Doubting Thomas

Something New

Thomas Friedman is likely as not to quote someone, either a friend or some authority on the subject that he is commenting on. Today Thomas quotes "... An Arab journalist friend living in London" in "Maids vs. Occupiers"
The subject is (the lack) of reform in the Arab world and how to solve it. His sees the need for debate:

So how does one get a healthy reform debate started? "You need a courageous intelligentsia," he said. "You can't have that as long as people feel besieged. The new historians in Israel only emerged during Oslo. When you feel besieged, you will never start a debate with your brother and sister. Now it is the battle against the enemy, be it real or imaginary."

I know it's not a big thing. But Friedman passes himself off as an expert on the Middle East generally and on Israel specifically. He lets the comment about the new historians pass without a challenge. The new historians preceded Oslo. Benny Morris published his first book in 1987. Without disputing Thomas's friend's assessment of the new historians - others do that quite well - it's simply not true that the debate over Israel's founding occurred in a time when Israel was "secure." The new historians came to prominence at least five years before Oslo. In fact the new historians began their rise roughly at the time of the beginning of the first intifada, hardly a time that anyone would call Israel secure.
The "new historians" were possible not because Israel was secure but because Israel was and is an open society. Friedman's friend was simply making excuses for the Arab world. (They can't reform because they're not secure.)
Not only was the timing of the statement wrong, it's reasonably safe to argue that it was the the "new historians" who gave rise to Oslo not the opposite.
It is even probably truthful to say that in initiating Oslo, Yossi Beilin was applying post-Zionist theory. Beilin, though, would never admit this.
Friedman, of course, knows this. But he has a point to make and figures that no one will call him on it. The sloppiness continues.
Crossposted on Israpundit and Doubting Thomas.

Posted by SoccerDad at June 17, 2004 05:47 AM