Former Congressman Robert Wexler, President of the Center for Middle East Peace, and a close Obama advisor on Middle East issues highlights the parts of the speech with significant implications for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. This is the first time an American president has stated as U.S. position that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be resolved based on the 1967 lines with agreed territorial swaps. Here's the transcript:
Thoughts on the speech?
The president’s statement was an important benchmark for outlining a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where Israel’s security is guaranteed and it will remain a Jewish and democratic state. By saying that it is the United States’ position that the borders between Israel and Palestine will be based on the 1967 lines with agreed territorial swaps, this will now be the basis for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and no longer will President Abbas be able to hide behind a so-called settlement freeze. Israel will be forced to debate amongst itself how to reconcile Israeli policy to the 1967 lines with agreed swaps.
What’s new?
This is the first time that an American president has stated that it is America’s position that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be resolved based on the 1967 lines with agreed territorial swaps. And at the same time, the president has called for a phased – and that is critical – a phased Israeli withdraw, which in effect is conditioned upon the security performance of the Palestinians and what is likely to be an international force. So Israel will have the assurance of being able to test Palestinian and international performance before Israel must fully perform its obligations.
What’s next?
I would expect that the president will discuss with Prime Minister Netanyahu and with President Abbas the manner in which both sides can proceed to negotiations based on the principles that President Obama annunciated today. And the Palestinians need to forgo the demand for a settlement freeze before beginning negotiations.
Does Hamas-Fatah reconciliation make peace impossible or more likely?
Neither. It doesn’t make it impossible. It doesn’t make it more likely. It is just another wrinkle in the situation that the president rightfully said has to be determined by the Palestinians in a way that respects the principles of the Quartet in that the Palestinians must reject violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist.
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I am totally stunned by this. What is wrong with President Obama????
http://www.vberryhill-soulvoice.blogspot.com
I think Obama is trying to put an end to this decades long conflict and enable Palestinians to have a state of their own. I doubt if he would succeed, as the Israelis – judging your reaction – are seemily not willing to let it happen and many Palestinians – most probably – want the land back that they had before 1967. I don't know how to solve this conflict otherwise. Maybe the International Court of Justice should decide, who should have what. Yet it will still be pointless, as one of the two parties would definitely reject the ruling.
Anyone who thinks that pre-1967 borders are a good idea, hasn't looked at what those borders look like. CNN is completely biased against Israel, and they show it constantly. For example, anyone referring to "illegal" settlements either illustrates their complete stupidity on the topic, or is just supporting negative propaganda toward Israel. I was there and saw first hand what these so called illegal settlements look like. And you know what else I discovered? The land was purchased free and clear from the Arab owners. I'll bet that never gets reported.
And while we are looking at facts, why don't we look at the facts concerning what the REAL deal was pre-1967 concerning those borders. How about that Gaza was part of Egypt, but unlike the Sinai which Israel gave back to Egypt, Egypt refused to take back Gaza forcing Israel to keep it (so those "Palestinians" are really Egyptian). Then we have the West Bank which was previously part of Jordan. When Israel was giving back land to Jordan, they refused to take back the West Bank forcing Israel to Keep that (so those "Palestinians" are really Jordanian). Now it may start to make sense why these two different Palestinian Authorities can't agree on anything, because they are not ONE PEOPLE, BUT TWO.
So now you see that this problem is not one that Israel started, but one that was forced upon them. All they are doing is trying to make the best of it. If you can't go there to see it for yourself, talk to people who have. Christian or Jewish they will tell you the same thing. They will have seen the pock marks in elementary schools and family homes 500-1000 yards from the current walled border. Would YOU want people who are are shooting at your family and your kid's school any closer than that?
Within Jerusalem, there are Jews, Muslims, Armenians, Christians, Greek Orthodox, and a host of other religions, and they all get along. What really needs to happen on the other side of that security wall is for money to be pumped into their economy and school systems. They need basic services we take for granted like trash removal, and infrastructure creation and repair. Few if any who are enjoying a quality education that will lead to a prosperous career are going to care who their neighbors are. When the electricity is reliable, water runs clean and potable, trash is removed, traffic signals work, crime is low, unemployment is low, and standard of living is high, THAT is when there will be peace in the Middle East. As long as people can look across a border and see things they don't have (or more importantly CAN'T have) then peace will always be a pipe dream.
