Noam Chomsky’s defiant optimism is surreal, almost out of this world

RASHMEE ROSHAN LALL October 15, 2014

palestine 4The Professor recounts, in conversation with TruthOut, Israel’s cold-blooded calculation in disengaging from Gaza nine years ago.

He quotes the late Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s close associate, Dov Weissglass’s public boast to the press. Mr Weissglass’s words are significant. He was the architect and chief negotiator of Israel’s ‘disengagement’, even as it remained the main occupying power.

Professor Chomsky quotes Mr Weissglass “candid” explanation word for word, as follows:

“The significance of the disengagement plan is the freezing of the peace process. And when you freeze that process, you prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and you prevent a discussion on the refugees, the borders and Jerusalem. Effectively, this whole package called the Palestinian state, with all that it entails, has been removed indefinitely from our agenda. And all this with authority and permission. All with a [US] presidential blessing and the ratification of both houses of Congress.”

And then there was the US State Department’s grimace, in response to Sweden’s announcement that it would recognize the State of Palestine, becoming the first EU member to do so while part of the club. (Other EU members such as Hungary, Poland and Slovakia recognized Palestine before joining the bloc.)

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters it would be “premature” to recognise a Palestinian state even though “we certainly support Palestinian statehood, but it can only come through a negotiated outcome, a resolution of final status issues and mutual recognitions by both parties.”

There you go then. Hard to echo the Professor’s irrational hope, despite everything.