Obama’s Speech Anything But Music to Israeli Ears
The severe moral distortions in the Cairo address reinforce Israeli concerns.
Obama’s charge sheet against Israel, though, also included that it “must live up to its obligations to ensure that Palestinians can live, and work, and develop their society” and the assertion that “the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not serve Israel’s security.” Here it must simply be said that without the Palestinian “resistance through violence and killing,” and systematic incitement that fosters it, no Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank or border controls on Gaza would exist, and to treat these as equivalent is to portray aggression and self-defense, crime and policing, as one and the same, morally indistinguishable.
Nor did Israel’s explicit offers — in addition to the UN’s original offer — of Palestinian statehood in 2000 and 2007, in both cases summarily rejected by the Palestinian side, figure anywhere in Obama’s speech. Earlier in the address he said, “I am convinced that in order to move forward, we must say openly the things we hold in our hearts, and that too often are said only behind closed doors.” This noble sentiment wasn’t enough for him to summon the courage to tell his Muslim audience — which wouldn’t have liked it; but wasn’t candor supposed to be the point? — that a lack of statehood in the West Bank and Gaza is by now a reality the Palestinians must lay completely at their own door.
True, in addition to Holocaust denial and Palestinian violence, Obama mentioned other failings of the Muslim world. He spoke of “violent extremism” as a whole, slaughter in Darfur, Iran’s push for nuclear weapons, lack of democracy, religious intolerance, deficits of literacy, development, and women’s rights. Contrasting all this with Israel’s democracy may have been too harsh for his audience. But failing to mention that Israel exists in an environment where all those things — violence, intolerance, the nuclear threat — are realities to be contended with, while characterizing Israel as committing equivalent wrongs and creating obstacles to peace when since the early 1990s its policies have shown a yearning for peace verging on the desperate and suicidal, does nothing to assuage destructive attitudes and instead helps perpetuate them.
And if Obama’s reference to Israeli settlements was de rigueur, it was also — in keeping with the pressure tactics of the last few weeks — exceptional in its harshness. “The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements,” he said, adding, “This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop.” Contrast this with Obama’s earlier kid-glove treatment of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas regarding incitement — “I also mentioned to President Abbas in a frank exchange that it was very important to continue to make progress in reducing the incitement and anti-Israel sentiments that are sometimes expressed in schools and mosques and in the public square” — and you start to see why most Israelis have lost trust in this president.
Abbas and all other Muslims are told that it might be better were they to change their ways in some regards. Israel’s treatment is much rougher. Supplicate the dictatorships, slam the democracy — isn’t that what moral equivalency is for?
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P. David Hornik is a freelance writer and translator living in Tel Aviv. He blogs at http://pdavidhornik.typepad.com/
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56 Comments
1. SeanLA:How could you elect a muslim and expect sympathy for jews?
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:45 am 2. Sandy Cash:Kudos for being first out of the starting gate with an analysis of the Obama speech in Cairo.
The speech was a classic example of what Mordechai Kedar of Bar-Ilan University’s BESA Center would characterize as the West’s consistent mistake: expecting Arab nations of the Middle East to align themselves with Western values. This, rather than recognizing that Arab society is a completely different culture and should be treated as such.
To Americans (and arguably for most Israelis), the ultimate cultural value is peace and prosperity. To the Arabs, the ultimate cultural value is tribal loyalty. The Arabs gladly forgoe peace and prosperity, because it’s more important for them to defeat their enemies – other ethnic groups, other gangs (Fatah vs Hamas), other religious groups (Sunni vs Shia). And of course, their favorite enemy – the Jews – who represent those Western values that make their society look so backward.
Good luck to us all…
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:45 am 3. Old Soldier:I’m so embarrassed. How did this boob get elected President?
How is allowing growth on your own sovereign territory equivalent to terrorist murder and Iran’s nuclear program?
Israelis – we support you. If I was 20 years younger I would volunteer for the IDF Reserve. We’ll try to fix this mistake over the next two elections. Meanwhile, protect yourself.
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:46 am 4. Ed Wallis:I wonder how this news is being taken by those American Jews who voted for SOBama.
hmm…
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:49 am 5. truepeers:Comparing Israel to the evil, domineering, conspiring Nazis is the postmodern way of calling the Israelis “dirty Jews”. And the thing about antisemites is that they are blind to all kinds of significant realities as they reduce history to a conspiracy theory. Watch out world.