BJD that may be true in some instances about the homes but not all....Im against the rebuilding in those areas until there is peace and improved communication. I see wrong on both sides because both sides have failed to communicate without fighting. While debate is good, suicide bombings, firing on people, rockets, stones, need to be stopped and the government and parents need to ensure it from both sides. People on both sides need to come together and debate, listen, and try to solve it because this has affected the entire world. Arabs also need to quit blaming the WEST for "occupation". No one is actually occupying and no one is against all Muslims. You need to look at the WEST side of things as well. If dictators didnt tell the west "you need to support us or you will be faced with more radicalism from Islam fundamentalist." So the WEST has always chosen what they thought the lesser of the 2 evils, that doesnt mean they supported all that they do! In fact some regimes were called upon by the west to listen to the people. The world needs communication not radicalism, not radical religion, people, or hatred...we need to teach each other respect, communication and healthy debate. If we dont want fighting in our lands then we need to be sure people are not training in our lands to harm others. Muslims dont be hating all Americans because you dont like the governmental policies or the behavior of a few of them, because take a look....there are plenty of Muslims integrated and accepted into American society who are friends to many American people(who are people of all religions and people from every country). MOST Americans didnt judge all Muslims based on a few of them that hurt them. Its time for the religious to educate their people to this fact. Its time for all of us to reach a hand of friendship in trying to understand each other, not be so judemental and think we are above another religion or country. God, Yaweh, Allah created us all equal...we are FROM the same creator..lets behave better for our FATHER.
In 1947, America was admired and loved throughout the Middle East. That goodwill protected us more effectively than hundreds of billions spent on "Homeland Security". / / /
That goodwill is what Truman destroyed in 1947 when he caved in to the Zionist demand for partition and forced ethnic segregation. The Zionists did not even believe in their own proposal: In private, they spoke of using the partition as a base for seizing all of Palestine and more. Now, under the spell of Zionism, we have arrived at a dead-end, with nothing but genocide and war on the horizon. / / /
Forcibly dividing people along ethnic lines is evil. There is no way that peace can be built on such an evil foundation. To escape from this impasse, we have to go back to 1947, not 1967. We have to find the courage to repudiate this ideology of forced segregation, ethnic supremacy and war. We need to bury Jewish fascism, just as we buried other forms of fascism after WW II. Then the people of Israel and Palestine can work together to develop a REAL democracy, where all have EQUAL rights, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. / / /
Everyone needs to get their facts straight. Israel didn't win this land in a war. They pushed their aggressors back and held lands as a result. When the dust settled and they began talking, Israel tried to give the land back. Egypt took back the Sinai but refused to take back Gaza. Likewise, Jordan took back the land east of the Dead Sea, but refused to take back the West Bank.
Think about it this way...The land that is now the state of Texas was taken away from Mexico through a war. At the time, we didn't really care that it upset them, and would have just crushed them if they tried to take it back, and the international community didn't care. But if it were Israel, which the world treats completely differently, at the end of the war, you could expect something like this:
So lets say the U.S. offers all the land they took to make peace and secure their border with Mexico. Mexico says, "no, we just want the land up to the Rio Grande (the current Mexico Texas border), and it is agreed upon. But on the other side of the Rio Grande there are still Mexicans living there, and they don't like that they are no longer living in Mexico. And even though they are Mexican, they decide that since pre-Columbian inhabitants were Pueblos, they will now refer to themselves as Pueblos. And the world picks up on this and starts reporting that there are these Pueblos whose land was taken by the U.S., and how horrible this is. Decades go by and the Pueblos continue to live there and their numbers grow from tens of thousands to millions, and the world recognizes them as a distinct and different people from Mexicans, and begin suggesting that they should have their own state. The Pueblos agree that they should now have their own state and launch terror attacks within Texas. The world reports it is justified, and the U.S. should leave them alone. When the U.S. fights back or tries to defend themselves they are demonized and Internationally scrutinized.
The U.S. finds themselves in this situation where they tried to give this land back to Mexico, and are now stuck with this poisonous situation in which the world disagrees with everything it tries to do. Finally, The U.S. decides to set up a security wall. It concedes the land to the Pueblos, separates it from the land of Texas, and tells them to form a government and run their own affairs. So the pueblos elect into power an internationally recognized terror organization, and any hope of peace talks vanishes. All the while, the world is siding with the Pueblos, and is telling the U.S. that the border they set is too small. The U.S. is told they need to give the Pueblos all of Texas which was taken through war.
I realize how ridiculous this sounds, but guess what? It is exactly what has happened to Israel. Who are the so called Palestinians? Palestine was the name the Romans gave to Judea when they conquered it. So if they were living there then, they were Judeans, right? But Judea was predominantly Jewish and that name sounds too much like "Jew." so they can't call themselves that? Before the 1920's Lebanon was Syria. Yet people who live in Lebanon call themselves Lebanese, not Syrian. Palestine ceased being called that when Israel was formed. Why shouldn't the people who were living there become Israeli just like the Syrians became Lebanese. Likewise Jordan was also Syria. Yet they are most certainly called Jordanians.
