18 September 2011

To agree with Tom Friedman

Grudgingly at that, with a few words:

O.K., Mr. Netanyahu has a strategy: Do nothing...
Otherwise, the same good old Tom Friedman... and the same good old Bibi...

14 comments:

Noga said...

"But Israel today is giving its friends — and President Obama’s one of them"

To me this reads like a solicited article by Obama's campaign to repair the hole in the Jewish-American ozone layer, the one that no longer believes anything obama declares when he avows his "friendship" to Israel. Friedman is a "good" Jew, the kind that knows exactly what to say in order to please his masters and strike fear into the hearts of fellow-Jews.

He simply doesn't get it. I remember how, when Itzhak Rabin was perceived as a "dovish" peace maker (something that was never true, he was never dovish), fawning american journalists asked him about Netanyahu, his political rival. He gave an astute and decisive answer: Netanyahu IS NOT my enemy. I am not fighting him.  Seems to me Friedman subscribes to the Obama doctrine in which Netanyahy IS the enemy who must be defeated.

Yitzchak Goodman said...

But what could Bibi do? The non-nothing Friedman wants him to do seems to be freezing settlements.

peterthehungarian said...

There is a slight diferrence between them Snoopy. Not that I'm a big fan of Bibi but he has been elected by the Israeli electorate to do nothing while Tom Friedmann wants to lead Israel somehow outside the democratic process...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Oh, no question - T.F. is dead wrong on many things. And definitely Bibi is no enemy...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Fortunately, Yitzchak, I am in no position to advise Bibi, and am I glad of it these days!

However, I have to repeat my initial feeling after the last elections: it seems to me that we have handed our fates over to a natural born loser, for whom nothing can go right. Call me wrong or superstitious, but that's it.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Peter, I have not intended to draw a parallel between the two, it was just a turn of phrase. After all, both are not changing. And not converging, of course ;)

peterthehungarian said...

When I was teenager and watched soccer matches on the neighbour's TV I was very upset to hear the advices of the commentators. If yo are good enough to do it then take a try, if not then shut up Tommy...

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Tommy will never shut up, I'm afraid...

Katie said...

I don't know why Tom is crying.  This is the outcome he has been working for.  He can't have it both ways.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

Oh, he thinks he can.

Noga said...

<span>Martin Kramer: "I've re-read Tom Friedman's postcards from Tahrir. "To feel the pride of a people taking back the keys to their country was a privilege. What we have witnessed is the real decolonization of this country. Anyone in the neighborhood can copy it by dialing 1-800-Tahrir Square. One thing was very obvious: Israel was not part of this story at all." Etc. And now he calls Bibi "strategically incompetent"? The temerity."</span>

http://www.facebook.com/martinkramer.page/posts/163466367071434

Dick Stanley said...

I admire your intestinal fortitude in reading TF. I have to ignore him for my health.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

One thing Thomas wouldn't know how to do is to blush, being reminded of all his stupid utterings.

SnoopyTheGoon said...

I need a boost for my low blood pressure in the morning.