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The War of Ideas in the Middle East
Annie I believe you linked for this - the senior Egyptian ambassadors
were pulled out of the midnight mass and beaten by IDF/police/IOF.
Unlike the US (whose embassy is on record as being unable to protest
US citizens or their spouses being murdered (some say executed),
Egypt promptly and intensely complained directly to Netanyahu.
Inquiring minds would surmise if this is the fashion in which senior
embassy staff are treated from an allied country, the regular and
ongoing treatment of Palestinian/Israeli Christians can be expected
to be far worse. This is the predictable outcome of allowing yeshiva
students, settlers and the orthodox to spit on priests and other Christian holies, to defecate in churches, to deface churches, mosques
and monasteries without reprisal. In most other countries, such behavior would be prosecuted as "hate" crimes, but in Israel such behavior is tacitly permitted as the actors know that since there are no
reprisals, "anything goes." In many instances, as in the incidents
you reference, little is reported in the media, further enhancing the
perception of the ability to engage in significant criminal behavior
with impunity so long as it does not involve those of the Jewish
religion. Perhaps your investigation into this matter, can be tied to
the UN dictum that Jerusalem be an "international" city, freely open
to individuals of all the Abrahamic faiths.
I'm confused. In more recent negotiations, the Israeli immediate issues have
been riparian rights, access to the natural resources of the disputed territories
and the tacit ability to ignore all Palestinian property rights, be they in Israel
proper or the disputed territores. Following that, for "security" purposes, Israelis
want total control of land, air and sea. Although Netanyahu indicates that Israel
has no preconditions, all of these are preconditions, in addition to recognition
of Israel as a state for those of Jewish heritage/religion only. This would seem
to me to reflect "taking over another people's country" insofar as without legally enforced property rights, access to one's water and natural resources, without
free entrance and egress of material and persons, there can be no country in the usual sense of that word and the people living in such conditions are far beyond the usual definition of "occupation." The relation is more feudal in nature with the Palestinians living in fief to the Israelis. Thus, is there/was there anything left to be negotiated by the Palestinians? (I doubt that the many states which are Arabic in nature are participating in these so-called negotiations, hence your term
Arab appears perjorative.)
The place to begin might also address that fact that no source has
indicated that Assad is transferring chemical weapons to Hezbollah.
Serious doubt exists as to the existence of the missles which were ostensibly in transit. Killing off the elite guard protecting Damascus
is a direct intervention in support of the rebels, who have already begun to build off this event. Also, as the origins of the Syrian war become less opaque, the consensus is that this is a politically motivated take down of Assad as well as the dismantling of Syria into another failed state such as Iraq, Afganistan, and Libya, so as to destabilize Lebanon, Jordan with the result of a strong path to the destruction of Iran. Who benefits? Who has been consistently threatening to "mow the grass" in Lebanon? Who has been strongly indicating the need for significant additional additions to already held land in the Golan Heights - for security purposes? Who has massed
troops on the Lebanese and Syrian borders?
Thanks for this post. I have yet to see any allusion in any Israeli
news that these settler children in fact received any punishment - either service or jail time. Their intention, of course, was to incinerate
the entire family including the two small children, a unusually
vicious and horrific crime.
And yet, it was Hagel's failure to respond to the provocations, that underlined
the "disproportionate" responses of his detractors who increased the irrationality of their lies and distortions to the point that it was clear without any comment,
that the likes of Kristol and company have not only not a shred of decency but
also no real commitment to the US, save the very comfortable lifestyle they enjoy.
They and their fellow travelers indirectly espouse what Danaa stated very clearly
on a previous post: "Democracy is for sissies, " alluding to "American softies" -
in this case by indirection alluding to such as Hagel, a much decorated American
war veteran. And how many American softies have died or been grevously injured
on behalf of existential Israeli fears? How many will again be called upon to give
hearts, minds and lives in service of a country not their own?
Harry you are absolutely correct. The Syrian conflict is far from a civil insurrection against Assad. With jihadi from all over the world, including the US, Europe and Great Britain pouring into Syria this is not a local conflict. The use of
chemical weapons most likely by the jihadi, who captured a chlorine factory in
Aleppo, as well as the Damascus mosque attack which murdered an elderly,
beloved and powerful cleric are not the actions of the Syrian people. British police are already raising serious concerns, as should we, about what will happen when these rogues return to back to the UK, US and Europe well trained, heavily weaponized and strongly reinforced by the these powers in violent, disruptive &
murderous behavior. Talk of arming, training, supporting these non state actors,
enouraging anti lawful behavior (to put it mildly) is a mistake far beyond Iraq.
The political actors who support these policies are in truth looking to bring the
war in Syria, the unrest of the middle east - "home" to the US et. al. FSA does not
in any real, coherent sense exist - it is simply a rag tag assemblage of ever
reorganizing brigades who have no accountability of any kind. Note their inability to form a stable, governmental coalition. The Syrian people, approximately 70% approve of Assad, and who have some semblance of democracy, simply want an end to the fighting, stability of the Assad regime under which the country can move to a broadening of democratic opportunity. This will clearly under no circumstances occur under a psuedo FSA coalition. There is considerable police
and public outcry against Cameron's policies. Hopefully - some one will raise
similar issues in the US, slowing down the insanity of our foreign policy toward
Syria.
A wise person would test the resolve of Peres, Netanyahu et. al. by requesting
the prior release of Marwan Barghouti to Gaza as a condition of the release of Pollard.
Unfortunately the Zionists are not in dissarray. What is being observed is an elegant finesse to strip Netanyahu of his power. Skewered on his vacillating settlement policy,
he lurches to the left to appease the Europeans, and then to the right to appease the extreme rightists (Moshe Feiglin et al) in his own party. Lapid and Bennett have forced him to exclude his long time allies such as Shas and United Torah, to abandon the Haredim all of whom have previously been staunch supporters. His is a brand that is far beyond its shelf life. Even if he is able to form a government with Lapid and Bennett, they will sabotage it, continuing to whipsaw Netanyahu as they do now. When the government falls, it will be Naftali Bennett who cuts a deal with the Haredi parties, scoops up the youthful and middle class and continues his strong alliances with the settlers. He has also built tight alliances with heavy hitting orthodox in the US who are tired of Netanyahu's bufoonery (think last presentation to the UN). Bennett has already stated his policy on the Palestinians, stating that in the G-d given lands of Judea and Samaria there is room for none but Jews. The economics of annexation, is amazing wealth creating opportunity for those who are politically and economically in control, just as the original oligarchi families benefitted from the political creation of Israel. The response of the US/Europe - limited and weak, since their own economic states are far from stable and destablizing as we speak.
Isn't this the same school wherein the Israeli customs withheld their SAT tests
for college admission until there was an international outcry and pressure from
the US state department?
This also needs to be interpreted in context with Netanyahu's most recent demand for NATO intervention on behalf of the Syrian "rebels", his proposed move to add a 10 to 20 mile "security" buffer between the Golan boundary and
Syria and to significantly elevate sanctions against Syria. More recent political
comments would suggest that the Syrians themselves strongly prefer Assad to
the ragtag "revolutionaries" who represent a claque of poorly organized jihadi,
from both the middle east and Europe who are funded by a variety of state and,
most probably, non state actors such as the above who stand to benefit handsomely from the bloody chaos in Syria. It is not surprising that this unstable country has been the site of several targeted assassinations, all benefiting Israel.
And what role is Mossad playing in this regime take down?
I disagree. Hagel's performance during the interrogations of Cruz, McCain, and Graham was not only dignified but at no point did he take the bait of the provocations. The failure of their accusations - buried in rhetorical questions,
only spurred ever increasing out of control behavior on the part of the Republicans. This over the top performance - which ignored the very real problems we as a nation face today, has been called out across much of the mainstream media, as well as in the not so main stream media. Also, the
Republicans forget one of the most important demographics iin this country:
Because we have become a nation of wars, we are a country of veterans,
families and friends of veterans. Although their voices are rarely heard in the mainstream media, they were impressively vocal in the last election cycle.
To see one of their own verbally harassed, defamed and slandered in these hearings - by several senators who have never served can be expected to take its toll. Finally, the Republicans forget that the last election cycle was an unstated referendum on war with Iran, a referendum which was soundly defeated. The endorsed by Netanyahu candidate lost soundly when the
popular vote is considered. Expect to see sound bites from these hearings in the next election cycle.
