“You Iranian”!

I wish I didn’t have to say more about the Middle East. But anyway ….

Years ago I saw a minor traffic accident in Manhattan. One driver jumped out of his car yelling “You Iranian.” He had no idea where the other driver was from, but Iran was the villain of the day.

Today you hear people claiming that Iran was responsible for Hamas’ attack on Israel. Everyone needs a boogeyman. But Hamas didn’t need anyone to authorize their brutal behavior. From Hamas’ point of view, the worst thing that could happen was peace between Israel and other Arab states that would make a Palestinian homeland almost impossible. So Hamas had every reason to disrupt it. The Abraham Accords involved rapprochement without taking account of the Palestinians’ plight. War and assassination had been used before to disrupt rapprochement between Israel and the Arab states. So Hamas was motivated to act. Given its guerilla tactics, it needed little from Iran, and certainly no puppet master pulling strings.

The war in Gaza and Israel is about Palestine, not Iran. Hamas’ attack was unconscionable, un-Islamic, terrorism. Condemnations of Hamas are obviously useless – they used their cruelty to show off and scare. So we talk about Israel because there is an argument there about what to do and its politics can reflect it.

As a matter of cause and effect, Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians had helped create conditions in which Hamas’ terrorism could affect the Middle East. The idea that our friends, or ourselves, can make no mistake is just blind idiocy.

It’s still unclear how Iran will take advantage of the war but it’s important to understand that Iran feels surrounded by Turkey and the Arab states. Hamas is based in Sunni Islam. Iran created and supports Shia Hezbollah in Lebanon. But beyond the religious split, Iran and the Arabs are generally hostile to and look down upon each other. Iran feels isolated and uses the Palestinian issue to give it entry to its surrounding Middle Eastern neighbors. As often said, they need to be more Palestinian than the Palestinians to keep doors open to its neighbors.

Demagogues convinced many Americans that no good can come out of dealing with Iran. But the nuclear deal with the US and other European countries was very popular among the Persian people. It offered an opening to world trade that could have made their lives much better, plus admiration and affection for the US lingers despite major conflict between us. The mullahs didn’t like the deal but they understood that the people did, which put a lot of pressure on them to keep a workable relationship with this country.

Until an ignorant dilettante in the White House canceled it. Surrounded by unfriendly Arab states and with US trade cut off, Iran went looking for powerful friends and settled on Russia – not because they liked Russia – Russia was a historic threat to them – but because the enemy of my enemy is my friend. That’s clearly a problem for us and for Israel. But no, Humpty Dumpty is not going back together again for a long time.

What has been unraveling the Middle East has been the unwillingness of segments of Israeli and Palestinian politics to follow the ethical injunctions of their own faiths.

For too many of us, the solution seems to be to keep the history of other countries out of the schools and prevent Americans from gaining a realistic understanding of the world. But ignorance doesn’t solve problems.

— If you think I’m on target, please pass it on. For the podcast, please click here. This commentary was scheduled for broadcast on WAMC Northeast Report, on Oct. 31, 2023.

Making sense of the Middle East

It is very difficult to be critical of ALL sides in the Israeli-Hamas-Palestinian conflict without taking the position that all right and justice belong to one party or population and none to the other. That kind of rhetoric strikes me as disgusting. Here is an article that tries to take apart some of the arguments critically. I recommend it. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/decolonization-narrative-dangerous-and-false/675799/?utm_campaign=atlantic-daily-newsletter&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20231027&lctg=64fcf83cbce2a32f9f0babe5&utm_term=The%20Atlantic%20Daily I suspect that partisans of neither side will be happy, but morality and justice are not so simple, not in Islam, Judaism or Christianity.

You Iranian

I keep wishing I wouldn’t have to write more about the Middle East. But anyway ….

Years ago I observed a minor traffic accident in Manhattan. One of the drivers jumped out of his car yelling “You Iranian” at the other. Of course he had no idea where the other driver was from but Iran was the villain of the day.

