By Arlene Kushner
Obama’s speech was filled with platitudes and undeserved back-patting. Consider (emphasis added): “Next year, an international coalition will end its war in Afghanistan,having achieved its mission of dismantling the core of al Qaeda that attacked us on 9/11.” Really now? So, as long as al Qaeda has moved on to other places, that’s OK?
I’m going to skip over that part of his talk. His major topics, both of which require a careful look, are Iran and Israeli-Palestinian Arab relations. In the main, I want to table the Iranian topic for now — with intention to pick it up in my next post — and focus on what he says about Israel/negotiations/a Palestinian state. (All emphasis is added.)
Danon’s comment about pressure was surely a response to this:
“We are also determined to resolve a conflict that goes back even further than our differences with Iran, and that is the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.”
What happened to Obama’s position that “we cannot want it more than the parties themselves do.” Just precisely how do “they” intend to resolve a conflict between other parties? This sets off loud alarms regarding implied coercion.
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And how does he come to this: “I believe there’s a growing recognition within Israel that the occupation of the West Bank is tearing at the democratic fabric of the Jewish state.”
First, that word, “occupation,” used pointedly, and erroneously, here and elsewhere in his talk. There is no occupation. Just today I had a discussion with a reader regarding my intention to provide further information on Israeli rights. There is no way to do full justice to this here and now, with the length of this posting. But it is coming — and soon.
What Obama calls “the West Bank,” which is Judea and Samaria (Yehuda v’Shomron), represents the ancient heritage of the Jewish people — the core of what we are as a people. How can we “occupy” this? We are talking about Hevron, with the Machpela, which cave our father Avraham purchased. And Shilo, where the Tabernacle rested. And Jerusalem, where two Temples stood. And more and more and more…
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There is also our historical/legal right in modern times — the San Remo Conference and the Palestinian Mandate, conferred on Britain by the League of Nations, so that a homeland for the Jewish people could be established in all of Palestine (with human rights but not national rights accorded other groups). Legally binding in international law, this has not been superseded.
There is the fact that Israel acquired Judea and Samaria in a defensive war, and that there was no legal sovereignty in that area prior to Israel’s liberation of it. There is UN Security Council Resolution 242, which does not require Israel to return to the ’49 armistice line (i.e., the Green Line).
What is clear here is that Obama adheres, still, to the Palestinian Arab position: that everything beyond the Green Line is part of a “Palestinian state.” And that spells trouble.
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He also has it wrong regarding “growing recognition within Israel” regarding “the occupation” being destructive. He likes to do this — to set what he claims is the “Israeli view” against the view of an Netanyahu administration represented as being obstinate and out of touch. Fact is that more and more Israelis see that a Palestinian state is not in Israel’s best interest.
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“…the United States remains committed to the belief that the Palestinian people have a right to live with security and dignity in their own sovereign state.”
Aaron Lerner’s comment here: President Obama juxtaposed America’s commitment to Israel’s security with the requirement of Palestinian “dignity.’ Israel has many critical security requirements that the Palestinians assert do not jibe with Palestinian ‘dignity.’“This raises another interesting question: what of Jewish ‘dignity’? Do we Jews also have the right to ‘dignity’ or is our ‘dignity’ something that can be forfeited?”
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“So the time is now ripe for the entire international community to get behind the pursuit of peace.”
More loud alarm bells. Translation: folks, come help me apply the pressure.
“Already, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have demonstrated a willingness to take significant political risks.” Give me a break! I’ve amply demonstrated just how willing Abbas is.
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“All of us must recognize that peace will be a powerful tool to defeat extremists throughout the region…”
This man is a clown! Hamas is waiting, with ill-disguised eagerness, to take over a Palestinian state. The ONLY thing that keeps terrorists at bay now is the conduct of Israeli security forces in Judea and Samaria. Above, I gave two examples of Israeli security raids to capture suspected terrorists. My friends, this goes on nightly. If there is a sovereign Palestinian state (Heaven forbid!) and the IDF cannot move in, those extremists will have a field day.
In Gaza right now, Hamas is the most moderate of the Islamic movements — much worse (including al Qaeda) is present. The same would adhere in a Palestinian state: It would be a headquarters, a training ground for radicalism.
Short-sighted, biased fools in the world, some of whom head governments, refuse to acknowledge that it is Israel that keeps the peace.
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Lastly for now, this:
“Real breakthroughs on these two issues — Iran’s nuclear program, and Israeli-Palestinian peace — would have a profound and positive impact on the entire Middle East and North Africa.”
How dare he? How dare he juxtapose these two issues, implying that they are of the same import and that each is equally a threat to the Middle East?
The entire speech can be found http://www.timesofisrael.com/
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© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
Look, everyone, the Whole Purpose Of The Obama Presidency boils down to forcing a Saudi-style surrender agreement with respect to the PA down Israel’s throat. Failing that, “plan B” is to abandon Israel at the UN, support the creation of a PA state in J&S by UN fiat, and as Israel crushes the inevitable uprising, subject Israel to the “Rhodesia treatment”; political/economic strangulation.
