Israeli colonization schemes, called "settlements," continue to hum away in the occupied territories. These include expansion of Har Homa, the hilltop suburban landgrab outside Bethlehem, where a forest used to be: in Palestinian geography, Abu Ghneim. Israel considers this part of East Jerusalem. That's nuts. Here is B'tselem's map of the separation fence showing that Har Homa is south of Jerusalem, near Rachel's Tomb, which is of course cordoned by high concrete walls.
This is an American issue. There will be no Palestinian moderation, and no peace in the Middle East, till these insults are sanctioned by us. Nothing will change until the U.S. government does more than lip service in opposition. Nothing will change till Democratic politicians turn their backs on the religious left and condemn the colonies. Nothing will change till the media make these crimes an issue as they made Saddam's crimes an issue. Nothing will change till the self-styled "secular" American Jewish community separates itself from the macho religio-militarist nutbags on whom they have projected their Warsaw-ghetto injuries.
Phil:
Why do you insist on using this term the religious Left? If you were to ask lefties both jewish and non-Jewish if these awful settlements should be rolled back the vast majority would agree with a resounding yes. On the other hand, if you were to ask many right-leaning jews and non-jews they would argue the opposite.
Michael Walzer laid out the fault lines for this quite nicely in a essay several years ago. Left wingers oppose the war for greater Israel and the war to destroy Israel. Right wingers oppose the war to destroy Israel and for greater Palestine, and support the war for greater Israel.
Is your confusing these different positions intentional?
This is the time for CITIZENS to communicate with their representatives and contacts that we want peace, more than we want expansion.
Actually, Richard, it's time to elect Ron Paul. Just cut off ALL foreign aid to EVERYONE, and we Americans no longer have to worry about the issues Phil raises on his blog.
Today is the "Boston Tea Party" event for Paul's campaign. At noon he's already raised 4.5 million, and the rate of donation has increased to $187,000/hour. Phenomenal. Russert's already invited him on Meet the Press next Sunday.
The American people (as opposed to their faux, self-appointed elites) are sick of a lot of things, in this season of recession, of a collapsing dollar, of torture and Telecom spying and the Orwellian-named "Patriot Act." They're sick of Empire and the crushing taxation it mandates. They're sick of the government treating its own citizens as the enemy.
If you want to restore individual rights, liberty, and habeas corpus, if you want to end the war and bring the troops home, not only from Iraq but from the 100+ countries where we have them stationed, then google Ron Paul. Donate today. Nov. 5th was big, but today is going to be far bigger.
End the madness.
And now back to your regularly-scheduled kvetch.
I have spent much time communicating with my representatives.
All I get is stock boilerplate in writing, or the same via email and phone. When I keep pressing they and their staffers ignore me.
I completely agree with Oarwell. I switched my status from Independent to Republican just to vote for Paul in the primary; too, for the first time in my life I sent hard earned cash to Paul.
I will do it again today. His view and legacy is in the making even if he died today. I've been around the block, having been totally on my own since turning 18–I'm now 65. I'm enough a student of history to know it's now in the making through this honest and intellectually consistent man.
You speak the truth, Mr. Oarwell. Alas our Jewish- dominated elite has little clue what is going on in the world. Such is the way with narcissists…
What does the future hold for us ? well if our dollar collapses then the mob will be braying for blood. We can still give Israel billions but what will it be worth to them?
In that hour the elites will wish they had not so patronisingly dismissed the Ron Paul revolutionary set.
Y'know 20,000 New England Tories were driven from their homes in the 1780's after the Revolutionary War in the 1780's….at least they had British Canada to go to but the long journey in winter was hard on them….where will our elites flee to after destroying this country thru currency debauchment, inflation and wars for Israel? Some have told me that they will go to China and India…..I wonder if they will let them in after they see what they have done to the US not to mention the near zero value of their dollar-denominated assets.
What do you think?
Ron Paul is not what the country needs now.
He seems like a nice man, but his economic ideas are a disaster. His only credentials are as long-term representative (good credentials, but not fit for presidency).
This is NOT the time for guessing. The country is entering crisis, and NOT because of Israel or Jews.
So, let's see, we should just keep encouraging easy credit (as we did to make the current real estate problem, which is even worse than the savings and loan debacle, though spawned from its bailut), cheapening the dollar via the Fed, and paying China steep interest after we die (through our children)? That's just great. Take a look at Paul's monetary and fiscal policies, and his key role in the financial congressional committee all these years.
So he's not for sale–that's certainly what his congressional role for many years displays. Who's guessing here? I agree the country is entering crisis–actually it's already there. Thanks for the assurance it's not because of Israel or Jews. Ron Paul never said it was–he's much more complex than that would imply. That's doesn't mean he's not aware of our foreign policy and its impact, and our economic policy and its impact–on everyday Americans.
Er Richard….your comments are generally conclusary with no argument behind them….your comments are generally at odds with the letter and spirit of what Weiss posts….not sure why you post here.
Entering crisis? we are in one…
the foreign policy crisis….so you disagree with Weiss that the Jewish neo Cons played a central role in the Iraq war?
who was pushing for war with Iran?? Who jeered Pelosi when she spoke of stoping Bush's war plan? AIPAC….
whose idea was it to antagonise 30% of the world's population by giving near unlimited support for Israel?
Hve you bothered to read the 9-11 Commission report yet or are you as cluelss as the neo Con here Giulani about it? Ron Paul had to set him straight in a debate.
