thoughts upon reaching two years

I have been writing this blog for two years now. What do I see after carefully following events in Israel for all this time? The future is clear - there will be one state for all of the people of the region. It won't happen tomorrow or in ten years but it will arrive. The reason is that Jews worldwide will, out of disgust, repudiate Israel, coming to see it as a blot on the history of Judaism, while over the same period, Palestinians will continue to exhibit the fact that they are not inferior beings but fully equal to the Israelis in their humanity. This change in world Jewish opinion will continue to build from each new generation. The old will not change. The world, already fed up with Israeli behavior, will not turn away from the pressure it places on the Jewish State to become a real democracy.

 With regard to the United States, there are two possibilities. I foresee President Obama re-elected and, in his second term, becoming less compliant to the wishes of the right in Israel and the Israel lobby in the U.S. With nothing to lose politically, he can work for liberty and justice for all. If he is not re-elected, the cast of bad characters from the G. W. Bush years will return in force under Romney and the situation in Israel will become more outrageous, resulting in further revulsion that will have an impact on U.S. politics. In either case, Israel's position will sink in the eyes of Americans.

There will not be a U.S. war with Iran and, illustrative of the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, so also will there not be an Israeli attack on Iran. The insane idea of war on Iran will pass as does a fever, with the acknowledgement that Prime Minister Netanyahu went over the line in direct appeals in the United States presidential election. This is not to say that war did not come very close, but, fortunately, the United States did not take the bait.

The arrogance of Israeli settlers and the violent treatment of Palestinians will continue for some time. Rightists in the U.S. will continue to move to the settlements to indulge in the mistreatment. Wealthy American Zionists will continue their effort to indoctrinate American Jewish youth with the Birthright program. Palestinian voices in the United States wlll find more receptive audiences even in synagogues as the mythology of the foundation of Israel erodes under the spotlight of historical truth.

The successful eviction of Native-Americans by the United States will not be repeated in the occupied territories. Jewish ultra-orthodox in Israel will put forth more irrational demands and be seen as the same as extremists of any religion - to be resisted politically so that religious views are rendered impotent in government.

The force of logic, the powerful evidence of science will wean rational people away from religious fundamentalism. In sum, Zionism will play out as the tragedy it was bound to be as it has followed the course laid out by its founders. That's no cause for regret. I'm optimistic. But an Israel for all won't happen tomorrow. There's still work to do and news to be spread.