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Trump’s refusal to name a ‘good guy and a bad guy’ in conflict is ‘anti-Israel,’ says Rubio

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Donald Trump. (Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

The big news is that when the Republican debate last night in Houston at last turned to foreign policy after 90 minutes, the top subject was Israel and for five or ten minutes, Israel was the word you heard repeated again and again on the stage. The good part is that we are at last getting a debate about U.S. foreign policy with Israel at the top of the list. The unfortunate part was that the candidates were trying to out-Israel one another, in particular Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio; and Donald Trump was forced to vow over and over again that he is “totally pro-Israel” and “Nobody on this stage has done more for Israel than I have.”

Nonetheless, Trump also repeated his shocking declaration that he has to be neutral about the conflict because he has the ambition of negotiating a peace deal and:

It serves no purpose to say that you have a good guy and a bad guy. Now, I may not be successful in doing it, it’s probably the toughest negotiation anywhere in the world of any kind. OK, but it doesn’t help if I start saying– I’m very pro-Israel. Very. More than anybody on the stage. But it doesn’t do any good to start demeaning the neighbors because I would love to do something with regard to negotiating peace peace, finally for Israel, and for their neighbors… As a negotiator, I cannot do that as well if I’m taking big, big sides. With that being said, I am totally pro-Israel.

The idea that Trump would refuse to demean the Palestinians upset Marco Rubio.

“The position you’ve taken is an anti-Israel position.. Because you cannot be an honest broker in a dispute between two sides in which one of the sides is constantly acting in bad faith.”

He went on to repeat his talking points. The Palestinians have turned down one great offer after another. Palestinians teach their children at four to hate Jews. And the U.S. has to stand unapologetically with the only free-enterprise democracy in the Middle East.

Music to neoconservative donors’ ears. Bill Kristol, powerbroker:

Trump has made this race about who’s the alpha dog. Tonight it should be Rubio.

And this promotion of regime change by Kristol:

Trump: pro-Saddam and pro-Qaddafi. #MakingAmericaSuckUpToDictatorsAgain

That because Trump said it had been a terrible mistake to invade Iraq. He struck an anti-war and anti-regime change position on stage, citing Iraq and Libya. If Hillary Clinton is preparing for Trump, he is also preparing for her.

Trump’s comments are startling some observers. Former mediator Aaron David Miller:

Trump alone among his rivals is actually rational on the Israeli-Palestinian issue

Miller was responding to Shadi Hamid of Brookings:

Rubio and Cruz are so extreme on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they made Trump look remarkably sensible.

And Michael Crowley at Politico observes today that Trump defies GOP litmus test on Israel.

Update. I forgot this part: Israel is like America’s child, Ben Carson said.

Thanks to James North.

Philip Weiss

Philip Weiss is senior editor of Mondoweiss.net and founded the site in 2005-06.

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62 Responses

  1. kalithea on February 26, 2016, 12:26 pm

    It’s time to put Trump’s neutrality to the Democratic candidates and ask Hillary and, yes, even Bernie if they’re neutral on the Israeli/Palestinian issue.

    This being said: I hate to envision Trump as a vehicle for peace with his ton of moral issues and really don’t see the honest broker in him.

    His words: As a negotiator, I cannot do that as well if I’m taking big, big sides. With that being said, I am totally pro-Israel. Isn’t this an oxymoron? If he’s totally pro-Israel, totally, how is he not taking sides?

    • Krauss on February 27, 2016, 2:46 am

      Rubio is a prime example of the fact that donors give money for a reason. They want a puppet and the puppet performed as he was expected to perform.

      It’s also incredible to me that this debate is happening in the GOP before its happening in the supposedly “liberal” party of the dems. What does that tell you about the strength of the Israel lobby inside the democratic apparatus and Sanders’ moral delinquency on Jewish Apartheid?

    • Ready Bet on February 27, 2016, 9:11 pm

      Unlike his two rivals Trump is NEUTRAL on the Israel/Palestine struggle.
      He states he is NEUTRAL and he claims he is more PRO Israel than those two.
      And Trump does not have to be bought by Zionist billionaires or be pressured by ‘think tanks’.
      That’s the kind of honest broker the US has always been.
      Aren’t the Palestinians lucky.
      But alas, we know the Palestinians never miss a chance to ‘miss a chance’.

  2. David Doppler on February 26, 2016, 12:46 pm

    Rubio: It is not a real estate deal. The US cannot be an honest broker when dealing with terrorists.

