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John Kerry, Secretary of Gaffes
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Rand Paul and Marco Rubio at CPAC
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SEQUESTER: The Dumbest Weight-Loss Plan Ever
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Israel’s Hard-Right Turn That Wasn’t
January 22, 2013 | 1 comment
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Deep Space Nine, Twenty Years Later
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The Spectacle Blog
AP:
Reacting to Obama’s speech, Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a full withdrawal from the West Bank, saying the 1967 lines were “indefensible” and would leave major Jewish settlements outside Israel. Netanyahu rejects any pullout from east Jerusalem.
Netanyahu heads to the White House on Friday and said he would seek clarifications.
Behind the rhetoric, though, was the possibility of finding common ground. Obama said he would support agreed-upon territorial swaps between the Israel and the Palestinians, leaving the door open for Israel to retain major West Bank settlements, where the vast majority of its nearly 300,000 Jewish settlers live.
Netanyahu said he would urge Obama to endorse a 2004 American commitment, made by then President George W. Bush, to Israel. In a letter at the time, Bush said a full withdrawal to the 1967 lines was “unrealistic” and a future peace agreement would have to recognize “new realities on the ground.”
There’s nothing in the Bush-Sharon Letter that’s inconsistent with Obama’s remarks today, but the reassurances to Israel are much more specific than anything the Obama administration has ever embraced. Obama has a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee scheduled for Wednesday; how close he comes to endorsing those reassurances will be an important measure of the state of American-Israeli relations.
bobmontgomery| 5.19.11 @ 4:41PM
It's unreal how Obama takes two steps forward and a half step back and you 'reasonable' pundits keep telling America there's nothing to worry about.
Oldefarte| 5.19.11 @ 4:46PM
It should be obvious that he's selling Israel down the international-political river, but of course that has been his administration's intent all along!!!!!!
righthook38 | 5.22.11 @ 5:35PM
You're absolutely right. It was right under our nose the whole time, but people just refused to see it.
scott| 5.19.11 @ 5:44PM
Not sure how anyone can see this as a positive for the Israeli's. Like everything the president has done, it isn't what he says, it's what he does and allows to be done by his administration. He says he's probusiness, and the NLRB closes the door for Boeing to go to SC. He says he supports offshore oil production and then institutes an illegal permatorium.Says we can't spike the football and then goes on a TD dance tour letting the world know about our military technology and the home base of the Seals.
Occam's Tool| 5.19.11 @ 5:48PM
Obama is a bloody idiot.
simon templar| 5.19.11 @ 5:56PM
So, Tabin, what is your point? It is those damn reassurances a$$hole that make all the difference in the world as to the Bush policy and this current poser.There is nothing in the letter inconsistent? Your next breath contradicts that. Is there something wrong with you?
Wayne | 5.19.11 @ 6:23PM
Correction, it is the state of the Obama-Isreal relationship and our position changes with the next president.
C Bowen| 5.19.11 @ 8:09PM
Kabuki theater.
We all know Israel will still get billions this year and next year so relax, it's just for show.
Hook| 5.19.11 @ 8:53PM
I agree with C Bowen, but it is striking how much conservatives are disagreeing about Obama's speech. Liberals of course would support anything Obama did. ANYHING.
I personally am at a loss as to why Israel would give up anything. It really helped them to give up Gaza.
Nite| 5.19.11 @ 9:38PM
Obama and his so called advisors are idiots! Why would Israel go back to the pre-1967 borders. They were attacked by Muslims in the 1967 War and Israel won. This latest Obama pronouncement is mind boggling. This is a slap in the face to our best ally.
NWBill| 5.19.11 @ 10:44PM
Bibi and the Israeli government should hold a news conference tomorrow and announce the following:
- Israel will, for the rest of Obama's term in office, communicate with the US government only through SecState and the Foreign Ministry; all top-level meetings are hereby cancelled.
- Israel will not participate in any multilateral discussions where President Obama is involved.
- Israel will place its' relationship on "hold" until the 2012 US elections.
