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Why Israel Hates Obama
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The president's approval rating has fallen to an astonishingly low 4 percent in the Holy Land. As his envoy jumpstarts peace talks, Richard Wolffe reports on Obama's plans to win the ally back.
Is Obama surrounded by self-hating Jews? That was one of the most ridiculous—and yet perversely telling—stories to emerge from the last several weeks of Israeli media coverage.
Not because the president is surrounded by Jewish aides who want to sabotage their own identity. Far from it. David Axelrod openly reveres the old Jewish deli in Chicago known as Manny’s. He has a sign in his West Wing office saying Barack Obama in Hebrew script. And Rahm Emanuel could no more hate his Jewish and Israeli ties than he could the vocabulary of the Anglo-Saxons.
It’s hard to be a mediator when one side feels you are overwhelmingly one-sided, especially when that side happens to be your strongest ally in the region.
On those terms, Axelrod and Emanuel are self-hating self-haters.
Still, one of the leading Israeli newspapers, Ha’aretz, reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyanhu was so paranoid that he described both Axelrod and Emanuel as “self-hating Jews.” The White House says that the Israeli government denied the story and dismisses the idea, with plenty of reason.
But what lies underneath the erroneous report is something deeper in Israeli-U.S. ties; something that complicates the vastly complex Israeli-Palestinian talks under U.S. supervision.
• Benjamin Sarlin: Facebook’s Israel ProblemIt’s a matter of trust. And the Israelis don’t have it when it comes to President Obama. In the most recent Jerusalem Post poll, the number of Israelis who see Obama as pro-Israeli is just 4 percent. That’s not a typo; it was down two points since June. Fully 51 per cent say Obama is more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israeli.
In May, before the Cairo speech and before the first White House meeting between Obama and Netanyahu, the pro-Israeli number was as high as 31 percent. Not that high, but also not disastrously bad. Unless you compare Obama to Bush, who had an 88 percent pro-Israeli rating.
All of which makes George Mitchell’s task that much harder this week and for the next several years. Because it’s hard to be a mediator when one side feels you are overwhelmingly one-sided, especially when that side happens to be your strongest ally in the region.
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The fact Obama is one sided in favor of the Palestians is not in the Israelis' imagination. He beats the Israelis' against a rock and does not even close making similar demands of the Palestians, who won't even accept Israel as a Jewish state.
It seems anything less than 100% makes a president appear anti-Israel. I remember a debate in college about Bush 1 suggesting they tone down expansion goals and the judgments against him were quick and passionate even 5 years later.
Good point, WestVillager. The Israelis, I think, are used to the US being a one-sided peace broker on their behalf. So much so, they see any slight deviation on our part as betrayal. They are so spoiled that even a temporary suspension of settlement-building was too much to ask of them.
They claim they will give up the illegal settlements for peace, but they can't even make a good faith effort and suspend expanding them just for a few weeks in order to jump-start the peace process. The Palestinians are not faultless either, we all know how unhelpful they can be. But the Israelis are our allies, and I'm stunned many of them call the president a Jew-hater.
WV you are absolutely right, if we don't agree w/ them they take their toys and go home so to speak to stolen land. Its their way or the highway. I'm sick of listening to the whining, while they undermine any peace process and take our 2 billion every year. Smarten up people.
I'm pro Israel but if they bomb Iran against our wishes and oil goes to $300.00 a barrel and gasoline to $8.00 a gallon causing the US and world economy to tank, why should I consider Israel a friend of the United States?
tblunt,
That won't happen. The Arab oil producing states are just as afraid of Iran as Israel is. They will make up for any loss of Iranian oil production.
WV...Israel is our ally, so we support them and will defend them. If Obama turns away it will destroy him politically but it won't much matter to Israel they will destroy any power that chooses to attack them. I hope the "Palestine's" enjoy Gaza because that's all they are going to get.
Do you have many friends WV? I can see where you've got their back. Don't get me wrong, I understand friends don't agree 100% of the time and when that time comes you take your friend aside and have a nice discussion about the disagreement. You don't throw your pal under the bus in front of said friend's enemies. That's called betrayal. This is how you lose friends.
You should know the Palestinians will never negotiate with Israel or make any compromises. I have no idea why Democrats believe this will happen. This is just fodder for the left to give the image they are serious about peace. The people have no interest in peace with Israel. They are only interested in being rid of Israel.
johnwr3 and clearthinker, just because Israel is our ally doesn't mean we can let them do as they please. Would you let a friend drive drunk?
I see it more like an intervention than a betrayal. The public dis was a bit shocking. The friend feels betrayed, sure, but I can't blindly get my buddy's back if he wants to build a home additon on the neighbors property. I'd have to say to him, can't you just stay put? We were allies with the Soviet Union, then our friend made choices we didn't like. Dropping back from 100 to 80% (or whatever) doesn't mean Israel isn't still a better, closer ally than Palestine.
You paint with a broad, misleading brush, Glenda. The president has made repeated calls for Palestinian groups to halt rocket fire and accept Israel's legitimacy. Furthermore, keep in mind that Hamas does not represent the entirety of Palestinian opinion. So, to say that Palestinians "won't even accept Israel as a Jewish state" is an overstatement at best, and a lie at worst.
If you were to go back and read any of Glenda's posts, you will see that she is a narrow-minded GOP parrot head. Her posts are without any intellectual analyses and are usually hate-filled diatribes that are quite Palinesque.
He has not been the Palestians the way he has gone after the Israelis. Not even close. Abbas won't accept Israel as a Jewish state. I'm not even talking about Hamas.
@frontman9000
I'm familiar with this apparent fact. However, engagement and debate are more productive than name-calling.
@Glenda1976
Could you provide me with a few examples to back up your assertions? Thank you.