So why do Palestinians get to hang on to that name? Before the Romans they were Judeans. It was simply a PR and propaganda ploy by the Arab world to create problems for the new state called Israel. The Arab world doesn't care about the Palestinians well being. They all turned their backs on them when they tried to leave Israel and sealed their borders to them. The reason was that the Arabs countries wanted there to be a poor and desolate people left behind to cause problems. They have been manipulated ever since.
So where does that leave us now? The Palestinians deserve better than what they have. What they deserve is to be treated by the international community like people who matter. They need money to be spent on education and infrastructure rather than arms and explosives. Let the Palestinians have the things that they see their neighbors have, and the wall will no longer be necessary.
duh...you are right about one thing...it sounds ridiculous..because...it is ridiculous! The Palestinian population was there when the Jews occupied it, they were there when they attacked them, and they have been there through out the decades of genocide and apartheid...a conflict that sees rocks thrown against automatic weaponry donated by the American tax payer in one form or another!
Solazo again, had to comment this one. Hey BJD you forgot to mention that the people who today we know as "Jews" are actually Akshenazi Khazars who converted to judaism in 741. They converted to Judaism to maintain their empire and autonomy and are imposters and usurpers, if you realize that the true "Jews" or Beta Israel as they are now referred to live in Africa and India. You wouldnt know anything about this would you?
Salazo BJD is right on many land issues.Many things he said were right...I dont think we have to be demeaning with "duhs" on here or saying one doesnt know something..I think he is genuine at looking at both sides of the issue rather that defending one side...as with marriage or a fight with a friend, there are always 2 sides to a story, and in some ways both sides are right in their points, making it more difficult to solve, and both need to just give in to reasonable concessions on both sides and be done with it instead subjecting Gods children to fighting and teaching hatred of others. To me, that isnt "good" religion at all if youre going to teach negative behaviors and be poor examples to your own kids and cultures. I dont know the history you speak of dating back to the 700's but that was long ago, and is it relative to whats going on now?
SI is right. Where does your information come from BJD? - an Israeli tour guide? You need to talk to the victims. You will then see a whole new side of history, and what now seems "ridiculous" to you will suddenly make sense.
Above, you write that "'Palestinians' are really Egyptian", and in your analogy, you write that Mexicans living in Texas are angry because they want to live in Mexico. For you, and for Zionists in general, everything is about the STATE. You seem to have no concept of the human INDIVIDUAL. Instead you see racial or ethnic collectives on a checkerboard of nations. The Palestinian collective is standing on the "Wrong Square" - that is all you care about. The Mexican collective must move to the Mexican Square. The suffering of the millions of individuals who are uprooted and moved around on your checkerboard concept means nothing to you.
Contrast your view with mine. As I see it, Palestinians are HUMAN BEINGS. As such, they have human rights. They have been living in Palestine for generations. They love the land. They are so deeply attached to the land that they have withstood sixty YEARS of Israeli state-terror.
Palestinians are not angry because they are on the "Wrong Square" or "Wrong Homeland". They are angry because you are bombing them, shelling them, bulldozing their homes, assassinating their leaders, strangling their economy, denying their freedom.
Notice the scare-quotes you put around "Palestinians"? Like Zionists everywhere, you have been trained to deny the very EXISTENCE of the several million people Israel keeps under perpetual occupation and bombardment. You don't see me putting scare-quotes around "Jew". Not even Hitler denied the very existence of the people he tried to eradicate. But Israel does deny the existence of Palestinians.
That shows us the extent to which Zionists have been deranged by their ethnic-supremacist ideology. Palestinians are only the SECOND victims of this poisonous ideology. The FIRST victim was cosmopolitan Jewish culture. The Zionists need war and terror to stay in power, and that constant fanatical beating of the Fear Drum erodes all that is best in Jewish culture.
Getting the facts right is important. The Six Days War was begun by Israel, and not the Arabs. This is very clear. The West Bank and Gaza were conquered by Israel in a war it began in June 1967. Problem is – there are 3 million people living in these lands. Israel has not given them human nor political rights. This is an undisputed fact – and no amount of blame put on CNN for being "Pro Palestinian" can change that. Unless Israel intend to give these 3 million palestinians complete human and political rights and create one state for the two peoples, it must set them free and let them have their own land. Every Israeli prime minister had to recognize this fact – until Netanyahu came along. The Palestinian State cannot be modeled after the South African Bantustans – which is what Netanyahu's position implies. He calls for a state the is separated by Jewish settlements and surrounded by the Israeli army. The new state must have continuity of land and some minimal land for development. The 1967 borders barely guarantee this, but any less would just mean that the Palestinians remain occupied.