Everything else is mere detail. He can’t seem to do anything else…because he is not there to do anything else. This is why Obama’s #1 focus – as evidenced most recently by his errand boy, Kerry’s multiple trips to the region, twisting Israel’s arm like a pretzel, etc. Nothing else in the world really matters to Obama, except his pet domestic project of a national health care plan for the U.S., which his Arab/Moslem sponsors could not care less about one way or the other.
Were it not for the potential he represented for screwing Israel from the position of POTUS, he would not have ever gotten the level of behind-the-scenes support that he did, and he would not be president today.
I’m not saying his plan is going to work. But that is his plan. Netanyahu is just going to have to stand up to him, and if he won’t, he’ll have to be replaced by someone who will before it is too late.
The best way to do this, near term, is for Israel to carry out an attack on Iran’s nuke weapons program, if Israel still can do this. This will take away most of Obama’s perceived leverage.
All that is left after this is the matter of facing the prospect of getting expelled from the UN for crushing the PA. I’m sure, behind closed doors, allowing the UNSC to vote on Palestinian statehood without a U.S. veto – that was submitted to the UNSC two years ago today – that was the threat Obama made that lead to the prisoner release and the resumption of these stupid “peace talks”.
I can imagine Netanyahu is very leery of facing such a prospect of expulsion from the UN and a massive rupture in U.S.-Israeli relations. Who could blame him? But the alternative is slow death. Obama is focused on this like nothing else, and with 40 months left in office, will not allow Netanyahu to simply “run out the clock”. It is going to come down to crunch time with Obama sooner or later. There will be no avoiding this in the end.
Are there transcripts of this speech anywhere? I am not going to sit through a video of it.
Hopefully Israel has evidence of Obamas many scandals including his gay bathhouse scandals. The best way to deal with western politicians is to have the dirt on them and when they give problems release some. Another approach is to help keep them involved in their own problems. Arab spring has taken a lot of focus off Israel and this has been good in reducing Israels profile. Although this is an invention of Obama and GCC Israel could learn from it. EG the more that europe suffers economically and from muslims the better for Israel.
On the other hand perhaps one should not take diplo-talk seriously, usually it produces red herrings. It rarely acknowledges the real facts, the real events, the real alliances under the table. For example, there is still this ongoing BS narrative that obama wanted to stay out of Syria and was wondering recently whether to arm the rebels. The fact is that he has been working with the GCC in helping to arm and train them for 2 years.
Obama wants credit for a faux peace negotiation and talking about that focuses away from his troubles and agenda. In my view either the outcome has been already agreed or it is already known that there will be no real outcome. I believe the peace negotiations are a paid for show to keep the Israel pal “conflict” from interfering with other agendas. If the outcome is already known then the eu west bank ban could be just a way for EU to get points with their muslims. If there is already a known outcome then the eu ban will be moot. I dont think we are being given the true or full story.
Arguing over what they say is probably what they want us to do to keep us busy and focused in the wrong direction.
This sounds more like Christian Prophecy trying to happen. That there will be a 7 year peace treaty that will be broken after 3 and a half years the evangelical ministers predict. Not so fast. That may happen down the road but not now. The Jews will have a chance first to have their say and then who knows? Maybe we will be the ones caught up in the Christian rapture and the ones ‘left behind’ would KNOW that G-d exists. Then there would be a peace contract that will be broken when the anti-Christ steps in. That is what they preach….they are forgetting one thing. FIRST comes judgement…..to sort the good from the bad. To EXPOSE the church and it’s dirty deeds…..Do they really think that they are so righteous that they can escape??
Shy Guy Said:
Blame the idiot Netanyahu! After all, if the Palestinian Arabs have the right to a state, the logical corollary is the Jews do not have a right to their state. You cannot split the land anymore than Solomon could split the baby! Moshe Feiglin warned clearly a Palestinian state is a recipe for Israel’s destruction. Only fools tread where angels fear to go!
Obama: “Real breakthroughs on these two issues – Iran’s nuclear program, and Israeli-Palestinian peace – would have a profound and positive impact on the entire Middle East and North Africa.”
Now that is an absurd comparison. A nuclear war started by the Twelvers in order to bring about the return of the Mahdi in which most of the world would be impacted – compared to the Arab –Israeli conflict which ranks 49th in terms of number of fatalities.
http://www.danielpipes.org/4990/arab-israeli-fatalities-rank-49th
Obama: “Friends of Israel, including the United States, must recognize that Israel’s security as a Jewish and democratic state depend on the realization of a Palestinian state.”
You are wrong Mr. President. The future of Israel, and the world, depends on what PM Netanyahu, not you, does about the Iranian nuclear threat.
http://www.madisdead.blogspot.co.il/2012/05/why-are-bernard-lewiss-views-on-mad.html
In this context, the deterrent that worked so well during the Cold War, namely M.A.D. (Mutual Assured Destruction) , would have no meaning. At the End of Time, there will be general destruction anyway. What will matter is the final destination of the dead– hell for the infidels, and the delights of heaven for the believers. For people with this mindset, M.A.D. is not a constraint; it is an inducement…
Too little, too late