    Reality: It is in fact a territorial dispute, a kind of real estate deal, two peoples fighting over one piece of land. Israel uses settlements and elaborate foreign policy gyrations including the global war on terror aka the clash of civilization, and the biblical divine grant, and its modern IDF backed by the US, while the Palestinians use stones and scissors and knives. One side is winning. The other has been losing. For 68 years. Rubio is a pawn in Israel’s continuation of its strategy, a walking excuse for taking the rest of the land. Trump sees it clearly for what it is, wants to bring peace to both sides, and is suffering the slings and arrows of violating Zionist talking points.

    This is in fact a crucial moment in the war of ideas in the US about how to deal with the Middle East: how best to settle a dispute over property. I think Trump has a better chance than anyone of making it happen, and he is likely to make liberal use of the international equivalent of eminent domain – taking from one side, and giving to the other – in order to achieve it. The Zionists know that it is game over for their decades-long strategy of taking it all, if it gets treated as a territorial dispute that can be resolved by compromise.

    The “cannot-be-an-honest-broker” phrase is the key issue for American foreign policy in the Middle East. Netanyahu is leading the Zionist cause to this ultimate point, and demanding no compromise, no land for Palestine, no negotiation with them because of who they are, and attempting to cast all opposition as denial of Jews right to exist.

    Now is the time for America to reject Rubio’s demand that we cannot be an honest broker. Trump can point out that it is Rubio who is indistinguishable from Hillary – both simply recite Israeli talking points. Rubio says he will be more in the face of the Palestinians, while Hillary will play the fake negotiations game for her entire term.

    Only Trump has the cajones to say, in the heat of the debate in the run-up to Super Tuesday, that he sees it for what it is, and will do what he can to negotiate it. The Zionists and their fellow travelers are going all in this week. How will it play out on Tuesday?

  3. David Doppler on February 26, 2016, 1:48 pm

    I see the Drudge Report post-debate poll (right-wing biased) shows Trump the big winner. http://www.salon.com/2016/02/26/sorry_marco_the_drudge_report_stays_loyal_to_trump_the_donald_dominates_yet_another_post_debate_vote/

    Does this not reflect the stupidity of the Israel Lobby’s choosing the Republican Party?

  4. HarryLaw on February 26, 2016, 2:18 pm

    Vote Republican, get a Neocon. Vote Democrat get a Neocon. Neocon Kagan endorses Hillary Clinton https://consortiumnews.com/2016/02/25/neocon-kagan-endorses-hillary-clinton

    • kalithea on February 26, 2016, 2:37 pm

      It’s a rigged political system; everyone knows it.

    • lysias on February 26, 2016, 5:43 pm

      Is Trump a neocon? The neocons seem not to think so.

    • Bandolero on February 26, 2016, 10:52 pm

      Harry

      Great news. It means Trump starts succeeding to clean the GOP from the neocons and Israel firsters. Now Bernie needs to achieve the same for the Dems and the neocons and Israel firsters would have to make up their own party to stay in the business.

      That would be great fun, to see them needing to campaign with their own party for Israel, wars for Israel and more wars for Israel.

      • echinococcus on February 27, 2016, 2:12 am

        Betting on the wrong horse, my friend.
        To do that, that person has to first stop supporting the Zionist-Neocon war of aggression, from Iraq to Libya to Syria to Yemen to the Egyptian putsch to…

  5. hippocrasy on February 26, 2016, 2:22 pm

    Am I the only one who heard Rubio basically call all Palestinians terrorists and that Trump by being neutral was favoring terrorists?
    I am surprised no one else has jumped on the followup statement about terrorists.

  6. kalithea on February 26, 2016, 2:30 pm

    It’s pretty hilarious to see the Republican Party hi-jacked by Donald Trump. Chris Christie just endorsed Trump and no doubt Rubio’s in a cold sweat. Karl Rove’s shorts are in a rumpled mess. This is really hysterical!

    • lysias on February 26, 2016, 5:42 pm

      A Trump-Christie ticket would be really formidable in November.

      And no, I don’t intend to vote for it. If Bernie doesn’t get the Dem nomination, I intend to vote for Jill Stein. If he does get the nomination, I will have to consider which of the two to vote for.

      • kalithea on February 26, 2016, 8:17 pm

        Huckabee’s daughter was just hired by the Trump campaign and she stated on CNN that of all the candidates left he’s the most loyal to Israel. So it’s like I wrote yesterday: No candidate in this race will help advance the Palestinian cause for justice.

        But the Republican establishment is very nervous at the prospect of Trump winning the nomination.