Israel is it's own worst enemy. It' s desire to be an accepted member of the international community is in direct conflict with what it needs to do to secure a lasting peace. Israel would benefit itself by annexing the West Bank and Gaza, and dispersing the current inhabitants of these areas into Syria, Lebanon and Jordan (and any other country that will take them). Much the same way the Romans did to the Jews in 70AD, and much the same way Adolph Hitler did to them in the 1930s and 40s. Israel's security would benefit from having true national entities on it's borders (even if they aren't friendly) as opposed to pockets of lawless vagabonds who make excellent tools for outside agents such as Iran. I little ethnic cleansing would be a good thing.
If any of you would please notice the following facts you may fell better about the issue.
1. All of this is done with political precision to ensure an Obama re-election.
2. It is doubtful that he actually intends this agreement to be fulfilled at all or in its entirety.
3. The United States remains an ally of Israel. Israel receives the most aid from the U.S. in comparison to any other country in the world.
Solazo.
Your third point is a LIE. I'm not going to bother to correct you but I need to make sure that you don't get away with a LIE.
Point 3: Just looked it up. They receive the most per capita and the second most in absolute terms. Afghanistan receives the most in absolute terms. Love Google, rs1201, why refute but not correct?
What's wrong with Obama? He hates the Jews. He hates Israel. This is the guy who sat in Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years and "never heard" the hatred that was spewed. His call for a return to 1967 borders is an outrageous assault on Israel.
Here is a member of Hamas explaining why Palestinians do NOT hate Jews:
+(
As [Hamas leader] Salah Shehadeh himself said in an interview last May, "We do not fight Jews because they are Jews, but because they are occupying our lands. We do not fight them because of their faith, but because they are violating our rights."
)+
– Wendy Pearlman, "Israel's Indifference to Civilian Lives", Washington Report, Sep-Oct 2002 / / /
Israel dropped a 1-ton bomb on Shehadeh's apartment on 22 Jul 2002, killing 15 people, including 9 children. This policy of collective punishment is what people justifiably hate and condemn! / / /
The Hamas Charter does not target Jewish genes: It targets fascist BEHAVIOR. Palestinians are resisting genocidal POLICY, not some imaginary gene. / / /
The struggle is not about hatred: It's about freedom! People are tired of living under Israel's boot and tired of having their history and their existence erased. / / /
+( =We are not in need of more ketchup or mayonnaise=, said civic leader Amjad Shawa. =We need our freedom=. )+
When Zionists use the phrase "Hate The Jews", they are USING Jews as a shield to deflect righteous condemnation of sixty years of Zionist terror. And they are also fostering anti-Semitism, one of the things that keeps them in power.
There is a huge moral DIFFERENCE between the Jews killed by Hitler and the Zionists who kill Palestinians today. This moral difference is what Zionists are attempting to deny when they put ethnicity above morality and humanity. They want us to believe that all Jews are alike! - all Jews are equally responsible for Zionist crimes. Apart from the Zionists themselves, the only people who fall for this Zionist tactic are anti-Semites with a race-based worldview.
According to the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS Article 13. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. "Palestinian refugees are prevented to go back to live in their birth place (historic Palestine) and do not have freedom of movement inside Israel".
actualizate si quieres saber del asunto, ve a freir arroz, creo que eso si lo entiendes
It is incomprehesible that so many U.S. adminstrations still have not come to understand Middle East conflict. The core of the problem is the Isreali-Palestanian conflict. It seems that every US president tries, mostly in their second term to solve the conflict and the results are same year after year....failure. President Obama also tried but as it happens he failed too. We all know the reason but nobody is bold enough to be tough with Israel which continues to do with impunity what it has been doing for decades, because it knows that its lobby power is tremenduous. The Arab and the Muslim world want a just peace with Isreal based on the pre 1967 status. If Obama or any other adminstration can succeed in this regard, a majority of the United States' problems with the muslim world would disappear,but who is going to stand up to the Israeli state and its supporters in this country.
