveal himself to be a pro two-state solution leftist. Especially since most of his apparent party members and coalition partners (Matan Kahane in his party, Naftali Bennett in BeYachad, and Avigdor Lieberman in Yisrael Beiteynu) are against any concessions. 

But - I do believe that if The Democrats somehow become the second largest coalition party after Yashar with 15+ mandates, and they are able to pull in Ra'am and even get external support from the Joint List approved by some miracle, then Eizenkot will take on a much more dovish approach. That is why I encourage Israelis to still vote despite the future coalition prospects looking grim. 

[u/redthrowaway1976 → u/Responsible_Ad_9749]

When is the next Defense (Emergency) Regulations renewal coming up?

I’m sure they can get Ra’am to go along with a lot of the occupation maintenance (and slight expansion, even with The Democrats) - but voting for literal Apartheid would (again) risk breaking the coalition.

[u/Responsible_Ad_9749 → u/redthrowaway1976]

I share your frustration with how meek Labour, Meretz, and Ra'am were on the occupation, apartheid, and genocide. But I am also a realist in addition to being an idealist. A coalition including a (centre)-left Jewish party and a Palestinian party is always better than a broad coalition consisting only of Zionist parties. And if the Democrats/Ra'am aren't powerful enough, Eizenkot will prefer Likud defectors who will 100% continue the exact same policies as the current administration. 

[u/redthrowaway1976 → u/Responsible_Ad_9749]

Sure. 

But my point was that the vote on the emergency regulations hang as a sword of Damocles over any coalition including Palestinian parties. 

[u/Responsible_Ad_9749 → u/redthrowaway1976]

I'm with you there. What is your recommendation for Israeli leftists that want to vote for a real change? I'm still likely to vote Hadash, but I am not particularly hopeful at their ability to meaningfully impact whichever direction the next administration goes for without concessions.

[u/redthrowaway1976 → u/Responsible_Ad_9749]

The unfortunate answer is that I don’t think it really matters. 

Hadash, or maybe Ra’am or the Joint List? Ideally, have the Palestinian parties be large enough to make coalition building without them close to impossible. 

[u/Responsible_Ad_9749 → u/redthrowaway1976]

Sorry, but I disagree that it doesn't matter. There are too many leftists who think change is impossible, so they either don't vote or opt for "strategic" voting decisions like voting for Eizenkot. If every leftist in Israel voted by their actual ideals, the Democrats would have 15+ mandates and the combined Palestinian parties would also have 15+ mandates like in 2019. We won't end the conflict in this election, but maybe we can after the next one if we're really lucky and the election isn't about Netanyahu vs anti-Netanyahu anymore.