So today you hear people claiming that Iran was responsible for Hamas’ attack on Israel.

Everyone needs a boogeyman. But Hamas did not need Iran or anyone else to turn them on. From their point of view the worst thing that could happen was peace between Israel and other Arab states. Peace between Israel and the Arab states would make their project of a Palestinian homeland almost impossible. Hamas had every reason to disrupt any such rapprochement. The Abraham Accords threatened just such a rapprochement and took no account of the plight of the Palestinians. War and assassination had been used before to disrupt rapprochement between Israel and the Arab states. Hamas had plenty of motivation to act. And given its guerilla tactics, it didn’t need much from Iran, and certainly no puppet master pulling strings.

The war in Gaza and Israel is about Palestine, not Iran. And yes, Hamas’ response was unconscionable, un-Islamic, terrorism, but as a matter of cause and effect, it is also true that Israeli mistreatment of the Palestinians created the conditions in which this could happen. The idea that our friends, or ourselves, can do no wrong, is just blind idiocy.

Back to Iran, there’s something else Americans and their leaders don’t understand. Iran feels surrounded by Turkey and the Arab states. Hamas is based in Sunni Islam. Iran created Shia Hezbollah in Lebanon and has been supporting it. But beyond the religious split, Iran and the Arabs are generally quite hostile to and look down upon each other. Iran feels isolated and uses the Palestinian issue to give it entry to the surrounding nations of the Middle East. As has been said, they need to be more Palestinian than the Palestinians to keep the doors open to its neighbors.

Demagogues have sold America the idea that nothing good can come out of dealing with Iran. But the nuclear deal with the US and other European countries was very popular among the Persian people. It offered an opening to world trade that could have made their lives much better plus there was a reservoir of admiration and affection for the US that lingered despite major conflict between us. The mullahs didn’t like the deal but they understood that the people did and that put a lot of pressure on them to keep a workable relationship with this country.

Until an ignorant dilettante in the White House canceled it. Surrounded by unfriendly Arab states and with US trade cut off, Iran went looking for powerful friends and settled on Russia – not because they liked Russia – Russia was a historic threat to them – but because the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And no, Humpty Dumpty is not going back together again for a long time.

But what has been unraveling the Middle East has been the unwillingness of a segment of Israeli and Palestinian politics to follow the ethical inunctions of their own faiths.

And for too many of us, the solution seems to be to keep the history of other countries out of the schools and prevent Americans from gaining a realistic understanding of the world. But ignorance will not solve problems.

— If you think I’m on target, please pass it on. For the podcast, please click here. This commentary was scheduled for broadcast on WAMC Northeast Report, on Oct. 31, 2023.

Machiavelli and War in the Middle East

Machiavelli wrote that a prince had to do hateful things first and quickly so people would forget and get used to a better world. Dribbling out harsh decisions makes people hate princes.

In Machiavellian terms, Hamas made a canny move – horrible deeds over a couple of days triggered Israel’s lengthy response. In Machiavellian terms, Israel could have reacted quickly and overwhelmingly so everyone might eventually forget. But with Hamas embedded in the civilian population, Israel can’t react without getting everyone mad.

Hamas put Israel in a box. The good answer would have been choosing leaders long ago who’d have steadfastly worked to integrate the Palestinian population. Many Palestinians had voluntarily remained as Israeli citizens, represented in the Israeli legislature and elections.

But decisions have consequences. A warmhearted life together now looks unattainable. Neither side is willing to share the ancient land. So the Middle East won’t settle down. The consequences for America are serious despite Obama’s and Biden’s hopes to settle the conflict to ease a pivot toward dealing with China.

Giving allies carte blanche has consequences. America kept objecting to Israeli resettlement on Palestinian land but did nothing about it, implicating America, making our ideals of liberty and justice for all seem like a cynical joke, and sacrificing the worldwide power of American idealism.

