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Posts Tagged ‘Israel’

“Bibi Over Barack”

by Eliana ( 181 Comments › )
Filed under Barack Obama, Israel at March 25th, 2010 - 2:30 pm

Bibi Over Barack
By Quin Hillyer on 3.24.10 @ 11:25AM
The American Spectator Blog

After yesterday’s meetings between Binyamin Netanyahu and Barack Obama, for the first time in my life I quite literally feel more allegiance to the head of a foreign state than I do to the president of the United States. Mind you, this is personal: NOT allegiance to the foreign state, nor allegiance to its office of PM over this American government or the office of the president, but a greater personal allegiance — greater trust in, greater belief that his goals and stances are actually better for the United States itself — to the person of Netanyahu than to that of The One.

Just so the left and MSM can’t go screaming like madmen, let me be even more clear: Let me change the word “allegiance” to “trusting respect,” and let me say also that this means I believe Netanyahu’s words, trust his judgment, and feel more secure in his motives, more than I believe, trust, and feel more secure with Obama. (This has nothing whatsoever with my loyalty to the United States of America, of course, which is undying. All too often, too many people conflate the man with the office of the presidency, but they are not one and the same. Obama is my president. But he is not a good one, and I do not have to respect him for me to respect the office.)

I write this not as a Jew, but as a cradle Episcopalian, or a sort of hybrid Anglo-Catholic. In short, not based on faith, but on reason. If the Jewish state can’t allow free people to build housing in Jerusalem, then the Irish state may as well not let Irish build in Dublin. And if the American administration tries to tell the Jewish state that it is wrong to merely advance by one mid-range step along a multi-step process towards permitting those buildings, then the Jewish PM has every right to tell the American administration the same thing Dick Cheney told the execrable Patrick Leahy.

As Carl in Jerusalem put it —

Indeed.

Quin Hillyer is a senior editorial writer at the Washington Times and senior editor of The American Spectator.

Hat Tip to Carl in Jerusalem at Israel Matzav

Change! Obama’s Policy of Distancing Israel & Rehabilitating Islam’s Global Image

by WrathofG-d ( 82 Comments › )
Filed under Barack Obama, Democratic Party, Gaza, Iran, Islamic Terrorism, Islamists, Israel, Leftist-Islamic Alliance, Middle East, Palestinians, Politics, Progressives, Religion at March 18th, 2010 - 4:00 pm

Much ado has been made about the Obama Administration’s most recent manufactured spat and over-reaction to Israel’s announcement that it was going to go forward with a zoning decision in the Israeli neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo.

President Biden accused [Israel] of “endangering US lives in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.” Despite Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s abject apology, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accused him of “insulting” the US. Obama’s chief political adviser David Axelrod even claimed that the Israeli government was deliberately undermining peace talks.

All of this, despite the fact that this announcement (not actual building mind you)  involved no breach of undertaking between the two countries.

…the Obama administration had previously publicly praised the Israeli government for making a “major concession” by imposing a settlement freeze which explicitly excluded Jerusalem.

So what gives? Despite the American public’s reaction of shock to this most recent kerfuffle, this treatment of America’s most reliable, and steadfast ally by the Obama Administration is not unique.

These hostile outbursts must be viewed in the context of the fact that despite strong ongoing support for Israel by the American people, the US-Israel relationship has been on a downward spiral since the election of the new administration. Former Mossad head Ephraim Halevy attributes this to Obama’s determination to rehabilitate Islam’s global tarnished image.

Yet his strategy of “engaging” Islamic rogue states has been disastrous. The effort to prevent the nuclearization of Iran by appeasing the Iranian tyrants backfired with the ayatollahs literally mocking the US. The response of Syrian President Bashar Assad to US groveling and the appointment of an ambassador to Damascus, was to host a summit with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hizbullah terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah and ridicule the US demand that he curtail his relationship with Iran. President Obama did not consider this “insulting,” prompting the editor of the Lebanese The Daily Star to say that “the Obama administration these days provokes little confidence in its allies and even less fear in its adversaries.”

The Arab League refuses to modify its hard-line against Israel. It insists that Israel unconditionally accept the Saudi peace plan, a full retreat to the ‘67 borders and the implementation of the Arab right of return which would signal an end to Jewish sovereignty in the region.

THERE ARE now ominous signals that to obviate their failures, White House strategists are cynically distancing themselves from us in order to curry popularity by capitalizing on the anti-Israeli hatred which has engulfed the world.

Despite continuously incanting the mantra that it remains committed to the alliance with Israel, the White House is not behaving in an even-handed manner. Obama does not disguise his animosity and repeatedly humiliates [Israel’s] prime minister.
The administration “condemns” us for building homes, not in densely Arab populated areas of Jerusalem but in Jewish suburbs like Gilo and most recently Ramat Shlomo which most of us regard as Israel no less than Tel Aviv.