I don't see why we need to "win Israel back as an ally." What for? The United States holds all the cards in this situation. Without U.S. weapons, dollars, and training, Israel could not exist. So they should be grateful that the U.S. even notices them.
Out of all the countries in the Middle East that we could be "allies" with, why'd we have to pick the only one with no oil?!
When God made them the "chosen people" , I don't think he was worried about oil prices.
Yea lets be friends with only the ones with Oil! Like Syria and Iran! Brilliant! We've had such great success basing our foreign policy decisions on oil in the past! I elect you sec of state!
hi embers,its sailormoon. what happened to you. You are on the bandwagon against Israel?Israel could not exist,????You would want as an allie,all the countries with the oil that live to hate the west,, the jews, that oppress and abuse their own people. Who envy the freedom,,democracy,fairness greatness of the US. all we stand for.After Sept 11,you could hear a hush everywhere where muslims.were, deep inside we infidels had been attacked,!!! innocently,!!!!unexpectedly.!!!!!Just like they always do. the Ajmadinajhons,whatevever,Kadafis, terrorist,animals and murderers.You can bet the Us alliance with Israel has to do more with trust, of the democracy and that they are warriors,fighting to survive,and that are the right hand of the US.You really believe anyone can trust any of the Arab states?I thought you respected Israel and the jews.!!Without US training.???The mosad,was trained by the US.Not one Arab country would stand by ,the infidels,perverted,sexually,free,women oriented,gay accepting society we are.Allah allows them to blow us up and reward them in heaven.
@sailormoon, the so called hush was more of a lack of media coverage.
oooh Embers, you're in so much trouble now with all those, in the US and Israel, who believe that the world should allow Israel to break and violate every inernational law about human rights, laws of decency and fairness, and commit war crimes, which we are supposed to detest if any one except Israel committed them, with total impunity, just because It is Israel, who is above all laws, we're talking about; and how any one dares to tell the Israeli emperor that he has no clothes on.
Isarel, with its God's chosen, racist joke, and its fanatic supporters in the US have only their demented, rigid and racist ideology and interests in mind, and to hell with any one else's interests, including the US's. The US helped in building many mosnters before who turned out against it, and Isaerl is rapidly and rabidly joining them.
Oh, don't forget that you'll be labeled from now on, like the many who had the guts to speak out against Isarel's atrocious wrongs, an anti-semitic.
"BS"
You beat me to the punch, rahgolf.
Glenda, that's BS.
Very very simple. They don't trust him. They believe he will throw Israel under the bus if push comes to shove, he is pro Palestian and pro Arab and he has no guts for a conflict with Iran. Watch what comes out of the latest "Talks."
Exactly...they've actually listened to what the man has said...looked closely at whom he has associated himself with. Thus, they don't trust him. Look at what he did during the campaign. When he had an advisor who was caught saying something anti-Israeli, that advisor was thrown under the bus (for a while), yet eventually all were forgiven and allowed back in the fold. That is what our president has done. nice man, right?
Obama has been a wash out in dealing with domestic crises. Has he shown any more resolve or skill in handling international problems?
The Israeli-Palestinian situation is a particularly thorny one in that one side does not recognize the other sides right to exist. Palestinian extremists have publicized their intention to wipe the country of Israel off the map.
Obama has no track proven record in the world of international diplomacy. Who knows what he will or will not do when it comes to the Israelis and Palestinians? I think he himself has only a sketchy idea.
Who cares about Israel? Only American Jews, basically. The problem is with American Jews, whose loyalty is to Israel not the US, not Emanuel and Axelrod. American Jews who believe they have a birthright to steal a Palestinian's home are the problem. Obama is even-handed. It's the Jews who are partisan.
Wow. What an incredibly uninformed comment.
American Jews aren't absolute, they all don't think alike you jagoff. And there are many other groups that care about Israel (see: Evangelical Christians). I get that anonymous posters have no real responsibility to actually be informed, but your comment is just embarrassing.
Evangelical Christians care about Jews but not because they make them feel "warm & fuzzy." Fact is, EC's look at Israel as a necessary piece in their belief in the apocalypse. They need Israel to help facilitate the coming of Jesus. Once he arrives, they will give Jews the choice of accepting Christ or burning with the rest of the sinners. They certainly don't see them as equals.
frontman9000-
I didn't say they care about Jews, i said Israel. Once again, Israel may be a jewish state, but it does not speak for all jews. Netanyahu is not like the pope for jews. Israel is not the vatican.
majormoderate, whenever there's an article on Israel on TDB, these insane anti-Semites pop up in the comments. I have no idea where they come from or where they get their news. It's sad, though.
Sadly, they come from an ever widening divide of under classes who opt for the comfort of belief over the discomfort of true thinking. H.G. Wells wrote, "The whole of civilization is a race between education and catastrophe." It has never been more evident than today when so-called modern people have learned to dress, speak and behave as they are told, but don't have a clue as to what it means to actually deliberate on their own. We do know what it looks like when it rears its ugly head: racism, misogyny, virulent anti-semitism, death cults, demagoguery, and rabid jingoism.
It's the Internet. Thinking comments on a blog are super representative of society is like saying Bill O'Reilly is too b/c he sold a million books.
Plenty of Christian care about Israel Redspruce.
Especially men like John Hagee, who support Israel with their right hand, while urging the world toward the apocalypse with their left.
