Demanding that a Palestinian state be "nonmilitarized" and that Israel's security must be maintained before anything else is, as we all know, a completely anti-Israel position.
Your scare quotes around "nonmilitarized" says it all. You know that it is naive. The president is being willfully naive. If that is not anti-Israel it's close.
As for the cartoon, I want to complain about "your" in red. Is the emphasis necessary? I notice cartoonists using red emphasis words more and more. I just don't understand it. I'm Andy Rooney.
Actually, the quotes around "nonmilitarized" were there because it was a direct quote, and a nonstandard word -- I'd usually expect "demilitarized" in that context.
As you indicate, Israel does have serious concerns with the Obama proposal -- but so do the Palestinians. And any permanent solution to this issue will require both sides to make major concessions -- and, more importantly, to stop perpetrating violence on each other. Whether a permanent solution is possible is a valid question -- but the Obama proposal looks reasonably even-handed to someone not already inextricably allied to one side or the other.
On the red highlighting question, I know Bob Gorrell does it a lot, but I haven't noticed it spreading widely to other cartoonists...but I might not have been looking for it.
Please remember that the purpose of Editorial Explanations is to explain and to expand knowledge, rather than to engage in any partisan bickering. All cartoonists are completely correct, in their own worlds.
Your scare quotes around "nonmilitarized" says it all. You know that it is naive. The president is being willfully naive. If that is not anti-Israel it's close.
ReplyDeleteAs for the cartoon, I want to complain about "your" in red. Is the emphasis necessary? I notice cartoonists using red emphasis words more and more. I just don't understand it. I'm Andy Rooney.
Lovesandhugs
Actually, the quotes around "nonmilitarized" were there because it was a direct quote, and a nonstandard word -- I'd usually expect "demilitarized" in that context.
ReplyDeleteAs you indicate, Israel does have serious concerns with the Obama proposal -- but so do the Palestinians. And any permanent solution to this issue will require both sides to make major concessions -- and, more importantly, to stop perpetrating violence on each other. Whether a permanent solution is possible is a valid question -- but the Obama proposal looks reasonably even-handed to someone not already inextricably allied to one side or the other.
On the red highlighting question, I know Bob Gorrell does it a lot, but I haven't noticed it spreading widely to other cartoonists...but I might not have been looking for it.