Jews, Israelis respond to Obama pressure
The Israeli daily Haaretz reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got a little surprise when he went to Congress looking for support for his position on settlement expansion:
“For the first time in America’s decades of jousting with Israel over West Bank settlements, an American president seems to have succeeded in isolating the settlements issue and disconnecting it from other elements of support for Israel.
It is a disentanglement now seen most clearly in Congress, which in the past served as Israel’s stronghold against administration pressure on the issue. But when Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu came to Capitol Hill for a May 18 meeting after being pressed by President Obama to freeze the expansion of West Bank settlements, he was “stunned,” Netanyahu aides said, to hear what seemed like a well-coordinated attack against his stand on settlements. The criticism came from congressional leaders, key lawmakers dealing with foreign relations and even from a group of Jewish members….
The Israeli prime minister also found little support for his position on settlements from the organized Jewish community. Jewish communal groups have largely remained silent and did not spring to Netanyahu’s defense.
“Even the most conservative institutions of Jewish American life don’t want to go to war over settlement policy,” said David Twersky, who was until recently the senior adviser on international affairs at the American Jewish Congress. “They might say the administration is making too much of a big deal of it, but they will not argue that Jews have the right to settle all parts of Eretz Yisrael [the Land of Israel].”
In Yedioth Ahronoth, another Israeli newspaper, columnist Attila Somfalvi reads the handwriting on the wall, saying “Barack Obama’s speech (in Cairo) was meant to make it clear to Netanyahu who the master of the house is.”
President Barack Obama’s speech in Cairo is supposed to be no less than a terribly loud bell ringing through the corridors of Israel’s political establishment. For those who thus far did not understand – or did not wish to understand – the winds blowing from Washington, Obama left no room for doubt: The United States supports Israel, yet the era of trickery, promises, and the gradual annexation in Judea and Samaria is over. The time has come for action; the time has come for moving towards a resolution of the Palestinian problem. And in Obama’s view, there is only one solution: A Palestinian state.
Beyond its expected effect within the Muslim world, the Cairo speech is no less than an effort to outline a path for Israel’s political establishment; a clear signal where things are headed. Ever since Obama’s election, officials in Jerusalem have sought ways to explain, interpret, and circumvent what has been obvious for a while now. With arrogance and contempt, officials here attempted to downplay the tension vis-à-vis the Americans, blur the disagreements, and hide behind various “natural growth” arguments. Now, Obama has made it clear: Wasting time and continued settlement construction are out; negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state are in.
But that’s hardly the only viewpoint. In a news story, Yedioth Ahronoth also reports on statements by a prominent Zionist, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, urging Israelis to reject Obama’s pressure:
”
In two videos posted on the Maale website, the rabbi said: “There are those who claim we should be realistic and take into account the American pressure, and that if they are pressuring us to pull out, evacuate outposts and expel residents – we have to surrender.”
This is wrong, said Aviner. “The willingness to succumb to pressure invites more pressure,” he stated, and brought as an example the proverb, “A person who pretends to be a lamb will eventually get eaten by the wolf.”
… However, he later stressed that in fact Israel should not accept financial aid from the US at all, saying that according to the Gemara accepting charity from a non-Jew equals blasphemy. “A private person shouldn’t take handouts – a state shouldn’t take handouts… the American taxpayer has to support me? This is disgraceful!”
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130 comments Add your comment
Red
June 5th, 2009
1:00 pm
I’m liking the ‘Obama Doctrine’; twisting arms all the way around to peace.
Normal
June 5th, 2009
1:02 pm
So what’s new, Isreal really doesn’t want to fix the problem,
while She is the biggest dog in the hunt.
DB, Gwinnettian
June 5th, 2009
1:04 pm
he later stressed that in fact Israel should not accept financial aid from the US at all, saying that according to the Gemara accepting charity from a non-Jew equals blasphemy. “
Kind of a side note, but I’m glad this has been quoted because it’s hardly the first time I’ve heard such sentiments from strongly Zionist folks of my acquaintance. Actually, it’s usually more along the lines of “we don’t really need the aid, it’s probably more of a hassle than it’s worth.”
