Jennifer Rubin at Commentary passes this report on with credulity (maybe because it reflects the Podhoretz family’s views?):
An elderly couple from Florida were agitated by recent events. The wife explained she that had fled Nazi Germany as a child for Shanghai. “There are parallels,” she said. “This is depressing. It’s scary.” She said that she had argued with her liberal friends during the campaign about Obama’s associations with anti-Israel figures. “My mother always said where there is smoke, there is fire,” she explained, then added wearily, “They didn’t listen.” She bemoaned the fact that Jews’ political activities are fragmented on issues like global warming. “There are plenty of people to do that,” she said. “Where are they on Israel?”
That’s just a sampling, but it gives you a sense of the angst. This is not a crowd that is celebrating. They are worried. Very worried.
Who is “everyone” who understands that E Jerusalem is not negotiable?
Some people live on this planet.
That brings up an interested question: just what is negotiable to the Israelis?
E. Jerusalem? Non-negotiable.
West Bank settlements? Non-negotiable
Palestinian right of return? Non-negotiable
Hamas? Non-negotiable.
No wonder the Israelis are so keen on retaining the status quo. They don’t have to negotiate on anything, to the point of not even determining the border of its own state.
Jordan valley – non-negotiable
The Israeli idea of negotiation is to determine the terms of Palestine’s surrender and the size of the prison.
And the USA government backs them to the hilt; even as it is an economic basket case and could care less about its military families.
These people sound senile. They certainly don’t live on this planet. Besides, what the heck does she care, she’s both on her way out and lives in sunny Florida. Talk about delusional.
“Why is Israel the only one we tell what to do?”
that’s rich. she should thank her lucky stars we aren’t ‘telling’ israel the way we tell iraq, afghanistan and pakistan. why is israel the only one shovel money at and get zilch in return.
It’s exactly the contrary; the USA tells any entity against Israel’s whims what to do, and uses full sticks, not carrots to make Israel’s whims reality, and the USA makes everyone but Israel pay the price for not rubber-stamping Israel’s whims.
Journalist Jonathan Cooke, based in Nazareth, writes about one couple’s hardship after they merely offered to rent their home to an Arab couple (Israeli citizens):
link to jkcook.net
When I was in my early teens, a family from S.Africa moved in across the street. The husband and wife were both engineers, and they had decided to leave friends and family behind because of the implicit violence in social relations. They left to avoid having their sons serve in the army in one or another bush war. They left to avoid the constaint refrain of racism in all discourse. They left because they knew that the state could not sustain itself indefinitely. Sounds a bit like contemporary Israel, no?
My gut instinct is to support open immigration for people like the Zakais. Then I wonder how Israel is going to make the transition to a binational state if all the sane people leave. When we say “never again”, to whom exactly are we referring, individuals or an Israeli people each day less deserving of our respect and assistance?
We have politically, diplomatically, militarily, and financially subsidized and enabled the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the colonization of their land.Where does our responsibility for them fit into this dilemma?
“They left because they knew that the state could not sustain itself indefinitely”
Exactly, and they had a place to go. Some Israelis do, I would guess those who have the ability to (OMG “the right of”!!) return to Western European countries or America. Or those who have the pelf to be welciome anywhere So what happens to all the Jews in Israel who don’t have that option? The “Arab” Jews, for instance? Those who lack the money or connections or cultural advantages which make leaving possible?
Clearly, Mooser, you are ignorant–Richard Witty tells me so. Since you both rest in peace, protected by USA laws and mostly goys cops, what should I think?
Clearly, Mooser, you are ignorant–Richard Witty tells me so. Since you both rest in peace, protected by USA laws and mostly goys cops, what should I think?
Unfortunately, Arab Jews are suffering from a strange sort of Stockholm syndrome vis-a-vis their political and social captivity at the hands of European Jews in Israel. The refrain from the latter to the former goes something like, “Sure, you have a hard time here, but if you went back to your places of origin, they’d make lampshades out of your skin! You need us to protect you!”
Which of course, is steaming pile of crap, if you talk to those communities of Jews who didn’t allow Israel to ship them away from their homes.
And here is Bibi, prior to his strafing run on Washington, D.C., announcing that he has hardened his position on Jerusalem and will not stop building settlements (link here)
This forces the hand of Obama, Hillary, et al … our gov’t now has to maintain a hard line and hopefully escalate the pressure to force Bibi from power and force “regime change” that results in a deal we want that settles borders, right-of-return, all of it … if not we need to cut off all funding a.s.a.p., let Iran do whatever they want, restrict trade, end all military ties, etc etc until they comply [I can dream, can't I?] … further, time to compel AIPAC to register as an agent of a foreign government while I’m fantasizing about what what should but won’t happen
israel has become a cancer – racism and corruption poisoning it from within, crimes manifesting in ugly flares as they oppress the Palestinians, and a reflexive arrogance and hardening of attitudes when they should be noticing the change in wind direction
“This forces the hand of Obama, Hilary, et al”.