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:59 am 6. John:Jeffrey says it best:
An African-American President with Muslim roots stands before the Muslim world and defends the right of Jews to a nation of their own in their ancestral homeland, and then denounces in vociferous terms the evil of Holocaust denial, and right-wing Israelis go forth and complain that the President is unsympathetic to the housing needs of settlers. Incredible, just incredible.
Jun 4, 2009 - 9:01 am 7. The Shadow:http://jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/
Great speech by a thougtful President – for this audience it was like casting pearls before swine
Jun 4, 2009 - 9:09 am 8. Joel:To John #7–Goldberg says: “An African-American President with Muslim roots stands before the Muslim world and defends the right of Jews to a nation of their own in their ancestral homeland…” Obama did no such thing! Check the speech! He said Jews had suffered a lot and implied this justified their state. He said nothing about it being a Jewish homeland! That would REALLY have been challenging the Muslim conception, which is, very explicitly, that Jews are European colonizers who have no authentic roots whatsoever in the land or in Jerusalem itself. Obama did not challenge this because he probably believes it himself.
Jun 4, 2009 - 9:13 am 9. Georgann Marks:to SeanLA –
How can we elect Jews and their stooges and expect sympathy for Islam?
Just testing the mods… what exactly IS the tolerance for truth around here?
Jun 4, 2009 - 9:56 am 10. AThinkingPerson:To sum his “thoughtful” speech up…He wants to get rid of all nuclear weapons, let Iran HAVE nuclear power, kowtow to the Muslims since he has now rediscovered his Muslim past and patronize Hamas (a terrorist group) and turn his back on Israel.
Nice. I feel much safer and secure now. He does know he works for the US right? I have a feeling he’s forgotten that fact.
Jun 4, 2009 - 10:10 am 11. David W. Lincoln:As long as Bibi takes more into consideration than the nefarious and perfidious mountebank in the Oval Office, better days are ahead for Israel.
Jun 4, 2009 - 10:12 am 12. chad3337:The President continues to say he is compelled to speak “truth” to friends. He’s not presenting truth, just his own relativist interpretation of events. How any fair-minded person can find equivalency in the actions of Palestinians and their orchestrated campaign of terror and the Israeli exercise of their inherent right of self defense is beyone me.
Palestinians need to renounce terror, pure and simple, and demonstrate they can live peacefully. The Israeli people would clearly welcome a peaceful coexistence. However, they are right not to lay down like lambs and accept the slaughter. The Israelis are not by nature provacateurs, and the Palestinian terror campaign cannot be laid at their doorstep.
Why has the President thrown Israel under the bus?
Jun 4, 2009 - 10:40 am 13. The UnPatriot:9. Georgann Marks:
“to SeanLA –
How can we elect Jews and their stooges and expect sympathy for Islam?
Just testing the mods… what exactly IS the tolerance for truth around here?”
Provide your version of the truth and let’s find out.
–The UnPatriot
Jun 4, 2009 - 10:45 am 14. tom:since we are obligated to protect Israel ad nauseum? They are nothing but a thorn.
Jun 4, 2009 - 10:53 am 15. frank l kiney:Do some reading by Michael Sheuer former CIA analyst. He’s got it figured out….