Wrong Wrong Wrong. The Arabs want the elimination of Israel, not a just peace along the borders your refer to. Until you get that you are in a dream like of ignorance
NOT all Arabs but many do so, as well as Shia Iranian government snakes that the ARAB world shouldnt listen to...and this is as MUCH of a problem as anything which are stopping peace talks...but both sides should TALK and SOLVE like adults bu showing respect and understanding...and the rest of the world should let them do so peacefully. Israeli are not your problem dear Arab friends, they have brought a lot to the area and could do more, and of the palestinian and Israeli could solve the problems, imagine the productivity that could come from the Middle East, including tourism for both countries.The world needs to protect itself from hate, we are destroying ourselves due to a few radicals...the good on earth will always prevail through peaceful measures, not hatred.
Sadrul Ahsan...There are a few differences here. Most Muslims side with Palestine merely because they are Muslim. While some in the west side with Israel because Israelies didnt say "death to America" or burn their flags, or kill Christians simply for being different.When did Israeli dance in the streets after 9-11 after 9-11 like Palestinian did so? Because most Muslims dont like the American policy, its right to hate all Americans? While many Americans dont agree with many aspects of their own government? While im not referring to all Muslims, you must also see that many do judge us people who are not Muslim as non believers. America has allowed Muslims to be in America and practice their faith, did they kill all of their Muslims after 9-11, no because the majority dont blame all Muslims because of a few radical ones. Other faiths are not TRULY accepted in Muslim countries. While most people in the world want peace everywhere, there cannot be peace when children are taught to hate certain cultures and religions, and its the responsibility of parents and the religious and the governments to teach that everyone is an individual and deserves respect and acceptance. America also gives money to Palestinian relief ...not all Americans are supporters of Israel or Palestine, majority believe that its those countries problems to solve without the interference of Iran and Irans sheep they support(radical factions who believe in suicide killings)...I dont understand this, that they cant see that Iran government is hiding behind wolves clothing giving these factions Hamas, Hizzbollah and probably AQ money for killing because it helps IRAN more than it helps them. I pray that Egypt will evolve to be a fair and balanced country to be a good example to the world, where it shows it can lead to communication, teach love, not hatred, and accepts all people of the world who all born from one creator. I blame Iran, Palestine and Israel for not solving their problems. Both sides should do everything to make a peace. Dont blame the west for the problems there. Americans should stop giving money to anyone, but they do it with mostly good intentions at the time..they give a lot to the poor and to preserve democracy because it is more fair to all people generally. If they stop giving money, then people will also complain. If they let people be murdered by their countrys leaders they will be blamed, if they help the people, they will also be blamed. I think the MOST important aspect of all of this is for all sides to quit placing blame and accept responsibility for the fact that you cant solve your own problems peacefully, maturely, communicatively, because you enjoy too much reflecting on the past and blaming each other. ITS some Arabs who wont accept Israel as a country-when they do so, then also Palestine will be accepted. I support both sides, I encourage both sides, and I say "radicals" including Iranian snake governments should stay out of the business of 2 countries that also have wonderful people on BOTH SIDES! Yes Ive been to both, and both sides have many very educated, intelligent people, and from both sides have many who educate in the USA and are friends to each other there...so come on WORLD, including all ARABS, lets be a family and support productive peace talks EVERY WHERE....children we are not, but we behave so!
hmm ande, actually jews in Israel are divided by two sectors like muslims, the radicals and regular people. I'm not muslim im italian and mexican but went to israel for vacation with my family to see Jerusalem and other attractive sites and we were confronted by jewish people who wear black clothes and said go away and made fun of Christian beliefs and of Jesus and we were hauled by the police and escorted away from them along with regular people who seem to hate them as well. But after that event i felt more aligned to the palestian cause because the Israeli state created the problem by inviting the wrong jews from the eastern europe and now it seems they control the state. Idk but i sided with the Palestinians now after they said death to christians and we killed jesus and proud. SO I Dont know i dont like them.. i see why they are called Zionists pigs..
+( When did Israeli dance in the streets after 9-11 after 9-11 like Palestinian did so? )+ / / /
I've read several first-hand accounts by people who were present in the Occupied Territories - one account by a Jewish woman, another by an American Christian minister. None of these accounts mention dancing in the street. Just the opposite: I read that the Palestinians were very sympathetic.
This does not surprise me. Palestinians have lived under Israeli state-terror for decades. They've frequently seen their own buildings bombed. Most people who have experienced war have no desire to wish that horror on others. That applies to Palestinians, and also applies to New Yorkers, most of whom had no desire to see innocent people in Afghanistan and Iraq suffer the kind of horror that occurred in NYC.
