MIDEAST

If Obama Is Serious

He should get tough with Israel.

By Aaron David Miller | NEWSWEEK
Published Jan 3, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Jan 12, 2009

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  • Posted By: Nath @ 08/10/2009 5:10:13 AM

    If all the Arabic states donate 1000 hectares of land each then the Palestine state can be formed today itself in front of Mecca mosque...but Saudis are reportedly not to give them a single yard.

    Even that is also not a big issue, since the final goal of Hizbul is to go to heaven to meet Allah..

  • Posted By: factsearcher @ 07/29/2009 7:54:47 PM

    Before even thinking of dictating to Israel what to do... we should turn our noses very rapidly into the North Korean and Iran nuclear threats....which are very REAL and is a PRESENT DANGER. We do not have the luxury to become blind to the reality of these belicose situations presently developing in these other countries...
    the middle east peace process is not about to be resolved by the end of this year....but N Korean and Iran nuclear capabilities will !!!!!

  • Posted By: factsearcher @ 07/29/2009 7:42:42 PM

    Sobel,
    The sad and real truth about the difference between...lets say... Texas/Mexico and Israel/Palestine is that with Texas and Mexico we were dealing exclusively with land.
    In the case of Israel, the world is blind just because it is of jewish faith. People throughout the years have learned to hate this group without even knowing the facts just because of their faith.
    It would be equivalent for me to make an statement such as:" Obama is crazy if he thinks we can deal with the palestinians in the same diplomatic sense as israelis, since the palestinians are primitive and radical in nature."
    Does that make sense....to many many many people it does...and there you have it!

  • Posted By: factsearcher @ 07/29/2009 7:42:34 PM

    Sobel,
    The sad and real truth about the difference between...lets say... Texas/Mexico and Israel/Palestine is that with Texas and Mexico we were dealing exclusively with land.
    In the case of Israel, the world is blind just because it is of jewish faith. People throughout the years have learned to hate this group without even knowing the facts just because of their faith.
    It would be equivalent for me to make an statement such as:" Obama is crazy if he thinks we can deal with the palestinians in the same diplomatic sense as israelis, since the palestinians are primitive and radical in nature."
    Does that make sense....to many many many people it does...and there you have it!

  • Posted By: jstepp590 @ 07/29/2009 3:54:43 PM

    The direction of Israeli leadership is apalling to me. We now have a huge majority of the Jewish population living in a postage stamp area surrounded by 1.5 billion Arabs. Talk about having all your eggs in one basket! If one nuke or nerve gas attack hits that place we will see a huge percentage of the entire worlds population of Hebrews at risk or dead. People who live in glass houses should not be throwing stones because they have the potential to have their own self imposed Holocaust right there in their own country.

    I think Israel needs to step back and rethink their policies before a far larger catastrophy than WW2 starts delivering body blows to their population. Zionism is imposing a Jewish only Israel on land with other people living on it already and that is not going to work. I agree with the author 100%, come down on both sides equally like a ton of wet cement. If Israel doesn't want to play ball then veto any of our money going to her and make it known in the UN security council that we will no longer block world sanctions against her. It's not like we don't need the money here at home for God's sake. We're going to have too many problems of our own to take care of her for much longer.

  • Posted By: SYWanda @ 05/04/2009 11:01:00 AM

    Personally, I would like to see every dime, every U.S. dollar withdrawn from aid to Israel. I think AIPAC ought not to have access to American lawmakers, and I think a dialogue with the Palestinian moderate FATAH ought to be put on the front burners so Israel knows we're serious. Frankly, I am not that keen on any money being spent in that area right now without some equilibrium. This country was set up quite accidentally on Israel. It ought to be corrected.

    • Posted By: Jerrold L Sobel @ 06/02/2009 11:53:13 PM

      I agree hold back funds and military support from an ally. That's certainly an option the pro-Arabist Administration has. What they don't have is the audacious right to dictate security policy to a sovereign nation. Israel is not Czecheslovakia whether Obama like is or not.

      • Posted By: PrezJimmyC @ 06/06/2009 3:50:52 PM

        Sobel: 1.5 billion muslims against 10 million jews??? Good point -- perhaps that is the way muslims should view it, then Israel and it's zionist hate-mongers will learn to behave. If muslims did indeed support their bretheren as you jews support zionism, then Israel would truly become extinct -- fast. You know, the kind of support I am taking about: such as money (zionist owned gambling, entertainment, and lobbing businesses sending "home" major dollars) and weapons (overwhelmingly american; using again, charity, from our US GOV.) and political will (dual-citizenship to compel US to grant Israeli jews access to our politicians).