Israel can be trusted, the arabs can't. Nobody stole land from the Palestinians, they never had any. What about Jordan running them out? Read your history redspruce. What about the "land for peace" deal? Israel upheld their end of the bargain. Who broke the peace? Don't know? Do some research. America should be giving Israel all the money we are spending on Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Oh, all the technology necessary to combat the murdering terrorists they have to deal with.
roadrunner,you bet, the money going to Karzai,Mushariff and went to arafat It never goes to their people. Palestinians are arabs, and in reality the Jews have been better to them than the Arab countries who do not want them and have a name for them. They just use them for an excuse to hate.And as the arab countries hate this country its,freedom, its acceptance of others, its allowing women to grow,not opressing and abusing its people,our democracy,there is not one arab country that felt we had been murdered and attacked on sept 11.Quietly,they all,(many) felt we desrved it Allah bless !!! Israel is the one true ally of the US,no one else there will shed blood
Actually, the Palestinians did have a country, it was called Palestine. A place where Palestinians & Jews lived side-by-side (prior to the exodus of European Jews into Palestine). The British carved up Palestine, the Israeli's got a portion & Jordan got a larger portion. The Palestinians got the boot.
As for the US giving Israel all the money we are spending on Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan, give me a break. Did you say the same when Bush/Cheney invaded Iraq based on a lie? Did you say the same about Afganistan after 9/11? Would you like to see the Taliban & Al-Qaeda get their hands on the nuclear arsenal that Pakistan has? As far as technology goes, over the years we have shared some with Israel & we have also provided & sold them armament. What technology we didn't share with them they sent spies to our country to steal.
Where is it written that right or wrong we must always support Israel? Are we suppose to look the other way when the government of Israel sanctions apartheid against the Palestinians? Are we suppose to look the other way when the government of Israel kills or commits atrocities against innocent Palestinian men, women & children?.
After the holocaust, the Jews said, "Never Again". They didn't mean that to be never again would a holocaust cause the death of any human beings of any race or religious belief. They meant never again for themselves would such a thing happen. I support them in their right to exist but I do not support them in their belief that the Palestinian people do not have a right to exist within a State of their own. Israel must stop building in the occupied territory & return that land to the Palestinian people.
I really don't care what Obama's popularity rating is in Israel. Once & for all, we have a President who is demanding a peace settlement between Israel & Palestine. I say, way to go Barack!
We should have given the Jewish people Bavaria or the Rhineland and made Jerusalem an international city... Too bad there are no do overs.
There have been Jews living in the land of Israel since biblical times - as long as Arabs have lived here.
Yes,. actually, if you go by the bible anyways,.. they're cousins.
To UpstateNY read the Balfour declaration, it cites surveys taken back to 1918 that state jewish population had depleted to well under 10%. The majority of jews in israel are descendants of russian american and european jews that migrated from pre world war 2 to post world war 2. This is fact. As far back as the crusades the majority of the population in the levant was christian and muslim, before the crusades muslim. You probably have to go back to ancient times (late egyptian, greek) to find a period when jews dominated that area. I know, I know, the muslims and christians just leased the area for a few thousand years.
Israel didn't steal the Palestine's homeland. Go read a history book "pinkspruce". Obama isn't even handed in the least. The problem isn't American Jews the problem is people like you who are anti-Zion. The people of Israel are home. There is no such thing as "Palestine's" they are Arabs like the the one's who live in Jordon or Egypt. The Jewish people are under threat and should attack Iran.
The problem isn't American Jews, or Israeli Jews. The problem is a large faction of the Zionists who have taken the wrong approach to securing Israel for the past 30 years.
johnwr3,thank G-d I found someone that I can relate to.That is right they are arabs, and deep inside, the Arabs hate the west for our freedom,our lack of opression,the growth of women, our democracy,although slowly this beautiful nation is turning ugly. There is extreme hatred of the President here. 50 % non jews hate him with a vengance. The jew continues to be the scapegoat. and which Arab loves the palestinians.??They use them as the cause, !!! of all the problems. they could care less, and they have their names for the palestinians. they know what they call them.
johnwr3
By your logic, America does not exist. It never existed. We are just squatters who bred like rabbits and stole the land from the Indians, the rightful owners of this land. It's not a wholly untenable position, I just hope you realize and understand the results of your argument.
redspruce, I'm a veteran of the USMC...and proudly served...additionally, I was medically discharged (against my wishes/desires) in 1984...probably before you were born, I am a proud 11th generation American. My ancestors "stole" this country as well, arriving in 1635 in Salem Mass., guess what, I"m a jew too. Now, does that make me a bad American?
Why is stole in quotes? Are you denying that Anglo-Saxons killed the native peoples and stole their land?
I don't like to call anyone an anti-Semite - but you may be an anti-Semite. American Jews are one of the most loyal and patriotic group of American citizens. No one stole Palestine's home - they were given a homeland (same as the Jews) by the UN in the 1947 Partition. There homeland is Jordan. You should really read some history before you say anything.
Did I forget something? Wasn't there British colonialism before the UN was soooo generous? And aren't many Ashkenazi Jews the descendents of converted Central Europeans? And where does the Chinese Jewish community --they all do look Chinese-- which preceded modern contacts in China come from?
And then there the probable fact that the so called Arabs living in the area are actually the descendants of Jews who at some point converted to Islam? And perhaps the Jews that have always lived in the area are the descendants of converted Muslims?
Judaism and Islam and Christianity are religions. Ethnicity is based on culture which is learned and is not a genetic trait. The notion of "race" has been debunked by physical anthropologists and geneticists. However, if you must go by the outdated notions of "racial classification", Jews and Arabs used to be classified as belonging to the same "Semitic" race.
So make your choice. Do you want to call upon some of the bright stars of past Judaism (what would Herzl think of the way Israel is treating the Palestinians? There's no doubt that he would be part of the Israeli left). Or do you want to trap yourself in an endless back and forth feuding process and its inevitable slide into the tenets of Nazi ideologists about "blood and land?" This is translated into now slotting Palestinians/Arabs into the past slot assigned to Jews (interlopers in countries where they had lived for countless generations) while right wing and conservative Israelis are now assigned to the superior "race" slot. (sometimes the euphemism "modern" or "Westerners" v. "Arabs" or Muslims is used --as if all Muslims were Arabs and all Arabs Muslims!).