    • MRW on February 26, 2016, 8:33 pm

      Say what you will about Christie, but he has one of the shrewdest political instincts in the biz, and every reporter who has ever covered him, no matter what their politics, will tell you so. Christie can smell political potted plants faster than a dog can smell dinner.

      Take a look at Christie’s comment about Rubio this AM, published in HuffPo:

      “I heard some of Sen. Rubio’s comments this morning,” Christie said. “None of them were about the people of this country…[or] the fact that middle class folks in this country are suffering.”

      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chris-christie-donald-trump_us_56d0902ee4b0bf0dab31ebad?xiebfbt9

      • DaBakr on February 27, 2016, 1:10 am

        @mk

        i think you hit the nail here..

        have some personal experience with c.c.-mostly years back-and especially with the new jersey reporters who cover him , it is true that most consider him shrewd but opinions were split between those that loved him (supposedly for his ability to get things done) and those that despise him for his unqualified and criminal demeanor. (they believe he was only tapped by bush for u.s. attorney because he raised a lot of gop cash-not because he had any qualification for s.a.

        according to one trenton based reporter: he is the absolute real life embodiment of tony soprano with cuomo playing the role of johnny sac divvying up NY/NJ proceeds. his main goal in political life so far has been to grab as much and split as little as possible of the port authority money for his personal discretionary political use. like the tv character-he thinks he is an every day ‘joe’ who has as much of a moral compass as the next guy

        it makes total sense he would accede to the trump debacle. and as much of an ass that he is-he isn’t wrong with his comments.

        trump is scaring many americans. both on left and the right. poderhoretz is freaking out and i doubt its all about israel. powerless americans that are easily deluded are thrilled that a candidate they love scares washington, scares the stereos quo, h.r.c. etc. its the opposite of israelis who were too scared to elect anyone other then the status quo. trump may be the only figure who has enough clarity (and by clarity-i do not mean in a good sense. i mean he believes anything he does is great. wether it is great, is not great or is downright despicable and dangerous) to carry out radical change. i do not envy the american electorate for this national election.

        i am only left to wonder if the other us billionaires are holding back or waiting to plan any moves to discourage his election. do they even care? he surely is no ordinary billionaire. but christie definitely wants to be in that clubhouse.

      • MRW on February 27, 2016, 6:23 pm

        DaBakr,

        trump is scaring many americans. both on left and the right.

        Not according to the polls so far.

        poderhoretz is freaking out and i doubt its all about israel.

        AND.

        its the opposite of israelis who were too scared to elect anyone other then the status quo

        This is what’s giving Poderhoretz and Kristol diarrhea. He’s challenging their entrenched status quo, the one they thought they controlled stateside. Victoria Nuland and Robert Kagan must be having nightmares, investing in four-foot cubes of Charmin. Nuland is out if he wins the election. She would be bounced to Tahiti if she tried that Maidan shit under a Trump presidency, and probably publicly embarrassed as she bolted though the air.

        Speaking of that, none other than The Nation’s publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel’s husband, Russian historian and analyst Stephen Cohen, praised Trump on the John Batchelor Show a few weeks ago as the only candidate exhibiting a statesman’s understanding of the job with respect to Russia. Trump favors diplomacy.

        Under the US Constitution, the US prez is ultimately responsible for foreign affairs. It’s his entire purview; it’s his job. He’s Head of State, unlike Netanyahu or Justin Trudeau. Unless a government action is a treaty, which requires passing a 2/3 Senate vote, a US President can make agreements with other countries without getting congressional approval (the latter’s ultimate duty is domestic). Separation of powers.

        Cohen and Batchelor reiterate weekly during Cohen’s Tuesday night stints (WABC-NYC Radio 9PM-1AM) that it is stunning how America’s so-called leaders–and candidates–throw around talk of nuking Russia, arming Ukraine, bombing this and that state willy-nilly, restarting the Cold War. All neocon campaigns that Clinton fell on her sword for as SecState. They both say that this would have been unheard of, absolutely unthinkable, in Reagan, Bush Sr., or Carter’s time. Cohen has zero respect for the Obama admin foreign policy initiatives; calls them subpar, juvenile, ignorant . . . and dangerous. Both Cohen and Batchelor view the nuclear escalation as ominous, and Obama’s positions as threatening global peace and security. They praise Putin’s restraint. The brilliant Cohen calls Putin the only “consequential statesman” and leader on the world stage today.