muslim jews blacks mexicans asians communist! racist supreme court pick? civil rights but not for whites! yes look at the head lines obama addresses the muslim world! we whites are not on that page are we? but look see white soldier is shot down in cold blood by BLACK somali muslim? immigration authority let him holiday inn to our open house country? israel our friend? pajamas mossad israel intelligents TRUST! when whites are denied basic civil rights in our own hate crimes country against U.S.? HATE CRIMES CIVIL RIGHTS WE ONLY SEEM TO BE CHARGED WITH THIS HATE CRIME YOU EXTREMIST? questions the lawyer that flew to vietnam with worse kind of TB? DENIED TO FLY YET STILL BOARDED THE TB AIRWAYS? but wait! father inlaw is scientist working on diseases such has the worst forms of TB” FOR WHICH THIS JEW LAWYER HAD? HOLOCAUST! MUSUEM MICHIGAN 235 JUDICIAL JUDGES BELONG TOO? ALSO CONNECTED TO ONE OF THE LARGEST ATTORNEY FIRMS IN STATE? JUDICIAL TENDER PAUL FISCHER MEMBER? ATTORNEY DISIPLINE BOARD WILLIAM J. DANOFF! APPOINTED TO RUN HOLOCAUST MUSEUM BY BUSH? ACORN JEWISH RUN FRADULENT VOTER REGISTRATION AND FUNDED BY BUSH AND OBAMA ADMINISTRATION? LA RAZA! MEANING THE RACE! SUPREME COURT PICK SOTOMAYOR BELONGS TO THIS ORGANIZATION? WHITES ON THIS PAGE? datapak larry w. kinney recieves multi million tax break to come to howell michigan my dear brother” he employs 250 people? multi million tax break? tax payers pick up the loss of revenue? him by nephews still change my documents? six years of evidence why? never help us but has nephews steal my probation survey hospital documents? letter from state police to i own a gun? arrested for domistic violence charge on sunday police come with no warrent and i did nothing wrong and thrown in jail? i was painting when arrested who filed the domistic violence charge anyway? house shot at? brother never cared? awarded judgement from one of our attorneys andrew wilkens from brighton court back in sept. 05? another attorney thomas present keeps all our mortgage papers? fax mark brewer chairman of democrat party all evidence no response? notarize letters to paul fischer judicial tender case denied by fischer also taken? had attorney disipline board investigating still waiting on both attorneys? white civil rights? boundries in michigan fraudulent subdivisions with no fences? michigan residents pay property taxes for this type of criminal behavior in public and judicial and tender office? talk about criminal and deception stimulus trust? yeah trust NO TRANSPARENCY FEDERAL GOVERMENT? obama in middle east and thousands of white americans are being outsouce out of job security and civil rights back home! muslim and jewish priorities news! INDEPENDENT truth justice and the american way. THATS LAW AND ORDER AND CIVIL RIGHTS WAY. AMEN.
Jun 4, 2009 - 10:56 am 16. "progressive"watch:Obama lumped Christians and Muslims,as if Christians had been attacking Israel. Christians have suffered all right and not from the Jews,and they will keep right on suffering,homeland or not,at the hands of the radical Muslims.
Israel is not keeping the Palistinians from living and working and developing their society. First they have to try. Why don’t the Muslilms spend their tens of millions in oil wealth building up Palistine instead of creating death and destruction?
David W. Lincoln–I don’t think you meant “better days are ahead for Israel.” Hell is ahead,unless…I don’t know.
Jun 4, 2009 - 11:33 am 17. Lifeofthemind:Reposting from Belmont.
Just heard Obama’s speech. Two things stand out.
1) The condemnation of nuclear arms will be taken as a call for Israel to disarm. He spoke to two audiences both of whom are trained to hear what they want.
The local Muslim audience will interpret talk of nuclear disarmament as referring to Israel and the citations of Jewish law or morals as in fact justifying Islamic supremacism. Islam is founded on the idea that the Jews are “hypocrites” who have failed to abide by their own Commandments. They will also consider the promised wealth and technology transfers and visas as tribute from Dar al Harb to Dar al Islam.
The external audience will swallow the expectation that he was being brave in justifying Western concepts to the Muslim audience. It was designed to pacify skeptics who are afraid of the Jihad. This was a call for Appeasement.
2) His use of the Golden Rule, that is common, with interesting variations in stress, to Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism, obscures the fact that the Koran does not share the same sentiment regarding Unbelievers.
Jun 4, 2009 - 11:36 am 18. WestWright:Tom, you got a real expert in Michael Scheuer the former FAILED CIA O’BinLadin analyst, fired from his CIA job!
Jun 4, 2009 - 11:40 am 19. Terry:All this while a jew that fought for Israel (in a sense) acts as his chief of staff. What exactly are they doing in the White House? Who do they support? It doesn’t seem to be Americans (witness the suspension of contract law), it’s certainly not Israel (when did we turn our back on Israel?), so who is it?
Jun 4, 2009 - 11:59 am 20. Avitar:Israel – Build bombs, nuclear war is cominng.