But what about the video that showed Palestinian children waving flags and dancing around a matronly woman? Der Spiegel watched the ENTIRE video and debunked it. In the part of the video not shown on U.S. tv, we see the wider street scene. No one is dancing. Notice also that no one on the video is interviewed, so there is actually no indication that the celebration pertains to 9/11. Der Spiegel found that the video was staged - the camera crew handing out candy and flags. The kids were happy because they were given candy.
Did Israelis dance on 9/11? I'm sure that MOST did not. But FIVE Israelis did. They were on a New Jersey rooftop, filming the collapse of the WTC towers, and they were so jubilant that they got themselves arrested. Look it up. You'll find accounts in Ha'aretz (Israeli newspaper) and elsewhere.
Here is another thing you should look up: Netanyahu's reaction.
+(
Asked tonight what the [9/11] attack meant for relations between the United States and Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister, replied, 'It's very good.' Then he edited himself: 'Well, not very good, but it will generate immediate sympathy.'
)+
– James Bennet, "Spilled Blood Is Seen as Bond That Draws 2 Nations Closer", _NY _Times, International section, 12 Sep 2001
Palestinians did not dance in the streets on 9/11. There was footage shown on CNN (and other news networks) which was proported to be Palestinians celebrating the attack which was later admit by all news channels to be a mistake. The full footage showed them celebrating because they were being given food in Gaza. This footage was cut and insultingly given to the MSM by Israel. The only people dancing in celebration of 9/11 were in fact Israelis. Google 'dancing Israelis'. The entire white van(s) and dancing Israeli Mossad agents is one aspect of 9/11 conspiracy theories that isn't fringe and nobody seems to care about. It was, however, factual events. And who did they blame when they were arrested in vans full of NYC maps, explosives, box cutters, and Baudoin outfits? Palestinians of course. They worked for a moving company whose owner immediately fled to Israel and to this day is on the same lists as other 9/11 linked terrorists.
Believe what you want, but the above information is factual. There is no evidence that they carried it out, but there is a paper trail left behind that shows they had to have known about it which itself is disturbing. And these arrested dancing Israelis were not the only ones trying to blame Palestinians. Sounds like another case of Israel wanting America to believe we have the same enemies. Something that dates back to the very beginning of Israel and has gone on via embassy bombings and the famous barracks bomb that Mossad withheld intelligence to ensure it was carried out.
But they're are best friends right? And the land of Jesus? Whatever dude
The Arab and Muslim world just want peace with Israel?
Wow! That's news! Last I checked they have been teaching kids from age zero to hate Israel and not compromise anything until Israel is destroyed. Last I heard they were calling Jews pigs and dogs. Last I saw they were waging war, firing missiles on cities, supplying women and children with bombs strapped to their bodies and calling for the destruction of Israel. No. I wish it were true they want peace. Fact is, most of the so called Muslim world want Israel to evaporate and continue using the Palestinians as a tool to achieve that. They not only NOT care about the well-being of the Palestinians, they make certain that they remain in the worst possible condition so they can vent their anger towards the tiny Jewish state. Muslims will never accept a non-Islamic "entity" in their midst. Not until Islam is transformed like Christianity was. Good luck there.
OBAMA is a real friend of Israel and being a best friend he has given the best advice to Israel to let be a Palestine on 1967 borders. Israel has lost nothing because several previous Governments of Israel have accepted this solution and no less than the Palestine on 1967 borders will satisfy any Palestinian or Arab or Muslims around the globe. Obama has really done his job of opening his heart and mind, now we expect similar wisdom and vision from the Israeli leaders, who have fooled themselves for the name of security and grabbing more and more land. If Israel will not accept this bottom line, millions of Arabs and Muslims will march from its borders in coming months and years only to grab their land not up to the 1967 borders but may cross that up to the 1947 borders. No military action by ISRAEL in this century will save her from the Arab uprising and Muslims awakening.
Do you seriously believe that? I would bet money that the "free world community" could move every Jew to Antarctica and the Muslin world would not be satisfied. How many Mosques have been destroyed by (non- Muslims)in this century?
I seriously do believe that Muslims will do this without a doubt. I think it is reflective of supporting people just because they are Muslim and not truly looking at both sides of the situation. I think both sides have done some rights and some wrongs and I think both sides have not done enough respectful talking due to outside interferences from other groups who are funded AND CONTROLLED by Irans money and influnces for IRANS governments agenda. Do you Arabs really think Irans gov would do something for you for no reason? While they talk behind your backs ..Their own people see the truth...they do something for you in order to achieve their agenda. Muslims should NOT join a cause just because a country of people is Muslim, they need to look at both sides of the issue, have you truly explored Israels problems theyve had as well? I dont support either side, I encourage both to peace. When your mother and father fight, do you kill one because they are your favorite? There are rights and wrongs to every argument and from every side. I dont see fairness in this issue at all for either side, because there is a lack of laying out the issues for both sides...for the people of the world. BOTH sides have suffered, and the world is responsible to care about both sides, not be descriminating because of religion or the one sided views you may have heard. LISTEN TO BOTH SIDES. Let them be responsible, because this is what God wants. The rest of the countries need to NOT take sides but to encourage RESULT from BOTH.