        So when I hear that Bernie is going to continue Obama’s position on Russia, I get scared. Ditto Madame Clinton. In terms of the one job function that a US President has final responsibility for, it’s easy to see that Trump is the sanest of the bunch in that regard. As for all the other red meat that Trump is throwing to the ravenous crowds, welcome to the Roman Coliseum, all of that is ultimately controlled by a functioning Congress. Maybe a Trump presidency will force them to do their job after three decades of intentional neglect and allowing themselves to be hijacked/controlled by the likes of Podhoretz and Kristol.

        The American people are waaay ahead of the NYC/DC press corps on this one. And those overpaid poobahs failed to read the country accurately for the last six years; they thought their viewers cared about social/quasi-religious issues so they stoked it for ratings. Surprise! Even Robert Murdoch is having apoplexy.

        I’m lovin’ it.

      • MRW on February 27, 2016, 6:45 pm

        DaBakr,

        This is the Goyim Uprising that Phil said it would take to break the Israeli logjam.

        And it’s not even about Israel, although Podhoretz and Kristol can see the writing on the wall.

      • DaBakr on February 28, 2016, 5:34 pm

        @m

        i agree that the trump supporters are not as concerned with israel as they are the state of their own nation. i could quibble with a few of your statements but overall-i don’t think what you say is out of line. deporting 11million illegals may be a problem. but trump will hire people to tell him how that can be done while still making america great again. maybe christie. its a crapshoot with trump and status quo with hrc. that will be the choice you face*

        *unless the extremely unlikely event that biden would step in -which at this point-he’d be a shoe in to beat any of the runners.

      • DaBakr on February 28, 2016, 5:54 pm

        @m

        and what can you say about the premise that many on the center- left as well as some conservatives are calling trump a simple fascist. on mw israel is also called a fascist state. how is trump going to be an even broker on peace negotiations if he’s a fascist.

  7. ckg on February 26, 2016, 3:52 pm

    Don’t expect any of these Republicans to question Israel’s shoot-to-kill subjugation of Palestinians after today’s killing of a 17-year-old U.S. citizen by the IDF at a checkpoint near Ramallah. For all of them, including Trump, Israel is the model of behavior.

    • ckg on February 26, 2016, 4:09 pm

      (AFP says Mahmud Shaalan is a Palestinian-US national.)

    • ckg on February 26, 2016, 7:14 pm

      And the State Department is always the last to know.

      QUESTION: And finally, can you confirm that today an American citizen, a teenager, was killed, Mahmud Mohammed Ali-Shaalan, in Ramallah by the Israeli Army? Could you confirm that?

      MR TONER: I cannot, Said. I’ll take the question.

      QUESTION: Could you find out?

      MR TONER: Yeah.

  8. Herchel on February 26, 2016, 5:12 pm

    The position you’ve taken is an anti-Israel position.. Because you cannot be an honest broker in a dispute between two sides in which one of the sides is constantly acting in bad faith.”
    —-

    Well said, Senator Rubio. Truer words haven’t been spoken on the debate stage in a long time.

    • annie on February 26, 2016, 8:26 pm

      no, it’s a stupid comment. if be believes he cannot be an honest broker he should advocate the US backing out of the process altogether. besides, Israel is constantly acting in bad faith by engaging in negotiations for the purpose of stalling-while-colonizing.

      • peeesss on February 27, 2016, 1:47 am

        The United States has never been an “honest broker” re. Palestine/Israel negotiations. The US total support of Israel, economic , military, diplomatic certainly shows that.. The usual diplomats negotiating over the past 20-30 years are invariably Zionists, Jewish or otherwise. Dennis Ross, of course, comes to mind. Aaron Miller has termed US negotiators as “Israel’s lawyers”. The loud ,public support from the White House, and the Congress for any and all Israeli’s actions and policies including the murder of hundreds of Palestinian children, over these many sad years precludes any thought of the US as an ‘honest broker.”
        Even Obama, who some on this sight see as even handed re . Palestine Israel goes before leading American Jews to speak, tearfully, of his love for Israel . He proudly, endlessly, speaks of the enormous aid given to Israel, in particular, military. by his administration, more than any other previous President. One example of this “honest broker” US.is its replenishing the supplies , military, for Israel to continue the slaughter of innocents in the most recent Gaza carnage with White House spokesmen repeatedly, sickeningly, unashamedly stating of “Israel’s right to defend itself.”

    • Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 9:15 pm

      “Because you cannot be an honest broker in a dispute between two sides in which one of the sides is constantly acting in bad faith.”

      Truer words haven’t been spoken all right. One side is constantly acting in bad faith.
      That is the side that has the longest going military occupation, is stealing lands for illegal settlements, controlling the water, stealing the olives trees, blockading, meting out collective punishment, arresting little kids, and wants Gaza bombed back to the stone age.
      All this against unarmed, helpless civilians. Rubio seems unable to comprehend the situation.