The adoption of Nazi ideology by Jews breaks my heart. It means that the Nazi won after all, doesn't it?
UpstateNY,
PS: History didn't start in 1947 and didn't end in mythical biblical times.
But, yes, there are real anti-Semites/racists around, unfortunately plenty of them. You and your family obviously have been spared contact with them or you wouldn't confuse anti-Semitism with criticism of the policies of the state of Israel or of the Israeli lobby in the US.
Ooops, I reread the whole of Redspruce's post. He does sound like an anti-Semite/racist because he stereotypes all Jews into one category. There are many American Jews who disapprove of Israel's present policies. In addition American Jews have been in this country as long as everybody else, except native Americans.... so we are either all interlopers, or none of us are.
Time to give up. The Israel has won ..they have pushed, stolen,and manipulated to create a West Bank series of settlements that they will never surrender. The U.S. is too weak as the Jews in the US are too powerful. So, what will happen...nothing and the settlements will keep growing ..the poor Palestinians will see no option but to turn to violence as they have little or no future...The world will shake it's head and time will roll on until all of the West Bank is gobbled up and then what?
Refiguy - any scenario or explanation is plausible if you ignore history or create your own fiction. Go read about how Israel acquired the West Bank, and read about who has been attacking who ever since. Once you get your facts straight, come back and present some informed arguments.
Well maybe you can supply me with your facts...seems that the world calls this OCCUPIED Territory. How did the Israelis get there?...did they not take the land after the war? who is attacking who? ,,,ok you look at this from 10000 feet I look at this from ground level and human nature. Every day land is confiscated, buildings erected on farmland that these people have held for many many years....take a man's land and future away and you get a caged animal that only knows how to hate. There is only one way I see ifs for a leader on the Israel side to say ...enough....
Yes, Israel took territory after wars. But how many of those wars that led to the acquisition of territory were ones in which the Israelis were the instigators?
If a mugger gets beaten up by his would be victim and loses his weapon, you don't feel sorry for the mugger.
Refuguy wrote: "Well maybe you can supply me with your facts...seems that the world calls this OCCUPIED Territory. How did the Israelis get there?...did they not take the land after the war? who is attacking who? ,,,ok you look at this from 10000 feet I look at this from ground level and human nature. Every day land is confiscated, buildings erected on farmland that these people have held for many many years....take a man's land and future away and you get a caged animal that only knows how to hate. There is only one way I see ifs for a leader on the Israel side to say ...enough"
Refguy, you're very right! Israel's policies are unfortunately so shortsighted. By pushing people to the brink, they can turn even the most peaceful person into a someone who's desperate and has no longer anything to lose...
refiguy,I now feel after reading your post that Indians, all of them should be given their lands, back ofcourse, the white man did not slaughter them. and we should pay,(restitution, to all african american slaves for the atrocities the whites did to them.) Not jews. Jews are so powerfull, in the US/ List the top 50 families, Buffet, Gates Winfrey,Bush,Gore, Chaney, keep on ,the top 1% that hold the fortunes of this country,and where are the jews.??????????And Arab and foreign British and French Investors,and chinese who own the US???How many are jews. ????????????The jews and the palestinians would get along just fine without all the power,oppressors,full of hate.
Another one - I'm too tired to deal with you refguy and you're too stupid to learn anything new anyway.
Yeah! If Israel hates him, then the US is making progress. Funny thought, the Jews here still love him.
Probably because he hasn't actually done anything yet. Dealing with the Palestinians is like herding cats. They don't know who they want to represent them. Until that's resolved Israel doesn't have much to worry about on that front. Iran is another matter.
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"Dealing with the Palestinians is like herding cats. "
Dealing with both groups is more like herding porcupines.
ThinkAgain, why don't you think again? You're being patronizing and ignorant. The Palestinians had a democratic election but the world refused to recognize the govt they elected. As for they being more partisan than other people, look around you...
I love how people just lump "the Jews" together as one person with one thought and viewpoint. Jews in Israel are very different than those in the US. And not all Jews her "still love him".
Israel does not represent all jews around the world, only those that live there.
You are absolutely correct. Rahn Emanuel and David Axelrod are as anti-Semetic as Obama. They have no connection to Israel whatsoever, although it is sickening to hear them laud their "jewishness" eating smoked meat at Manny's or boasting of serving in the Israeli army. They have lost their true Jewishness and can no longer identify with the Jewish people or their centuries old homeland. And everybody in Israel knows it.
Wow Kateliz please don't ever agree with me again. Rahm Emanuel and Axelrod are anti-Semetic? Obama is anti-Semetic? That's absurd. And actually, as an American Jew I take offense to that. Because I don't agree with 90% of the decisions Israel makes, and I have a big connection with Israel, including family.
There's a HUGE difference between seeing both sides to the conflict and being anti semetic. And above and beyond that, theres a HUGE difference between disagreeing with Israel and being anti-semetic.
Why r u wasting your time trying to educate these unmitigated buffoons? A few people here are actually making cogent statements, like Kati67, but too many are just spewing undigested opinions they got from some pundit. It reminds me of a libertarian who said they're against affirmative action. She was a young white woman who just graduated college. I thought she must know affirmative action benefits white woman more than any other group (blacks are 13% of population hispanic (non-blacks little more than that)). I guess she was just really anti-gov aide or intervention. She then proceeded to tell me she was currently on welfare!!!
Right on!
