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Thoughts on Obama's UN Speech

By Aaron Goldstein on 9.21.11 @ 2:56PM

I was struck by this passage from President Obama's speech today before the UN General Assembly:

The Jewish people have forged a successful state in their historic homeland. Israel deserves recognition. It deserves normal relations with its neighbors. And friends of the Palestinians do them no favors by ignoring this truth, just as friends of Israel must recognize the need to pursue a two-state solution with a secure Israel next to an independent Palestine.

That is the truth -- each side has legitimate aspirations -- and that's part of what makes peace so hard. And the deadlock will only be broken when each side learns to stand in the other's shoes; each side can see the world through the other's eyes. (Italics mine) That's what we should be encouraging, That's what we should be promoting.

What makes Obama think that Israelis haven't been willing to stand in the shoes of the Palestinians and see things through their eyes? How does Obama care to explain an organization like Peace Now? Or how about IDF soldiers who refused to serve in Gaza and the West Bank? Over the course of the past two decades, Israelis have elected dovish Labor governments led by Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Barak who favored exchanging land for peace. So no, the problem isn't the unwillingness of Israelis willing to stand in Palestinian shoes and see things their way. But what happens to Palestinians who want rapprochement with Israel? The Palestinians consider them collaborators and have them executed without trial.

As long as Palestinians name soccer tournamnents and streets after suicide bombers and take to the streets in celebration when a Jewish family is murdered inside their own home they will never be willing to stand in the shoes of Israelis or see things through their eyes.

View all comments (10) | Leave a comment

PattyMor| 9.21.11 @ 5:42PM

What's there to negotiate when the other side wants you dead? Case closed.

Jack in Wi.| 9.22.11 @ 2:48AM

Another American President grovels before the vile Israeli Lobby. Oh well! Obama has been a tool of the Lobby his whole career. He was groomed by the West Side Jewish branch of the Chicago Machine, They have always been his main supporters and advisors. Most of his key aides have been and still are Jews. For the life of me I can't see why people would ever call Obama anything but a complete tool of Israel and it's Lobby.

Kingofthenet| 9.21.11 @ 6:17PM

Does Israel not name things after it's war hero's?

Occam's Tool| 9.21.11 @ 8:58PM

Israel doesn't name them after people who take their time beheading 3 month olds, Queen.

Kingofthenet| 9.21.11 @ 10:38PM

How about 'Gunship' captains who kill 'terrorists'?....and a bunch of kids standing nearby?

Kingofthenet| 9.21.11 @ 10:41PM

I just got this in, Hamas just told me they will trade in their suicide vests and 'terror' tactics for some Apache helicopters and Abrams tanks...

Dixie Pixie| 9.21.11 @ 7:18PM

The highlighted was a standard Liberal phrase and merely uttered because it sounded good to Liberal ears.

Like all the rhetoric of Obama's speeches, it means nothing and implies nothing.
It is simply an aura artwork which vanished as soon as the words were uttered.

Aura.....an invisible emanation produced by and surrounding a person and discernible by individuals of super-normal sensibility or Ivy League training.

Aura Artwork is a good description of any Obama speech.
The UN speech was no execption.

Bigmo| 9.22.11 @ 3:41AM

The article fails to point to the fact that Israel is still taking land from the Palis as we speak. If they are soo woriied about Arab terrorism and Iranian nukes, while build more settlements?

This tells me that this is just a distraction from the real goal which is to take more land from the Palis and let America do the fighting.

lisa| 9.22.11 @ 9:17AM

Your web policy says don't feed the trolls but that is mostly what you have here. Why would "Palestinian" supporters read this article in the first place? What do these supporters really want? How do they expect Israel to exist as a State? Why don't they ever mention Gaza and what happened when Arabs got that land back? Its my belief they don't support Israel's right to exist at all - they won't say it because it isn't politically correct.

Dee| 9.22.11 @ 5:54PM

You pointed out that in his speech, he said:

"And the deadlock will only be broken when each side learns to stand in the other's shoes; each side can see the world through the other's eyes. "

THEN, you said: "What makes Obama think that Israelis haven't been willing to stand in the shoes of the Palestinians and see things through their eyes?"

Either you're not an active listener or you heard him but didn't want to because you simply don't like him.

When a person says, 'in EACH OTHER'S' _______ (fill in the blank), that's what it means. He SAID that EACH of them needs to imagine what it must be like to be the other. That would suggest that at least one side is not doing that. He SAID for each to consider the other and essentially, "Put yourself in my position," so that they EACH can learn to relate to the dynamics that make their positions what they are, AND can, ideally, reach a satisfactory compromise.

Finally, if you heard and actively listened to the entire speech, you'd have heard the POTUS' admonishment toward Palestine. If you miss THAT, it's because you wanted to.