        Every one of you zionists make me sick with your hypocrisy in deals with the Palestinians -- take the blinders off and let the US save you by mediating a just solution; before it's too late and the "muslims" solve the problem themselves.

  • Posted By: Jerrold L Sobel @ 06/02/2009 11:47:43 PM

    I don't know much about the bible, or for that matter, God's will, but I have a great deal of knowledge of world history and the pressure on Israel to give up lands won as result of five wars is unprecedented and patently absurd. Whether you wish to call it ancient Israel, modern Israel, Zionism, or the state of Israel; the Jewish people have returned to their historical homeland and Obama or anyone else nothwithstanding; they're not about to give it away. What today is mistakenly referred to as the West Bank is in actuality Judea and Samaria; see the corelation "Judea," "Jew." Jews for thousands of years before the advent of Islam inhabited and roamed these hills and valleys. Unfortunately for them, subsequent to successive defeats by Babylonisans, Romans, ans Muslims they were either converted, allowed to live under dhimmitude, or ethnically cleansed from where their ancestors lived. If you'll notice, I didn't say, their land. In reality, who owns land? Can the United States make unequivocal claim to Texas and the Southwest? If the rules of world history hold true, the answer is a resounding yes. Why doesn't Mexico just take it back? They would love to, but they simply lack the sticks and stones to do it with. Substitute Texas with Alsasce-Lorrain; Gibralter; Corsica; the Faulkland Islands; we can go, on and on and on. The world is replete with nations occupying territory others lay claim to, but more often than not, "to the victor go the spoils." From antiquity until modern times, can anyone show me a time when a victor relinquished territory to a vanquished entity prior to that entity signing a peace treaty or even recognizing the right to exist of its protagonist? Other than the fact that these are Jews and the world is uncomfortable seeing Jews in a position of power; why have the rules of the game changed for Israel? Aaron David Miller states, "The new Administration will have to be tough?" Is he kidding? Does anyone really think a rational Israeli government is going to play Czecheslovakia because some guy five years removed from community organizing wants them to. It's quite obvious that the new President is abrogating the special relationship Israel has shared with the United States for Six decades, which he has a right to do. He also has the the option of freezing funds and cutting off support to the Jewish State. What he doesn't have right to do is dictate policy to a sovereign nation particularly one whose security has been tested for sixty years.

    Granted, it's much easier to bully and disrespect Israel, but with wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan; nuclear Pakistan in turmoil; nuclear North Korea firing off all sorts of missles; and a belicose, soon to be nuclear power, Iran looming ever so defiantly; perhaps it would be in the best interest of the United States if Obama put Palestinian Statehood on the back burner...

    Jerrold L. Sobel

  • Posted By: Jerrold L Sobel @ 06/02/2009 11:46:24 PM

    I don't know much about the bible, or for that matter, God's will, but I have a great deal of knowledge of world history and the pressure on Israel to give up lands won as result of five wars is unprecedented and patently absurd. Whether you wish to call it ancient Israel, modern Israel, Zionism, or the state of Israel; the Jewish people have returned to their historical homeland and Obama or anyone else nothwithstanding; they're not about to give it away. What today is mistakenly referred to as the West Bank is in actuality Judea and Samaria; see the corelation "Judea," "Jew." Jews for thousands of years before the advent of Islam inhabited and roamed these hills and valleys. Unfortunately for them, subsequent to successive defeats by Babylonisans, Romans, ans Muslims they were either converted, allowed to live under dhimmitude, or ethnically cleansed from where their ancestors lived. If you'll notice, I didn't say, their land. In reality, who owns land? Can the United States make unequivocal claim to Texas and the Southwest? If the rules of world history hold true, the answer is a resounding yes. Why doesn't Mexico just take it back? They would love to, but they simply lack the sticks and stones to do it with. Substitute Texas with Alsasce-Lorrain; Gibralter; Corsica; the Faulkland Islands; we can go, on and on and on. The world is replete with nations occupying territory others lay claim to, but more often than not, "to the victor go the spoils." From antiquity until modern times, can anyone show me a time when a victor relinquished territory to a vanquished entity prior to that entity signing a peace treaty or even recognizing the right to exist of its protagonist? Other than the fact that these are Jews and the world is uncomfortable seeing Jews in a position of power; why have the rules of the game changed for Israel? Aaron David Miller states, "The new Administration will have to be tough?" Is he kidding? Does anyone really think a rational Israeli government is going to play Czecheslovakia because some guy five years removed from community organizing wants them to. It's quite obvious that the new President is abrogating the special relationship Israel has shared with the United States for Six decades, which he has a right to do. He also has the the option of freezing funds and cutting off support to the Jewish State. What he doesn't have right to do is dictate policy to a sovereign nation particularly one whose security has been tested for sixty years.