I only mention this because it’s often presumed among Americans that the threat of witholding aid, however impractical it might be isn’t quite the super-lever we might imagine.
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
1:13 pm
And the bus is getting less crowded with each stop!
Normal
June 5th, 2009
1:13 pm
I love this, different game, same players. En gard, mon amis!
Gandalf, the White! (!)
June 5th, 2009
1:14 pm
“Speak Softly and beg forgiveness for Americas past“Sins”“
Normal
June 5th, 2009
1:14 pm
Did I say that?
Gandalf, the White! (!)
June 5th, 2009
1:23 pm
How many times has the “Muslim World” attacked Isreal? How many times has Ireal kicked thier butts? Muslim Arabs can’t fight a stand up fight, when real warriors go up against them, the cave like so many little girls. They are really good at getting others to die for thier cause, and shooting someone where they know they can’t be seen and then running into a mosque to hide. In closing, I have fought Muslims (Iraqis Republican Guard “Hammurabi”), and when they fought, I kilt them, without exception.
Joey
June 5th, 2009
1:29 pm
We will learn later if Jay can be as blunt regarding Islam’s responses to President Obama’s visit and Cairo speech.
Copyleft
June 5th, 2009
1:29 pm
Finally, a few Congress critters with the guts to actually stand up to the Israeli lobby!
I’ve been heartily sick of this default policy of “Support Israel no matter what they do.” WHY? WHY should we uncritically and unconditionally support whatever lunacy they commit?
jewcowboy
June 5th, 2009
1:32 pm
DB, Gwinnettian,
“I only mention this because it’s often presumed among Americans that the threat of witholding aid, however impractical it might be isn’t quite the super-lever we might imagine.”
Considering our $3 billion in aid each year is only equal to about 1% of their GDP, I would have to agree. Though they have some very good military suppliers, access to our military equipment is the major thing.
Normal
June 5th, 2009
1:37 pm
Copyleft; It’s like you said, a powerful lobby and the Christian belief
that Isreal is the Promised Land. The land where Jesus will return.
“Old Tme religeon” is deeply ingrained in our politics, as you know.
Doesn’t make it right though…
DB, Gwinnettian
June 5th, 2009
1:40 pm
And not really on-topic at all, but I’ve wanted an excuse to paste this for awhile:M.J. Rosenberg shares a heartwarming Charles Krauthammer moment:
About three years ago, I saw Krauthammer flip out in synagogue on Yom Kippur. The rabbi had offered some timid endorsement of peace — peace essentially on Israel’s terms — but peace anyway. Krauthammer went nuts. He actually started bellowing at the rabbi, from his wheel chair in the aisle. People tried to “shush” him. It was, after all, the holiest day of the year. But Krauthammer kept howling until the rabbi apologized. The man is as arrogant as he is thuggish. Who screams at the rabbi at services? For advocating peace?
DB, Gwinnettian
June 5th, 2009
1:42 pm
access to our military equipment is the major thing.
And I don’t see that access being compromised by this President, or any other President in my lifetime for that matter.
jewcowboy
June 5th, 2009
1:44 pm
DB, Gwinnettian,
“And I don’t see that access being compromised by this President, or any other President in my lifetime for that matter.”
My thoughts exactly.
N.J,
June 5th, 2009
1:48 pm
Actually the U.S. pays for most of Israels military budget. That 3 billion they get is not a check deposited in the bank of Israel, its a line of credit with the American defense industry. And while they have their own tanks and such, they are also largely built by other countries like Germany.
N.J,
June 5th, 2009
1:50 pm
And actually Israel knows that the Muslims COULD if they wished push them into the sea. The reasons that Israel won in the past is that each separate Muslim country that did attack them in 1973, would not agree to a single military leader of a joint command.
jewcowboy
June 5th, 2009
1:54 pm
N.J.,
“Actually the U.S. pays for most of Israels military budget.”