Well said.
The act of blowing up the iconic, golden domed mosque on the Temple Mount
would be akin to the Taliban act of blowing up the Bamiyan Buddhas. One should
reflect on this analogy as reflective of the current primitive, tribal state of the right wing brand of zionism. I doubt seriously that this represents a mainstream of Jewish thought or action.
The follow up to Remnick's article needs to address the uses of Zionism, the manipulation of settler crazies, the manipulation of the religious for economic purposes. Naftali Bennet is an investor and a hustler - explore his connections to
the oligarchy, to the international business tycoons who run Netanyahu - when (not if) the West Bank is annexed, some will make extraordinary fortunes. The
vision couched in Eretz Israel to include Judea and Samaria is a land grab by the
1% - rich fertile soil, minerals, water and other natural resources which lie fallow in an agrarian economy. More probably than not this is off topic, but my uneducated feeling is that in all of this, this average Israeli loses, including the
settlers who is some sense are the most deceived of all.
"Gaza is a place out of the end of times ..." Is it Augstein's powerful prose style
which majorly offends the Wiesenthal center, his powerful role in German
journalism as well as his family connections, the significant international respect
for him as a journalist - or all of the above?
The national security community may well be looking the current Israeli electoral parties configuration which indicates that Naftali
Bennett's party is second in size and growing (as right wing Likud
members move further right) and that Avigdor Lieberman's party
has indicated that immediately after the election the association between Likud and Israel Beiteinu is dissolved, potentially leaving
Netanyahu unable to form a government and Bennett being in a strong position to combine all the far right parties and Israel Beiteinu to form a far, far right government whose primary goals are annexation of the
West Bank, expulsion of Gaza to Egypt and as rapid expulsion of the
Palestinians as is politically feasible. (Those who remember the last
Israeli election will note that Tzipi Liveni won the greatest popular vote but was unable to form a government). Would the US go to
war for Iran on behalf of such an Israeli government? The assumed
neocon position is at the very least a semi-moderate right wing Israeli government with gradual settlement enroachment on Palestinian land
until all of the "infiltrators" have vanished from the country or been
carefully sequetered in gaza-like bantustans. Overt and possibly bloody annexation of the West Bank is an issue that they would wish
far removed from the considerations of how such as situation would impact on the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense. Both
Kerry and Hagel have the chops to assist Obama in navigating this
situation without provoking a full scale World War III in the Middle
East. Carter and Flourney do not. This volatile situation is a perfect
example wherein entrenched Israeli/US neocons are doing Israel no
good, but instead opening the door to real harm for Israel.
link to gulfnews.com This link indicates that family reports him as
deaf. They also indicate that he was well known to the border guards, and that
his house was only 100 metres away. He had gone to purchase items for his
birthday. They also comment on the IOF soldier who shot him, who apparently
was known to the Palestinian community who used that checkpoint.
This youth is deaf - he would not be talking with a border guard. This video would
suggest the possibility of some provocation since he passed through this checkpoint many times and was known to the IOF soldiers. Were they laughing
at him as suggested by an All Voices post?
All Voices, 12.13.12 reports that a Palestinian bystander reported that the
soldiers were "madly laughing" at Mohammed as he was shot. If this is accurate,
then the need to clear the area of observers who saw the event as well as to wipe
the many video cams would be obvious. As a deaf or hard of hearing individual,
he falls in a protected class - again not an area of concern for the IOF or IDF.
Hopefully, an NGO review of the situation can reveal whether the boy was provoked into an impulsive response, thereby allowing the brave, female officer
to shoot him six times, all hitting the front of his body.
In evaluation of the intensity of Israel's current attacks, it would be instructive to
note the large numbers of cluster bombs dropped in the South of Lebanon hours
prior to signing a ceasefire. Clusterbombs for which Israel declined to give information either to the Lebonese or the UN as to where they had been dropped
(as both parties attempted to remove them) and which have injured and maimed
numerous adults and children in Lebanon as time has passed.
I would agree. Netanyahu has already indicated a preference for using nuclear weapons on Iranian reactor sites. In my opinion, Obama has an unimaginable challenge in dealing with the Netanyahu/Barack/Lieberman triumvirate. Any overt confrontation or lack of support can be expected to provoke untrammeled
carpet bombing of Gaza, an act for which there is strong Israeli electorate support.
It is also the case that Netanyahu "suckered" Aljabari and Hamas by agreeing to
a broad, long term cease fire and then hours later politically assassinating him,
thereby removing a strong moderate figure while at the same time destabiling
Hamas. My prediction is that there is considerable back channel pressure mounting and that there is considerable, quiet support for finding some solution which enables Netanyahu to climb down while still projecting his image (and that of Israeal) as the owners, strong men prevailing over Gaza. That said, Meschaal is fully aware of his extensive backing of numerous Arab countries, particularly since he has refused to climb on Iran's bandwagon. His demands in the now failed peace negotiations
indicate that Hamas is not standing down from a cessation of the economic strangulation of Gaza: No more political assassinations, no more F16's and drones over Gaza, a free trade zone at Rafah and lifting the seige of Gaza (so as to enable
a deep water port.) This of course underscores Israel's real fear: Not rockets which do little damage, but a fully assimilated and independent Palestine becoming the trade powerhouse of the Middle East. Not unexpected since Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza have the highest level of education in the middle east.
And the comments, Facebook diatribes not only call for genocide for Gaza,
but also West Bank Arabs, Syria, Lebanon and Iran. This is the end result of
three generations of education wherein the Jew is the ubermenschen, the chosen
and wherein all others are less than animals. The King's Torah is not a radical
document reflecting a splinter sect but in fact correctly characterizes the ethos
of Israel. It is this ethos which is causing an overwhelming dissonance with US/
European Jews whose basic orientation is toward peace, concern for their fellow
man and a truly remarkable intellectual tradition which has contributed enormously to all of the countries wherein they reside. It is also this ethos
which - when experienced in full - is leading to a significant outflow of dual
citizen Israelis as well as those who had previously made aliyah. One can anticipate that, in current conditions, this outflow will become a torrent. Netanyahu has forgotten that Israel for many of its citizens is a provisional
country. Not in the sense that Israel will cease to exist, but in the sense that
many of those citizens who could provide stability to the country and a counterforce to the current racist and facist trends, have made it their choice
to obtain a "backup" passport or maintained their citizenship (and also for their
children). These people, whom the state of Israel needs most, are moving
to countries which they see as more truly democratic. Countries wherein ethics,
education, health care and human rights are a priority.
We are currently witnessing the ultimate solution. One proposed by Danny Dayon
in the New York Times, months ago: Israeli troops currently massed on the
Gaza border to reoccupy Gaza. Leiberman has proposed toppling Abbas, which
will result in Israeli annexation of the whole of the West Bank. Therefore the
UN problem is solved to Israel's delight: Palestine and Gaza have ceased to exist.
UN response: Will be just as it is today, taking their cues from Susan Rice, who
has given Gaza the ultimatum - Stop your rockets now! There are and will be no
limitations on Israeli aggression in the middle east. They have unlimited and unconditional authorization to massacre whomever and wherever they will.
Things must be getting desperate in Israel at this time: While Ron Proser is
raging to the Security Council that Ahmed Jabari is a "mass murderer", Haaretz
has an article on his death titled "Israel killed its subcontracter in Gaza"
alluding to the fact that Jabari was charged with maintaining Israeli security
in Gaza, no mean job given the frequent assassinations of PFLP leaders and others. Israel held Jabari and Hamas responsible for the behavior of all
subgroups in Gaza. He was also the lead negotiator in the discussions to free
Gilad Shalit. This was a political assassination pure and simple - to rob the Gazan government of one of their most effective and pragmatic leaders. However, at the Security Council this time, it is not just Hamas and Gaza - requests to address this situation have also been made by Egypt and Turkey.
This is an update. Egypt has taken the attack on Gaza to the Security
Council of the UN as well as the Arab League, asking both organizations for immediate action. Egypt has been clear as to the fact
that Israel virtually immediately broke a ceasefire which was brokered
by Egypt with both Hamas and Israel. Turkey is also weighing in heavily on the side of Gaza, since Erdogan was scheduled to visit the
enclave in the near future. Can one expect to see an exceptional
escalation on the part of Israel as they become increasingly aware
that this situation will not be managed on an international scale by
the US, but by the Security Council which incorporates China and Russia as well as the Arab League which includes some very close
US allies? Are the days in which Israel could use Gaza as their own
private killing field (Cast Lead, targeted assassinations, random and
senseless killing of civilians, including women and children) coming
to an end? One would hope for not only UN observors but also, as
exist at the Lebanon border, UN troops at the border of Gaza and Israel
as well as within Gaza to protect these beleagured people, particularly
the children.