Now let me see...why might the Israelis be suspicious of Obama? He refers to East Jerusalem as "occupied territory;" he twists Israel's arm about settlements while mouthing platitudes in other forums about the U.S. staying out of other countries' business; pre-Presidency, he chums with terrorists who advocate the destruction of Israel; his administration suggests that U.S. forces would intercept Israeli planes if Israel decides to attack Iran; he props his shoes on his desk during an interview about Israel--body language that demonstrates profound disrespect in Middle Eastern culture. On and on. I wouldn't trust him either, and don't. How could I expect the Israelis to do so?
Please show me when Obama has EVER referred to east Jerusalem as "occupied territory". Those settlements are ILLEGAL. And what "terrorists" does he "chum with" who want to destroy Israel?
And are you serious? Watching Glenn Beck doesn't make you informed.
Again majormoderate, you act as if intelligence and being correct are valid points!! This has to do with the fact that Obama is a terrorist-nazi-fascist-communist-marxist-liberal. Who is trying to stop us from going to war with Iran (as if we cant multitask, we have the technology).
Obama clearly favors Palestine, he's sponsoring legislation to provide free healthcare to palestinians while providing death panels for Israel and american citizens. I was listening to Glenn Beck today and he announced 2 /31. A march to celebrate and show our solidarity to our Israeli bretheren. Were going to start in Key West florida and march straight to the knesset. It'll take place of course during the last day of february next year, and it'll be held in a town hall style format. Here's to freedom!!!
Richard Wolffe is a moron. This article is not journalism - it's Wolffe showing his man-crush on Obama by calling Obama great. I think that Israel might be far more concerned about Obama's unnecessary praise of Arab governments in his Cairo speech as opposed to what deli Axelrod likes in Chicago. No doubt, Keith Olbermann will have Wolffe on as a foreign policy analyst after this wonderful article.
Israel gave every concession during the Clinton negotiations that anyone could possibly expect and the Palestinians walked away. It's understandable that the Israeli people have given up and become stubborn.
However, we have no choice but to expect them to bargain in good faith going forward even though the Palestinians have never done that. When your kids are fighting you can't get bogged down in who started it and who did what. You have to start fresh.
Quite so.
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Who says it's their land? Some Jewish people have lived there just as long, they just weren't always in power. In fact, the Romans took it from the Jews. They just came back and reclaimed it.
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No, they were offered 95% of the West Bank (settlers would be removed, See Gaza for how), East Jerusalem as a capital yet, Yassir initiated the 2nd intefadah instead. Only during a brief period after the 2nd Jewish revolt (around 125-130 CE) have jews been a minority in Israel.
But seriously, look at Palestinian school books for maps of Israel...you won't find them. The very name Palestine was coined by the Roman to delegitimize Jewish claims to Judea/Israel. The root is found in the word Philistine/Pelishtim...
But back tot he matter at hand. The Palestinians were offered all of the Gaza Strip, 95% of the West Bank, and a capital...yet they chose not to accept it. Instead they set about murdering Israelis...again. After their withdrawal from Gaza, you'd think that would have started talks...all it started was daily rocket attacks. If Mexico launched 10-20 rockets into Arizona, New Mexico and Texas...would we just sit back and watch? Or..would we do something? Yet we expect the Israelis to lay down and die. How big of us.
No, they were offered 95% of the West Bank (settlers would be removed, See Gaza for how), East Jerusalem as a capital yet, Yassir initiated the 2nd intefadah instead. Only during a brief period after the 2nd Jewish revolt (around 125-130 CE) have jews been a minority in Israel.
But seriously, look at Palestinian school books for maps of Israel...you won't find them. The very name Palestine was coined by the Roman to delegitimize Jewish claims to Judea/Israel. The root is found in the word Philistine/Pelishtim...
But back tot he matter at hand. The Palestinians were offered all of the Gaza Strip, 95% of the West Bank, and a capital...yet they chose not to accept it. Instead they set about murdering Israelis...again. After their withdrawal from Gaza, you'd think that would have started talks...all it started was daily rocket attacks. If Mexico launched 10-20 rockets into Arizona, New Mexico and Texas...would we just sit back and watch? Or..would we do something? Yet we expect the Israelis to lay down and die. How big of us.
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Don't be an idiot. Can you even spell GAZA???
Can you spell WHITE PHOSPHOROUS?
One of the biggest mistakes of the last 100 years was throwing Palestinians off their land and giving it to the jews to create Israel.
It has done nothing but foster war and hatred.
How many of us are sitting on land that our ancestors didn't get by taking it from someone else? Very very few people anywhere in the world! Who are we to decide that Israel has to give anything back, they fought and died for it and if you go back far enough it wasn't the Palestinians land.
Yes, I think the Native American Indians want some land back. A lot of land.
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ThinkAgain is right, IMO, and has not in any way endorsed Hamas or any other group. He's just telling it like it is. If you don't believe him, go to the library, history section.
The Holocaust was a much bigger mistake.
Why not give it back to the British? Turks? Romans? Persians? Babylonians?
Perhaps even the Pangaeans?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Southern_Levant
Vote
Is Obama surrounded by self-hating Jews?
http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=6224
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wow, 4% of Israelis think 0bama has their back compared to 88% for Bush. Liberals are going to hate Israel just for that alone.
The fact that 0bama is kissing Iran's butt allowing them to build nukes to wipe Israel off the map, consistantly sides with the arabs over the Israel and speaks at a testamonial praising his buddy and professed Jew hater Rashid Khalidi (a tape of said speech is in the hands of the LA Times who refuse to release it because it makes the one look bad) are just a few reasons why they hate him.
As for Axlerod and Emanuel, all they care about is power, the fact that they make temple weekly is for show and connections. Amazing the rabbis don't dress them down for turning their backs on Israel.
The Israelis know their shit....