Universal human rights are central from both Israeli and Palestinian perspectives. Both are right and both have violated the other’s. Too many ultra-nationalists in both Israel and Palestine are too angry, too committed to their own claims, to respect each other’s.

But the importance of respect for each other’s rights is constantly reinforced around the globe.

I asked a law student who’d immigrated from the Soviet Union why ethnic infighting had torn it apart in view of the universal principles the Soviets proclaimed. We talked about it over a tape recorder at a restaurant near the Law School. She explained that the Kremlin used divide and conquer tactics to hold onto power. Eastern Europe, the Baltic states, Belarus, Georgia and Ukraine have now split off and Russia’s effort to get Ukraine back is bleeding both.

Much of Africa is caught in religious, ethnic and tribal warfare. They can’t protect their health or their infrastructure if their politics prioritizes killing each other.

The great Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and the Congress Party they led, tried to overcome ethnic and religious tensions in India, but Prime Minister Modi follows politicians who used violence to hold onto power.[1] India was on the verge of great breakthroughs in science and technology with enormous potential for Indian welfare, but now people question whether India has a future.

China has been silencing, kidnapping, sterilizing and enslaving Uighurs, the name for a large community of Chinese Muslims going back to the Middle Ages. It spends heavily going after Taiwan, the South China Sea and many of its East Asian neighbors. Vietnamese hostility toward the Chinese was one reason that our fighting Vietnam was so foolish. But the Chinese waste huge human and capital resources over religious and ethnic conflict.

Much of Latin America has been fighting wars over control of the poor instead of working together at regional development. Unfortunately, the US contributed to that fighting, to our everlasting shame.

Religious and ethnic wars are a dead loss to national health and prosperity. The so-called white nationalists are doing their best to get the US to jump into the same cesspool. They are, in effect, trying to destroy America.

When will we ever learn?

— If you think I’m on target, please pass it on. For the podcast, please click here. This commentary was scheduled for broadcast on WAMC Northeast Report, on October 24, 2023.

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[1] On the use of violence in Indian politics, see Ashutosh Varshney, Ethnic conflict and civic life : Hindus and Muslims in India (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002).

THE STRUGGLE OVER PALESTINE

By its deliberate brutality toward noncombatants – men, women, children, even infants – Hamas made clear that it’s not a worthy avenger of legitimate Muslim or Palestinian grievances, but are immoral by Muslim as well as Christian and Jewish teachings and principles. But condemning Hamas won’t stop such massacres, mayhem and murder. How do we stop this and make a better, more peaceful world?

Israel has been divided between people who want to be thought of as ultra-religious and want to reclaim for Jews the land they call Judea and Samaria, what most of us call the West Bank, west of the Jordan river, and those who either want to preserve that land for a two-state solution or otherwise provide fairness and justice for the Palestinians, people who were born and raised in that area.

That argument led to Netanyahu’s effort to hobble the Israeli Supreme Court which had found it illegal to take Palestinian land for resettlement. The official American position opposed forcible taking of Palestinian land to make it available for Jewish settlements.

Gaza has been virtually walled off as a Palestinian area, segregation that clearly didn’t prevent Hamas from atrocities or war. Would integration have been more effective? From our own experience and past events in Israel, integration of the Palestinians might have meant that the violence wouldn’t have come from the Palestinians but from the Israelis opposing integration. That’s a lesson of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination in 1995 over signing the Oslo Accords. That’s also a lesson of white nationalism in the U.S. whose violence comes from opposing integration or sharing our country with dark-skinned people.

I could argue about which solution is more likely to produce peace, in the short or long run, but I want to make a different point. American Jews cannot be neutral about that argument. Our existence in America and much of the world depends on universal human rights and religious freedom. The principles embodied in the Declaration of Independence – that all human beings “are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness …” – are fundamental for us. America and what it stands for are fundamental for us. They aren’t options. We’re not just Americans by choice – we’re Americans to the core of our bones. For us, it was a great achievement when the late great First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, led the UN Commission on Human Rights to develop, and the UN to approve, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We are bound by principle, by our own survival, and by the command of the Torah, what Christians call Old Testiment scripture, to pursue “liberty and justice for all” – for Jews, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, old stock Dutch, British and Spanish-Americans, of all genders and orientations.