Jun 4, 2009 - 12:01 pm 21. Jon Galt:As M. Feiglin the leader of the Jewish Leadership faction of Lidud says.
The future of a Jewish Isreal is in the hands of the Jewish Israelies, not in the hands of America.
Netanyahu’s government will collapse in 2 years and be replaced by the one led by Feiglin.
—————–
M. Feiglin:
“When Netanyahu explains in the Likud Knesset meeting that “We may have to take down illegal outposts as the US demands in order to focus attention on the Iranian threat,” he accepts Obama’s warped logic.
It makes no difference that objectively, our economic and security situation is excellent. Israel’s economy is much stronger than America’s. The shekel is stronger than the dollar. We have a modern and well-equipped army. We have “manna” that is delicious beyond belief. But he who is enslaved to the American master, sees none of the above. He thinks that he cannot get by without “American aid” – the modern day version of “free” Egyptian fish.”
http://www.jewishisrael.org/eng_contents/update/5769/6940.htm
Jun 4, 2009 - 12:12 pm 22. SeanLA:9. Georgann Marks:
Western culture is normally considered judeo-christian, because the culture derives from those histories. Occidentaliats and those with oikaphobia simply have a different agenda or psychosis. As to an opposing culture whose desire is in impose its laws and customs on my culture I give not an inch.
Tolerance and moral `superiority’ have their ethical limits you know.
Jun 4, 2009 - 12:31 pm 23. Oz:Here’s an idea. Clearly the Obambi admin. is selling out Israel. His “I won and American apology tour” is nauseating. Why doesn’t Israel partner with China and both promote that the Kurds enter a statehood. The Kurds hate Iran and Turkey, there are some 30 Mil Kurds. The middle east needs a new balancing power. Properly armed and protected the Kurd have the potential to being an excellent democracy and power. They are smart, tough and western. China and Israel can provide protection for the Kurds. Kurdistan can sign a deal with China so they can develop the Kurdish oilfields and a free oil-tap, as well the Kurds can give Israel the authorized airspace to bomb Iran’s Nuke plants back to the dark ages.
Jun 4, 2009 - 12:33 pm 24. Zeno:“I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear” – Barack Hussein Obama.
Only a Leftist or an Islamist to think that the job of a U.S. president is to defend Islam… Bad times are coming. “Peace in our time”. I think I’ve heard that before.
Jun 4, 2009 - 12:48 pm 25. Middleman:Obama stated in the speech that Israel has the right to exist and isn’t going anywhere. How is that selling out Israel?
Jun 4, 2009 - 1:19 pm 26. William:I’d prefer he not pander to the Arabs, however when things go to the crapper, which they will and most likely by their doing, then he at least can say he reached out. Balls in their court and they won’t have as much room to say America is anti-Muslim.
The Palestinians have suffered all right – at the hands of despots like Arafat, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Syria, and all the rest of the Arab crooks who took billions in Western aid and used it, not for building a viable Palestinian society, but for guns, rockets, and bombs.
Jun 4, 2009 - 1:47 pm 27. Marc Malone:During the campaign, Obama said one thing to the Jewish group (AIPAC?), and something else entirely to the palestinian group the next day. So, I decided he was lying to the Jews, based on the fact that he was raised a Muslim in Indonesia and his conversion was to a Black Liberation Theology church. The truth was obvious. He is in Mecca. Taquiyya is the rule. Speak in code to the Believers, and speak lies to the Infidels. This speech did both. He is a most artful liar.
Jun 4, 2009 - 2:14 pm 28. AThinkingPerson:Re #25 Middleman: How is he selling out Israel? For starters TeleBama is now saying it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear energy as long as they don’t make weapons with it??? Yeah. They’re ever so trustworthy right? TeleBama also gave a wonderful summation of the Hamas/Israeli relations as being sort of a fight amongst equals. You know, if they would just get along then all will be ok. Not one mention of the rockets being lobbed daily into Israel. When our President is practically on his hands and knees begging the Muslim world to like us again after 9/11 (Did we do that to ourselves? He seems to have forgotten that they did that TO US.).
No wonder his speech to the Muslim world went over with glowing reviews. In Israel it went over like a turd in a punchbowl.