This is not surprising. Netanyahu is attempting to provoke another Cast Lead,
but this time one in which Israel reoccupies Gaza. Time is running out on Israeli
expropriation of land, opportunities for disproportionate response in Gaza and the
West Bank. When (not if) Palestine receives observor state status in the UN,
and Israel has continuing exposure to the ICC, their actions can be expected to
be somewhat more circumscribed. While the majority of their actions (settlement, administrative detention, frequent "accidental" killing of civilians,
abuse of international laws regarding the treatment of children) are illegal
and under the category of war crimes, the court can be expected to be less attentive to crimes committed prior to Palestine attaining observor status than they will to ongoing crimes which can immediately be brought before the court. Israel will be less willing to abrogate injunctions from the court than they are injunctions from the UN which they routinely dismiss as fueled by antisemitism.
One would hope that Hamas will not respond with rockets to this provocation,
but to move directly to the UN as well as the Arab League, making their case to
the court of public opinion, particularly emphasizing that while there have been
no fatal Israeli casualties and few casualties beyond the existential, many Gazans
have died, and those deaths involve targeted children and disabled. Egypt should
immediately escalate their concerns to the security council since Israel has blatantly broken the Egyptian brokered truce - not once but twice. While the US
will veto, China and Russia will support and so will the majority of the other members. This is a real opportunity to showcase the US as a biased broker, but
more important to underscore how important observor status is going to be in
shutting down Israeli actions such as this assassination, as well as forestalling
a preemptive reoccupation of Gaza.
Also the article mentions that 7500 are registered in Florida and 3500 in Ohio,
as well as commenting that IVoteIsrael managed all of the ballot boxes and then transmitted the votes to the US. I wonder how the citizens of this country will feel
if these swing state votes, by individuals who have freely chosen to live in another
country, determine the election. Particularly the 55 million who will be left with
no health insurance when Romney dismantles Obama's health care law on the first
day in office. As well as dismantling Dodd-Frank, returning us to the wild west days of Wall Street that brought this country to its knees financially. Unemployment will be exceptionally high as government programs are slashed, jobs are exported over seas and every foreign graduate who has a science or math degree will "have a green card stapled to their diploma" (Romney 2nd debate) and
US workers will face unprecedented international competition for their jobs. But never mind, no one will notice, since Netanyahu will have bombed Iran and the middle east will explode into war with our youth and the not so young from the reserves all on the front lines.
I think that Allison's article is excellent, but there is a lot that went on
behind the scenes in this case, particularly as regards the prosecutorial
behavior that needs to be brought to light as well as the extensive network
of assistance the Holy Land Foundation was bringing to the indigent in
many countries. It would also be important to review current government
treatment of the defendents. While Bernie Madoff and other white collar
criminals lounge in "country club" minimum security prisons, these
defendents - who had no prior history of criminal behavior - are held in
a religiously segregated, high security prison.
I would ask more knowledgeable readers, are the transcripts of the trial
as well as the appeals a matter of public record? obtainable by journalists?
or have they been "classified" for security purposes, unavailable even to
public record requests?
If I correctly connect the dots - just as their is no daylight between Sheldon Adelson, Romney and Netanyahu, there is now no daylight between any of those parties, including Romney, and Avigdor Lieberman. Lieberman is the Israeli politican who once advocated bombing the Aswan Dam, thereby drowning thousands of Egyptian civilians, and who, as you so politically correctly identify as advocating the "transfer" of Israeli Palestinians as well as those in the territories. A less nuanced interpretation would be ethnic cleansing. Is it not also the case that he has been under long term investigation on serious corruption charges (which will more probably than not ever see the light of day.) If such information and its
implications were be more widely disseminated to the American public, it could be
a game changer for the election, since by the "no daylight" association, Romney is now firmly tied to Lieberman's politics and his aggressive, war oriented stance to foreign policy. Does this make it inevitable that Romney will be a war president, and that the US will find itself embroiled in numerous Middle East wars on behalf of this client nation?
The Israel he lives in is the mythical shining city on the hill, bearing little relation to the country inhabited by actual residents of Israel. One can predict he will be doing considerable business in Israel when the Knesset legalizes casinos and gambling.
If Romney wins the agenda can be expected to become far more crazy. With a
worldview that was appopriate to l960's foreign affairs, with advisors such as Dan Senor, Doug Feith, and W. Cristal, he can be expected to inaugerate a highly agressive, confrontational approach to middle east problems, embroiling the us in wars in Iran, Syria, Lebanon and, most probably, continuing the fruitless operations in Afganistan. Of course we have neither the troops nor the funds for such ambition. There will be no coalition partners because the European countries are over the fiscal cliff with several Euro partners moving in the direction of Greece and Spain.
The end result will be implosion of our currency, financial markets and employment.
The brightest, the best and the wealthy will be leaving. Political chaos can be expected to ensue with Romney following the Bain Capital course - acting like a good taker or banana republican - financially advantaging himself, his family and his cronies and then moving on to a more stable environ or restructuring the country to an oligarchy as in Israel. Ordinary US citizens will pay a terrible price just as will
ordinary Israeli citizens.
Another important issue raised by this situation is the fact that these high stakes tests are heavily security protected. The fact that Israel identified the packages and interdicted them is a direct violation of the security that surrounds these tests and which the college board goes to great length to maintain. If they were to be withheld from Palestine, they should have immediately been shipped back to New York. The issue is not only that Israeli officials withheld them, it's that they kept them.
If Israeli students were to have access to these tests as practice tests and training tools, it would give them immeasurable advantage internationally. Also, included would be the names and personal information of every Palestinian slated to take the test - thereby identifying the brightest and the best of young Palestinian students to Israeli/IOF agencies. In the hands of Israeli extremists this information could be used for intimidating tactics such as middle of the night physical, verbal or more serious harassment as well as administrative detention. Thus, students could be discouraged from even signing up to take the tests. This issue has the potential to represent serious international academic malfeasance and as such should be raised
with college acrediting boards, the colleges as well the College Board which to date has done an outstanding job of protecting the security of their tests in order to make sure that every student - all over the world - has a fair and level playing field in the competitive stakes for college.
In this age of the internet, the College Board should e-mail the exams in a well encrypted program to appropriate administrative personnel. The exams can then be scanned and be returned similarly encrypted, by passing Israel altogether. Given the very serious issues of academic rigor in israeli high schools, this level of defensiveness regarding Palestinian acumen is not surprising. The presence of Palestinian students in competitive undergraduate and graduate programs (such as Harvard) gives strong and articulate voice to Palestinian students and youth as civilized and erudite. Also, the ever increasing pool of Palestinian graduates in international law, business, economics and science enlarge an the presence of a much needed professional class in Palestine as well as the Arab world.
With more than 150,000, dual citizenship Israeli residents poised to vote absentee
in the upcoming US election (positioning them in swing states where the votes are predicted to be close) , with Ari Fleisher et. al. running a well designed
campaign throughout Israel on behalf of Republican candidates, with Likud approval of this openly biased interference in the US election, it is surprising that
not more Republican Congressman are similarly campaigning in Israel. It is not
surprising that Romney has been deeply attentive to the counting of absentee ballots.
Not so fast, Phil. Are you accounting for the 150,000 to 300,000 dual US/Israeli
citizens as well as their progeny ( who may never have lived in the US)
who are eligible to vote and who are being actively recruited by IVoteIsrael? The Uniformed Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act authorizes such participation in
US elections. This project, spearheaded by Ari Fleisher and Americans for Jerusalem
(a US 501 (c)(4) nonprofit has regional directors throughout Isreal and, of course, the West Bank. The primary goal of this project is to make voting easily and accessible with ballot boxes throughout Israel. The stated intent of IVoteIsrael is
"to mobilize (sic) a small yet homogeneous and passionate microgroup to affect narrow margins in swing states." On a political cartoon being shown throughout Israel (but obviously not in the US), the narrator opines, "Its not Uncle Sam who needs Americans to vote, Isreal needs you to vote," obviously to further the election of politicians who can be guaranteed to support and amplify current Israeli policies,
such as Iran, settlement expansion, unlimited financial support.