How Stupid are you? What exactly did GW do about Iran. Except make them stronger by going to war with Iraq. Kissing Irans butt. What is your solution. Invade Iran. Then you can watch oil go to $400 a barrel. They will block the Straight of Harmooze. So give us all a real sensible solution. Because the neo cons have been so right on everything else. We do not have the military size to invade Iran either. So unless you want to drop a few nukes of our own what exactly do you propose.
ummm...do you think that the "Green" Revolution slowly smoldering inside Iran would have occured had they NOT seen genuine elections going on right next door? How dense do you have to be. Just get on the 'net and google "green revolution" and see what comes up. They're not speaking in english because they want to hide it from the mullahs...they're using english so that the outside world can see/hear what is going on... why do you think they've started using signs in english? So the mullahs/government can practice english? NOT.
Iran is smoldering because the younger people there are tired of the corruption of the religious dominiated government. They are tired of it all, and see something that hasn't occured outside of Israel...reasonably fair elections. That's not something that they've ever had before. Why else would they be protesting every Friday in their millions?
Israel only negotiates at all because they know their ability to live in peace and long term survival depends on it. Negotiation involves give and take. If we're not willing to concede that the Palestinians have valid interests and rights, it's all a farce and we should just drop it.
They hate him because they are the last bastion of the drek that is neoconservatism. It's really a shame because Jews are a really wonderful people. Israel is about 3-4 years behind us in recognizing how corrupt and sick neoconservatism is.
So neoconservatism is defined as not wanting to get roasted by nukes from Muslim psychos?
Israelis hate Obama because 1. They are very intelligent. 2. They know a racist anti-Semite when they see one. 3. Obama is the reincarnaton of Jimmy Carter. Oh, Jimmy's not dead yet? Too bad. 4. Did I already say he's a racist anti-Semite?
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Hmmm..obviously doctorfixit is one of the people who voted YES on that facebook poll of what to do with Obama.
Israel is not always right! Arabs are not always wrong! No one is always right or wrong. I'm Jewish by the way, Ashekanazi. So sorry I'm not antisemitic but try again.
If you can say that all Arabs or Muslims are evil then when someone says all Jews are sneaky and love money and are cheap, you have no right to get angry. Obama doesn't roll over and play dead for Israel. Then again, people like Bush LOVE Israel, not Jews. In fact Jews like me and you are only good as collateral damage for the End of Days to people like Hagee and Bush.
Your problem with Obama is that he's not only a N, he's an educated N who blows all your stereotypes out the window. I'm sure that your wet dream is that Obama will end up like Rabin did. You were probably popping the champagne corks when that happened to Rabin and if that were to happen to Obama, you'd set off fireworks, you'd be so ecstatic. Never mind that two young girls would lose their father, you don't even see them as human so what do you care?
How sad that the people like doctor fixit learned NOTHING from the Holocaust except to use it as a dagger to excuse bad behavior.
Geh en drerd!
Jews of the Diaspora used to be pretty intelligent, but a great number of Israeli Jews have lost the smarts their great-grandparents had and have turned shortsighted and ignorant and addicted to stereotypes and racial hatred, and got themselves stuck in a prison of their own making, an absurd violent back and forth with people who were not the ones responsible for the Shoa. The reason given is that "they do it too" ---how intelligent is that?!
This is very Easy... Give the Palestinians back their occupied lands, build taller buildings to accomodate the growing Israel population, or build smaller appartments like it is in N.Y. If hamas shoots rockets after then. Israel has every right to deal with them however they want.
So...the Israelis forcibly evicted the settlers from the Gaza Strip...yet Hamas has continued to fire rockets into southern Israel...and escalated the number of rockets they fire each and every month. Now they are averaging 10-20 a day. But when Israel moved into the Gaza to destroy the rocket works...they were branded by the world press as evil agressors...what to do now? How do you negotiate with a group that desires to kill you, your children and everyone else in your country? How do you negotiate then? Seriously?
At Camp David, the Israelis offered all of Gaza, and 95% of the West Bank, plus East Jerusalem as a capital, it was rejected. Yassir was quoted as saying he could get more with continued resistance...that was 12 years ago. Just how do you negotiate with a people who desires the destruction of you and your country? how?
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The problem lies when the President set as preconditions to Israeli-Palestinian talks, the halting of Israeli settlements. Netanyanhu pointed out that they had already been talking for years.
Its getting hard to see Israel as an "ally."
Personally, the turning point was that last invasion of Lebanon a few years ago and specifically a news report on CNN showing an obaviously mentally retarded adult man who was crying and then a young woman, maybe in her late teens, pickes him up and carries him on her back as the whole village flees. That young woman has more humanity than all but a handful of members of our House of Representatives that were voting 400 to applaud Israel.
Karen, you really have to stop watching CNN and MSNBC ALL the time. Can you not spot propaganda when you see it?
Hilarious.
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After Iraq, the latest in a series of unilateral misadventures, there's also the issue of "Do as I say, not as I do."
"David Axelrod openly reveres the old Jewish deli in Chicago" therefore he is not a 'self-hater.'
You lost me there. Does the Beast always have to highlight intellectual lightweightness?
It is disturbing to see all the comments that dismiss Israel as a friend of the United States: "Who cares about Israel?"; they're 'spoiled'; they have no oil; their defense of their country might cause gas prices to rise, etc.
Talk about SPOILED and SELFISH. I would hope that most American's sense of fair play and compassion is better developed than is indicated by many of the comments on this blog.
EXACTLY! Israel is the ONLY ally of the US in the Middle-East who would not sell the US out for a barrel of oil. Israel is the ONLY functioning democracy in the Middle-East. Israel is the only homeland of a people that were almost destroyed by the same anti-Semitism that today masquerades as "anti-Zionism". Americans who are among the freest people in the world MUST stand up for democracy and against the genocidal tendencies of the anti-semites and the power insane Mullahs.