    Granted, it's much easier to bully and disrespect Israel, but with wars going on in Iraq and Afghanistan; nuclear Pakistan in turmoil; nuclear North Korea firing off all sorts of missles; and a belicose, soon to be nuclear power, Iran looming ever so defiantly; perhaps it would be in the best interest of the United States if Obama put Palestinian Statehood on the back burner...

    Jerrold L. Sobel

  • Posted By: Jordan48 @ 05/26/2009 12:23:40 PM

    Reply to Iconoblaster::

    As a student of Biblical Prophesy, allow me to say that your conclusions are not consistent with the Word of God! You foolishly conclude that the Jewish State of today is not the Jewish State discussed in the Old Testament. Your bviews are secular, not rooted in the truth. Perhaps you would be well advised to study more dilligently the Book of Revelations and Ezekiel 38-39. However, if you are content to remain blind to the truth concerning the biblical prophesies of both the Old and New Testament, then no argument or prrof will sway you from your present flawed conclusions concerning Gods attitude towards His people, Israel.

    • Posted By: Iconoblaster @ 06/02/2009 12:28:32 PM

      I'm not impressed with the quality of your scholarship. Your interpretation of Revelation is interesting, but not persuasive, and in any case, irrelevant. Why would you resort to CHRISTIAN Scriptures to determine whether the modern State of Israel was established in defiance of Hebrew Scriptures (as I contended)? My contention is not uncontroversial... there are those who disagree. But the sacred writings of some OTHER religion cannot answer the question of whether the modern secular state of Israel is, somehow, equivalent to the ancient ethnic and religious Kingdom of Israel, (re-?)established according to Divine Law, or instead is just what it appears to be: a modern, secular state that assumed the same name as that ancient kingdom so as to co-opt the appearance of legitimacy that would give their enterprise, especially in the eyes of ill-informed, credulous Christians in the powerful, mostly Christian nations (Britain, France, United States) which were in a position to assist the Zionist enterprise, or frustrate it.
      A discussion of the matter you might find enlightening can be found at: http://www.shuvoo.com/articles/Will-the-real-Israel-please-stand-up.php

  • Posted By: Jordan48 @ 05/26/2009 1:07:53 PM

    Response to: Sitham

    Quote: "Palestinians have a right to live in a state of their own while their neighbours too live in peace. Unless Israel changes its policy of punishing the civilians under the pretext of annihilating their leaders her future stands uncertain and unsafe."
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    If you allow, let us take your argument and compare it to the Texas fight for sovereignt5y from Mexico in 1836. When Texas defeated Santa Ana at the Batlle of San Jacinto, Texas won it's independence from Mexican authority, even though Texas was inhabited hispanics who were still loyal to Mexico. Your argument that the Palestinians should be allowed to establish their own individual State. That same argument would support all those hispanics, who were loyal to Mexico to establish their own seperate government within the State of Texas. I find your argument absurd.

    In May, 1948, the State of Israel was re-born! Egypt, under Anwar Sedat was the first Arab nation to recognize Israel as a State. The Arab-Israeli conflict has raged ever since. Many of the palestinians, who had left the region to avoid the conflict sought refuge in surrounding Arab nations, and were received reluctantly by the Arab brothers. In time, the palestinians returned to these lands, which by this time was controlled by Israel. Israel won these lands, which were theirs in past centuries by conquest, and most recently by their victories over Egypt and Syria. Now, the world governments desire to mediate the present and past conflict by advocating the formation of a Palestinian State within Israel itself. They propose that Israel will achieve peace by trading land to the palestinians. However, it is apparent that there are terrorist factions who desire the total annihalation of Israel, i.e., Iran, Hamas, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, etc.