The most ugly part of this is the current situation wherein the Republicans have passed numerous vote caging laws in this country (asserting non existent voter fraud) which restrict the "47%" citizens from excercising their legally mandated democratic rights, while enabling significant numbers of Israeli voters to have an ease and access to the vote - to influence a country in which they do not live and wherein they are not - really - expatriates, since their first loyalty is to their own country, Israel.
Actually, the most repulsive use of the snake trope is by Stand With Us,
which I believe to be an Israeli organization, in issue # 2 of Captain Israel, which is Capt Israel versus BDS. It goes far beyond the implications of "slither." Has anyone seen issue #3, which Captain Israel versus the UN?
I would side with Mooser. Please identify one instance wherein the US or
the quartet have effectively set boundaries on illegal Israeli actions. Netanyahu is well aware of this and some of his associates have already indicated that if his administration expelled the Palestinians, there would
be outraged verbiage but no real follow up.
What gets forgotten is how close Olmert, Livni and Abbas were to establishing a two state solution in 2008. And what Romney either doesnt know or his neocon associates suppress is that with the ascension of Netanyahu owing to the support of Adelson and political guru Finkelstein that all negotiations stopped, and pressure on the US to tacitly back off on
the settlement issue ratched up, with extensive coordination of US/Jewish
organizations such as AIPAC. Romney's stated position simply reflects the Adelson/Netanyahu policy regarding Palestine - with time, Israel will own it all. (The Levy report?) Also not mentioned is the fact that when the quartet more recently asked for plans from both Israel and Palestine as a basis for continuing negotiations, the Palestinians provided theirs and Netanyahu refused to comply with the result that the Quartet - as usual - demurred to Israel's position and the negotiations quietly ended.
Given this history, as well as Israel having no respect for the UN or its lawful prescriptions, I would suggest that with a one state solution, the Israelis would simply see it as an opportunity to accelerate current policies, possibly treating the Palestinians as they do lawful refugees - either expelling them outright or placing them in concentration camps. As regards sanctions, please cite some reference somewhere that would suggest that the current US House of Representatives or Senate would vote for sanctions
on Israel.
You're absolutely correct. By focusing solely on Iran and the need for US military involvement in that exercise which were provoke a lengthy and bankrupting war,
David Gregory created more of a touchback than a touchdown. With virtually 50 % of families in this country being touched by the middle east wars directly or knowing someone who has, Netanyahu was speaking to a very different audience than the US congress. This is not an audience which falls within the venue of Bibi's commentary as "stupid" or "easy to move." Many of our citizens have paid their dues for W's middle eastern policies in death, dismemberment, disability and unemployment. From the comments around the internet, they view his comments as intrusive in the election process, insulting to the American public and outrageously insulting to a sitting president. The icing on the cake, of course, is mention on this program of the billions in foreign aid given to Israel while Republicans are insisting we can not - as a country - afford social security, medicaid, medicare, unemployment, health insurance, adequate VA services and all the other safety net services which are part of this country's commitment to our most fragile citizens. If one wants to talk about the bus, its not Israel under the bus, its not a nuclear bus, - its our disabled, our senior citizens, and importantly, our vets and youth whom Netanyahu and his
neocon US colleagues are throwing under the bus. This interview made a clear distinction in this election - there is no daylight between Mitt Romney and Netanyahu. A vote for Romney is a vote for nuclear war in the middle east, a war Obama has been desperately trying to stave off - in concert with military experts in Israel, Europe, Great Britain and here in this country.
If Netanyahu had even the slightest amount of class, he would have led off his remarks by offering his condolences to the US public for the death of the US ambassador and embassy staff in Benghazi, following it with his appreciation for Obama's directly interventing to save Israeli embassy personnel in Cairo under similar circumstances.
This situation is a riddle, inside an enigma, inside a conundrum. The few
reliable inferences that can be made include the fact that neither the felon nor the rabid islamaphobe had the intelligence to overdub this trailor in inflammatory Arabic rhetoric, to facilitate its going viral particularly in the middle east at the same time as 9/11 observations and Netanyahu's blast of
Obama being naive and impotent as regards military confrontation of Iran.
Also, at the same time, the fallout includes the assassination (targeted?) of one of the strongest Arabists at the state department, buried in Jihadi chaos,
but clearly planned. This is also at a time of intensity in the run up to US
presidential elections - with Adelson, Romney and Netahyahu joined at the
hip as regards the weakness of the current administration foreign policy in the middle east, particularly as regards military intervention in Syria and
Iran.
The questions I would like to see answered: Who benefits? from the attempt to split Copt and Arab in Egypt? the destablization of the emerging
April spring democracies in Libya, Tunisia? the removal of a rising star in
the state Department, who was not only fluent in Arabic but also well liked
and trusted? Given that You Tube has strong policies regarding videos that can induce incitement and appears hypervigilant when Israel is the target,
why was this video allowed to be posted and remain up - even after the Benghazi incident. Why is the mainstream media not emphasizing how hard
the governments of the majority of the involved governments are working to provide safety and protection to US citizens, their profound apologies to
our government - even though US levels of popularity are far from high?
Again, while no one may ever know the exact details, one must carefully
assess who benefits from these actions?
Great investigative reporting - but this is only the tip of the iceberg. The timing, particularly of the Arabic dubbing and the posting on facebook, is too coincidental
with other events.
Let Mitt hit Obama hard on behalf of Netanyahu - the anniversary of 9/11 is just the opportunity to remind patriots in this country that Netanyahu's first comments were to indicate ' This is good for Israel!"
I think Phil, you are absolutely right about Obama being blackmailed by Netanyahu.
But you also want to reflect on the comments surrounding his loss of control with the
our ambassador in Jerusalem - even before the confrontation, Netanyahu was agitated, dysregulated. One also has to compare US and Jewish attitudes toward the prime minister during the Bush presidency and during the Obama presidency. Although Obama has been unprecedented in his material support for Israel, US public, European and seemingly some Jewish attitudes are far, far less positive. I think Obama is right not to confront Netanyahu's provocations more openly, while
quietly aligning forces within the US, Europe and the world to contain Netanyahu's
obsession with Iran. He has simply stood back through much of his administration
and watched Netanyahu make one bad decision after another, not the least of which are to openly opine on the necessity of using US troops to engage in a lengthy massive middle eastern land war, and to make his, personal foreign policy (the majority of his military advisors oppose this war) a major wedge issue
in the upcoming US election by openly indicating that these aspirations have 100% support from his good buddy Romney. This is a prime minister, one who did not receive a majority vote in the last election, who is currently under enormous pressure owing to failed domestic, economic and political decisions - even before one moves to the upcoming "crises" when Palestine applies to the UN for observor status,
Hamas is recognizied as a political partner in Egypt as regards cleaning up the renegades in Sinai and, of course, the Syrian situation wherein jihadi from throughout the middle east have converged to participate in the uprising.
This discussion started out with reference to Moon of Alabama which is not only an exceptional blog site but also a song from Brecht's Three Penny Opera which details a scenario in Berlin in the 30's much like the one the US faces today. Your comment, Gingershot, outlines it clearly. Consider the associations of Adelson, Rove, Romney and, the Republicans' own "Mac the Knife," Paul Ryan - the script fits perfectly. Hopefully, some exceptional, avant garde theatre group will stage a modern day version with all the relevent parties represented prior to the election. Art is an exceptionally effective at communicating ideas, fusing the political and emotional connotations that mark the crucial aspect of the message.
Its important to put Dempsey's comments in context: They occur as the 120 non aligned countries conference takes place in Tehren with China and Russia sitting in, and with Ban Ki very publically taking Iran to task for their civil rights violations as well as Aminedijad's commentary toward Israel. Kameni publically reinforces his position that nuclear warfare is contrary to the strictures of the Koran. This was a game changing conference which spent considerable time addressing issues
of peace in the Middle East. Unquestionably, all present at the conference were aware of the changes in Iran's nuclear program (detailed elsewhere) and Iran's continuing dialogue with the IAEA.
Add this, the US is in no financial position to wage yet another unfunded war. And further, while Iranian nuclear facilities are well protected, I have seen no information regarding protection of Dimona. An Israeli-
Iranian war would have the potential to spread radioactive, nuclear
toxins throughout the middle east, rendering one of the largest oil producing areas of the world a potential wasteland, to say nothing of
the exceptionally large number of unintended civilian deaths. Obama is well aware that Netanyahu's delusion of a "clean" surgical strike with
limited civilian deaths is just that, a psychotic delusion.
