By Aly Kamadia, Editor-In-Chief, iDose

*The following newsletter was released to subscribers well before it was published online. Yet another reason to subscribe, which is free, and you can always unsubscribe with the click of a button.

Dear Readers,

iDose isn’t scheduled to release its February issue just yet, but if you’re in need of some quick intellectual doses in the interim, here are three facts about the Israeli assault on Palestine that most people do not know.

The former Israeli foreign minister and historian, Shlomo Ben-Ami (whose work we’ve often featured), recently stated, “Netanyahu’s political survival depends on the war continuing: any political deal [such as a ceasefire] would dissolve his coalition of extremists.”

I agree with this assessment.

Next, the eminent London School of Economics scholar, Fawaz Gerges, recently stated, “Western officials have long rationalized their neo-imperial mission in the Middle East by claiming that the combination of Islam and Arab culture is incompatible with democracy.”

Here, I can agree at least partially. The sort of thinking Gerges is referring to seems to be imprinted within the minds of far too many Western officials. For instance, the late Samuel Huntington’s argument of there being an inherent “clash of civilizations” is so over-simplistic that its substance doesn’t merit attention. Though lack of substance has never stopped ideas from being influential.

Finally, in its unconditional support for Israel, there are serious questions about how current American policy towards Israel might be harming American interests. Some American voices are rightfully yelling louder in their calls to have the Israeli assault stop, lest America be sucked into another broader Middle East war (which no serious American official wants after the Afghanistan/Iraq fiasco).

I criticized America’s unconditional support in an article that I authored for our January issue (released last week).

Oh and, Trump still remains the god of the Republican party as the Nevada games get underway.

ps. Netanyahu is favoring Trump.

Aly Kamadia

Editor-In-Chief, iDose

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