The IDF budget is about $13 billion a year, and all the info I find is our aid is $3 billion a year total for all aid to Isreal. Do you know of other sources that make up the IDF’s budget?
Billy Bob
June 5th, 2009
1:56 pm
…he [Aviner] later stressed that in fact Israel should not accept financial aid from the US at all, saying that according to the Gemara accepting charity from a non-Jew equals blasphemy. “A private person shouldn’t take handouts – a state shouldn’t take handouts… the American taxpayer has to support me? This is disgraceful!”
I like this Rabbi Shlomo Aviner – a real independent streak in him that reminds me of the settlers in the U.S. Maybe he can preach that “gospel” of zero tolerance for handouts to the various minority groups here in the U.S. Once you’re free of the man, anything’s possible.
Preach on, brother.
SaveOurRepublic
June 5th, 2009
1:57 pm
The U.S. needs to steer clear of these foreign entanglements (as the Founding Fathers intended). The American taxpayers funding of the Zionist agenda (bowing to AIPAC pressure) and of/for the Muhammedans needs to cease. We can ill afford these wasteful “foreign aid” handouts. Let the Zionsts & PLO, inc. fight it out amongst themselves!
jewcowboy
June 5th, 2009
1:57 pm
N.J.,
“And actually Israel knows that the Muslims COULD if they wished push them into the sea. ”
I have a friend that used to be in the Golani Brigade of the IDF. Let me just tell you, no one is pushing him anywhere he does not want to go.
PeaceNick
June 5th, 2009
2:00 pm
The mood in the U.S. is that enough is enough! This situation has dragged on now past a generation. Through all the posturing of both sides, nothing has changed on the ground, just political hot air and empty promises from both the PA and Israel. We in America are over it! Wake up and do something meaningful for a change. Financial aid should be only part of the leverage used to ensure peace is found- military aid; systems, parts, and military technical aid also be stopped. Progress should be required of both sides and aid of both kinds to both sides disabled if the progress sought is not measurable and forthcoming. If the walk down the path of peace can’t stay on course, money should be withheld, and the tools of war should not be sold or given away by the US either. Both sides should find common ground and move forward to a peaceful resolution without hesitation. If green and guns stop flowing, it will only be a matter of time before blood stops flowing as well. Deal with it.
N.J,
June 5th, 2009
2:00 pm
And even the Israelis count the Yom Kippur War as a qualified failure on many levels:
Egypt, which at first had refused a cease-fire, now accepted it avidly, as did Syria. Considering the adverse initial circumstances, the speed and the thoroughness with which the IDF had been able to reverse its fortunes was remarkable. Yet the Yom Kippur War went down in Israel’s history as a qualified failure.The surprise rankled; and the cost was heavy: 2,688 soldiers fell.
Intelligence was faulted for failing to sound the alarm in time – the Chief of Staff, David (Dado) Elazar and his Chief of Intelligence had to resign. Too many airplanes were lost to Russian-made SAM-missiles. Some experts reached the sweeping conclusion that the tank had seen its day, in view of its vulnerability to Sagger missiles and infantry-operated RPGs. Of 265 Israeli tanks in the first echelon, only 100 survived.
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/History/Modern+History/Centenary+of+Zionism/The+Arab-Israeli+Wars.htm
Gandalf, the White! (!)
June 5th, 2009
2:00 pm
NJ, it wasn’t because of joint leadership, it was because they suck as soldiers! Silly to think they could push Israeli’s into the sea, unless you mean by Sea “The Persian Gulf”, as the Isaeli forces follow the “running like little girl” muslim formations trying to escape, they might get thier feet wet.
Gandalf, the White! (!)
June 5th, 2009
2:03 pm
NJ, you are silly! Only God can defeat Israel!