Jun 4, 2009 - 2:22 pm 29. Anonymous:Does BHO have any idea that he is hastening a nuclear holocaust in the Middle East? He has shamed America and betrayed Israel. He may believe he’s won fans in the Arab Street but all he has done is present himself as weak.
Jun 4, 2009 - 2:38 pm 30. Markus:“How is allowing growth on your own sovereign territory equivalent to terrorist murder and Iran’s nuclear program?”
West Bank is not sovereign territory until and unless it has been annexed. It hasn’t been.
Jun 4, 2009 - 2:49 pm 31. ahad ha'amoratsim:#6, in addition to what #8 pointed out, did you notice Obama’s comparison of Palestinians to the position of blacks in the US under slavery and legalized segregation? Let’s see, did slavery and segregation come about because black Americans were blowing themselves up at lunch counters? Or because they launched a war to wipe out the US rather than accept a state of their own? I must have missed those events in my US history classes.
Jun 4, 2009 - 3:27 pm 32. JL:Jews in the US secured Obamas election. So what’s the problem?
Jun 4, 2009 - 4:28 pm 33. vivo:He told the World the EXACT TRUTH about the Israeli-Palestinian situation and solutions.
Don’t ask me what he said. Calm your ADD and read his speech. If you don’t like the truth, the sun will not shine on your yard.
Jun 4, 2009 - 4:37 pm 34. Zeno:“And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear”. – Barack HUSSEIN Obama.
Why is it that the Left loves Islam so? I suppose both have the same objective, to bring down Israel and the U.S.
Very bad things happen when people forget History or even human nature, and use wishful thinking as foreign policy.
Jun 4, 2009 - 5:15 pm 35. Jim:Obama said we may have overreacted on 9-11. What!
Lets all be friends! Let’s put our efforts into trying to get the Muslim World’s approval of us while our country is failing. We apologize for over re-acting when you slaughtered over 3000 of our Americans on 9-11.
Barak Hughsain Obama is for sure giving us change!
Jun 4, 2009 - 5:48 pm 36. Sky:Brilliant!!!!!! Speech. He spoke for everyone with an eye on progress and peace. The hate I’ve read on this blog is truly sad. I’m glad you are in the minority and will stay there.
Jun 4, 2009 - 5:50 pm 37. MiamaMan:vivo:
Lamebotas, culosucio…
Really? The exact truth?
Jun 4, 2009 - 5:59 pm 38. William:We can and have an obligation to be both fair and rational.
It is one thing not to wish ill on Israel: it is altogether something else to sit back and ignore the massively unacceptable behavior reflected in establishing and expanding illegal settlements.
Israeli settlers, just this last week, went on a rampage to kill Palestinians after being told that their settlements could not further encroach on Palestinian land.
Surely this is unacceptable.
There has been 60 years of war. Will 100 be enough? Something has to change, or we will all go up in a nuclear exchange.
Jun 4, 2009 - 6:08 pm 39. Jerry:JL said, “Jews in the US secured Obamas election. So what’s the problem?”
Twenty percent of the Jews voted for McCain. They were mostly the more traditional members of the tribe. Many others who are “liberal” pulled the lever reflexively for the Democrats. Those Jews “go along to get along” – one of their most important values. There were a small cabal of Jews who financially supported the Obama campaign, the highest and mightiest among them being George Soros. I would prefer to call him someone of Jewish origin. Such a person has no residual loyalty to his roots. He has been lost to the history, values and emotions of those who preceded him. His jouney as a Jew is ended, not unlike Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger. They carry the title of Jew, but are no longer interested in the welfare of their brethren. Such people are dangerous to the whole of society, since their values are defined by self-interest. I am beginning to believe that Rahm Emmanuel is among those court Jews, again making him dangerous to both the Jews and Gentiles with whom he interacts. Expect nothing more useful from him than you would expect from James Baker or Jimmy Carter. The only worth Jews ever bring to their worldly involvements is their history. For everything else they have nothing more to offer than their non-Jewish counterparts.
Jun 4, 2009 - 6:26 pm 40. Delia:What I find especially hilarious is that Liberals support Islamists who:
A: Hate gays
B: Hate women’s rights
C: Hate promiscuity
D: Hate Hollywood
Now, who ya think is gonna get hit first with a dirty bomb?
