Friday, April 2, 2010
[Crossposted from JStreetJive.]
Osama Hamdan of Hamas: Hillary's New Dance Partner?
Rob Malley and Tom Pickering of the International Crisis Group (Preventing Crises or Causing Them?)
We are approaching one month since Obama and his Vice President made the momentous decision to escalate the artificial "crisis" of settlements and turn it into a major policy shift of animus towards Israel while claiming -- incredibly -- that they stand stalwartly behind the Jewish State. One measure of how deep a rift the Obama policy has created are the reverberations within the U.S. and around the world. Within one week of the "condemnation" of Jewish building -- building that had been announced and planned years in advance -- the EU's President, Spanish Foreign Minister Angel Moratinos, echoed Obama's harsh words and demanded a total freeze on Jewish building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. At home, liberal media outlets have chimed in on the Obama line with unsparing words for Israel and its government: In its March 26th editorial the sages of the New York Times wrote:
"Many Israelis find Mr. Obama's willingness to challenge Israel unsettling. We find it refreshing..."
A editorial in The Harvard Crimson on April 1 declared:
"We oppose the original construction of the settlements, and believe this incident provides an important opportunity for the U.S. to consider its relationship with Israel. It is time for the U.S. to reexamine its alliance with the country based on its national security and geopolitical realities. To do so, the U.S. should create diplomatic distance between the two nations. The U.S. should also make the degree of aid it provides to Israel contingent on Israel's pursuit of the peace process. President Obama's recent actions demonstrate that he is dedicated to the same careful reevaluation, and we applaud him in that regard."
On Sunday, April 18, the American Friends Service Committee (no stranger to vicious, anti-Israel rhetoric) -- will hold a "mock Congressional hearing" in Chicago on US Policy in Israel/Palestine keynoted by inveterate apologist for Palestinian terror, Jeff Halper. Traditional Israel-hating centers like UC Irvine are ramping up their vitriol. Obama's unprecedented assault on Israel is bringing out the crazies all over the world. The question should not be "is 'favoritism' towards Israel harming U.S. national interests" but "is the Obama assault on Israel proving dangerous for Israel and putting Jewish lives at risk around the world?"
Think tanks and prestigious universities have suddenly decided to publicly question the basic U.S. Israel relationship. At a recent Harvard talk on "Moderating Islam", the consensus at the Kennedy School was that most of our troubles in the War on Terror can be laid at the feet of a misguided foreign policy that favors Israel. In spite of General Petraeus' "clarification" of his staff's report on the causal, dangerous nature of that relationship in Senate testimony, the effects of the report were clear.
We reported here that in order to decipher the underlying animus of Obama towards Israel, we had to look to the voices that are informing him. That view would seem to have been confirmed by recent reports that former administration officials have met with senior Hamas officials in Zurich, Damascus and other venues - clearly with Obama's approval. Robert Malley, the long time apologist for Arafat and Hamas, was central to these meetings as was Thomas Pickering, also a central figure in The International Crisis Group. Considering that Abbas has been fully informed regarding ongoing, previously planned Jewish housing -- without any apparent objections until Obama's public condemnation -- the administration's overtures to Hamas, his mortal enemy, will be certain to sour the PA on proximity talks. We haven't seen the names Samantha Power of Rashid Khalidi surface yet, but I have no doubt they will in the near future.
Recently senior Fatah official, Nabil Shaath, announced the next Intifada, claiming - this time -- it won't be violent (and his word is unimpeachable, of course). Already, rocket attacks from Gaza have escalated, not to mention the fatal confrontation between Hamas combatants and the IDF in an attempted terror attack last week. It's now an open question as to whether the Obama administration's incompetence is outpacing its dislike of Israel.
Look back to Obama's speech in Cairo to the "Muslim World". That speech, written by a Jew and reported here equated Israel's raison d'etre with the Holocaust and its attendant sin, the Arab Nakba; the speech set the tone for U.S. obeisance to the Arab and Muslim world.