Well said. As you indicated in an another post, the mainstream media needs to dig in to the relationships between internationally organized crime, the Israel lobby,
and Adelson as they relate to the dismantling, subversion of our political process.
It's these relationships which are utilizing "mystical" religious views as a cover for untrammeled political ambition as well as greed without end.
Recontextualize this to the US: A female soldier, with a history of being sexually abused in her military tour of duty, picks up an elderly, drunken arab, psychotically mistaking him for someone who attacked a comrade. She takes him home - locks him in a room, abuses him with a blow torch, beatings and torture (knocking out his teeth). Obsessed, psychotic and fusing sex and agression, she uses the torture and the experience to sexually stimulate herself and her lover. This scenario would be diagnosed as sexual sadism in which the individual derives sexual excitement from the psychological and physical suffering (including humiliation) of the victim. Given the magnitude of the pathology and the continuing and brutal assault (particularly the recurrent burning), reflected in this incident, in most countries, this individual would be committed to a hospital for the criminally insane, for example Atascadero or St. Elizabeth's in the US. Annie, it's far more than desensitization and you were correct in your diagnosis of "sick," even if its fiction.
What makes this an important quote is the fact that Netanyahu and his advisors
were reported by Haaretz to have consulted with this rabbi regarding his support for their bombing Iran. Perhaps, an astute reader can point to an article wherein
Ahmadinejad has specifically consulted with Khameni regarding Iran bombing Israel? The information I read would indicate that the ayatollah has made it very clear that use of nuclear weapons is contravened by the Koran.
This is the candidate who, although he attended the funeral, could not bring himself to speak out on the Oak Creek massacre - even though it happened in his district. The silence speaks for itself and informs all who listen of his bias. link to newyorker.com
... and what does he say in Macau?link to nytimes.com
Inflammatory hate speech is not protected speech. The litmus test for this ad is whether it could be comfortably be run in Joplin or Oak Creek. I think not. It would be worth a try for a legal complaint to be raised in California - the climate regarding right wing hate speech in this country is rapidly shifting as a result of Brevik, Oak Creek and mosque burning and threats. Also to monitor provacative, anti Islamic acts that may occur as a result of this type of race baiting. The trope of an unseen "war" is particularly disturbing in its connations which invokes a state wherein virtually any action is permitted.
The israeli military as well as society is drowning in violence as a result of their failure to realize that such sadistic behavior, once unleashed, knows no boundaries
and thus does not stop at the border between Palestinian and Israeli. They have
-perhaps terminally - infected their youth, families and culture. While what has
happened to this young Palestinian is outrageous, the Palestinian adherence to
nonviolent opposition has built a remarkably tolerant and resilient culture. Which
is all the more enraging to Israeli youth who at some levels are aware of how destructive the emphasis on untrammeled use of violence - emotional, physical
and cultural - is on their own personal well being. Particularly when directed toward children.
Well said. And, sir, given Mr. Adelson's pervasive problems in Macau, at what
level do you estimate his loyalty to China as opposed to the US? Or was this the country to which you referred as a "hostile foreign government" ? or Israel? or
both?
Excellent post Annie. It warrants significant follow up - Hamas has repeatedly complained regarding drug infiltration into Gaza. Also, does the smuggling entail far more than drugs (and this is not about weapons.)? Given the rigidity of the IDF system, who beyond the Bedouin are involved?
and to what purpose?
Mr. Romney has also rejected the position of Israel's own military, reflected in the ever recurring remarks of many of Israel's former military leaders, most recently
General Gantz.
link to examiner.com
...and what about the purported attempt on Hilary Clinton which rapidly disappeared
from the news?
Al qai'da and their affiliate MEK appear to have responsibility for terrorist activities throughout the middle east and have shown no compunction about targeting civilians as in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afganistan. Israel, however, is surmised to have had little concern about affiliating with these groups to further her own ends. Thus, while Netanyahu waxes eloquent on Iranian terrorism sponsored by Hezbollah with no overt documentation to support the charges other than he is saying so, a wealth of evidence supports ever increasing terror, particularly in Syria and Iraq on the part of the aforementioned groups, one of which the US is seeking to delist from its terrorist groups. I would propose a day if not a year of pundit silence in honor of all the civilian victims of terrorist operations be they Israeli, Iraqi, Iranian, Afghan, Syrian, Libyan or from any other part of the world.
Inquiring minds would wonder about the vulnerability factor since the Sheldon Adelson team has pledged 5million to the Young Guns Pac, a politically independent organization (of Cantor, Ryan, et. al.) headed by one of Cantor's former head honchos. Review of his tax filings, contributions as well as
ads run by opaque Citizens United groups could yeild a metric.
All the while, the Republicans are intensely vote caging US citizens who actually
reside here in the US, with their ostensible obsession with voter fraud (which has
been shown to be microscopic where actual studies have been done). Inquiring
minds would wonder at the potential for voter fraud in solicited absentee ballots
from a foreign country. This combined with the Citizens United decision, wherein
foreign countries or those who prioritize the interests of a foreign country above those of the US can anonymously contribute enormous sums of money, has the capabililty to be a significant game changer. Especially, when one combines the documented problems with our voting machines which are easily susceptible to hacking and wherein in many states there is no availability of hard copy tracking.
Finally, the numbers for these voters have the absolute possibility, in targeted Congressional and Senate elections, of changing the outcome. Thus, they can substantially change the composition of the House and Senate by weigning in on
closely fought elections. This may well be a substantial trigger for considerable
anger among the electorate since these elections are very much "close to home".
Think of voters from another country substantially changing the election outcome
for a particular Congressional district or Senate race.
Fortunately, Romney will be arriving in Israel to articulate strong support
for this position as well as for Netanyahu's goals for Iran.
Biorabbi, of course, forgot to cite today's Guardian article by M. Cohen: Did the
Republicans Crash the Economy? Mr. Cohen, suggests that the responsibility for the current economic problems rests with Republican refusal to support a tenable jobs program, backed a conservative austerity program and are moving to increase taxes on the poor! Cohen also references the state of the economy when Obama took over - in a downward spiral toward a massive depression, with many of the major banks slated for failure. I wonder if Biorabbi feels - as does Romney - - that we would all be better off had those banks failed. What would have been the impact on the economy, the cost to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation? To gross domestic product? What would the unemployment figure been - 30% or more unemployed? What the personal cost to youth, to families, the elderly - all of whose savings, employment, educational and vocational dreams, pensions simply crashed and burned?
The larger issue is how his chances of winning are enhanced by the ivoteisrael program which targets the 150,000 israeli/american citizens, living in Israel who are eligible to vote in us elections by absentee ballot. In a congressional race only a small percentage could make the difference.
If one wishes to reprise Iran's repression/brutality/ freedom, in contrast to Israel
one needs only to compare the status of Iranian Jews, which constitute a population of 75,000 to the status of Israeli Christians/Palestinians in Israel:
Jews are protected in the constitution of Iran (I believe Israel not only has no
constitution but has/does actively resist the creation of such a document) and have
a reserved seat in Parliament.
One, in reprising the effects of bombing Iran, should also consider that Iran is
home to the second largest Jewish population in the Middle East and that these
people are not actively choosing to emigrate to Israel although they are not
prevented from doing so.
And when Netanyahu unilaterally bombs Iran, spreads radioactive debris throughout the middle east and drags the US into yet another middle eastern war
to placate Israel's existential fears (while devestating the US economy), we can truly call it Eric Cantor's War, an event in which according to these accolades, he would take great pride.
It's far, far more than teeth grinding, when one realizes that while MEK terrorists are being trained in the US, collaboratively with Israel, the Department of Justice
was prosecuting the Holy Land Foundation (also the Occupied Land Fund) as a
terrorist foundation for the transmission of funds (for hospitals, schools, etc)
to Gaza, the Occupied Territories and Jordan. I believe that there was commentary that allegedly several of prosecution witnesses were Israelis
testifying under assumed identities. Although the appeal was lost, would this be
an appropriate time for a review of this situation?
Given Netanyahu and Barack's obsession with bombing Iran and their intense
push for Israel's hegemonic interests, making Israel a wedge issue in this election
cycle would appear problematic in this country which faces considerable economic instability, sky high unemployment, massive debt and which is all too weary of middle eastern wars undertaken in service of the existential security needs of another country, not our own.