Left alone with no allies, ISRAEL WILL NOT ALLOW ANOTHER HOLOCAUST and the Middle-East will become a wasteland. Oh and OIL will shoot up to $500 a barrel. (There, I thought the oil part would get the attention of all you short sighted covert anti-"Zionists").
That said, I believe in the goodness of Americans. My ancestors came to this country in 1638 seeking religious freedom and a new beginning. Just like the Jews of a destroyed Europe did in the country that was their homeland for millennia, the land of Israel. They just went home.
Bravo! Mine came through Salem, Mass around the same time...yet, if you use the same twisted logic, our ancestors were evil men and women who stole the land from AmerInds...horrible people, we...
This article is ridiculous.
4 % say he is Pro Israel
51% say he's more Pro-Palestinian than Pro-Israel
I'm assuming that 49% say he's more Pro-Israel than Pro-Palestinian.
So Israelis believe Obama is evenhanded. Somehow Richard Wolffe twists this into Israelis "hating" Obama. Ridiculous.
There is no fun in polling data if you can't use it to support your point.
Someone please explain to me Israel's strategic value to the US? The source of Muslim rage. They don't pay US taxes yet we send them $4Billion per year. They spy on us.
Is it because of some end of days apocalypse fantasy of the religious right?!? My vote - we publically guarantee their existence so the world knows...then we tell them that they do as we say to end this conflict or we cut off the money....I see no reason why our national security should continue to be threatened by the actions of the state of Israel.
Israel is the only true ally of the Us. Sorry it has no oil. But it does not hide among children women, elderly,when fighting . It cares about its people and its allys.The world, arab, persiands, all of them deep inside felt we deserved Sept. 11.Thank G-d israel will not be able to wait and see if Ahmadinajon,wants to wipe them out. They would wipe Israel and The US,in a second. THEY HATE AND ENVY THE WEST
This hatred of Jews and Israel, they,all jews do not hate this president, and many know he is trying to achieve peace.You do not have to blame Jews 50% of this country hates the president. and they are not Jews.And yes give back the land to the Indians, and pay retribution to the african American families,for the injustices done in slavery and after..the jewish G-d does not reward you,for exploding innocent airplanes,for taking american hostages,for blowing yourself and others up.For beating women and keeping them as dogs,for opressing and allowing its people not to grow. Israel fights to survive.!!Do people think these people who talk about the palestinians care for them.? did Arafat care for his people?.Where are all the fortunes, of money, he had in switzerland where his wife and daughter lived in marseilles. they use the palestinian,as they use the Jews.as scapegoats.Defending Israel might cause the oil to go up?They would leave this country without oil and give it all to china,in a heartbeat.The Israelis are spoiled and selfish. ??But they are not murdering coward,westernerner haters,abusers,opressors,and want to control the world.
Isn't Israel located in the Middle East? So why is it a Western?
And why would Jews who suffered for generations from Western European and US anti-Semitism, that is the sort of racism that culminated in perpetrating mass murder or in letting it happen, be so eager to be "Western"?
Of all places, I wouldn't have believed that historical amnesia would be so prevalent in Israel!
Sure, let 'em go. Cut 'em off.
And then decide what to do when Israel, with it's back to the wall, decides to simply drop the bomb (I should say bombs).
I'm sure it would please the Jew baiters in this thread to see us give Israel what it deserves. But Israel is not without the resources to defend itself -- but it will run out of conventional resources much more quickly if we dump them. And if Israel is nothing else it is a country that has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to do whatever it felt it needed to do to defend itself in the face of adverse world opinion.
Get out your lawn chairs and watch the suns rise in the Middle East.
You have to wonder whether Wolfe realizes how ridiculous it is to say that Axelrod can't be a "self-hating Jew" because he "openly reveres the old Jewish deli in Chicago known as Manny's." There you have it; being Jewish means liking bagels!
Apart from that silliness, Wolfe has nothing to say here. Only 4% of Israelis think Obama is more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian, because he has acted more pro-Palestinian than any American President in the 62 years since Israel's founding.
Worse, he's been naive and incompetent while about it. In a few months, he managed to alienate not only the government of one of the US's staunchest allies, but nearly the whole of its population too. And for what? Only to be humiliated by (predictably) not drawing out a single concession from the Palestinians and being forced to climb down from his highly public demand on Israel ("never mind").
America's enemies and allies alike have taken due note of Obama's naivete and feebleness.
What has Obama done to Israel? Absolutely nothing, as far as I can see. This sounds like more of the usual Republican hysteria and paranoia, based on Obama's color and name.
Certainly I can see why Israelis would have no great affection for someone who's middle name is "Hussein". That's understandable enough, as is the fact that they preferred McCain to win the election--just about the only country in the world that did favor him in 2008.
Obama supports the two-state solution, which is the only answer to this problem, as even many Israelis must have realized long ago. This idea of partition and setting up an Arab state and a Jewish state side-by-side goes back to the 1920s and 1930s, so it can hardly come as any great shock to Israelis at this late date. Even Bush Junior had heard of it, and he was never exactly some kind of mental giant.
If anyone has a better idea, I've never heard it.
It is easy enough to understand why the Israelis are a little touchy about having Hamas next door, since it is an Islamic fascist movement that wants to destroy them. The fact is, they are going to have to deal with the Palestinians on the West bank sooner or later and let them have their own state, so it might as well be now.
To do that, a lot of those settlements will have to go, and this cannot come as any great shock to anyone in Israel either.
Therefore, this brings us right back to the point that they aren't too comfortable with a "Hussein" as president of the United States. Well, that's too bad. He was legitimately elected and is going to be there for eight years, so they might as well get used to it.