Doggone/GA
June 5th, 2009
2:05 pm
“I only mention this because it’s often presumed among Americans that the threat of witholding aid, however impractical it might be isn’t quite the super-lever we might imagine”
And it doesn’t have to be. If Israel can “go it alone” without US aid…then more power to them. We can keep that aid money at home, stop trying to dictate what they can and can’t do…and let them deal with it however they want. But if they accept the aid, then they have to accept any strings that go with it…and lately (not always) there are been too much “aid” and not enough “strings”.
jewcowboy
June 5th, 2009
2:07 pm
SaveOurRepublic,
“We can ill afford these wasteful “foreign aid” handouts”
Americans guess, on average, that 24% of our federal budget goes to development assistance. The real number is less than one per cent. US aid as a percent of personal income is second to last among wealthy nations.
Some benefits of foreign aid: the U.S. was the largest single donor in a global campaign that eradicated smallpox from the world by 1977, and the U.S. provided funding for a program to prevent river blindness in West Africa. As a result, 18 million children now living in the program’s region are free from the risk of river blindness.
Much can be done with just a little in foreign aid if it goes to where it is needed most, but less than half of aid from the U.S. goes to the neediest countries, instead the largest recipients are strategic allies.
Paul
June 5th, 2009
2:12 pm
DB, Gwinnettian 1:40
I was looking forward to some new knowledge, but when the author resorted to the tactic of belittling his opponent, rather than his ideas, describing the person and the behavior as “thuggish, bellowing, nuts” I have to give it a low impact score.
____________
As far as this thread: let’s see where it leads. Israel’s security will not be jeopardized. See if Abbas will reciprocate. See if his people will recognize Israel. Watch what happens in Gaza. If Abbas breaks for peace, will it marginalize Gaza? Will Saudi Arabia then weigh in? Will they join Egypt and Jordan for peace?
If the Palestinians think they’re getting a pass, they aren’t paying attention.
@@
June 5th, 2009
2:16 pm
jay, had it not been for the camera shot of Obama stumbling, fumbling with that hangdog appearance while Netanyahu administered the steely-eyed gaze directly at, I’d say this whole “Obama takes on Bibi” thing was choreographed for Muslim consumption.
I think a lot of people like to ride THE CHANGE TRAIN and Obama do like to fancy himself the engineer.
With only 28% of Americans thinking we’ll see better relations with Muslims a year from now and 74% believing peace between Israel and the Palestinians isn’t likely in the next 10 years, I’d say to the President that “Sometimes THE PEOPLE are smarter than YOU.”
Copyleft
June 5th, 2009
2:17 pm
Gandalf: For once, you make a good argument!
“Only God can defeat Israel!”
Good… then they certainly don’t need OUR help. I suggest terminating all aid and military support to them immediately.
Paul
June 5th, 2009
2:19 pm
Wyld
Do you see some good in the trip – as it was on his schedule, the impact of releasing the abuse and torture pics as the ACLU and others wanted would have completely overridden his words in Egypt. The fact Pres Obama was able to see the real-world implications of a decision to release the photos and the harm they would cause – taking it from the theoretical to the real – well, that may not have happened without this “summer vacation.”
So didn’t you get more of what you wanted, not just nonrelease of the photos but also, likely, a modified way of Pres Obama seeing things?
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
2:26 pm
Copyleft–”Finally, a few Congress critters with the guts to actually stand up to the Israeli lobby!”
Do they meet in cabal with the International Zionist Consipiracy, the Jew Bankers and the Jewish Controlled media?
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
2:32 pm
jewcoyboy–
“I have a friend that used to be in the Golani Brigade of the IDF. Let me just tell you, no one is pushing him anywhere he does not want to go.”
Rahmbo Emmanuel comes to mind. Maybe if we’d have had a few more of these Hebrew Tarzans back in the 1930s, we wouldn’t be having this discussion today.
Copyleft
June 5th, 2009
2:33 pm
Josef: Ha ha! I get it; you’re cleverly implying that there IS no organized Israeli lobby.
Boy I sure hope these guys don’t find out…
http://www.aipac.org/
jewcowboy
June 5th, 2009
2:34 pm
I read this quote from Professor Wayne Fields from the University of Washington, which sums up Obama’s speech to me:
“The striking thing about Obama is that whenever he speaks to crisis without being highly emotional or highly charged, he manages to make it seem like we’re more open to reason than we really are. It’s a combination of hopefulness and a kind of calmness that’s at the core of this kind of rhetoric.”
