These are facts; not conspiracy theories. Of course, every person is allowed to believe whatever she or he wishes. But one has responsibility for what one publishes.
Reed Rubinstein published a shocking opinion piece (“Biden threatens to green-light third intifada if Israel opposes future Iran nuclear deal,” May 2). It is shocking to those who believe it and to those who don’t! It simply is not true.
It is shocking, as it was to believe that the end of the first “Great Cycle” of the Maya Long Count calendar, on December 21, 2012, signaled doomsday — an absolute end to the calendar. Mmm…nope. Harold Camping has publicly predicted the end of the world at least 12 times, based his interpretations of biblical numerology. Also, do you remember how the world was going to end on January 1, 2000 (Y2K)? But, proven by your reading this, no end-of-world predictions have ever come true.
Rubinstein’s is fake news that takes off into outlandish claims that run parallel to the separatist equation that states, “anyone Left is anti-Israel and, therefore, automatically anti-Semitic.” This equation is equally believed in Israel and the United States by those I call “Likudnicans©.” This equation is not a political one. It is pure divisive prejudice…and must be called out by all believers in democracy…wherever!
Such extreme equations often lead to violence against anyone stating leftist opinions or ideals. I have twice been physically attacked due to this prejudice. First, after I handed out 500 flowers For Tolerance and Against Racism, two off-duty soldiers threw me on the asphalt and choked my son as if to murder him. I was attacked by young Israeli believers of QAnon. Do those seem like good reasons to attack someone physically? Are there any good reasons for attacking a stranger?
To state that a father whose son who fought in the US Army in Afghanistan, and the current “Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy” (the supreme military commander charged with the responsibility of protecting and defending the United States), would pave the way for any other country to acquire nuclear weapons, is chutzpah!
Reed Rubinstein infers…(no)…states that the Biden government would pressure the Israeli government by green-lighting Iranian or Palestinian terror attacks against innocent Israelis, and that may not be dismissed lightly. It is internationally slanderous.
If someone disagrees with the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) commitment, that’s their prerogative. However, the other signatories (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union) have no desire to see a nuclear Iran. And this is the exact reason they went to such great lengths to reach the agreement that kept Iranian nuclear development at a far lower level than since the previous administration withdrew from it.
No country other than Iran has ever voluntarily agreed to put such extraordinary restrictions on its nuclear activities, and understood that its lack of compliance would revive economic sanctions against it.
To state that Biden has ended strong support for Israel is absolutely outrageous. It is perhaps open to interpretation what it means to support Israel. I believe that our strongest ally must have decent relations with as many of our supposed enemies as possible, to be able to leverage a fair balance and keep a “peaceful” status quo. This is exhibited in American relations with Jordan, and with Egypt, since America came to help keep Egypt afloat.
To support only Israel in our region would be extremely dangerous in both the short and long terms and would lead to a split in the support of the major powers between the states and entities, as existed until the fall of the Soviet Union. The US must attempt to become an impartial broker between Israelis and Palestinians. I also believe that to be actually “pro-Israeli,” one must also be “pro-Palestinian,” because neither we are leaving, nor are they. And if one side loses, both lose. Only if both sides can win, will it bring an end to our conflict.
But lying is the norm of the previous four years. Divisive lies, such as those made by Rubinstein in his opinion in the Post, tear away at the fiber of what has connected Jewish Americans to Israelis for decades. They also split Israelis even more between those who buy into the anti-Left equation and those Israeli patriots who want the Iran agreement.
And, in the end, lies threaten regional stability and world peace.
The writer is a social, peace, environmental, and political activist in Western Galilee who made aliyah from Los Angeles in 1974. A retired technical communicator of 22 years at Microsoft, Elscint, and Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices, he initiated the three-year stand For Tolerance & Against Racism at the Shomrat Junction, and is still active in many struggles and campaigns in Israel and the United States. In 2003, he performed the official post-publication edit of the Geneva Initiative Final Status Agreement.