Jews cannot have it both ways: they boast of their "contribution" to politics, they boast of AIPAC's power and I believe that such boasts are accurate…you have posted that Jews are 50% of the political process, why should Jews not get half the blame then?
I agree with anon22. The scary thing to the status quo is Ron Paul represents a monkey wrench in the current campaign finance system, and hence, in the lack of of accountability to the American public, writ large. A vote for Ron Paul is a vote against all special interest lobbies–it's noted Paul's donations overwhelmingly come from the grass roots, no lobby group, and also, and this is telling: from military veterans and their families.
The original draft of the 9-11 Commission Report expressed more clearly the findings of the main motive for the attack; the published report was watered down, but still mentioned our rubber stamp of Israel policy and its implemented actions.
To Charles Keating
Look the US cannot afford to police the world…even that analogy is flawed because most of the world does not view the US as a honest broker or honest cop.
Can you blame the world? I dont.
Up until now the US has had the fire power and will and money to force its will upon the world. Those 3 prongs are coming to a rapid end:
1. money—the dollar will be worthless soon. Our elites–not all Jewish totally misunderstood the trade agreements that they were signing up for and their ramnifications.
2. Firepower and its balance: other countries are getting or will get advanced weapons. Even Iran has a great aircraft…what a story that is: The Lavi project financed by the US taxpayer, then Israel sells the plane to China over US objections and China then sells it to Iran!
Russia has a new F-16 beating fighter. Price just 34 million versus our 188 mil.
3. will power: the US has no will to fight for its empire …even the Israelis cannot get their young people to sign up.
The neo Cons will see a new world order. It just wont look like what they expected.
The zionist and neo's are not smart enough to back off using the US for the goals they have set for themselves.
Our politicans aren't smart enough to realize they aren't smart enough to keep their political and financial ponzi scheme balls in the air indefinitely..
The result?…the US is more than half way to it's end as the US..the question is ..on the lesson learned…….who will be the winners and the losers in the final shakeup and rebuilding.
How Israel Saved Intel:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003658346_intelisrael09.html
This is one example of how support for Israel pays off for America many times over. America benefits from Israeli advanced military technology, as well. Go ask someone a Boeing or Lockheed if the military aid to Israel is a good thing for America.
Israel is secretly selling nuclear technology to America's enemies in breach of a long-established agreement. The joke is, these are American weapons paid for by American tax-payers who generously subsidise Israel, going to a rising Communist superpower. link to theinsider.org
To anon 22:
I agree with all you say. Why did you think I would not?
What is driving Americans' support for Ron Paul is obviously anti-imperialism (falsely labelled by establishment whores as 'isolationism'), meaning opposition to Iraq and to the rest of the fantasies of the Clean Break judeofascists.
Americans largely don't believe the hype about free markets which libertarians (including Ron Paul) and Republicans alike LOVE to worship and extoll.
Americans are pissed off that their jobs are disappearing and people with and without degrees are having their spots replaced by cheaper imported and exported labor.
While the middle class and upper class whites who support Ron Paul may not have much need for government assistance (after all they are sending money to a politician), they should also be aware that there are millions of Americans who ARE in need of such assistance. They'll be the ones living in the street smashing your car windows to steal your radio to get enough money for booze and groceries. I guess that's a different kind of 'tax,' either way, a country (especially an industrialized, wealthy one such as the U.S.) must assist the less fortunate.
Paul is a libertarian free market religious nut who wants to cut everything, from the post office to the military budget. Some of it is a good idea, some of it would prove disastrous for the lower and middle classes alike.
Keating, China has had a nuclear weapons since the late 1950's.
Doh: Did I say something that implied China did not have nukes? If so, I apologize. Certainly I know this.
Tried to post a follow-up, but
WordPress wouldn't let me:
"We're sorry, your comment has not been published because TypePad's antispam filter has flagged it as potential comment spam."
WTF?
Either I've been revealed as an automated robot, or Phil designated my posts as spam.
Whatever.
I have the same problem, Oarwell.
I have the same problem.
I could be an automated robot. I mean, how would I know?
I never believed in strong AI, but they would have programmed me that way, wouldn't they?
"Cogito ergo spam."
OT (for Ron Paul fans and just people interested in new ways of conducting politics): looks like they're going to break another record today — it's at $5.3M at 10:30 PM EST.
"Nothing will change till the self-styled "secular" American Jewish community separates itself from the macho religio-militarist nutbags on whom they have projected their Warsaw-ghetto injuries."
Very well said Philip. During the years 2002 thru 2006, I was thrown off the NYTimes Thom Friedman and Middle East Forums a number of times for posting similar opinions to those you have been expressing of late. I'm very gratified to see someone like yourself posting candid glimpses into the debate now raging inside the Jewish community. Good on ya, Philip, and keep up the good work.
Oarwell, it's probably that you posted too many links. If you have multiple links to share, do it in multiple comments.
Oarwell, you probably tried to post too many links. Parse the links into different comments and the anti-spam filters should leave you alone.
Thanks, MM and SJ. Actually, I'm embarrassed to say, I don't know any html markups for typepad. Also, I didn't include any links.
Maybe my post was too long. It was 3,854 pages in length. Was that a problem?
No, seriously, I tried a few different things. I edited out the word "whore" (replaced with 'lapdog,' describing corporate bought-and owned candidates), and reduced the number of mentions of 'Ron Paul from 5 to 2. Didn't help. Then I edited the length to 3 grafs–still no go. I even signed on as someone else (a random name, Christopher Hitchens)–no difference.
I'm sure Phil didn't censor it–he doesn't read the comments anyway–who would? (insert winking emoticon)