Respectfully MC, I agree with almost everything you say except the inference that Israelis have a right to be uncomfortable because teh President's middle name is Hussein. This is a Muslim name commonly used in all around the world. the reference implies that (1) something as shallow as your name reflects your politics or beliefs; (2) most people have nothing to do with naming themselves; and worst (3) that Muslim are a threat to Israel and they are not.
why does no one ever consider that nations of Muslims are being educated on a daily basis to hate all Jews and Christians? There will never be a peace process if one side only believes in the ultimate destruction of the other. This is an effort in futility. I strongly believe in the validity of both sides of this situation, but you have Palestinians and Lebanese who elect regimes with acknowledged terrorist ties, shoot rockets daily into Israel and a press who only reports the oppression of the Palestinians. WHere were their Muslim brotherhood who would take any of the refugees?
The people who murdered my father and grandparents for being Jewish called themselves Christians. The people who saved my mother and me at the risk of their own lives, also called themselves Christians. The people who long ago gave shelter to my supposed Shepardi ancestors when they were expelled/had to flee/ the ever so Christian Spanish Inquisition were given asylum and protection by people who called themselves Muslims.
So I don't think religion has anything to do with it. It's just an excuse for human beings to commit acts of violence, to take each others' land and other possessions away, to establish a ranked /caste type society, to exploit and oppress and terrorize each other. The more unequal the entities or groups confronting each others the worse the violence by the more powerful over the weaker. Violence, among other things, is a marker of social status. "An eye for an eye" implies equality. One thousand eyes for one implies that that particular one eye is one thousand times superior to the thousand destroyed for revenge.....
Not all the billion of individuals of the Islamic faith hate Jews and Christians, just as not all Israelis and not all Christians hate Muslims. Ultimately it's a matter of individual conscience (we don't admit the excuse of following orders, right?). It's lucky that some people actually do follow the dictates of their various religions which basically can be interpreted as opposing violence and oppression.
(even though I'm an existential Jew because of my personel and family history, I'm not impressed with the Judeo-Christian-Islamic complex. These three religions are variations on a single theme. They all claim to be descendants of Abraham who was ready to kill his son because his god told him to, and they all claim to be "revealed" religions with a monopoly on absolute truth. However, I do like the old Jewish folk stories of magical rabbis, and other topics and their profound wisdom, courage, humility and humor in the face of persecution. I'm afraid that most of that Jewish culture has indeed been wiped out in the Shoa, and that it doesn't seem to be much valued in today's Israel (could the Israeli who reject their cultural heritage be the real "self hating" Jews?).
That opening paragraph is the best thing I've read in years! Thank you.
existential jew? what is that? Are you joking? You don't think that every day Muslims are teaching their children that Jews and Christians should be killed? You must be nuts. I am Catholic, NOT CHRISTIAN, which is a big difference. Christians want to be one with Israel because they believe the land is theirs. I do not agree with that (nor do Catholics) as we know the land belongs to Israel. Again, I repeat, where are the Muslim nations to absorb their people. Sir Balfour of Great Britain is the one who wrote up the split of the land,,,, everyone blames the US but we really were only a party to the deal....please can someone just stand up for Israel. THey do deverything we do:want gay parade, go there, want gay marriage, go there....seriously, do you think you could get this in ANY other country????
Thanks to you too, Bullfitta!
Attila, are you per chance Hungarian? "Attila" is a very popular name among the Magyars.
An existential Jew is someone who is Jewish, not out of religious beliefs, but because that person has lived the reality of being assigned a Jewish identity and hunted down for it.... Some of the roots of the notion go back to Sartre "Anti-Semitism and Jew" as well as Martin Luther King (influenced by Gandhi, himself influenced by Thoreau -- neat!) with the sixties civil right slogan: "black is beautiful" which took on the existential lived reality of being stygmatized because of an imaginary blackness and turned it around --which is also what Sartre advocated for Jews to do.
As for Christianity, I realize that in the US the term "Christian" has become associated with some a segment of Pentecostals and the notion of "reborn Christian". But this is very very recent and misleading. In the rest of the world and throughout history, a Christian is one who believes Jesus Christ is his or her savior. That's the dictionary definition and that applies to all adherents of Christianity. I assume since you claim to be Catholic, you believe in Jesus, right?
Yes, there are a lot of fanatics who call themselves Muslims even though their religion forbids the taking of innocent lives. There are a lot of fanatics who call themselves Christians of various denominations even though their religion forbids the taking of innocent lives. There is enough material in the Talmud and other Jewish sources that also forbids the taking of innocent lives.
I don't know if you can wrap your mind around this, but if you truly love Israel then you must criticize its present policies. There is a left wing in Israel that advocates different policies than those pusued by the present government. If you totally identify one party with the country, then you're no longer a democracy.
There is also the issue of racism within Israel itself, racism not only against Arab Israelis, but also against Jews of color now all identified as Shepardi... I'm afraid a substantial number of Ashkenaz brought to Israel the racist world view they took from the countries they came from... I don't think Herlz would have approved.
As for Gay pride parade and Gay marriage, they are happening in many countries. Where they aren't there are brave people working to make them happen, you know, by criticizing their govt. policies. Gay marriages have been legalized in several states in the US as well as in several European countries. Some countries still have a hard time accepting gays, though. In Hungary recently there was a attempt at a Gay Pride parade. The participants were attacked and threatened to be thrown in the Danube (just like the Nazi did with so many Jews). In Russia, an attempt at a similar parade had to be cancelled because the police couldn't or wouldn't guarantee the safety of anyone participating. Do you remember that hatred for Jews, for Blacks, for Gays, for Gypsies, all come from the same Nazi doctrine and those people found themselves dying together in concentration camps? If Israelis are turning their legitimate fear into racial hatred, then Hitler has won.
Thank you.
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