Jun 4, 2009 - 7:08 pm 41. Lifeofthemind:Terry @ 19,
Once again let us beat down the Axelrod spun fantasy that Rahmbo Emmanuel was a fighter for Israel. He was not.
While on vacation in Israel he was caught there during Gulf War I, 18 years ago, and spent a week cleaning brake linings at a tank depot while waiting for a flight out. He was in no way shape or form a member of the IDF. He is at the thoroughly corrupt Chicago heart of Obama’s rise to power. He is in no way to be trusted at any time on any subject.
Jun 4, 2009 - 7:21 pm 42. Ms. Attitude:I wonder if Burqas come in pink, I love pink…I just hope my daughter doesn’t have to get married to an dirty old man when she is nine.
The thought about being in a socialist USA is sounding pretty good compared to the other form of government Obama seems to be taking us in to.
Jun 4, 2009 - 7:46 pm 43. Marcus:As regards the comments from individuals defining who is a “real jew” and who is not, you misunderstand! Some of the people who support President Obama are Americans who just happen to be of jewish extraction, they don’t take orders from Israel and neither does the United States, anymore. AIPAC has no influence, the jewish lobby is an afterthought. These are intelligent people in the Whitehouse. THEY KNOW THEIR HISTORY. We will no longer accept “forged documents about yellowcake uranium”, we will no longer accept laptops with planted “nuclear warhead blueprints” on them from Iran by way of Israel. We know that there are members of the jewish lobby who are extremists and a danger to America’s national security. Don’t think they aren’t being watched we now have a government of over-achievers who are looking out for Americas best interest. By the way, my Colonel in DaNang explained to me a long time ago that “Israel wrote the book on terrorism”, a little research proved him right.
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:02 pm 44. WhyamInotsurprised?:#33 Vino; #36 skyhi – You have your coronated One. He won, you won! Rejoice! Republicans and Conservatives are a dying breed, never to rise again. Go away. Just leave us alone …. sob, sob, tsk tsk, sob, wahhhhh! The least you can do is be gracious winners! Oh, wait, you can’t because you are looney liberals! ha ha ha Always angry, never happy.
Hey, where is your buddy Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh? He is conspicuous by his absence!
To paraphrase Churchill to Lady Astor “Sir, yes we are defeated today but tomorrow our time will come again, you however are doomed to remain forever mentally ill.”
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:18 pm 45. WhyamInotsurprised?:“And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear”. – Barack HUSSEIN Obama.
OMG, just what part of the United States Constitution does Our Dear Leader not understand? I don’t recall anything about promoting the self esteem of Muslims around the world!
Hopefully this is an impeachable offense. UN-FUc*ING-BELIEVABLE!!
Jun 4, 2009 - 8:26 pm 46. DoubleTapper:Obama is on a clear mission. To Islamitize the USA and destroy Israel.
How is this a surprise to anyone other then the most delusional of his most liberal followers?
DoubleTapper
Jun 4, 2009 - 10:22 pm 47. lihi:DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on
Guns Politics Defense from Israel
Obamas uncle has stated in several interviews that his nephew has never expressed any interest in his stories of liberating Buchenwald and that he believes that his nephew Obama is using this for personal poltics of expediency.
Jun 5, 2009 - 1:49 am 48. RandyChandler:Obama yesterday equated the Naqba with the Holocaust. Today he is cynically trying to con US JEWS of his sincerety and closeness with the Jewish experience.
Obama has shown clearly that he is a man who lacks any sincerety, lacks any empathy with the Jews and is merely campaigning for poll ratings on the ashes of the victims of the NAZIS.
Shame on Obama, Shame on US Jews who buy into this sop.
From The Jerusalem Post:
A day after US President Barack Obama reiterated his call to stop settlement activity during a speech in Cairo, defiant settlers continued to erect illegal structures in the West Bank, building a new outpost on Friday morning between Migron and Kohav Ya’akov.
At the outpost, named Oz Yehonatan, the settlers built a wooden structure they mockingly called the “Obama Hut,” saying it was a sign of appreciation for the US president for his actions that had led to a dramatic rise in the number of outposts.
Jun 5, 2009 - 9:07 am 49. Michael T:Obama=Jimmy Carter(deja vu anyone?)
