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Home Poetry

‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi

September 23, 2025
in Poetry, Satire
A A
5

.

Macron, Carney, and Starmer: The Three Stooges
Recognize a Palestinian “State”

Diplomats and ministers are not known for their brains.
They’re slaves to shifting winds of public feeling—
Just look at The Three Stooges, and the effort simply strains
Credulity. All sane folks are now reeling

That anyone would recognize a non-existent state:
A mass of rubble, ruins, and mass destruction,
As void of any purpose as a shattered china plate,
And swirling in a chaos of disruption.

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Macron’s lit up in terror of the Moslems in his land—
He hopes they’ll help insure his own survival.
And Starmer’s rule is threatened by a left-wing Labour band
While Carney fears progressives as his rival.

That’s the only reason The Three Stooges pulled this stunt:
To keep the hopes of leftists firm and fattened.
Hamas now has a reason to put on a sturdy front
And fight until their last damned tunnel’s flattened.

Macron, Carney, Starmer—what a picture of the West!
These stupid, trembling, lily-livered rabbits…
A pack of ball-less eunuchs with no toughness in their chest,
Enslaved to money, status, and bad habits.

“Let’s recognize a state although it really isn’t there!
Let’s pretend it’s coming into being!
Let’s forget that Israel is angry as a bear,
And Hamas is near beaten, crushed, and fleeing!”

That’s the way these feckless and erratic leaders croak,
Believing that folks listen when they’re talking—
Like Larry, Moe, and Curly, all their strivings are a joke,
And no one pays attention to their squawking.

.

Poet’s Note

The Three Stooges: A slapstick comedy troupe from the 1930s and 40s, composed of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard. They were known for their wild and crazy antics, their obtuse stupidity, and their complete inability to do anything correctly.

Emmanuel Macron: President of France, a globalist politician in deep trouble, and who is desperate to stay in power, and become a counterweight to Trump in international affairs. He must answer to the Moslem population in his country, as well as to the leftist elite in French academic and intellectual circles.

Mark Carney: Prime Minister of Canada, whose country is currently plagued with economic and political problems. In order to stay in power he must placate the hard-left elements in his Liberal Party, and recognition of a non-existent Palestinian state was a cheap way to accomplish this.

Keith Starmer: Prime Minister of Great Britain, deeply unpopular, and strongly harassed by the pro-Palestinian fanatics among his Labour MPs. There is a real chance that a split might occur in the Labour Party, and Starmer’s recognition of a non-existent Palestinian state is a last-ditch attempt to prevent this from happening.

.

.

Joseph S. Salemi has published five books of poetry, and his poems, translations and scholarly articles have appeared in over one hundred publications world-wide.  He is the editor of the literary magazine TRINACRIA and writes for Expansive Poetry On-line. He teaches in the Department of Humanities at New York University and in the Department of Classical Languages at Hunter College.


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Comments 5

  1. Mark Stellinga says:
    3 hours ago

    A fitting comparison, Joe. These 3 are the primary cause for the continual exodus from their countries. How they refuse to address, or fail to comprehend, the reasons they’re already on their way out is mystifying, but you’ve covered the ‘why’ very well. Are there no snipers in their countries?

    Reply
  2. Paul Freeman says:
    2 hours ago

    I think you’ll find it’s 153 out of 197 countries that have recognised Palestine as a state.

    Reply
    • Joseph S. Salemi says:
      1 hour ago

      Is that how you judge reality, Paul? By how many persons are trapped in the delusion that something unreal is actually real? The “state of Palestine” doesn’t exist, no matter what proclamations are made by stupid politicians who want to corner the pro-Hamas, left-wing vote.

      I notice that you are always in favor of majority rule, except when the majority is against what you believe.