". If Israel will not accept this bottom line, millions of Arabs and Muslims will march from its borders in coming months and years only to grab their land not up to the 1967 borders but may cross that up to the 1947 borders. No military action by ISRAEL in this century will save her from the Arab uprising and Muslims awakening."
This mindset is part of the reason we are still dealing with a Palestinian problem today. On four separate occasions last century ('48-'49, '56, '67, '73-'74) coalitions of Arab nations tried to destroy Israel, every time vastly outnumbering the nation of Israel. Every time they got their asses waxed. During the Yom Kippur War, after Gen. Sharon surrounded the Egyptian 3rd Army in a brilliant operation (that was studied & in essence copied by Gen. Schwartzkopf in the Persian Gulf War) and the Syrian army just disintegrated, Israel could have conquered Egypt and Syria except for the Soviet Union threatening nuclear war.
Ergo, the Arabs will NEVER defeat Israel. The Palestinians out to be damn glad to have what they got. After one of last century's wars the Gaza was offered back to Egypt and the West Bank to Jordan (the countries that had owned them previously), but were turned downed because the rulers of those nations didn't want to have anything to do with a bunch of crazy Palestinians in their nations other than use them as a propaganda weapon. As for "the right of return", that was a notion offered by the Arab League when they thought they'd be victorious in its aggressions towards Israel. Whoops, big error!
The fact is for every Palestinian Arab that voluntarily left Israel, Jewish citizens of the Arab coalition were either killed or driven out of the Arab countries that they were citizens of. The Arabs had the chance for the pre-'67 borders and at first refused them, and then were beaten humiliatingly when they tried by force. Furthermore one must not forget that we are dealing with Muslims: some who will view the right of Israel to exist (Koran, The Table 5:23), and some who view Israel as an Islamic waqf which must be governed by Muslims.
One of the few comments made here that is logical is by "Rodrigo" when he comments that the US tends to throw its friends and allies "under the bus" to try and placate our enemies who could care less. A wasted effort by Obama, except to antagonize our only ally in the region that is trustworthy and matters.
The Palestinians should be thankful of what they have, learn courteousness and manners, get over it and on with life. Oh, and if you actually gave two s**ts for life, tell your misguided friends and fools in the "Freedom II" flotilla to land in Egypt or ask Israeli permission to land in Haifa. Otherwise they're going to be boarded again. Noble intent, but really dumb planning & execution. Or the f*****g Iranians can send food & medicine to Lebanon rather than missles.
It is amazing how often the United States throws its allies and friends under buses. It is less amazing that the power of the United States is declining. How can you exercise foreign power when your policy is based on compromising and placating your enemies while abandoning and selling out your friends? Only historically forgetful foreign leaders would be so reckless as to base any policies on the needs/wants/desires of the United States given how it treats its friends. It is better to be an enemy of the United States and to occasionally offer it the possibility of improved relations in exchange for concessions and foreign aid.
Sounded like a politcial science professor pontificating on how the world should be.
You're way off. There is nothing radical about using the 67 boarders. Israel needs to acknowledge its role in this dysfunctional relationship/endless conflict. We have for too long accepted the chicken and egg notion that the occupation can't begin to end until all violence has ceased (even tho the violence is fueled by the occupation – at least in part). Yes, there are those radicals that will keep on fighting regardless, but the process must go forward without them. Palestinians need to give up right of return and Israel needs to give up settlements. The only way I can picture this thing ever ending is for outside pressure to build on both sides. How can we endorse a status quo that is so obviously doomed to fail (and possibly take us all down with it)?
The pre-1967 borders would return the Golan Heights to Syria, providing Syria with a militarily significant overwatch position which the Israeli's will never accept.
The speech mentioned supporting a continuous Palestinian state, which is impossible with the Gaza Strip separated from the West Bank by even the pre-1967 Israel borders.
And he didn't address the situation of Palestinians living in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria. Those country's natives don't want the Palestinians in their lands, and the Palestinians there are demanding the "right of return" to their ancestral homes, which is currently called Israel.
