Melvin Goodman

In its description of Israel’s “strategic position,” the Times has forgotten that prior to October 7, Israel’s borders were quiet, particularly the northern border with Lebanon. Israel had domestic concerns due to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to weaken the Israeli Supreme Court and his formation of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. But Israel’s economy was strong, and its economic dealings with various Arab countries due to the Abraham Accords was offering a measure of stability to the region. There was even discussion of an Israeli-Saudi Arabian accord that would include a U.S. defense agreement with Saudi Arabia.

“…the United States and Israel are making significant progress toward stabilizing three dangerous wars: Israel's tit-for-tat conflict with Iran, the

“The advantage I have now is I know everybody. I know people. I know the good, the bad, the stupid, the smart.” – Donald Trump, Time Magazine, April 2024

The results are in and the clear winner of the 2024 U.S. presidential election is undeniably Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is now freer than ever to pursue his genocidal campaign against Palestinians; demolish Lebanon; create more illegal settlements on the West Bank; and even annex the West Bank itself if he chooses to do so.

The New York Times’ leading columnist, Thomas Friedman, has devised an answer to “How Trump Could Earn an Unexpected Place in History.” Friedman believes there is an opportunity for Donald Trump to exert pressure on Israelis and Palestinians, which would help the president “find a place in the history books that you did not expect.” This is part delusion, part illusion, and part confusion, all hallmarks of Friedman’s writings on the Israeli genocidal campaign in Gaza over the past year.

Melvin Goodman Photo by Hannah Tu “The International Court is putting the elected leaders of a democratic country with its own

The mainstream media is largely ignoring President Joe Biden's moral failure regarding Israel's genocidal bombardment of Gaza, but piling on unreasonably regarding the pardon given to his son.

Photograph Source: Shark1989z – CC BY-SA 4.0 For the past several decades, the United States and Israel have tried to isolate Syria in the Middle East.

Biden's meeting with Xi Jinping in Woodside, California, November 15, 2023. Photo: US State Department.

The mainstream media ignored the passing of a beloved former colleague of mine, Ambassador Raymond Garthoff, whose career spanned the most important years of arms control and disarmament between the United States and the Soviet Union. Over the years, the media have devoted much attention to the opponents of arms control such as George W. Bush, Paul Wolfowitz, John Bolton, and Casper Weinberger, but have done little to explore the importance of its advocates and practitioners.