Impending Election Misunderstood

1. "Indecision, Apathy and Confusion Reign as Israelis Get Ready to Vote"; By Isabel Kershner; A5
2. "Gaza: U.N. Agency Stops Its Imports"; World Briefing; Ethan Bronner; A8
3. "Israel: Gaza-Bound Activists Deported"; World Briefing; Ethan Bronner; A8
4. "Matchstick War"; by Etgar Keret; NYT Magazine; 82
5. "Friends and Enemies, Enemies and Friends"; By Adam LeBor; Book Review; 14

Isabel Kershner seeks to convey a picture of Israelis as indecisive, apathetic, and confused, their political system inadequate or even partially broken, and the current election campaign as devoid of ideas.

She gets her requisite quotes from pundits and newspaper columnists to support this depiction but ultimately fails to convince the reader. Rather, Israelis are resolute. The shift to the right indicates a consensus that rejectionism retains a strong hold on the Palestinian populace. The lack of discussion on major policy-security issues such as “the West Bank, Hamas-ruled Gaza, Syria or the threat of a nuclear Iran,” reflects the cementing of that consensus, a fact that NYT is loathe to admit.

Two World Briefs demonstrate Hamas' criminality and Israel's humanitarianism.

In the magazine, Etgar Keret delivers a highly readable account of living in Israel during Operation Cast Lead. Missiles fly toward the Negev, Gazan children are put in harm's way, and Israel's struggle for security & recognition continues.

The Book Review offers readers the most compelling analysis about the state of Israel this Saturday. Aside from the obscene identification of Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas – to whom I don’t know whether to attribute author Patrick Tyler or reviewer Adam LeBor – and the momentary perpetuation of the myth that the Israeli-American alliance does not conform to political realism, LeBor pens a reasonable review. In the first column, he highlights an exceptional insight of Tyler.

"The Israeli-Palestinian dispute is a most useful alibi for the region’s creaking dynasties and dictators, diverting domestic attention from their own sclerotic economies and dismal human rights rec­ords. A democratic Palestine, plugged into the global economy, is the last thing they want, for fear their restive populations will demand the same."

With this observation in hand, one can more easily comprehend the Israeli pubic as it goes to the polls tomorrow.