Zeev Sternhell

Professor Zeev Sternhell, who died last week at the age of 85, one of the world’s foremost authorities on fascism, was an Israeli historian and political scientist. Zeev Sternhell was also a vociferous opponent of Israeli right-wing politics and of the settlement and annexation policies of Israeli governments.

Sternhell did not mince his words and spoke of “growing Israeli fascism and racism akin to Nazism in its early stages.” 

Sternhell warned: “Like every ideology, the Nazi race theory developed over the years. At first it only deprived Jews of their civil and human rights. It’s possible that without World War II the ‘Jewish problem’ would have ended only with the ‘voluntary’ expulsion of Jews from Reich lands. After all, most of Austria and Germany’s Jews made it out in time. It’s possible that this is the future facing Palestinians.”

   

Sternhell’s voice will be sorely missed.  

Heiko Maas – Incompetence

A few days ago, Heiko Maas, Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, travelled to meet his Israeli counterpart Major General Ashkenazi, to inform him of Europe’s discomfort with Israeli plans to annex even more Palestinian land. 

Such words are like water off a duck’s back. Unless, important countries such as Germany read the riot act to Israel, and show willingness to follow their words with action, Israel will totally disregard them.

And it gets worse: Israel wanted Maas’ visit to produce even more mileage and concocted a ploy to humiliate both the Palestinians and Germany. This was achieved by preventing Maas from visiting Ramallah. Maas had planned a trip to meet the Palestinian leadership, before travelling on to Amman to see King Abdullah of Jordan. To prevent this meeting, Israel – which controls the Palestinian territories – informed Maas, that were he take the 20km. trip to Ramallah, and then back to the Tel-Aviv airport he would be quarantined for 14 days on his way back, before being allowed to leave. Shamefully, Maas gave in.  

Israel’s quarantine enforcement seems flexible: it conveniently forgot that according to its own quarantine regulations, Maas should have been quarantined upon arrival in Israel, before meeting with Israeli ministers. Moreover, thousands of Palestinians travel back and forth every day to work in Israel, without needing to quarantine. Quarantine was just a ploy.   

 

Two years ago, in his inaugural speech, Maas explained «I entered politics because of Auschwitz«. Does Auschwitz incapacitate him and renders him incapable of handling Israel/Palestine issues?