Mr. President-please explain how wheelchairs and schoolbooks endanger Israel’s security!
In a phone call to President Recep Erdogan of Turkey President Obama said we need to discover “better ways to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza without undermining Israel’s security”.
Please. Wheelchairs, schoolbooks. Medicine, cement to rebuild homes. Medical supplies.These in no way threaten the security of the only nuclear power in the Middle East.
Israel plans to deport the 682 activists kidnapped by Israeli commandos on Monday. The commandos are being hailed in Israel as heroes, with its usual condemnation of world outcry as “Anti-Semitic”. Israel claims the activists attacked their soldiers with chairs.
The 1985 attack by Palestinian militants on the Achille Lauro resulted in the tragic death of Leon Klinghoffer and led to the Rome Maritime Convention of 1988 – which specifically makes it an international crime to seize a ship by force, and a crime to injure or kill anyone in the process. Article by Yvonne Ridley.
Israel needs to be held to the same standards as the criminals who attacked the Achille Lauro.
Here is another item for the reader’s consideration. An attack on a ship of a NATO member in international waters is a violation of article 5 of the NATO charter and is considered an attack on all. To my knowledge there is no “Unless Israel is the attacker” clause at this time. Article 5 was invoked for the first time following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Fat chance this particular terrorist attack gets the same treatment.
Israel is not our 51st state. They are a rogue nation which has had 138 UN resolutions adopted to try to bring them into compliance with international law. We do not need to think of Israel first, we do not need to think of them at all. Our leaders need to put the United States first. Our capital is Washington, not Tel Aviv.
However, in the interest of equal time-here is Israeli spokesman Mark Regev being interviewed by ITN’s John Snow:
Of course Israel is our 51st state, what are you smoking? If Gaza was full of crackers, we’d be calling it what it is, a concentration camp and if anyone thinks of summoning Godwin, go play in the street.
Randal-Eric Mangini is the Hitler of the NFL.
Oso, like the young, encouraged voters who made the landslide difference for President Obama to become elected here, Tzipi Livni, a moderate, has the ear and the minds of young voters in Israel. Her campaign lost to the old, tired traditionals who fight with all their might to keep Israel isolated from what they long ago should have grown through: extermination. It doesn’t help that the Islamic nations tend to dredge up that ideal… simply because Israel will give no ground or compromise. I wrote about the hot spot of it in the ’70s, but the truth is that the world has stretched and grown since then and Israel is kicking and screaming with the dead weight of the frightened, isolated elders. Tzipi wanted to renegotiate territories and restrictions and lifestyle with the Palestinians. She still does.
What Israel has done is wrong wrong wrong wrong. The world is now falling in line against them. Obama is in such a lousy position..
gods… all the way around in a world gone mad.
Israeli terrorists are still terrorists, and we should treat them the same way as any other terrorist. Of course Obama has to tiptoe around so he doesn’t piss off international Jewry.
I feel for the Palestinians who must live in broken homes with no supplies or ability to do even minor repairs. We could give them some humanitarian aid if we’d pull our noses out of Israel’s ass for 5 minutes.
I’m with you on all counts Mother Hen.
As of yet, I don’t think the Administration has said squat about this except their studying it. I think their looking for a measured response. I’d prefer a swift and forceful response but I don’t have a second term to think about. So we’ll see just what his response is and judge accordingly. We can, were bloggers. I wonder how many of you truly remember President Carter. I very smart and good man. A very measured man. Almost everyday I seem to draw comparisons between Obama and Carter.
I do hope the outcome isn’t the same.
Tim I agree with your Obama – Carter comparison and my fear is the outcome may well be the same. Americans want passion during passionate times.
Tim and Mike,
Accurate comparison I think. In Alexander Cockburns book on Israel, Carter has some very choice words for Israel. I was surprised at his language!
You make some good points here Oso and there is much food for thought, although I really find it hard to blame the president for this one.