      • Herchel on February 27, 2016, 2:00 pm

        Yawn… You repeat yourself more than Rubio does. At least his talking points are truthful.

      • Kay24 on February 28, 2016, 12:11 am

        It seems the truth hurts, and you cannot digest reality. A malady among the apologists.

        It is obvious the occupation and land grabs somehow gets overlooked by the has brats of zio land.

    • eljay on February 26, 2016, 9:32 pm

      || Herchel: “… you cannot be an honest broker in a dispute between two sides in which one of the sides is constantly acting in bad faith.” ||

      He’s right: Israel, which for almost 70 years has been…
      – stealing, occupying and colonizing Palestinian land;
      – oppressing, torturing and killing Palestinians;
      – refusing to honour its obligations under international law (including RoR of refugees);
      – refusing to accept responsibility and accountability for its past and on-going (war) crimes; and
      – refusing to enter into sincere negotiations for a just and mutually-beneficial peace,
      …has been constantly acting in bad faith.

    • MRW on February 26, 2016, 10:01 pm

      Someone explain to me: What is wrong with being anti-Israel?

      • Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 11:03 pm

        According to the zio mafia, it is being “anti -semitic”. A lame way of silencing criticism of an apartheid nation with an ugly history of human rights violations against those they occupy and steal from.
        In the US you can be anti Canada, anti Mexico, and even anti UK, but you dare not be anti Israel.

      • Herchel on February 28, 2016, 11:55 am

        Well, it is stupid but there is nothing “wrong “with it.

        What is wrong is anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish bigotry thinly veiled as anti-Israeli criticism purportedly predicated on irrational belief system that holds Jews to a much higher standard than anyone else in the world and engages in the fallacy of moral equivalency when it comes to baby killers and other terrorists who kill Jews.

        But, you obviously knew that already…

      • eljay on February 28, 2016, 1:57 pm

        || Herchel: … What is wrong is anti-Semitism … predicated on irrational belief system that holds Jews to a much higher standard than anyone else in the world … ||

        I don’t know the name for it, but what is also wrong is the way you hateful and immoral Zio-supremacists single out Jews and hold them to a special / different standard than anyone else in the world.

        You despise the act of holding – and the people who hold – Jews to the same standard as everyone else in the world.

        Why do you hateful and immoral Zio-supremacists hate Jews so much?

      • Mooser on February 28, 2016, 4:53 pm

        “predicated on irrational belief system that holds Jews to a much higher standard than anyone else in the world”

        Exactly, “Herchel”. Why, wouldn’t you love it if Jews were held to a lower standard then anyone else. Yes sir, if only Jews could be deemed incapable of living with all kinds of other people, and had to be kept segregated, and under the control of their own ‘leaders’.
        That’s what you Zionists want to do to the Jews- turn us into a barbarian, rogue people united by a common interest in criminal activities. Convince us we can only survive with the lowest of standards.

      • Mooser on March 1, 2016, 3:10 pm

        “What is wrong is anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish bigotry thinly veiled as anti-Israeli criticism”

        Not if it works, buddy boy. And they have every right to see if it will. After all, it has before.
        You might have thought of that, if it meant anything to you.

        The people oppressed, murdered and dispossessed by Zionism don’t even have the right to use words against it, with out asking your permission? You’re dreamin’ pal.

        But okay “Herchel” just tell me one thing:
        If indeed “What is wrong is anti-Semitism and anti-Jewish bigotry thinly veiled as anti-Israeli criticism” what do you plan to do about it?

      • talknic on March 1, 2016, 7:11 pm

        @ MRW February 26, 2016, 10:01 pm

        “Someone explain to me: What is wrong with being anti-Israel?”

        Herchel will. It’s simple. Put it thru ye olde Ziofier and soon it’s flip flopping from “Israel” to “Jews” and back again as necessary

        Herchel February 28, 2016, 11:55 am “… … anti-Israeli criticism purportedly predicated on irrational belief system that holds Jews to a much higher standard than anyone else in the world … …”

        @ Herchel

        You’re so clever Herchel. Showing everyone just how deceitful you can be.

        Keep up the good work! It’s invaluable

        BTW Israel should indeed be held to the same standards as other UN Member states, except it’s given a free pass thru the US UNSC veto vote.

        It has a free hand to break whatever Laws, UN Charter chapters its black lifeless Zioinfected heart desires, while ignoring countless UNSC resolutions reminding it of its legal obligations to the binding Laws and binding UN Charter reaffirmed and emphasized in those resolutions.