Instead of condemning the brutal Palestinian murderer of an Israeli civilian in December, the US requested “clarification” after Israel apprehended the killers who the PA extolled as heroes.  They failed to block a UN Security Council resolution criticizing Israeli police for protecting worshippers at the Temple Mount from Arabs hurling stones at them.  They even condemned [Israel] for authorizing repairs on Jewish heritage sites over the Green Line.

In stark contrast, the US has not publicly reprimanded the PA on a single issue over the past twelve months. It is unconscionable that neither the White House nor the State Department conveyed a word of protest concerning the ongoing incitement and spate of ceremonies sanctifying the memory of the most degenerate suicide killers and mass murderers. Not even when our peace partners President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad personally partook in these ghoulish ceremonies. In fact, during Biden’s visit, the PA announced that they would postpone a ceremony to name a public square in Ramallah to honor Dalal Mughrabi, the female monster responsible for the abominable 1978 massacre in which 37 Israelis including 13 children were butchered. Nevertheless the ceremony took place and the PA TV interviewed Mughrabi’s sister who stated: “This is a day of glory and pride for the Palestinian people. We must unite, and our rifles must unite, against the enemy who steals our land.” The US failed to register a protest.

NETANYAHU HAS extended more concessions than any other Israeli leader. His government immediately agreed to negotiations with the Palestinians. In contrast, Abbas told The Washington Post that being confident that the US would ensure that the Palestinians obtained whatever they sought, he saw no benefit in negotiating with the Israelis. This scenario is now being realized.

{The Article. A Must Read}

Is Israel a Colonial State? The Political Psychology of Palestinian Nomenclature

by Eliana ( 164 Comments › )
Filed under Israel, Middle East at March 12th, 2010 - 8:30 am

by Irwin J. Mansdorf
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
International Law
March 10, 2010

* Israel’s creation, far from being a foreign colonial transplant, can actually be seen as the vanguard of and impetus for decolonialization of the entire Middle East, including a significant part of the Arab world, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

* What is not popularly recognized is how the Arab world benefited from the Balfour Declaration and how it served the Arab world in their nationalist goals and helped advance their own independence from the colonial powers of England and France.

* Despite the essentially parallel processes of independence from colonial and protectorate influence over the first half of the twentieth century, only one of the national movements at the time and only one of the resulting states, namely Israel, is accused of being “colonial,” with the term “settler-colonialist” applied to the Zionist enterprise

* This term, however, can assume validity only if it is assumed that the “setters” have no indigenous roots and rights in the area. As such, this is yet another example of psychological manipulation for political purposes. The notion of “settler” dismisses any historical or biblical connection of Jews to the area. Hence, the importance of denial of Jewish rights, history, and claims to the area.

* Lest there be any confusion about what a “settler” is, those who use the terminology “settler-colonialist” against Israel clearly mean the entire Zionist enterprise, including the original territory of the State of Israel in 1948. The “colonial Israel” charge is thus rooted in an ideological denial of any Jewish connection to the ancient Land of Israel.

Psychological factors often play a role in the development of political views. In the Israel-Arab conflict, one of the ways in which psychological factors operate is in the formation of “mantras” that do not necessarily reflect either the historical record or applicable international law. Examples include the use of descriptions of occupation as “illegal” and the determination that there is a “right” of resistance or a “right” of return. When used over and over again, these descriptions, despite their questionable legitimacy, can alter perceptions. Once perceptions change, attitudes and behavior change as well, leading to partial and ultimately biased views of historical and political reality.

Language thus becomes an important psychological tool both in correctly describing events and in perpetuating beliefs based on narratives that do not accurately reflect history. Columbia University Professor Joseph Massad is among those that have portrayed Israel as a colonial entity based on an illegitimate and racist movement, namely Zionism. In the eyes of many, it is a foreign element implanted into the Middle East where organizations such as the United Nations and political activists such as Chomsky describe Arabs as “indigenous” and Jews as “immigrants.” The charge of colonialism has become a major theme in criticizing Israel throughout the academic world and is part of the language of the discourse. The language of “colonialism” and its related terms (e.g., ethnic cleansing) have been incorporated into academic coursework even in Israel.

