Tunisian Dominoes

This is Roger Cohen's column, "Tunisian Dominoes" that appeared in the NY Times on Thursday, Jan 20:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/opinion/21iht-edcohen21.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1295630495-wGH18uRzsXQG79LqFyihyQ

Here's my comment:

To the Editor:

refer to: GLOBALIST
Tunisian Dominoes?
By ROGER COHEN
Published: January 20, 2011



There’s another domino in the region that Roger Cohen doesn’t mention. The Arabs in Palestine continue to suffer under the iron fist of Israel’s illegal and immoral regime of military occupation, colonization and apartheid. It’s quite obvious, with its human and civil rights abuses of Palestinians, Israel is no true democracy.

Israel has enforced its occupation and military rule on Palestine for over 43 years. 17 years after Oslo, and two years after Cast Lead on Gaza, Israel has stiffed the Obama administration’s attempt to restart meaningful peace negotiations. Israel has dropped any pretense of wanting peace or willingness to live within its boundaries. Israel has turned up the volume on settlements in the occupied territories and continues to suffocate Gaza.

Yet what do we do in the face of this unbelievable record of atrocity, belligerence and aggression? We say, here, Israel, take another $3 Billion in aid this year, and while we’re at it could you use some more military stuff, say another $500 Billion in missiles, planes, tanks, etc. to keep the Palestinians suppressed.

Cohen is right: “Arab democracy is threatening to a host of vested interests and glib clichés.” But it’s not just “Arab klepto-gerontocracies” that democracy threatens. Israel is an oppressive, non-democratic regime that is the focal point of Arab and Islamic radicalization.

It’s in America’s vital interest to promote human and civil rights (and democracy) in the middle east and particularly in Palestine. President Obama should not veto the UN’s resolution to recognize Palestine as an actual nation state. Let another functioning democracy begin.


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Michael Rabb
2002 18th St
Boulder CO 80302
michael.rabb1@gmail.com
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