Israeli officials expose peace-seeking rhetoric as fake
This column on how the Abraham Accords have exposed Israels hypocritical policies on peace was originally published at Arab News on Sept. 15, 2021
By Ray Hanania
A year after the Abraham Accords were signed, Israel has completely turned its back on peace with the Palestinians, making one wonder if it is truly capable of embracing genuine peace. Or is Tel Aviv merely using talk of peace as a means of getting what it wants?
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz last month met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in what many saw as a potential end to the long stalemate fueled by the arrogant obstinacy of the former Israeli government headed by the criminally indicted Benjamin Netanyahu. It was — remarkably for a country that claims to desire genuine peace — the first meeting in many years between Palestinians and Israelis. So it was truly significant.
But the illusion of peace meticulously crafted by Israel was this week shattered by the typically hate-driven rhetoric of anti-Arab official Ayelet Shaked, who is now serving as interior minister under Netanyahu’s successor, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Shaked and Bennett, long-time right-wing allies, have launched a campaign to demonize the Palestinians and Abbas in particular.
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Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.
Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).
Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.
Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.
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