An examination of the actual history and events related to the Middle East, in general, and Palestine, in particular, however, fails to confirm the reality behind the “colonial Israel” moniker. Israel’s creation, far from being a foreign colonial transplant, can actually be seen as the vanguard of and impetus for decolonialization of the entire area, including a significant part of the Arab world, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

Read the rest: Is Israel a Colonial State?
The Political Psychology of Palestinian Nomenclature

******* Israel has a very powerful legal argument for ownership of the land under international law and these arguments for Israel’s rights and legitimacy must be publicized at every available opportunity. *******

Also on The Blogmocracy:
Israel’s Title to “Palestine” under International Law

Michael Ledeen article on Iranian timelines and counter-protest at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC tomorrow

by Delectable ( 44 Comments › )
Filed under Iran, Islamists, Israel, Leftist-Islamic Alliance, Politics at March 8th, 2010 - 4:00 pm

This is a must-read by Michael Ledeen about Iranian clicks and the nuclear timeline.

Click here to read.

However, before you click there, please read this below about a counter-protest by the Waldorf Astoria tomorrow. I hope you can make it!

NCYI JOINS OTHERS IN URGENT CALL TO MOBILIZE IN MANHATTAN MARCH 9:

URGENT COUNTER-PROTEST ,
TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 5-7 P.M.
TO ALL THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT ISRAEL –
IT IS URGENT THAT YOU ATTEND THE COUNTER-PROTEST RALLY.

from Americans for a Safe Israel
Across from the WALDORF ASTORIA – PARK AVENUE, between 49th & 50th , NYC

On Tuesday, March 9, The Friends of the IDF is having their annual dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC. We have learned that there will be an Arab demonstration outside the hotel, defaming the IDF and Gabi Ashkenazi, the Chief of the IDF General Staff.

We will be handing out information, holding signs, Israeli and American flags, and alerting the public as to the true nature of Fatah, Hamas and the PA. The Hamas terrorist acts against Christians and Fatah, the use of women and children as human shields, the firing of rockets from mosques, homes, and schools in order to deter IDF retaliation, the misinformation and hatred being fed to Arab children in their classrooms and through PA media, will all be detailed.

We’ll be highlighting the IDF and Israeli assistance to the Arabs in the fields of medical care, education, and providing a standard of living for Arab Israelis that is the highest in the Middle East. In addition, in opposition to the recent “apartheid” claims against Israel, the Israeli Arabs enjoy full democratic rights in the Knesset , in their religious observances, and in the media.

A number of grass roots activist groups have come together to counter-protest on that evening. They include Americans For a Safe Israel/AFSI, Get Out The Facts, Human Rights Coalition Against Radical Islam, National Council of Young Israel, Shalom International, Stand With Us, World Committee for the Land of Israel, Zionist Organization of America/ZOA . Individuals such as Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Lori Lowenthal Marcus, and Andy Upton are also working with us. Others continue to join. PLEASE BE THERE WITH US – MARCH 9, 5-7 P.M.

————————-

As far as the Ledeen goes, please click through and read his whole article, which is very well-written. But here is the choice “money quote”:

As for the other clock, the one ticking off the lifespan of the Islamic Republic, the mullahs continue their murderous and sadistic campaign against the citizens of Iran, and the citizens search for new ways to show their contempt.  The regime relentlessly arrests dissidents and accuses them of actions that only a fanatical regime in crisis could concoct.  For example, they went after Mohammed Maliki, 76 yrs old, the first chancellor of Tehran U after the Revolution, and arrested him during treatment for prostate cancer.  Maliki said to his captors [3], “I was afraid you would let me die in my bed,” and has refused to “repent” or confess.  He’s accused of being a Mohareb, one who fights against God.  They execute such men in Iran nowadays for criticizing the regime.  I honor them, and wish my leaders would do the same, instead of pretending to have a serious Iran policy.

While we’re at it, let’s honor Omid Montazeri [4].  His father was one of the victims of the mass murder of political prisoners in 1988.  Omid is a blogger, journalist and a final year law student at Allameh University.  His articles on cultural issues have been published by many official newspapers.  His mother was arrested shortly after Christmas, and Omid went to the Intelligence Ministry to inquire about her, whereupon he was thrown into the hellhole, “tried” without access to a lawyer, and condemned to six years.

And let’s honor the Kurds, victims of mass brutality [5] in which the Turks and the Syrians are surely complicit, and about which the usual Western accomplices to evil are typically silent.

Some of those pious people who bleed oceans of ink for the sweet “victims of Guantanamo” would be more convincing if they could spare a few harsh words for the monsters who govern Iran, and who seek our death and destruction.

Indeed. There are so many “outrage monkeys” out there, but where is the outrage at the real horrors going on around the world? Sadly, it is lacking. Why is it that ‘feminists’ and ‘gay activists’ have been so silent vis a vis Iran? Why, the ‘Columbia Queer Alliance’ [at Columbia University] even claimed that Ahmadinejad’s claim that there are ‘no gays in Iran’ was an excuse to ‘reelevaluate sexuality!’

We live in a topsy turvy world, where the good is demonized. Please come out tomorrow and support the good, outside the Waldorf-Astoria in New York.