      Reply
  3. Brian Yapko says:
    55 minutes ago

    Joe, this scathing poem is presented as satire though it is infused with sober judgment and a generous helping of withering venom. The piece would be funny if the subject-matter were not so serious. You skewer the leaders of the UK, France and Canada and you do so with laser-sharp insight concerning their political motives and Chamberlain-like weakness. The bottom line is they are choosing to assuage the Left in their respective countries at the expense of peace. Their announcements several months ago completely derailed the negotiations to release the Israeli hostages who have been held for almost two years. They are recognizing a country that has no ability to govern itself either democratically or peacefully. However, they have effectively helped legitimize the worst outbreak of antisemitism since the Holocaust. But that is another discussion.

    Amusingly, it would seem that as soon as the UK recognized “Palestine” Abbas turned around and made a demand for 2 Trillion pounds in “reparations” from the UK for the British occupation of the region after World War I – a sum that would bankrupt the UK. Recognition was a geopolitically idiotic move which appeases the Islamists who have wrested control of much of Europe but which does nothing to advance the cause of peace, rewards Hamas for the most heinous acts of terrorism and which will undoubtedly backfire against those who decided that they’d rather be popular than right. But the decision is not even popular despite the antisemitism now poisoning France, the UK and Canada. 71% of the French oppose the unconditional recognition of a Palestinian state while 87% of the British oppose. (I have not seen polling for Canada.) And there is zero chance that Israel or the U.S. will recognize this terror-loving pseudo-state anymore than they recognize Narnia or Oz. Macron, Starmer and Carney have debased themselves for nothing.

    But their betrayal of Israel will be long, long remembered. And will have consequences.

    Reply
    • Joseph S. Salemi says:
      33 minutes ago

      Brian, you are absolutely correct — this is a “Chamberlain-like” decision. Sheer cowardice, lack of historical understanding, diplomatic blundering, desperation to please aggressors, and gutless terror at the prospect of losing the votes of left-liberals, pro-Palestinian sympathizers, and radicalized students and academics.

      And naturally the enemy has taken bold steps as a result. As soon as the recognitions were formally announced, Hamas sent a major barrage of missiles against Israel, and Abbas made his preposterous demand for “reparations” from the U.K. for the 1918 occupation. That’s what you get when you show weakness in the face of this kind of barbarous enemy.

      Let me quote from Adolf Hitler on the Munich pact of 1938. At the start of World War II, he expressed great confidence that Germany would win. His nervous associates asked for his reason, and Hitler replied “Our enemies are worms. I saw them at Munich.”

      That’s exactly what Hamas and Abbas are saying right now about the West. May God damn Macron and Carney and Starmer.

      Reply

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  1. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. SalemiSeptember 23, 2025

    Brian, you are absolutely correct -- this is a "Chamberlain-like" decision. Sheer cowardice, lack of historical understanding, diplomatic blundering, desperation…

  2. Brian Yapko on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. SalemiSeptember 23, 2025

    Joe, this scathing poem is presented as satire though it is infused with sober judgment and a generous helping of…

  3. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. SalemiSeptember 23, 2025

    Is that how you judge reality, Paul? By how many persons are trapped in the delusion that something unreal is…

  4. Paul Freeman on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. SalemiSeptember 23, 2025

    I think you'll find it's 153 out of 197 countries that have recognised Palestine as a state.

  5. Russel Winick on ‘Utilization’ and Other Poems by Russel WinickSeptember 23, 2025

    Thanks Cheryl. I’m not familiar with that, but it sounds like a nice thing for that poem to be compared…

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Discussions

  • Joseph S. Salemi on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • Brian Yapko on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • Joseph S. Salemi on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • Paul Freeman on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • Russel Winick on ‘Utilization’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • Mark Stellinga on ‘The Three Stooges Recognize a Palestinian State’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • Cheryl Corey on ‘Utilization’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • Cheryl Corey on ‘Utilization’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • Martin Rizley on ‘Impermanence’: A Poem by Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano
  • Gigi Ryan on ‘Nearly Home’: A Poem by Martin Rizley
  • Gigi Ryan on ‘We Love You Charlie’: A Poem for Charlie Kirk by Richard Lackman
  • Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘Impermanence’: A Poem by Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano
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