And as Professor Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland wrote,
“Words matter a lot. The problem for him will be that with every speech, he raises the expectations higher by raising the issues that people care about…”
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
2:35 pm
PeaceNick–as Tevye said, “if they would agree, I would agree,”
PinkoNeoConLibertarian
June 5th, 2009
2:39 pm
Josef @ 2:26:
Say What?? Jewish Controlled Media?? I thought the media was controlled by the left wing, socialist, commie, liberals?? Oh wait…maybe it’s the right wing, fascist, neo-con, conservatives. Dang, can’t keep it straight anymore.
I need it to be 5pm!
PinkoNeoConLibertarian
June 5th, 2009
2:40 pm
Oh…no pun intended by my “keep it straight” remark! LOL!
Gandalf, the White! (!)
June 5th, 2009
2:41 pm
COPYLEFT, TOO BAD YOU NEVER HAVE… GO SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY DON’T SUPPORT ISRAEL, PLEASE!
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
2:41 pm
Copyleft–of course there’s an Israeli lobby. There’s a canned milk lobby, too. It’s no big secret. But tell me, Fraulein/Herr Steicher, is that a copy of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” on your bookshelf?
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
2:43 pm
PinkoNeoConLibertarian –it’s both and they’re both controlled by the Jews. They meet at Manuel’s on Wednesdy, I hear. Maybe our terrorist out in Arkansas can tell us…
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
2:45 pm
PinkoNeoConLibertarian
“Oh…no pun intended by my “keep it straight” remark! LOL!”
So they’re straight! That’s why I don’t know where the cabal convenes!
getalife
June 5th, 2009
2:46 pm
The Jewish donors were punked by Madoff and the regular donations are weak.
Pay up.
jewcowboy
June 5th, 2009
2:51 pm
josef nix,
“Do they meet in cabal with the International Zionist Consipiracy, the Jew Bankers and the Jewish Controlled media?”
Wait, what about the gay mafia?
GayGrayGeek
June 5th, 2009
2:54 pm
jewcowboy – The Gay Mafia faded away after Backstreet was shut down.
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
2:56 pm
–jewcowboy
On this particular one, a little bit of intra tribu humor”
“… However, he later stressed that in fact Israel should not accept financial aid from the US at all, saying that according to the Gemara accepting charity from a non-Jew equals blasphemy. “A private person shouldn’t take handouts – a state shouldn’t take handouts… the American taxpayer has to support me? This is disgraceful!!”
According to my mom’s dad’s family tradition, the founder of their European branch of the family was
Machir the Babylon, sent at the request of Charlemagne (or Pepin, the records are in conflict) to found a rabbinical school for the Jews of Narbonne in respect for their having liberated Toulouse of the Moors. You can imagine what the Babylonians must have thought of this request coming from the ends of the earth from the barbarians. Being a pragmatic lot, however, they saw it as an opportunity to rid themselves of a pesky liberal member who didn’t see eye to eye with them on the Gemorra, so off he went, a bit happy to get the hell out and up for an adventure, being liberal and all, off for a cross-cultural experience. One of his decisions had to do with just this matter at hand, he being a proponent of “can’t we just get along.”
Turd Ferguson
June 5th, 2009
2:57 pm
Let Israel finish off the PLO that is run by Hamas/Hezbollah and be done with them.
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
2:59 pm
jewcoyboy–Wait, what about the gay mafia?
THEY meet with the Dixie Mafia down on the Gulf Coast–and, yes, the head of the Dixie Mafia, Kirksey Nix, IS a cousin though he’s not Jewish and to the best of my knowledge, not gay–but then we don’t talk about that!
in the interest of
June 5th, 2009
3:07 pm
your special
josef nix
June 5th, 2009
3:13 pm
Turd Feguson–”Let Israel finish off the PLO that is run by Hamas/Hezbollah and be done with them.”
No need to. They’ll eventually do each other in…give ‘em enough rope..,