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People write a lot. Especially people in the media. And bloggers.
Now, I suppose this shouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone. But having now read (or at least skimmed) well over a hundred news articles, editorials, commentaries, and blogs about the "crisis" in Israel, the message has been driven home stronger than it normally is.
"What crisis," I hear my faithful readers asking. Well, last week U.S. VP Biden went on a trip to Israel, and part of his aim was to re-open indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. (Note: Not "Palestine." There is no state of Palestine. Never has been. This was made very, very clear to me today by my boss when I accidentally used the term "Palestine" in some writing I was doing.) While Biden was there, the Israeli Department of the Interior announced that it had approved the building of 1,600 homes for Jews in East Jerusalem, an Arab area of the city claimed by the Palestinian Authority. (Also claimed by Israel.)
There was an immediate uproar. Joe Biden said that the announcement was counter to the spirit of the peace talks and berated Israeli P.M. Netanyahu. Netanyahu, probably caught as off-guard as Biden was, apologized, and said that the construction would be several years away in any case. U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton condemned Netanyahu. Senior Presidential Advisor David Axelrod called Israel's announcement an insult. Jewish lobbyists and congressmen wrote open letters condemning the condemners. And on and on.
Things seems to have settled down a bit over the last day or so, at least for the politicians.
But, oh, not so for the pundits! They've been having a field day for a week and seem physically incapable of writing about anything else. Some say Israeli-American relations are in crisis! Maybe the worst in 35 years! Other commentators say that it's really not so bad. Some editorialists hunt for a deeper meaning: maybe the Obama administration is trying to force an election that will oust Netanyahu. Maybe Obama is using the Biden fiasco as a distraction from domestic issues like "ObamaCare." And how do Iraq and a potentially-nuclear Iran factor into all this, others ask.
When I read one article, I was intrigued. When I read four or five, I felt pretty well informed. Having now read, like I say, over a hundred, I just want to tell everyone to shut up and move on. Really, people, don't you have something better to talk about?
Now, I suppose this shouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone. But having now read (or at least skimmed) well over a hundred news articles, editorials, commentaries, and blogs about the "crisis" in Israel, the message has been driven home stronger than it normally is.
"What crisis," I hear my faithful readers asking. Well, last week U.S. VP Biden went on a trip to Israel, and part of his aim was to re-open indirect peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. (Note: Not "Palestine." There is no state of Palestine. Never has been. This was made very, very clear to me today by my boss when I accidentally used the term "Palestine" in some writing I was doing.) While Biden was there, the Israeli Department of the Interior announced that it had approved the building of 1,600 homes for Jews in East Jerusalem, an Arab area of the city claimed by the Palestinian Authority. (Also claimed by Israel.)
There was an immediate uproar. Joe Biden said that the announcement was counter to the spirit of the peace talks and berated Israeli P.M. Netanyahu. Netanyahu, probably caught as off-guard as Biden was, apologized, and said that the construction would be several years away in any case. U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton condemned Netanyahu. Senior Presidential Advisor David Axelrod called Israel's announcement an insult. Jewish lobbyists and congressmen wrote open letters condemning the condemners. And on and on.
Things seems to have settled down a bit over the last day or so, at least for the politicians.
But, oh, not so for the pundits! They've been having a field day for a week and seem physically incapable of writing about anything else. Some say Israeli-American relations are in crisis! Maybe the worst in 35 years! Other commentators say that it's really not so bad. Some editorialists hunt for a deeper meaning: maybe the Obama administration is trying to force an election that will oust Netanyahu. Maybe Obama is using the Biden fiasco as a distraction from domestic issues like "ObamaCare." And how do Iraq and a potentially-nuclear Iran factor into all this, others ask.
When I read one article, I was intrigued. When I read four or five, I felt pretty well informed. Having now read, like I say, over a hundred, I just want to tell everyone to shut up and move on. Really, people, don't you have something better to talk about?
