How the Israeli government redefined Palestinian diplomacy as war

Published: 9 October 2017

Last updated: 4 March 2024

WHEN THE PALESTINIAN Authority “unilaterally” joined Interpol – that is, without the Israeli master’s consent – it was framed in Israel a “diplomatic defeat” on the right, and, shockingly, in the centre and the left as well. The minister for environmental protection, who is also minster of Jerusalem affairs, Zeev Elkin, said that “Israel cannot show restraint in the diplomatic war that the Palestinian Authority leadership is waging against us.”

Begging your pardon, Elkin, but what does “diplomatic war” mean? Diplomacy, after all, is the polar opposite of terror. Those who oppose violent struggle – that is, terror – champion diplomacy. But in Israel, that is also considered terror these days. So what do Israeli politicians consider legitimate struggle?
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