    The Word of God clearly declares that there will be no long term peace for Israel and God condemns the idea of trading land for peace. Is it not written: "the ways of man seemeth right, but leadeth to destruction." Man fails to understand that this same God owns the world and all that is in it. His word also declares His love for His chosen people, Israel! In Ezekiel 38-39, which discusses the battle of Gog and Magog, which is yet to come, God declares that HE will fight for His people and the nation of Israel, for no other nation will come to Israels aide. It is truly unfortunate that so many world leaders are blind to this fact.

    In these last days, the worlds people, who are not of the elect of God, will grow in their hatred for Israel, for they follow after the spiritual powers of darkness that order their steps.

    • Posted By: Iconoblaster @ 05/26/2009 8:12:22 PM

      The State of Israel was not "RE-born" in 1948. It was established then, but that State is not, and never was the ancient (and extinct) Kingdom of Israel, whose history was told (from the Israelite point of view) in the Bible. Modern Israel was established in defiance of Scriptural comman, not in fullfillment of them. The modern state is a secular state; while it is called the Jewish state, "Jewish" in this context refers to ethnicity, not religion. Sloppy language leads to sloppy thinking. The modern, secular Jewish state is an apartheid state, established by a campaign of ethnic cleansing (also called genocide...a crime under international law), and is maintained by similarly racist policies to the present day.

      The religious people...mostly Christians, often evangelicals or fundamentalists, who fail to see the distinctions between the ancient Biblical Kingdom and the modern, secular apartheid state are being defrauded by Zionists who are happy to exploit their ignorance to advance the Zionists own political ends, but who have no real sympathy with Christian ethics or religious views. They are using you, folks. Get a clue.

  • Posted By: Californiac @ 04/13/2009 1:22:27 PM

    "The Holy Bible says whoever blesses Israel will be blessed and whoever curses Israel will be cursed. I now call down on your heads, Newsweek, all the curses God has promised" Does that work if I name my dog "Israel"?

    The modern state of Israel is NOT the biblical kingdom of Israel...and the rulers of the State of Israel have scarcely behaved in the manner one would expect of people who worship a just and merciful God. The modern state was founded in DEFIANCE of scriptural commands, not in fullfillment of them.... calling it by the same name doesn't make the modern State into ancient Israel, or entitle that apartheid state to the special protection of God.

  • Posted By: JKaufman50 @ 05/06/2009 10:01:59 AM

    I now know why I no longer subscribe to Newsweek. Why a crock of antisemitic lies. The author concedes that the Hamas and the Palestinians sponsor and carry out terrorism in Israel and elsewhere, and yet somehow make the care and feeding of the Palestinians Israel's responsibility. Why are their Arab brethren NOT helping to build their economy?? I will tell you why - because the Palestinians enjoy victim hood. It makes them special. Well the Jews were victims too throughout history and built a beautiful, intelligent and thriving nation. After Israel withdrew from Gaza, did anything positive happen there?? NO, just more terrorism. Why are you so blind to the truth. How deep; can your anti-Israel and Jewish sentiments be??

    • Posted By: Iconoblaster @ 05/18/2009 7:24:36 PM

      Everything anyone has tried to help the Palestinians to build in Gaza (water treatment plants, ambulances, schools, hospitals) is eventually targetted by Israeli weapons; many such facilities have been utterly destroyed. Why should anyone pour in more money to build things that the IDF is just going to blow up?

  • Posted By: Sitham @ 05/16/2009 3:36:32 PM

    Does it make sense or is it in the interest of any to watch powerful states punish the civilians because their leaders or those who fight for their rights are termed 'terrorists' by leaders who react to events. Palestinians have a right to live in a state of their own while their neighbours too live in peace. Unless Israel changes its policy of punishing the civilians under the pretext of annihilating their leaders her future stands uncertain and unsafe. Sri Lanka must also stop wiping out Tamils under the guise of 'war on terror' and if not civilised countries must intervene and stop the genocide.