Those actions - especially the last one - will help defeat Obama by showing how one of our closest, most supportive allies (at least until 2008) would be willing to essentially break diplomatic relations because of the actions of a US President.
I suspect also that taking an action like that would adversely affect Obama's re-election funding as well.
Lev| 5.20.11 @ 3:42AM
one of closest, most supportive allies.....nonsense. One who happily takes our billions in aid, spies on us and promises terror victims that Pollard is soon coming 'home'. Rubbish
simon templar| 5.20.11 @ 10:45AM
Another self hating jew, Lev or just another jew hating commie liar troll?
Wayne | 5.19.11 @ 10:54PM
I am trying to figure how Tabin could after 2 years of Obama think he will fulfill any promise. Will he be able to keep Hamas from lobbing missiles into Israel? Will he be able to keep Iran via Lebanon from lobbing mortars into Israel? Will he be able to get Egypt from letting terrorists and the WMD of choice from entering Gaza? Will he be able to guarantee that the Palestinians with help from a revitalized Muslim alliance will cut off the state with a 8 mile rush across the country of Israel.
Or is Obama setting up Israel so that he can sit by as he has in Syria and Iran while the battle wages in the street? Meanwhile we know Tabin will be fine with it, since it is just part of finding common ground.
Harpagon | 5.20.11 @ 1:40AM
Speaking of AIPAC - has anyone noticed that it (like the Conference of Presidents) is, under US law, an illegal lobbying organization, i.e. a criminal organization.
Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, individuals and organizations are free to lobby on behalf of foreign governments - but they must FIRST register at the DOJ as lobbyists on behalf of foreign governments in order to do so LEGALLY, and must periodically send the DOJ reports on what they do, financial reports (including disclosures of any money received from foreign governments or officials), and other documents. Also, all of these documents must be shown to DOJ officials anytime they demand to see them.
Failure to comply with ANY of these requirements is punishable with a high fine and/or up to 5 years of jail.
Neither AIPAC nor the CoP have registered at the DOJ as lobbying organizations - their names don't appear in the DOJ's publicly available database of lobbying organizations that work on behalf of foreign governments.
In 2004, there was a huge AIPAC scandal, and it seemed that the DOJ would manage to get AIPAC to finally register and disclose its finances, but the Israeli lobby resisted and so, the Bush Administration surrendered. So both AIPAC and the CoP continue to operate illegally, with the DOJ knowing nothing about how they work and how much money they receive from their foreign master.
Both of them are involved in PR work for Israel, and they clearly work on Israel's behalf (Sharon has even once said "When Americans ask me how they can help Israel, I tell them: 'Help AIPAC'").
I hope Obama and the DOJ prosecute AIPAC and the CoP as harshly as possible. These two criminal organizations have, for decades, been exercising huge influence on American foreign policy, with disastrous results for the US.
Jade| 5.22.11 @ 9:39PM
ugly troll
martin j smith| 5.20.11 @ 7:56AM
WHO IS HARPAGON? OPEN QUESTION FOR ANY ANSWERS. But the first sentence says it all for me--moving on:
It takes no genius to realize that there are always behind the scens talks. But, Obama did a lot of damage which will not be undone to US_Israeli relations( except for the LEFT IN THE US AND ISRAEL ) The vast majority of Israeli Jews do not trust or like Obama and I suspect with this last speech Some percent of American Jews will be lost as well. Will Obama go before say the UN and say something like; ERR, I really meant to say that ......... or will he hold a joint press conference with Netenyahu and say: The US will do this that or the other etc........ and kiss BIBI and a hug ?
I do nt think so --or if he does --I still would not trust Obama for one second because once again it means he is a LIAR and LIARS ARE TOTALLY NOT TO BE TRUSTED.
So where does that leave us; AN ELECTION IN 2012 that is it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Harpagon | 5.20.11 @ 9:09AM
Facts are facts - the Foreign Agents Registration Act (which is still the law of the land) requires any organization and any person who wishes to lobby on behalf of a foreign government (e.g. to do public relations/propaganda work for it or solicit anything of value for the foreign government) to first register at the DOJ and periodically provide the documents I mentioned.