News reports from France, as well as Sarkozy's comments would indicate that
the same assassin of the rabbi and his children, also in an earlier, similar action,
murdered French Muslim paratroopers. Perhaps this is the rationale for Mme.
Ashton's appropriately inclusive remarks.
You are right. For the US to enter this war, it would have to institute a national draft owing to the deleterious effects of Rumsfeld's stop loss policies, extensions of duty and too frequent rotations. While the American public might ignore the accurate and chilling prognostications above, a draft wherein us youth die for Israeli hegemonic aspirations and existential fears would bring the average american to instant rage, particularly in concert with bankrupting this all to indebted country.
Herewith the less than official foreign policy statement on Israeli relations with
its neighbors, including Iran as posted by Rachel Abrams, board member with
William Crystal of the Emergency Committee for Israel on her Bad Rachel blog:
Gnash Your Teeth, O Israel, and Rend Your Clothes
Tear your hair, mourn your dead, heal your wounded, and root out the bloody savages who shoot guns, mortars, and rockets at unarmed men and women going about their daily lives, and slit the throats of children and infants in their cribs.
And when you’re done with that, wrest back the Sinai from the hands of the Egyptians, who have lost the capacity, on account of the chaotic loss of capacity they’re calling “Spring”—or is it an intentional, a malign, unwillingness? Who’s to say? No “expert” expert enough—to prevent acts of terror committed against you from across that magnificent Mosaic landscape you handed over to them back in the mists of time and “Peace.”
And when you’re done with that, put the inhabitants of Arab-occupied Judea and Samaria—and their European defenders with their borne-in-the-blood anti-Semitism, and their sob-sister anti-Zionist American champions—on notice: They may go to the UN, get themselves declared a State, make Ramallah their capital—if Hamas will let them—and carry on pretending they are a noble people poised to create a civilized nation. But you know what they’re really after is the sight of your blood irrigating their olive groves, and you will never let that happen.
And when you’re done with that, send the rest of the world a message: Ha am im haGolan—the nation is with the Golan (and the Golan is part of the nation)—and you won’t be passing it along to Hizballah or Lebanon or Bashar Assad or whoever follows him in the Syrian sea of misery any time in the foreseeable future.
And when you’re done with that, turn your tear-stained faces toward the butchers of Iran.
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Posted by Rachel Abrams at 5:47 PM
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2011
Unbelievable. This man is in a sterile hospital setting - and he has not been permitted any opportunity - for over 55 days - to shower, to change clothes, nor to attend to personal self care. I would interpret this as that he is chained to a bed, lying in his own filth. Of course one would not open an IV line - the risk for infection would be exceptional.
Is this the usual and customary standard of care in Israel for palestinian prisoners? Do the Israeli medical professionals who are responsible for his care make any, even the least comment? This represents the judicial system (remembering that he has been viewed by several judges) of the only democracy in the Middle East?
I agree with the above respondent. Excising comment on 9/11 is problematic
insofar as the event, and the issues surrounding US response to the event form
a crucial context for discussions of current issues such as the Israeli/US relationship,
the potential impending attack on Iran, the erosion of civil rights here, the US
inability (or willingness) to establish constraints on Israel domestic/foreign
policy, the rise of Islamophobia. Such a ruling encourages review of current events in the immediate as opposed to looking at long building patterns of behavior. I do
believe that US press/blogosphere have been rightly critized (and this site has
appropriately been doing some of that criticism) for not attending to key components of the larger context which place events/responses in a different light than would
otherwise be the case. I would suggest rethinking this ban - many people who
are not otherwise conspiracy theorists have grave doubts about 9/11 explanations,
and this group has been growing. Review of online opinions would suggest that
these people are also concerned that 9/11 was a key turning point in the US
as regards the aforementioned policies. If I am banned from this site for writing
this comment, so be it.
An important fact that was not mentioned in this interview, nor in the press outside
the middle east is Netanyahu and Lieberman's push for closer ties, trade and alliances with China, stating that the West is "irrelevent." Supposedly, they are
pushing for Chinese influence on Israel/Palestine/Middle East issues. Could a worst
case scenario be made for Israel dragging the US/UK into an economically and politically devestating war, which jeopardizes all US interests and then Netanyahu/Lieberman walking away from the carnage (after expelling the Palestinians and expropriating additional territory) to establish a "special relationship" with China.
You omitted +972 which has an excellent article by Yossi Gurvitz.
Is this not incitement? In a country wherein the political rhetoric during the last
election cycle was "over the top," and wherein in the 60's experienced a series of
political assassinations which have never been fully explained - John F. Kennedy,
Robert Kennedy as well as of black political leaders - Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, and Malcolm X, this call for Mossad/Israel to assassinate a sitting black
president needs to be taken very seriously. Given the context, it should not be
possible to "walk back" this seemingly serious proposal.
Eric Cantor is far more vulnerable in this election. He has a strong, opposition
candidate. The 7th district has many households wherein the breadwinner is
stationed at one of the 27 military bases in Va, important since the election will be a referendum on Israeli foreign opolicy, notably our joining with them to bomb Iran. Not only is Cantor vulnerable for is social policies, his Young Guns superPac - affiliating with Paul Ryan but also his wife's former affiliation with Goldman Sachs and now with the secretive Alternative Investment Management LLC. (Note
Cantor torpoedoed the Congressional insider trading bill). His situation is ripe for
a thorough journalistic investigation altough it will be hard to get this through the
mainstream media since over 10% of the Cantor family financial holdings are in Media General -on which Mrs. Cantor sits on the board- this company owns 18 television network affiliated stations, 23 newspapers and 3 major digital media
advert/portal services. Alex Kane are you listening?
Is it not the case that we would have a fuller sense of Iranian production had
George W. Bush et. al. not outed Valerie Plame whose intelligence responsibility
was Iran? Was it the case that much of that intelligence network "collapsed" with her identification in our national media? Is this relevent to current discussions
- since we have sanctioned Iranian oil and banks on the basis of: "No one has a full
sense of the Iranian production plan there." I would add sanctions which have
the capacity to seriously erode any economic gains made in the past two to three
years. Will these sanctions, if agreed to by European countries, sink their already
weak banks thereby further weakening our own banking system? (I believe Mary
Shapiro this morning has requested that US banks disclose their holdings in European banks owing to concerns regarding their status.)
Given the issues in the 2000 election, the numerous concerns raised in 2004
regarding manipulation at the level of vote tallying, this issue of Elron Voxeo needs to move to the mainstream or at least have an investigative review since it possibly
foreshadows behavior that can become even more troubling as this country
moves through the election cycle. Also, since Netanyahu has made Israel's interests
a major wedge issue in this election, the issue of votes being tallied by a company owned by a foreign national with a major stake in the outcome is worrisome. Particularly, since tracking monies from foreign nation states to Super Pacs is now impossible with the Citizens United ruling.
I am surprised that non of the back channel comment regarding the votes
being tallied in an undisclosed location (other than the usual GOP headquarters) were
discussed as well as questions being raised as to whether Elron Voxeo were counting these votes in Iowa as they have done in the 2004 election. Answers to these concerns which address issues of transparency and bias would be important?
Actually, Israel in stating that it will build a wall on the Jordanian border as
well as on the Lebanese border (incorporating Shebaa farms) has prempted
any possiblity of a two state solution if one looks at the geography. If there
is a Palestinian state, it will be - in the tradition of Gaza - entombed by Israel,
with all avenues of ingress and exgress totally controlled by Israel as is now
the case. Again, a defacto unilateral establishment of Israel's borders, essentially
eliminating or encapsulating the West Bank. Could one anticipate that in the
case of an Iranian war that Palestinians of the West Bank are not only designated
as terrorists but also as " fifth column" belligerents, thereby legalizing the same
treatment as Gazans in Cast Lead with the added option of legalizing settler
"military" options against them?