        Israel takes advantage of the US UNSC veto vote to lower its own standards to the point where it is breach of International Laws and a UN Charter that were adopted in large part because of the treatment of our fellows under the stinking &*$#@ Nazis!

        And you’re a supporter. WOW!!!! You must be soooooooooooo proud!

  9. Citizen on February 26, 2016, 5:25 pm

    Total American humiliation, this parade of Israel’s flunkeys vying to be the next POTUS.

  10. lysias on February 26, 2016, 5:40 pm

    The Washington Post’s long front-page article on last night’s debate banished any mention of Israel to the last few paragraphs. I wonder how many people read that far.

    • MRW on February 26, 2016, 8:46 pm

      They don’t but don’t let that stop you.

      That’s why I always read major articles from the bottom up. Trick I was told about by some A-team quality NYT reporters decades ago. They said that on a major breaking story, they can’t control the lede; editorial slant prevails. Ditto heads.

      Try it sometime. You can walk away with a completely different POV. Especially if you do that first, then reread top down. I remember doing that with the NYT Grenada invasion report, right after I was told about this trick. Revelatory.

  11. Brown-Eyed Girl on February 26, 2016, 6:41 pm

    I for one was disgusted watching candidates for president of the United States fall all over each other to pledge their love, loyalty, and devotion to a foreign nation. I literally cringed when Rubio called Palestinians terrorists and said they teach their little children to hate Israel. When Trump said, “No one up here has done more for Israel than I have”, it made me sick. I wanted to say, “What have any of you ever done for the United States and the average American, for the unemployed, the underemployed, or the poor. How can we, as Americans, stand this?? How can we? Our politicians suck up to another country, pledge loyalty to a foreign entity and promise to put its interests over the interests of the American people? Treason, is a word I would use. As I watched this national disgrace go on for about 10-15 agonizing minutes, I thought Sheldon Adleson is really getting his moneys worth. These guys will say whatever it takes to get money Zionist donors? Another thought that comes to mind: How much of the pro-Israel/demonize Palestinians do these guys really believe vs. what they know they have to say to get money. Lets not kid ourselves, Donald Trump doesn’t give a damn about Israel and I doubt Ben Carson or Kasich do either.

    • MRW on February 26, 2016, 8:53 pm

      Adelson hasn’t given Rubio any money yet. Rubio was expecting it last October. Hasn’t happened. In fact, Adelson hasn’t dished out any cash yet. To anyone. Rubio’s debate performance was Rubio genuflecting for dough. BTW, Adelson’s wife is pro-Cruz. Adelson is reported as pro-Rubio.

    • Kay24 on February 26, 2016, 9:24 pm

      Well said Brown Eyed Girl, it was disgusting to watch this competition between desperate Americans who seems to be concerned about an apartheid nation, while ignoring the suffering it inflicts on helpless civilians. They were trying to outdo each other in this ugly show of unwavering support, ignoring the human rights violations, the in your face announcements of more illegal settlements, and one even promised to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

      The mere fact that Trump has shown some neutrality in the I/P issue, and that was met with accusations of him being anti Israeli is unbelievable. Neutrality is the norm and the right position to be in this situation, but unfortunately these shameless politicians have to kiss up to one large behind to win, and neutrality is not even in their minds.

  12. eljay on February 26, 2016, 11:01 pm

    Trump: It serves no purpose to say that you have a good guy and a bad guy. … it doesn’t help if I start saying– I’m very pro-Israel. Very. More than anybody on the stage. But it doesn’t do any good to start demeaning the neighbors because I would love to do something with regard to negotiating peace peace, finally for Israel, and for their neighbors… As a negotiator, I cannot do that as well if I’m taking big, big sides. With that being said, I am totally pro-Israel.

    Trump dons a dunce-cap and joins Marco “moral clarity” Rubio in the corner. Morons.

    • Mooser on February 28, 2016, 4:58 pm

      ” I’m very pro-Israel. Very. More than anybody on the stage.”

      Yes, what are Trump’s business interests in Israel and Non-Israel Israel?

  13. SonofDaffyDuck on February 27, 2016, 2:47 pm

    I think the word “debate” implies that apposing ideas are discussed. Vis-a-vis Israel I heard only three guys screaming their loyalty to Israel (OK, forget the donkey!) and accusing the others of not being sufficiently supine to it’s will.

    The winner of this debate was clearly Netanyahu…
    But, then, he is the winner of the Democratic debates as well.