I have always thought that such over-reaching (and, in a way, what has Israel ever done but over-reach?) is (or may usefully be treated as) as “cry for help.” Some Israelis (such as several PMs recently) say they don’t want the apartheid system that in fact they have, but we all know that Israeli politics will not let them abandon it. So they need help. and, perhaps, they ask for help. But they must ask indirectly.
All of this hoo-hah looks carefully planned, either by “the Obami” [Commentary] alone or by US and Israel working carefully together. But Obama & Co. can back down from a plan, whoever made it, because in US politics, too many people with big bucks oppose the plan, whoever made it.
I don’t agree that Obama seeks a “regime change in Israel.” We do not seek a puppet government in Israel (as we have done in innumerable countries where we supported or installed dictators: Iran, VietNam, throughout Central and South America, Philippines) because it is too darn democratic.
No, Obama must change the external circumstances of the I/P conflict, change the air (as it were). Create an atmosphere of air surrounding I/P that the Palestinians can breathe but which chokes the Israelis. I’ve been thumping for an American declaration that the illegalities of the settlements and wall must be reversed. the EU would jump on board that, I have little doubt. That would be a real change of “air.” Bibi can handle the change of air, whatever it is, as well as any other Israeli leader.
There is a lot of talk in Israel about regime change, about turfing out the extremists and bringing Kadima into the coalition.
This forces the hand, and the US administration should realize they’ll be perceived as a paper tiger. But Congress is the quiet supporter of Israeli crimes against humanity, which the Goldstone report exposed.
As for spreading cancer, they are a criminal state. Criminals need to be incarcerated to reform their habits. The US acts and enables the Israeli state, and allows them to commit these crimes without retribution, while the rest of the world looks in scorn.
Barbara Boxer, Alan Grayson and many other supposed liberals are clearly aware of this, which makes them all the more hypocritical and inconsistent.
Not to worry–the key Obama et all will turn is the key that opens up AIPAC funds, or deprivation of same. 60% of jewish american funding for the demos; 30% of same funding for the repubs, combined with christian zealot tithes.
Whenever these people have no where else to go, and they cannot refer to debunked “facts” and longer, they devolve to these useless and clueless personal cameos. There is nothing like going to the duped masses for ignorant fodder.
These lunaitcs are one trick ponys. They are unable to even update their talking points to the 21st century. Always Nazis, Hitler this Hitler that…
I wonder if the elderly couple have a clue what is going on in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Such people don’t care about anyone but their own kind.
It’s obvious that their justice is unique unto their tribe/community. It supersedes the laws of the US, the UN and any other organization that is for rights of humanity.
I fear what a crazed and cornered Netanyahu will cause to befall Iran. When Israel is pressured to behave in a civilized fashion, Israel reacts by waging war on somebody, anybody.
Israel is sick. Psychopathically, homicidally sick.
The US says their actions of constructing housing settlements are not helping the road to peace and suddenly it’s Nazi Germany? – that makes sense. But they always sound the alarm to get more cash.
I wonder if Hillary will tell AIPAC that the housing needs to stop and 1967 borders will need to be restored? Joe Biden and John Kerry made the same overtures last year.
Yes, it was disturbing in Hillary’s remarks before AIPAC to listen to her pledge more and more money when only cutting off the money will get their attention and any kind of compliance
Why didn’t she stay in China?
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My gut feel is that AIPAC represents the old guard, whereas J-Street the new direction. Looks like we may be headed for Zionism Lite.
I liken the difference between AIPAC and J-Street to the difference between the Israeli left and the Israeli right. When I say left, I’m not including organizations and activists like B’Tselem, Yesh Din, Shovrim Shtika or Anarchists against the Wall. They would be considered the far left, or the fringe left.
The Israeli right, clings onto the delusion that might makes right and that it’s their god given right to take whichever territory they desire. They don’t want a Palestinian state, and certainly don’t believe in the two-state solution.
The Israeli left, however, acknowledges that two states are needed, but refuses to take any substantial steps to turn that into a reality. They further do not see anything wrong with an ethnocratic state and refuse to accept the injustices done to the Palestinians for decades starting with the Naqbah. Bring that up, and they will go to great lengths to rationalize such actions.
If you talked to a so-called leftist Israeli from one of Tel-Aviv’s wealthiest neighborhoods, which are known for their high minded liberals (like Manhattan’s upper East Side), you’d get the usual polite and politically correct lip service. Should you press them on the issue, they will start to waver much like Dick Witty. Suddenly atrocities take on moral shades of gray, instead of the universally acceptable black and white.
Incidentally, these are the same hypocrites who will make proclamations like, “I have lots of Arab friends”, much in the same way Stephen Colbert uses “I have a black friend” when he mocks racists in the US.
These are the kind of people I grew up around and whose duplicity irritates me.