I would agree with Mr. Blankfort. When one considers that CSP has
or had,depending upon the individual, US Senators (Inhoufe for example),
neocons who are active in the current election cycle - Feith, Abrams -
officers from high in the military and Department of Defense, this becomes a timely and important post since it links mainstream conservatives. "Israel firsters" and politicos with unbashedly racist and inciting videos which if produced in the US and presented on mainstream media channels would be immediately actionable. I think its important to see all of these videos in one place, as they reflect the ethos of Ms. Glick, her Center for Security Policy (CSP) associates, present and past, and obviously some aspect of the current Likud government. Will these videos be presented to the American public at some point during this election cycle so citizens of this country can personally evaluate the purposes to which their hard earned tax dollars are being directed and whether or not they reflect the democratic values enshrined in our constitution and Bill of Rights? Might they find the presentation of their US President in Al Jolson style blackface objectionable? racist? intended to incite hate?
Herewith Iran's responses to sanctions and the weaponry (pictured)
available - a far, far more formidable challenge than Iraq:
link to zerohedge.com
Does AIPAC ignore the fact that several Israeli and US players are quietly,
indirectly doing business with Iran? Are sanctions envisioned for these companies
or are there differing/flexible criteria as to who is sanctioned? All of this at a time,
when Israel is looking to ramp up trade with China, who will be all too willing
to scoop any Iranian oil.
Who represents all the soon to be unemployed when energy costs go through
the ceiling and US products are no longer competitive in export markets? Who
represents the people of the US when this precipitates an ongoing depression
at a time when our debt load is such that we have no resources to counter act
sky rocketing lack of demand and poverty? Does the US have to be pushed over
the cliff in order for Congress to give a least a small priority to the needs of the
citizens who elected them?
We cannot afford social security, medicare, medicaid, education, vocational training
or health care for our exisitng war veterans or other social services but we can - again - run up a multrillion dollar debt in war with Iran (which is opposed by many high level Israeli military commanders, present and retired). Perhaps this bill
could be informally submitted for a national (albeit informal) plebiscite on-line,
both in the US and in Israel to identify whether AIPAC really speaks for the
US citizen or the Israeli citizen. Such data might well create some understanding
among congressmen and senators of the orientation and interests of their constituents as well as give the Obama administration support for a more considered
foreign policy from the White House.
Actually, it all comes together with ALEC, the American Legislative
Executive Council which started the Atlantic Bridges US (the political, not
the health care Atlantic Bridges) which is the US sister organization to the
Atlantic Bridges UK. While BICOM was a big funder of Atlantic Bridges,
the relationship between AIPAC/ ALEC/Atlantic Bridges is slightly more
subtle with ALEC having many overlapping donors (e.g. Koch Brothers, et.
al.) with AIPAC as well as overlapping politicos, such as prominent ALEC
alumni Eric Cantor. Both Atlantic Bridges websites are down. Information
about ALEC, listing governing structures, board members, current state
and federal politician members and alumni can be obtained at the website
ALECexposed which makes for fascinating reading. To take a phrase from
Matt Taibbi, is ALEC and its network of relationships the US' own political
vampire squid?
With the Werrity/Fox scandal revealing that Mossad thought Werrity
was Fox' chief of staff, meetings with multiple disaffected Iranian
expats seeking to unseat Ahminedajad and the mullahs - all of which
contravened British foreign policy and with British outrage at the
situation - is this the reason Kristol needs to charge Obama with
leading the invasion of Iran? It certainly won't be Britain or any of the
European countries.
This is correct. Netanyahu holds the ultimate card - if Obama or anyone
in his administration puts the brakes on him, he has to simply bomb Iran.
The sequellae to this action have been well-spelled out: The Straits of
Hormuz close, oil prices go through the ceiling and the US economy
immediately tanks and drops even further as all of the Eurozone economies
fall even lower, with massive international bank failures, currency
devaluations and intense social unrest. Our enemies such as Russia and
China can be expected to escape unscathed, and massively profit from
the situation (Think of our major private assests being held by the Chinese
through their sovreign wealth fund). The human toll in poverty, famine,
disease and death would be unimaginable. Is this the reason that Gates
bitterly refers to Israel as an ungrateful ally?
Nothing will bury this nascent movement for social justice more effectively than the Democratic party.
This reflects considerable political naivete. This country faces a national
election in a year. In these post Citizen United times, we can expect
millions, if not billions of dollars of untraceable, non transparent
money to be thrown into the presidential race. The Occupy protestors
represent only small fraction of the discouraged, disposessed and
financially fragile in this country for whom social justice is simply
a pipe dream. These persons are neither the bastions nor the base of
the Republican party. The Young Guns such as Cantor and Ryan, with
their Wall Street super pacs would like nothing better than an
independent liberal candidate in the tradition of Ralph Nader to split
the popular, populist vote to guarantee the election of that pillar of
compassionate consevatism, Rick Perry or his ilk. Those that do not learn from history, live to repeat it.
history live to repeat it.
This comment by Shingo is correct. These settlers are defending an
economic life style - with housing, health insurance, education and leisure
amenities - which they could never afford should they be returned to
an Israel within '67 boundaries. That soldiers, border police, as well
immigrants (many of whom openly admit they could not - ever- attain
a similar standard of living in their countries of origin.) comprise much
of the settler movement should be no surprise, since they can be easily
motivated to operate as a paramilitary arm to Israel's other, many
military groups and operations.
Great post. However, the author might want to juxtapose this commentary
with the Saudi's strong comments that failure to support Palestinians in their attempt to attain statehood status at the UN (even though it will accomplish little on the ground) will in fact jeopardize our alliance with the Saudi's and throughout the middle east. When oil rises to $200 a barrel and when the price for a gallon of gas is $12.50 a gallon, when the economy dissolves owing to heightened fuel costs, when we face a severe depression in the face of massive deficit (something Roosevelt was not saddled with),
one can only anticipate severe blowback on the part of the public who already are shown in repeated polls to support a more even handed approach to middle eastern policy. This prediction only becomes far worse in a situation wherein our "shadow" state department" headed by Netanyahu, Lieberman, Barack, AIPC and their Republican co enablers, who have clearly high jacked US foreign policy in the middle east, lead us into a foolhardy war in Iran, a war for which we lack both financial and military resources to address even before energy costs blow through the ceiling.
Can someone provide a list of the 30 co-sponsors of this bill. Also
background information on the coordination of this bill with
AIPAC and conservative think tanks as well as information on
whether this proposal was floated by the 81 congress persons who
visited Israel this summer? There is a back channel story on the
concurrent presentation of these bills in the Knesset and in Congress
at exactly the same time that needs to be researched and presented.
And the context of Obama'sspeech was a political situation wherein the already paranoid Israel had been essentially evicted from three embassies - Turkey, Jordan and Egypt. Wherein Syria is in revolution, Libya is
moving rapidly toward a more - hopefully- democratic government. Israel
is more isolated in the middle east than it has been for a long time - all of
which problems are attributed to Netanyahu's impolitic diplomacy. A
plausible consideration for Obama was not only the issue of a Palestinian
state but whether his actions/speeches in response to this situation would
prematurely escalate the fall of Netanyahu's government. While the West
assumes that he would reformulate his coalition with Kadima, I would
submit it is far more likely - at this time - that the ambitious Lieberman would cobble together a majority (including the ever malleable Ehud Barack) to move Israel in the direction of essentially a strong Murabak-
style dictator who holds his power through affiliation with the generals.
Given the very unusual electoral process in Israel, this is more than possible. Such a government would virtually guarantee an annexation of the
West Bank, the annihilation of Gaza as well as military advances toward
Iran. Meanwhile - the Labor party is reviving and rebuilding and reaching
out to Kadima. The people of Israel who protested the economic conditions
are moving as rapidly to the left as the settlers are moving to the right.
Why not give the situation a tincture of time, allowing the popular movement to take root and strengthen - particularly with a prime minister
whose major talent is for repeatedly and consistently destroying own political position, nationally and internationally.
The issue represented by this phenomenon is significant. Israeli citizens,
holding dual, US citizenship ( as a back up in case their extreme rightist
policies create serious, military threats to Israel) reaching into American
politics to insure virtually unlimited financial support to Israel, total impunity as regards moral or international law, as well as an ill-considered mid east foreign policy which is diametrically opposed to US interests. No other foreign power has this "special" relationship. These citizens pay no taxes, hold no allegiance to this country and, particuarly, hold no allegiance to Obama as a result of his ethnic heritage - see Carolyn Glick/Latima production of Obama in blackface as well as Gabrielle Shalev comments on the Obamas and the "black elite", all of whom attended Harvard, in War in Context. It is clear that these israelis, many of whom are either settlers or share their political orientation, intend to ally with the monied interests of the Kochs, Mellon Scaife, etc in order to definitively impact the next presidential election. Given the Supreme Courts slap down of the campaign funding transparency laws, they can do so, leaving few if any footprints. Since their interests do not align with ours, since their loyalities are only to themselves and since their political philosophy is win at any cost, could they - under cover of "ambiguous" PACS ally with other countries who might also wish to control the outcome of our elections for their own purposes?