The lesson of the Holocaust must be universal or it protects no one, not Jews or anyone else. In the Bible, God asks Jews to promote worship of the Almighty. Now, Jews must advance the cause of mutual concern and respect, of the values written into the Declaration, no matter how imperfect the people who wrote it, and of America as their advocate and leader. We have no other choice.

That said, we can only hope that cooler heads will use this war to craft a lasting peace the way French and German statesmen began to create the architecture of a peaceful Europe after World War II.

— If you think I’m on target, please pass it on. For the podcast, please click here. This commentary was scheduled for broadcast on WAMC Northeast Report, on October 17, 2023.

The Great Threats To and From the Climate

I’d like to talk about some aspects of global warming that I think have not been talked about enough.

Tipping points are a major part of the problem.

A global warming tipping point means a change that greatly magnifies it. Or, to put it another way, the change becomes self-perpetuating and self-reinforcing. We know that greenhouse gases make the earth warmer. But when the warming earth melts glaciers, instead of the ice which reflected heat out and away from the earth, the newly exposed water absorbs the heat and makes the oceans and the earth still warmer – in other words that change speeds up global warming – a double whammy – the change from ice to water does less good and more harm.

Here’s another example. Healthy forests like the Amazon rainforest, absorb carbon and use the sun’s warmth for growth of the trees. When increasing warmth leads to more and bigger forest fires, instead of absorbing and using the sun’s heat productively, they release carbon into the atmosphere to cause still more global warming – another double whammy – the change from forest to fire does less good and more harm.

Thawing of tundra and its underlying permafrost release stored greenhouse gases, thus threatening an increase in global warming – still another double whammy – the change from frozen permafrost to release of greenhouse gases does less good and more harm.

There are many tipping points out there, particularly forests, glaciers and ice sheets, all vulnerable to global warming, whose demise will just make it worse. Because these tipping points magnify global warming, make it self-perpetuating and self-reinforcing, they require strong, prompt action.

But it’s not just tipping points that should give us serious concern. We are aware of the discomfort from the heat and the destruction from the storms. They can both be deadly. But let me add another – global warming and fossil fuels are attacking our oceans and marine food supplies.

Ocean acidification has been described as “global warming’s ‘evil twin.’” And I know from talking with scientists at RPI that they are very concerned. Oceans are “home to 80% of the Earth’s organisms.” But the increasing carbon in the atmosphere acidifies the oceans. That acidification creates a major threat to the worldwide food supply from the many creatures that can’t survive in more acidic waters.

The warming of the globe threatens the oceans, the global food supply and many coastal areas through their impact on coral reefs. Coral reefs are vital to fisheries as well as protecting land from storm waves. But they are being damaged by the warming oceans.

The Gulf Stream is likely to be another victim of global warming because the temperature difference between upper and lower levels of the water drives the Gulf Stream much as temperature differences at different latitudes drives the jet stream. It’s the Gulf Stream that warms northern Europe and the Eastern US. If global warming undermines the Gulf Stream, it could have calamitous effects on the habitability of Europe and North America.

And let’s be clear – all these harms harm all of us, because they upend our lives, turn huge numbers of us into refugees and migrants, sabotage our businesses, products and supplies and ruin our economy, our ability to work, buy, transport and supply each other. Helping each other helps ourselves.

And these are not problems which can be solved after they happen, because once they happen, they will resist change – they will overwhelm any contrary efforts or changes. We have to act first. I suggest letting our representative in Congress know this is a crucial issue for each of us.

— If you think I’m on target, please pass it on. For the podcast, please click here. This commentary was scheduled for broadcast on WAMC Northeast Report, on October 10. 2023.