The public contempt displayed by Obama and his lieutenants towards Israel is clearly the price he is willing to pay for amity with the Arabs and Muslims. Consider the events preceding and following his humiliation of Netanyahu:
- the revolting apology to Qaddafi
- the warm, high level welcome of Pakistan to Washington along with a multi-year security assistance package
- the "softening" of sanctions on Iran, ostensibly to gain Russian and Chinese cooperation, but in reality, he has given the green light to the Mullahs to produce nuclear weapons.
All of these highly visible, public moves are further attempts to isolate and humiliate Israel. And I'm not sure that it's as simple as Obama expecting an easier time for U.S. forces in Afghanistan or Iraq. It is not outside the realm of possibility that he and his advisers bear a deep-seated, unspoken (and perhaps soon to be spoken) animus towards the Jewish State. With 78% of the Jewish vote in his pocket (probably more now that Eric Yoffie is "on his team") and with J Street running interference for him, he believes he can do anything to Israel. He's probably right. Long after the general electorate has abandoned him, the last group loyal to him will be fearful, left wing Jews whose antipathy to Israel and Zionism has been muted by the proximity of the Holocaust. But as that event fades into history, their animus will grow. The charge of dual loyalty aimed for so long at American Jews is finally ringing true, but it's not a dualism between loyalty to America vs. Israel: The real dual loyalty today for liberal Jews is between uncritical allegiance to Barack Obama or to the survival of Israel. The failure of American Jewish leadership to address this all-out assault on Israel will prove to be more serious than its failure to speak out during the Holocaust.
Walt and Mearscheimer must be overjoyed.
One must admit Obama's virtuosity at achieving his goals not in the midst but in the face of opposition. He sets up the dominos around and between the legs of those who are against him and when it seems he can't possibly pull it off, he nonchalantly tips over the first domino and sets the chain reaction in motion. Those who are against him want him to stop but they don't have the nerve to tell him no, 'to here and not further'. It's exasperating. But the most exasperating of all is what Mr. Stavis exposes in his post. I'm certain it is only coincidental that Israel has become American Jewry's Korban to their demigod.
Heckofa job, Hillel. Well done.
DAVID LETTERMAN'S HATE, ETC. !
David Letterman's hate is as old as some ancient Hebrew prophets.
Speaking of anti-Semitism, it's Jerry Falwell and other fundy leaders who've gleefully predicted that in the future EVERY nation will be against Israel (an international first?) and that TWO-THIRDS of all Jews will be killed, right?
Wrong! It's the ancient Hebrew prophet Zechariah who predicted all this in the 13th and 14th chapters of his book! The last prophet, Malachi, explains the reason for this future Holocaust that'll outdo even Hitler's by stating that "Judah hath dealt treacherously" and "the Lord will cut off the man that doeth this" and asks "Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?"
Haven't evangelicals generally been the best friends of Israel and persons perceived to be Jewish? Then please explain the recent filthy, hate-filled, back-stabbing tirades by David Letterman (and Sandra Bernhard and Kathy Griffin) against a leading evangelical named Sarah Palin, and explain why most Jewish leaders have seemingly condoned Palin's continuing "crucifixion"!
While David, Sandra, and Kathy are tragically turning comedy into tragedy, they are also helping to speed up and fulfill the Final Holocaust a la Zechariah and Malachi, thus helping to make the Bible even more believable!
(For even more shocks, Google or Yahoo "The Earliest Hate Criminals.")
so why did the US Navy arrange to ship all those bunker buster bombs from California to Diego Garcia? Ah, if only they get used in Iran, that will give the Walt-Mearsheimer acolytes something new to scream about.
why does everyone believe that 78% Jewish vote? that was based on some exit polls, not reality.
Hi Sophia!
Hi K2K!
Now - if somebody will permit me to explain the animus toward Sarah Palin - this isn't an attack on Evangelicals by Jews.