Also - consider that Netanyahu is also underscoring and amplifying
the perception that not only national but local politics are directed/
manipulated on the basis of what's good for Israel, not the US. Also the perception that Israel can reach into a local election and through funding, organized "boiler room calling" and propoganda strongly influence the outcome. This behavior coupled with lawfare (or threatened lawfare) against food co-ops (e.g. Olympia, Wash., Sacramento), art galleries (e.g. Oakland), educational institutions (e.g. Dr. William Robinson, UC Santa Barbara) makes clear the pressures brought to bear not only in US politics but also in everyday life. Some opine that the Israeli doctrine of disproportunate force is applied in these arenas as well as well as on the battlefields with Lebanon and Gaza.
Such pressures bring home to the common person in the street, that his/her elected representatives, his/her town, his/her education, his/her grocery store and his/her leisure activities can be negatively affected. At some point in all of this, irrespective of the silence of the mainstream media, these common people will "wise up" and cease voting against his interests. Is this one of the reasons that powerful Republican PACs are intensively pursuing vote caging?
This letter is overshadowed by Representative Joe Walsh's recently
introduced bill, which mirrors the bill introduced by Danny Danon in
the Knesset, to offer the US fullest support for Israeli annexation of
the West Bank. There are at least 30 other representatives who have
signed on.
This comment in 9.14 Haaretz, makes it past the censors: A Jewish
authority has taken shape in the West Bank and its goal is to replace the
state as a sovreign authority.... An I believe that these same settlers have
also been recently armed and trained by the IDF. Is severe political
change coming to Israel? How does Avigdor Lieberman, settlement resident, embed in this equation?
Cast Lead - from the eyes of the children of Gaza. Thanks for posting
this and the link to the MECA site.
My suggestion is that MECA scan the pictures, make slides and e-mail
them to Phil so they can be posted on this website and then linked by
all who would wish to post them at alternate sites. It is also the case
that the program book for the show has alreadybeen printed and
selected information from the book could be included. Children from
all over the world could be invited to share their responses and art -
making this a global event, as opposed to simply SF.
Since all of the above have most recently been to israel, escorted in some
cases by danny danon - what have they promised regarding the West
Bank and Gaza. Do they all follow Huckabee's dictum, "The Palestinians
need to go somewhere else?" Is this why Netanyahu can feel so confident
in humiliating Obama? Do these politicos represent a more potent
shadow foreign policy than that practiced by our elected officials. Is this
whence comes the confidence that gaza must be retaken and the west
bank annexed?
With the exception of Mike Huckabee, we hear great praise for Israel from
Bachman, Pawlenty et. al. but no real information on their position
regarding setting boundaries for Israel, although they assent to their
support for Israel as a Jewish state. Is the unspoken corollary, voiced
by Mr. Huckabee that the Palestianians need to be moved out of all of
Israel into a "Muslin" country? Given that Israel is the first stop in a
foreign land for most presidential candidates (as well as Eric Cantor's
meeting with Netanyhu here), what promises have been made to Prime
Minister Netanyhu and others? If the tacit promise were all of Judea and
Samaria or virtually all of Judea and Samaria with all the natural resources,
would it not be the case that Jewish donors would be more willing to fund
Republicans? Would this knowledge significantly pressure Obama's
foreign policy toward Israel?
The $ 3 000 000 000 000 is nothing compared to the 4500
dead soldiers and over 100,000 who sustained grievous physical
and mental casualties. We should all remember that the post
combat suicide rate from this war is higher than any other. These
lives represented - in many ways - the brightest, the best and
the most patriotic of our youth. We should also reflect on the
levels of medical, psychological and vocational assistance which they have not received - all while the federal government was
bailing out investment and commerical banks (think Goldman
Sacks; JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America) too big to fail.
We are all the "we" but we should wonder, particularly after the
Citizens United decision, if we are not losing control of the democratic political process.
The additional salacious pictures tweeted by Representative Weiner
- if posted by an individual with lessor power than a Congressional
Representative - could well be considered the grooming behavior
of a sexual predator, particularly the original picture sent to a
political admirer with whom he had no sexting relationship. Inquiring
minds would follow the path of his behavior and perhaps predict
that what is known today about Rep Weiner's sexual and risk taking
behaviors would suggest that what is public knowledge at this time
represents only the tip of the iceberg ( and one which is most probably
being intensively excavated by Breitbart and company). At a time
when this country is facing economic devestation, two disastrous wars
and exceptional levels of political volatility, Anthony Weiner represents
a vector that the Democratic party cannot afford.
Anthony Weiner is a pathological liar and possibly a sociopath. A rereading
his comments prior to admitting his involvement would suggests considerable inappropriate humor in his verbal play on words - all at the
expense of his victim, Genette Cordova, whose privacy was seriously
violated by his failure to immediately acknowlege his responsibility for
the lewd pictures. At the end of the day one would wonder if this man
is a closet misogynist ?
Actually, if one considers Danny Danon's recent op ed in the New York
Times, Israel's Likud party's proposal goes something like this:
Making Israel whole by unilaterally annexing Judea and Samaria
(the West Bank) while at the same time recovering Gaza. Given
current policies of land theft, unilaterally appropriating property as
"closed military" zones and continuing bullying, harassment by
unchecked settlers and military as well as defacto incarceration of
Palestinians in village ghettoes - the end result would be a brutally
apartheid country, but MK Danon feels that this would soon blow over
and that Israel has stood up to such criticism in the past with no lasting
negative consequences to Israel. This is a plan to create a "whole Israel"
without a Palestine or any basic human rights for Palestinians. How generous.
General Adnan Al Damiri, the official spokesman for the Palestinian security apparatus, said in an official statement that shots came from a tower on Al Mutawar Mountain overlooking Joseph's Tomb. Israeli police identified the dead man as Ben-Yosef Livnat, an occupied Jerusalem resident in his mid-20s.
From the Gulf News 4.24.11
This escalation has been long planned, simply an extension of
Cast Lead I,. From the Jerusalem Post 9.5.10:
"Ahead of Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in Gaza two winters ago, the IDF drew up a day-byday schedule of action – detailing the areas to concentrate forces and the specific targets to be hit. Divided into phases, the planned onslaught, if implemented in full, would have seen the IDF reconquer the Gaza Strip, ending Hamas’s rule and putting Israel fully back in charge of the area it had left in 2005, vowing never to return.
The campaign had been structured so that the approval of the political leadership was required in order to move from one major phase to the next. In briefings in the early days of the operation, senior IDF officials made plain that the army was acting precisely as planned in that daily schedule. As the operation intensified and time passed, however, it became clear that the IDF was being hamstrung by the politicians, who were dithering over whether to expand the campaign – to move on to the next major phase."
Does this also address the issue of "accidental errors" in targeting
civilians? I believe General Galant also has stated that "In war there
are no civilians."
This is abolutely correct. Cast Lead II fufills the IDF goal to "clean
out Gaza" - the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza having occurred prior to the knowledge of the gas fields. The current scenario of Gaza leaders
offering a truce and cease fire with Israel becoming increasingly
lethal, incursive and provative (so that a ceasefire becomes politically
untenable) is eerily parallel to the situation prior to Cast Lead I. The
motives are economic. Also, consider the strategic and economic importance of a deep water port in Gaza in combination with light rail and air transport, especially if a free Palestine were to develop economic
free trade zones throughout the middle east.
Its important to remember that these are not, according to AlJazeera
Wikileaks documents but "appear" to be from the Palestinian side. How
convenient that as the Palestinian's move the place their plight before
the Security Council the PA is discredited. Who benefits? Would Mossad
have the motivation and capability to facilitate such leaks under a false
flag. Would the Israeli ruling quartet of Bibi, Barak, Galant and Lieberman
have the political will for such an act. What steps would Israel find necessary to take to support their "security" in the situation of the ascent
of Hamas or a less pliant/more militant government in the West Bank?
One cannot consider this situation without also considering the current
instability in Lebanon, particularly in the light of Nasrallah's suggestion
that Hariri was assasinated by Israel.