Immigration and the Challenge of Fascism

The surest path to making America Great Again, the world’s unchallenged number 1, with its strongest economy, would be to support immigration. Immigrants fill jobs going begging now – both skilled and unskilled. They start new businesses, adding to shopping, dining, and entertainment diversity that pull people in to settle, stay and spend. As employees, employers, and business entrepreneurs they enrich our economy – for us all. Diversity adds to business growth in technical as well as service areas. A stronger economy with more technical prowess strengthens our national defense. Our population growth before World Wars I and II made us the powerful force we proved to be. A similar policy would make us much stronger with respect to India and China.

Immigration would be especially good for those who cry loudest about stopping it. Many protestors aren’t hurting economically – they just take pride in their skin color and ethnic origin rather than actual earthly accomplishments. And they don’t want to have to share.

Those who are hurting economically can and should be protected by tax and economic measures against any harm from immigration but I think the evidence is that they too would mostly benefit from immigration. Jobs are plentiful in thriving areas.

Nevertheless, America resists. Backlash is palpable, nationwide, even worldwide, though not universal. There’s plenty of evidence that people are willing to put up with a trickle of immigration but not willing to put up with more. And we’re confronting worldwide calls for a renewal of fascist dictators. Only fools could think that’s good but the world’s full of them.

Biden is obviously aware of the strengths of immigration, the backlash against it, and the risks both ways.

It’s hardly clear that quashing immigration would stanch the threat of fascism. Though many don’t realize it, the German people didn’t vote for Hitler or the Nazis. Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg handed Hitler the keys to power anyway, partly because the pro-democratic forces in Germany were themselves disorganized.[1]

Suppose there were a chance that giving into anti-immigrant fever would stop modern Nazis, would it be worth it – would behaving like the devil be better than surrendering to it?

Stopping that danger requires those of us who support democratic government – human, imperfect but democratic government – to stick together to support it.

I grew up in an area with plenty of Jewish and Catholic institutions so that each group felt comfortable. At 14, my father took us to a Protestant run summer music festival in the western tip of New York State. Musicians come from all over, play music written across the world and play it together. When I grew up, folk music was a compendium of music from cultures all over the globe. Jazz pioneered in bringing Black and white together, though some have forgotten that history. Classical music ignored national boundaries but was much slower to ignore race. I’d been brought up in a family devoted to classical music but when my parents and I got to hear Marian Anderson, meet and shake her hand, we knew we were in the presence of genius.

Instead of a New York City or Jewish college, I intentionally went to a college with a different culture. And my law school was famous worldwide for its experts in international law, which brought together students of all colors and backgrounds.[2] To me, the solution was to make friends. They were interesting and worth getting to know. In the Peace Corps I functioned largely as a minority of one in Iran’s Islamic society. I continue to have and take pleasure and pride in friends around the country and indeed around the world. I’m not naïve about the world’s problems but the problems and the violence among us are largely driven by politicians anxious to make names for themselves.[3]

I choose not to be part of that.

— If you think I’m on target, please pass it on. For the podcast, please click here. This commentary was scheduled for broadcast on WAMC Northeast Report, on Oct. 3, 2023.

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[1] Nancy Bermeo, Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times: The Citizenry and the Breakdown of Democracy 22–52 (Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press 2003); and see The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan, eds., 1984) (4 volumes).

[2] E.g., Myres S. McDougal, Harold D. Lasswell, and Lung-chu Chen, Human Rights and World Public Order: The Basic Policies of an International Law of Human Dignity (Oxford Univ. Press, 2nd Ed, 2018); and see B. S. Chimni, The Policy-Oriented or New Haven Approach to International Law: The Contributions of Myres McDougal and Harold Lasswell, International Law and World Order: A Critique of Contemporary Approaches, 104 – 178, available through https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107588196.005 (Cambridge University Press, 2017).

[3] See Ashutosh Varshney, Ethnic Conflict and Civic Life: Hindus and Muslims in India (New Haven: Yale Univ. Press 2002).