Jun 5, 2009 - 10:06 am 50. myth buster:49. We should be so lucky were Obama merely a Carter clone. It’s hard to believe such a thing is possible, but Obama is actually worse than President Malaise.
Jun 5, 2009 - 12:15 pm 51. no name:with pres.o -aka- poopie lips in charge,Israel must face the fact that she stands alone. amerika deserves Gods’ wrath!
Jun 5, 2009 - 2:02 pm 52. Brian:I think its time for american and canadian conservatives to start sharing ideas and support one another.Using logic and reason,the Left wont have a chance even with their boneheaded media backing.Just a thought.
Jun 5, 2009 - 3:03 pm 53. Jerry:Marcus, I do not know who you are. Only that you have smeared Israel with a story from your Colonel in DaNang. No anecdote every describes the truth; it merely reflects an aspect of limited human cognitive processing of informtation. You were naive enough to accept your colonel’s characterizations as veridical. I am glad that you are not in a decision-making capacity.
Here is a letter that I wrote recently to New York Public Radio.
May 28, 2009
WNYC Radio Board of Trustees
c/o Nicki Newman Tanner
160 Varick Street
New York, NY 10013
Dear Madam:
Regarding the Brian Lehrer show of 5.28.2009 between the hours of 11: 00 and 12:00 there was broadcast a segment regarding torture. During the interview, the interviewee described a technique that he called “Palestinian Crucifixion.” Playing the straight man, Mr. Lehrer asked why it had been so named and his interviewee, in the most off-handed manner, said, “Some say that is because the Israeli army used it on Palestinians.” Mr. Lehrer allowed the charge to stand. Is that the level of objectivity that we can expect from your guests and those that are there to help them present their views? Characterizations of Israel as the source of such vile methods is no different than calling Israel a Nazi state. How dare you allow the casual demonization of Israel to reach the level of mundane acceptance! Your station then becomes the purveyor of lies that will end quite expectedly in the taking of life on both sides of the conflict.
What is the other side of the argument that Mr. Lehrer failed to pursue? This excerpt is taken from Wikipedia:
Strappado is a form of torture in which the victim’s hands are first tied behind their back, and then he or she is suspended in the air by means of a rope attached to wrists, which most likely dislocates both arms. Weights may be added to the body to intensify the effect and increase the pain.
Other names for strappado include “reverse hanging” and “Palestinian hanging”, although this last name may be a misnomer, because human rights groups do not believe that the technique is used by either Israel or the Palestinian Authority.[1][2] It is best known for its use in the Medieval Inquisition, but the practice continues into the modern era.[3][4]
1. ^ Goldhaber, Michael (2007). A People’s History of the European Court of Human Rights. Rutgers University Press. pp. 109. ISBN 9780813539836.
2. ^ Rejali, Darius (2007). Torture and Democracy. Princeton University Press. pp. 355. ISBN 9780691114224.
The use of “Palestinian Crucifixion” instead of the tradition name, strappado, speaks to the interviewee’s need to attribute something damnable to Israel. The failure of Mr. Lehrer to bring the interviewee up short speaks to his ignorance of the topic and perhaps his own confused feelings about his role as radio host: truth and lies hold the same weight. Some human being said it, so it must be true to some degree!
Let me take this opportunity to point out that the only group to justify crucifixion in recent history is Hamas. By fully implementing Sharia law in Gaza in December 2008, it explicitly mentioned that crucifixion was an acceptable form of capital punishment. Whether it has been used is unclear, but whether it has been included in the context of implementing Sharia law is part of the public record.
Sincerely,
(name withheld)
Jun 5, 2009 - 5:03 pm 54. vivo:44. WhyamInotsurprised?:
“Republicans and Conservatives are a dying breed, never to rise again.”
A better way to take your blows is to accept the truth and become part of the solution.
Jun 6, 2009 - 4:58 am 55. Carol:A great piece that compliments this one:
http://www.carolineglick.com/e/
Jun 6, 2009 - 1:26 pm 56. The Historian:CAIRO SPEECH REVEALS THE INNER OBAMA
The world sees a self-centered Utopian, hears some Bush speak and gets no new information. Lots of hope, no change.
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2009/06/common-sense-review-of-obamas-cairo.html
Jun 6, 2009 - 7:46 pm