  14. brent on February 27, 2016, 4:26 pm

    I come back to the point there is not a single member of Congress who will speak against money for Israel!

    Also, I looked about and didn’t see MSM, including NPR and PBS, cover the candidate positions on being neutral. So long as public broadcasting stays with their narrative, the occupation will almost certainly continue. The public can not/will not be successful influencing their political leaders toward even-handedness.

  15. lysias on February 28, 2016, 9:26 am

    Neocon Robert Kagan announces in an op ed in today’s Washington Post that he is leaving the Republican Party and voting for Hillary out of opposition to Trump. Nowhere does he mention his real reason: Israel.

  16. lysias on February 28, 2016, 9:51 am

    One of the commenters on this WaPo thread actually calls for assassinating Trump. I’d quote what the guy actually said if there were not a risk that my even just quoting it might cause the Secret Service to pay me a visit.

    Donald Trump’s Captain Underpants Campaign. Comment at 10:22 PM.

    • lysias on February 28, 2016, 11:26 am

      That comment calling for assassination has now been removed, I’m glad to say.

  17. just on February 28, 2016, 2:43 pm

    “Trump Refuses to Reject Endorsement by Former Head of KKK

    The Republican presidential candidate claims he doesn’t know about David Duke or white supremacists. …

    … Meanwhile, The New York Times reported Friday that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has consulted foreign policy expert Lawrence Wilkerson, who was chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell and speculated in 2013 that Israel may have carried out chemical attacks in Syria.

    Wilkerson told the Times on Friday that he was not trying to raise the world’s ire by suggesting during an interview with Current TV that Israel was involved in the attacks.

    “I was just suggesting all the different people that could have been involved at a time when speculation was rampant,” Wilkerson said.”

    http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/u-s-election-2016/1.706014?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    Right- o, Trump! Sure…

    Meanwhile, I totally missed that wrt to Sanders and Wilkerson… it’s about time, Bernie!

    • just on February 28, 2016, 2:57 pm

      Wow:

      “U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard resigned from her Democratic National Committee post on Sunday to endorse presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

      Gabbard (D-Hawaii), who was vice chairwoman of the DNC, said she wanted to take a stand and support someone “who has foresight and good judgment; who understands the need for a foreign policy which is robust in defending the safety and security of the American policy; who will not waste precious lives and money on interventionist wars of regime change.”

      Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran and rising star in the Democratic party, is a high-profile endorsement for Sanders coming on the heels of a big loss for the candidate in South Carolina. She’s just the fourth member of Congress to endorse Sanders, the Washington Post reported. …”

      http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31336668/us-rep-tulsi-gabbard-resigns-from-democratic-national-committee-to-support-bernie-sanders

      • annie on February 28, 2016, 4:48 pm

        wow! she’s a really mover and shaker too.

      • kalithea on February 28, 2016, 7:34 pm

        It’s time for Bernie to stop pulling punches and put it all out there now! Hillary has the worst foreign policy record and agenda ever – she’s a Neocon, she’s a Ziocon, she’s a hawk, her policies have led to disaster in Libya and Syria and she refers to Palestinians as terrorists.

        Gabbard seems okay being against foreign intervention and regime change, but she does have a Muslim problem therefore I’m not sure how beneficial she would be for the Palestinian cause. She has been very critical of Obama failing to use the term Islamic terrorism. I happen to agree with Obama on this.

        However, maybe she can speak out on Hillary’s disastrous foreign policy agenda. She might benefit Bernie’s campaign if he would use her to attack Hillary on foreign policy. We’ll see how this endorsement unfolds, but he’s definitely in serious trouble. He needs to turn around the free fall in the polls. It’s now or never for him.

  18. kalithea on February 28, 2016, 9:51 pm

    This breaking news is why I don’t agree with Gabbard’s criticism of Obama for not wanting to use the term Islamic terrorism.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/execution-style-murder-young-muslim-men_us_56d35a51e4b0871f60ebc77a

    This kind of explains her position on this issue; a position held by Republicans that foments Islamophobia.:

    http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/curious-islamophobic-politics-dem-congressmember-tulsi-gabbard

    http://www.loonwatch.com/2015/11/the-failure-of-progressive-thought/

    • Theo on February 29, 2016, 1:08 pm

      One should judge a person not on what he says, but what he does, because words are easy to utter, but deeds take a much longer time and leave lasting results.