It is a reflection of the fact that many people took exception to the fact that Governor Palin during the presidential campaign and subsequently during the debate over health care actively promoted fear and divisiveness.
The "death panels" business is hard to forgive. So is the ridiculous claim that Obama is a Marxist.
Indeed, he has continued the Bush policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, his health care plan is close to Romney's whereas people like me would vastly have preferred a single-payer system (sorry folks) and his bail-out plan was very kind to big business, so I don't see a Marxist here, period.
Therefore this is a matter of principle, of honesty and a respect for reality-based debate.
We need and indeed thrive upon civil debate of the issues.
But, fear-mongering and trying to mislead people (by anybody) is the enemy of an open, civil democracy.
PS: I would feel a lot more comfortable if people, I don't care who they are, would stop threatening Israel with extermination.
This goes for Iran, the Nazis, various Christians, radical Palestinians and pro-Palestinians, antisemites, the far right, the far left, etc.
I am all too concerned that this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy and personally I fear and resent it.
I think it would be good to focus on positive, life-affirming action and stop practically begging for Armageddon. This is a beautiful, unique and wondrous planet and we should start trying hard to preserve it - and each other.
Obama would be a Marxist if he could. But instead, because of the mean stupid Americans, he has to settle for soft Euro socialism. In my experience, the Jewish antipathy to Palin--and in fact to many things Republican and "right wing"--is rooted in one simple thing: abortion.
Some of my best friends are Jewish, my parents for instance ;-). But, so many liberal Jews just can't get over an obsessive worship of "choice." Here in No. Cal., that's pretty much all that matters. Those nasty righties want to take away a woman's right to choose!
Hogwash, I say.
"It is a reflection of the fact that many people took exception to the fact that Governor Palin during the presidential campaign and subsequently during the debate over health care actively promoted fear and divisiveness." -- Sophia
Yeah, it was Sarah Palin who brought the viscious attacks upon her, by spouting Hitlerian diatribes against "the Other."
That must be it. Because any hostility to a white Euro Christian has to be because she deserved it. The root cause of Sarah Palin Derangement Syndrome, is Sarah Palin's actions and rhetoric.
Obama is a Far Leftist Neo Marxist. He is a New Left Radical, all his friends are New Left Radicals. Except for his minister, who is a Black Liberation Theologist who preaches hate of American and White People as the Devil.
But on Saturday his visits his Violent Terrorist New Left Radical friend Bill Ayers, to work on his new autobiography. When he isnt hamming it up with Khalidi the Palestinian terrorist sympathizer.
But that damn Sarah Palin! The gaul of that divisive woman!
She had a Down's Syndrome baby for God's sake, and didnt kill it in the womb. Those humans dont look like us, you know, so they dont deserve...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Obama is showing up that Rightwinger Netanyahu and his racist far right coalition partners.
Just like he showed up the Racist Far Right TeaBaggers and their extremist Republican friends.
Obama is showing up that Rightwinger Netanyahu and his racist far right coalition partners.
Just like he showed up the Racist Far Right TeaBaggers and their extremist Republican friends.
Wow. First we have Sophia content with her head in the sand (can anyone say Germany's Jews of the early thirties?)
And then EscapeVelocity with his(hers?) ridiculous use of the word"racist"
If anyone has injected race into the arena, it's been Obama from the beginning.
BTW, I'd be curious if those who complain about perceived hate-mongering from conservatives had the same issues for all those years when Bush was being vilified in the most vile ways (no problem when HE was constantly called Hitler, eh?), or with the public calls hoping for Cheney's to die?
Thought not.
progressively dumb people obsess on Sarah Palin, ignoring all the truly dumb stuff Joe Biden has said.
Stuff like Biden saying that in 1929, President Roosevelt spoke to the nation on television.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jf17Yo7hBM
And of course, Obama saying that over 20 years in revd. wrights church, Obama NEVER HEARD any anti-American rants from his close spiritual advisor.
Obama was either lying, or is too dumb. I suspect both apply.