AIPAC has not done so. Neither has the Conference of Presidents. Both of them are therefore illegal lobbyist organizations.
So here's my message to AIPAC and CoP personnel, and anyone else who has been publicly arguing the official opinions (positions) of the Government of Israel, doing any other kind of PR work for it (incl. Ted Belman, Leo Rennert, Mladen Andrijasevic, Rachel Neuwirth, Ethel Fenig, et al.), or soliciting anything of value in the US (e.g. foreign aid programs) for it:
I hope you guys have obtained your plea bargains with the DOJ already. If not, you're liable for 5 years of jail.
Jade| 5.22.11 @ 9:38PM
shut up stoopid liberal bigot
RonL| 5.21.11 @ 4:35AM
AIPAC promotes a relationship between the US and Israel. It does not take orders from Jerusalem on specific issues. It has also condemned certain Israeli policies as unhelpful.
When you get the facts right, come back
Harpagon | 5.21.11 @ 4:51AM
AIPAC lobbies the US federal government on behalf of Israel, advocates the policies officially advocated by the government of Israel, solicits billions of taxpayers' dollars every year for the government of Israel, and acts as a PR agent for Israel. Therefore, it meets the definition of an agent of a foreign government under the FARA. Ariel Sharon has even once said "When Americans ask me how they can help Israel, I tell them: 'Help AIPAC.'"
So it's you, Ron, who needs to get his facts straight. AIPAC is an illegal lobbying organization and its members - along with other unregistered propaganda agents of Israel - belong in jail, according to US law.
Jade| 5.22.11 @ 9:37PM
shut up liberal bigot
fran township| 5.22.11 @ 8:33AM
JEWS IN AMERICA ARE INVITING POGROMS, working with the president of a third world country to undermine and controll the american president will cost them when americans see it for themselves,all this jewish threatening to withold funding to democrats unless the cower to israel is treason, we were attacked on 9-11 for supporting israel now jews are forcing us to support israel as the CONTINUEA to do to the palestinians what alqueida attacked us for!!! google 9-11 commission report palestine/bin laden
Jade| 5.22.11 @ 9:36PM
stooopid shit liberal traitor
bakerhughes| 5.22.11 @ 8:37AM
controll of government/banking/media/ were the reasons jews were rounded up in germany google it.yet their m.o. is to do the exact same things to us!!! the internet and its access to unfiltered historical information will be the end of the jew and his undermining of america
bakerhughes| 5.22.11 @ 8:37AM
controll of government/banking/media/ were the reasons jews were rounded up in germany google it.yet their m.o. is to do the exact same things to us!!! the internet and its access to unfiltered historical information will be the end of the jew and his undermining of america
bakerhughes| 5.22.11 @ 8:37AM
controll of government/banking/media/ were the reasons jews were rounded up in germany google it.yet their m.o. is to do the exact same things to us!!! the internet and its access to unfiltered historical information will be the end of the jew and his undermining of america
bakerhughes| 5.22.11 @ 8:37AM
controll of government/banking/media/ were the reasons jews were rounded up in germany google it.yet their m.o. is to do the exact same things to us!!! the internet and its access to unfiltered historical information will be the end of the jew and his undermining of america
Jade| 5.22.11 @ 9:35PM
stooopid shit liberal
bakerhughes| 5.22.11 @ 8:37AM
controll of government/banking/media/ were the reasons jews were rounded up in germany google it.yet their m.o. is to do the exact same things to us!!! the internet and its access to unfiltered historical information will be the end of the jew and his undermining of america
pierce reynolds| 5.22.11 @ 9:43AM
every jew bashing america while supporting that jew scumbag netayahoo over america should be deported immediately, america is germany 1930 as the people start noticing the jewish problem is destroying them
pierce reynolds| 5.22.11 @ 9:43AM
every jew bashing america while supporting that jew scumbag netayahoo over america should be deported immediately, america is germany 1930 as the people start noticing the jewish problem is destroying them
Jade| 5.22.11 @ 9:34PM
stupid shit