  • Posted By: Robzview @ 05/07/2009 2:55:23 PM

    Much more excruciating for the dead and maimed Palestinians might I humbly suggest.What is really excruciating is watching successive Presidents,secretaries of state,Prime Ministers etc talk all round this issue as if it is really complex-it's not.Israel must withdraw to the June 4 1967 borders[in Palestine and the Golan] ALL the illegal colonies must be evacuated,the Palestinians must be allowed a viable,contiguous sovereign state with meaningful control of it's land borders,coastline and airspace.Israel must not be allowed to bomb,shell,missile civilian populations without international sanction-speaking of which SANCTIONS like those imposed on Iraq-remember the ones that killed lots of Iraqi civilians but had no impact on Saddam-would bring Israel to heel very quickly.Will any of this happen? when Clinton calls illegal house demolitions"unhelpful" and urges"restraint"while Israel runs amok and Obama talks about Israel's right to self-defense but fails to mention Palestinians right to resist an occupying power Idoubt it.

  • Posted By: Robzview @ 05/07/2009 2:30:49 PM

    Right on Barak dude get tough cut off financial aid[3bn per year]no more "forgiving" loans no more weapons to slaughter civilians with impunity no more bs about Israel's right to self- defence while failing to mention that Palestinians have the same right[but no heavy weapons]no more turning a blind eye to illegal colonies and land theft-ALL the West Bank colonies are illegal.And then I woke up and it's business as usual so far yer all talk Barak DO SOMETHING.

  • Posted By: Sitham @ 05/06/2009 4:54:47 PM

    It's in the interest of long term peace and safety of Israel that it must be seen to be reasonable. Because Israel posses modern weapons it bombards Gaza and Lebanon to punish its enemies without giving due concern for the civilians. In Sri Lanka too the government took comfort from 'war on terror' policy and attack its enemy Tamil Tigers (LTTE) and in the process starves and bombards thousands of civilians and worse is that no media or humanitarian workers are allowed into the conflict zone either to report on the atrocities or feed the civilians. President Obamna must stand firm and restrain these governments to observe human rights and investigate any alleged crimes against humanity.Only civilized behaviour by those who hold power and weapons can bring safety and peace in the long run.

  • Posted By: annebeck @ 05/06/2009 1:56:36 PM

    Well Bravo for this! It is past time for OUR press to figure this out and report on the truth that IS israel.

    However, do I believe Obama WILL do as the author suggested?' NO. The pro-Israel lobby has bought and paid for Obama, as they did so many presidents before him. Look up AIPAC contributions to this president's sampaign to see what I am referring to.
    Oh, and for those whiining about "antiSemitism", YOU are wrong. It's not antiSemitic to tell the truth about Zoon and Israeli Pharisees, as they are the root cause FOR antiSemitism these days!

  • Posted By: Honestly Speaking @ 05/06/2009 10:23:17 AM

    I can't believe that someone in the US got the Cajones to write this. AIPAC is pulling out their special Evangelical Weapons as we speak. The members of the Congress and Senate, not to mention every popular and powerful media front are about to vilify any support for bringing Israel to accountability. If Obama even thinks about what this columnist is proposing, Obama will be labelled a closet homosexual, closet Muslim, closet Nazi, with investigation in to his campaign financing, bribes, links to Black Panthers, dodging draft and taxes, doing drugs, running drugs, rapist, thief, crack adict, etc. etc. You name it and the Pro-Israeli Jewish and Evangelicals will label him with it to pull the rug out from under his feet. THEN, there's a bullet with Obama written all over it. Muslims will be blamed for it because he double-crossed Muslims for coming through with the promise of establishing an Islamic State within US.

  • Posted By: JKaufman50 @ 05/06/2009 9:52:02 AM

    I now know why I no longer subscribe to Newsweek. Why a crock of antisemitic lies. The author concedes that the Hamas and the Palestinians sponsor and carry out terrorism in Israel and elsewhere, and yet somehow make the care and feeding of the Palestinians Israel's responsibility. Why are their Arab brethren helping to build their economy?? I will tell you why - because the Palestinians enjoy victim hood. It makes them special. Well the Jews were victims too throughout history and built a beautiful, intelligent and thriving nation. After Israel withdrew from Gaza, did anything positive happen there?? NO, just more terrorism. Why are you so blind to the truth. How deep; can your anti-Israel and Jewish sentiments be??

  • Posted By: scittle2 @ 05/05/2009 8:40:09 AM

    You know Jews weren't the only people hurt by hitler, most of europe was. We give them secret loans for starting business wherever they want, security above the best and yet we let them step on us all the time. Because jews control the monies and other capital ideals, why do we have to pay for them to step on others. they are a country and as such should learn and to be apart of the rest of the middle east, instead of our stepchild

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