Israel backs out of spat with Brazil over settler named as envoy

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

Israel backs out of spat with Brazil over settler named as envoy

March 28, 2016 - 10:32:41 am
REUTERS/ RONEN ZVULUN

JERUSALEM: Israel reassigned its pick for ambassador to Brazil to a U.S. posting on Monday, backing off in a spat with Brasilia over the nominee's links to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Brazil's left-leaning government, which has supported Palestinian statehood in recent years, had balked at accepting the appointment as envoy in August of former settler leader Dani Dayan. The previous Israeli ambassador stepped down in December.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had initially vowed to stand firm on Argentine-born Dayan's nomination - even at the cost of downgrading relations with Brazil - lest his rejection undermine the settlements, which most world powers deem illegal.

But Netanyahu said in a brief statement on Monday that Dayan would instead serve as consul-general in New York, a post that focuses Israeli outreach to American Jews and business sectors.

Read more: http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/news/middle-east/375970/israel-backs-out-of-spat-with-brazil-over-settler-named-as-envoy

[ericson00]

1. why do these countries like Brazil give two cruds about

a conflict that has nothing whatsoever to do with them?

And I think the last 15 years has shown that this idea that I/P drives all Islamic terror is a bunch of crud. And heck, if that were indeed the reason that all jihadists did their evil deeds, then they demonstrate why we call them terrorists.

[ZombieHorde]

2. Some people have a strong distaste for death and destruction.

Often times, the most offensive acts of death and destruction are those that are done by people who belong to a different socially-constructed demographic, such as a different country, religion, political belief, or skin color.

[6chars]

7. No, terrorism is just really bad.

listen to yourself!

[ZombieHorde]

12. I'm sorry but I don't understand your reply.

I don't know what you're trying to communicate to me.

[PaulaFarrell]

3. maybe they give two cruds about injustice

The settlements are illegal aand condemned worldwide. Bravo Brazil.

[ericson00]

4. there are tons more injustices and ones a far amount worse

like Tibet, Kashmir, South Sudan, etc.

[PaulaFarrell]

5. so?

That doesn't negate this one

[Nihil]

16. I think my irony meter just broke.

> why do these countries like Brazil give two cruds about
> a conflict that has nothing whatsoever to do with them?

Spoken by an American (Hillary supporter FWIW) despite his/her own
country having created and/or stirred up wars in so many countries
around the world simply because moneyed interests wanted them ...
Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, ...

[Ford_Prefect]

6. Maybe they object to the Israeli representative being so much aligned with the apartheid aparatus

inherent in the settlement system. Many Countries and organizations around the world, some with prominent social problems of their own, have objected to the degree of ironic inhumanity that the settlers and government alike seem willing to impose on native Palestinians.

I find it interesting that Netanyahu feels the reassignment to New York mitigates the activities of Dani Dyan.

For the record the I/P conflict is only one of the factors driving Islamic terror. However, it does rather matter to those living in the neighborhood. The Cold War activities of both the East and the West had much to do with facilitating the climate and training which lead to the current wave of "terrorism".

[BlueMTexpat]

8. Good comments! eom

[6chars]

10. you may have this backward

Islamic terror is a factor driving the ip conflict.

[Ford_Prefect]

11. It does seem to be so. However it did not arise in a vacuum. Cold War terrorism by East and West

amplified and complicated the political and economic causes underlying. Much more recently there has been inexcusable investment in Wahhabi driven violence. The use of the settlement expansions to subjugate Palestine was and remains a significant factor as well.

I don't advocate that there are clean hands in that conflict. There are more than 2 sides to it though.

I do see certain conservatives in Israel's government provoking and exacerbating the situation whenever they can, regardless of international attempts to resolve things, and blaming any reaction whether violent or peaceful on "terrorists" rather than civilians held hostage in an apartheid style walled prison. I don't think that is a wise path for them to take in the circumstances, regardless of any other feelings one may have about what Israel's future policy should be.

I think when the Government of Israel pursues and harasses American citizens here at home for expressing doubts about such policies then we have to reconsider what the term terrorist applies to.

[6chars]

13. terrorist applies to terrorists

people who blow up civilians on purpose in order to cause terror. that is a world different than whatever "harassing" you might be referring to, and you know it.

in fact, the reason there is a wall between the west bank and pre-1967 israel is that there were 1000 israelis killed by suicide bombing terrorists around 2002-2003, and they decided that it would be good to limit that and it has worked pretty well. the terrorist attacks were organized by palestinian organizations and the pa let them go ahead. too bad. so there's a wall now to protect Israel.

[Ford_Prefect]

14. Terrorism is creating fear by any means in a targeted group of people. Explosives included.

Whether those explosives are delivered by bicycle, vest, rocket, or by multi-million dollar military aircraft, they still create terror in the intended group.

Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them.

1994 United Nations Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism annex to UN General Assembly resolution 49/60, "Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism", of December 9, 1994, UN Doc. A/Res/60/49.

As I said before there are no clean hands in that situation. I do not dispute that Israeli citizens live in fear of attack. The wall had a purpose, which has been much amplified during the repeated expansion of the settlements. I argue that currently some members of the Israeli government have used the settlement process to further their political agendas and to manipulate the American Congress, among others. This also appears to be the opinion of the government of Brazil.

[geek tragedy]

9. turns out Bibi's brand of diplomacy--insulting every other country on the planet--doesn't work

so well.

Go figure.

[Judi Lynn]

15. Israel backs down in row with Brazil over ambassador

Israel backs down in row with Brazil over ambassador

Israel withdraws nomination of settler leader Dani Dayan as ambassador after Brasília refused to accept him

Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem
Monday 28 March 2016 04.37 EDT

Israel has backed down in a long-running and bitter diplomatic dispute with Brazil, withdrawing its nomination of a controversial settler leader as ambassador after Brasília refused to accept his credentials.

The seven-month long impasse over the planned appointment of Dani Dayan, a former chairman of the the West Bank Yesha settler council, came to an end on Monday when Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who is also the country’s foreign minister, announced he would be appointed consul general in New York instead.

Rejection of a proposed ambassador is extremely rare and had drawn considerable attention to the Dayan case.

According to Israel’s deputy foreign minister late last year, the Dayan case was the first instance in which a proposed Israeli diplomat had been rejected for his “ideological” views.

More:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/28/israel-backs-down-in-row-with-brazil-over-ambassador-dani-dayan