      I underwrite 100% what Gabbard says, we constantly put our noses into the business of others, and usually end up with a bloody nose.
      I also applaud Obama for resisting the pressure to get us involved in Syria, an escapade that would have ended up like Iraq, with thousands of dead GIs and millions of new enemies for us. He will not end up as a great president, as we so hoped nearly 10 years ago, but at least he kept us out any new war or wars.
      There are no truly honest politicians anyplace, so let´s welcome Gabbard in our ranks, we are fighting huge odds and need all the help we can get.

      As far as Bernie goes, we will see tomorrow if he has a chance or not. Should he get creamed like in SC, then his chances are minimal, Hillary has all the 350 super votes from the bigshots of her party. During the coverage by CNN, a commentator said that “why doesn´t Bernie attack the issue of her speeches on Wall Street and the e-mails, does he want to win?” He should remember, being seconds in this game is not rewarded.

      • echinococcus on February 29, 2016, 2:33 pm

        applaud Obama for resisting the pressure to get us involved in Syria

        Wow, you sure need some coffee.
        He started the “civil” war of aggression against Syria, he supports both Da’esh and the Kurds and fights against both Da’esh and the Kurds and everybody against everybody, to the point of having all US puppets and agents on all sides –except perhaps the Syrian government, the Russians, Hizbollah and the Iranians. All that as ordered point by point by the Yinon plan – PNAC.

        And you call that “resisting getting involved”. Some statement.
        At that rate, Sanders’ despicable, vile proposal to have more Saudis and Emirates and such fight for US goals is no different from the Obama policy.

      • Theo on March 1, 2016, 12:25 pm

        echi

        You misunderstood my comment!! I ment physical involvement by sending troops and waging an air war against cities, like we did in Iraq and in a few other countries, as demanded by McCaine and a few other crazy politicians. If you read my comment carefully, then you could conclude of what I tried to say, our soldiers do not get killed if we supply money and weapons to others!!!
        It is you who needs to fresh up on your information, there are a few other interested parties in this fight, such as the very aggressive Saudis, and they certainly cause a lot of headach for us. Not to forget Erdogan, who wants to reannect the old osman empire and ignores all US warnings. He may just get us into a war with Russia, at least he is doing his best to achieve a NATO case, when we all must come to his aid. He was already warned by Brussels that he will have to fight it alone, however do you believe what politicians say?

        If you are talking about underground involvement, then we have our noses in almost every country, including our closest allies. We are called the greatest terrorists in the world.
        I agree with Sanders, it is not our fight and should keep us out. It is a Saudi, Israel and Oman problem, they started it, financed it, (at least mostly), so let them do the fighting and dying.

      • echinococcus on March 1, 2016, 2:34 pm

        Theo,

        No, I didn’t misunderstand your comment. I don’t give a rodent’s bottom about the citizenship status of the murderers we use.
        Also, your incredible naiveté re the US goals in Syria (and Iraq and Libya…), Erdogan and the Saudis is really touching. As if there were any autonomous players there.
        Particularly despicable is Sanders, with his plan to use all the Ayrabbs and Moslems as cat’s paws to perform our crimes against humanity, cheering them on while mumbling “not our fight”.

      • Mooser on March 1, 2016, 3:37 pm

        “If you read my comment carefully, then you could conclude of what I tried to say, our soldiers do not get killed if we supply money and weapons to others!!! “

        Yes, “Theo” that “supply money and weapons to others” is working out very well for the US, isn’t it? And we’re so good at it, too!

      • Theo on March 2, 2016, 11:42 am

        I commented on the status of events in the ME, that includes not only Syria, but a few other countries, and the couch-potatoes called me naive! If you would look back on my comments 4 years ago, I informed already then the MW crowd where the first 1,200 “freedom fighters” were trained, supplied with money and weapons, and spirited through Turkey into Syria. I am sure neither of you had the faintest idea how this bloody war started! I had insider information what you do not have and I make comments only when I know what I am talking about, contrary to a few other persons here.

        Analysing a situation does not mean that I approve it! As far as weapons go, you both are very naive, if we don´t supply them, then the germans, the brits, the french, the russians, the israelis or the chinese will do it, and there are a few others who are ready to sell them!! Yes, it is a louzy world, but you cannot change it by sitting and wishing for a better system. Put the blame on our president and congress, see how far you get.

        Contrary to your opinion, we do not control everything in that situation and keep loosing influence every day, and both the USA and Russia are in agreement that just too many players make this situation uncontrolable! The Saudis and Erdogan are playing their own little game. The turks are bombing our allies, the kurds, trained and armed by Germany and the USA, and playing chicken with the russians. In your opinion all this planned in Washington? Do we want a WWIII?

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