There are no easy or fair solutions to the historical grievances in the Middle East.
Nothing will please towel heads.
and you are not a moron...right...NOT
I'm not a towel head so I'm not a moron.
Glenn Beck just claimed that "if Israel falls, then the entire Western World Falls." He just said that "if Israel falls, then the entire Western way of life will crumble."
Cute, but here's the key: Having Israel obey international law by staying within their own borders as defined by the Green Line is NOT the same things as Israel "falling."
I see many people here are retreating to the old canard that "Israel won it in a war." Meaning that they have the right to occupy and build racially exclusive Jews-only settlements on the West Bank.
Well, Saddam Hussein "won" Kuwait in a war. HIterl "won" Poland in a war. Were those legal, ethical and moral?
In fact the UN Charter (to which Israel is a signatory), the Geneva Convention and all aspects of international law make it crystal clear that no nation can seize land through force. No nation on earth recognizes the occupation and settlements as legal, including the United States.
Every Jewish settler, every IDF solider is there illegally. Once Palestine is a member nation of the UN, a sovereign state, then everyone of them becomes an unwelcome invader/illegal alien in the territory of a fellow member state of the United Nations.
People love to whine that "there never was a nation of Palestine." Well, there never was a nation of Israel until 1949 when it was recognized by the United Nations. Are there Palestinian people? Yes, there are. For example, the millions of people who carry Palestinian passports. When they travel, did you think they carried Jordanian or Israeli passports? Palestinians are people who lived in Palestine or their descendants.
"Well, Saddam Hussein "won" Kuwait in a war. HIterl "won" Poland in a war. Were those legal, ethical and moral?"
way to not mention any difference between the unprovoked, offensive wars of Hitler and Saddam with the defensive war, provoked by Nasser (by cutting off the straits of Tiran) against several enemies who swore that they would annihilate Israel. The fact that you cannot see any difference between the 2 just makes you sound like a moron.
For the record I agree with the president, '67 borders with mutually agreed upon swaps is a) the only logical way to determine borders and b) the only way Israel survives demographically as a Jewish state
US won America in a war
shhhhhhhhhh
Your basic legal premise is wrong. The UN Charter, etc., do not outlaw the acquisition of territory by "force," but rather by "war," i.e., aggressive warfare. If, as you suggest, even the acquisition of territory in a defensive action was illegal, the only risk to those countries willing to engage in aggressive war, in violation of the Charter, would be a return to the satus quo ante, which would hardly discourage war and would not promote friendly relations among nations, the sine qua non of the Charter.
Nor is Israel's presence in these territories illegal under international law. Inasmuch as she came into possession of them legally (in a defensive war), and the preconditions for withdrawal under the governing resolutions (242 and 338) have not been fulfilled (i.e., a cessation of all states of belligerency between Israel and her Arab neighbors, recognition of secure borders, etc.), her continued presence in these territories is also legal. As for Jews moving into these areas, the League of Nations Mandate recognized the right of Jews to "close settlement" in all of what was then Palestine, including these areas. No subsequent legal document has eliminated that right. While people could not legally be forcibly removed from their homes to make way for Jewish residents, and the rights of others living in them must be respected, there is nothing illegal in allowing Jews to live in these areas (and why do these territories need to be Judenrein anyway? Why shouldn't Jews be allowed to live in Palestine if they choose to, the same way that 1.5 million Arabs live in Israel?).
well put
Obama's speech immediately reminded me of the old James Bond "Spy Who Loved Me" song, "Nobody Does It Better" - in that nobody does disguised global Empire better than the US and its new "Open Globalization" pitch-man.
Yes, Obama is a wonderful spokesman (better than even Reagan or Friedman) in promoting the appearance of a promising "Globalization" and looking forward to democracy for all, while glossing over the fact that the forced march to globalization by force of arms is essentially just a cover for the reality of "global Empire".
The PR skills of the US and Obama are the only combination that can promise the advertising illusion of such 'hope for change' under the implied mantel of "democracy" and free market economic "Globalization", and yet deliver the reality of deceptive, disguised, dysfunctional, and unsustainable "Global Empire" - Nobody does it better.
The world, and particularly this "GAP" portion of the world, as defined in Thomas Barnett's "The Pentagon's New Map", can not help but be beguiled by such a sales-pitch. Nor can any other individual or set of countries proffer such appealing rhetoric.
But the results of such a promising sounding plan, extended by the disguised hand of the global corporate/financial/militarist Empire which has already taken over our own former country (and many others) will not end well - as can be predicted with precision by looking no further than the looting of public countries that the privatized global Empire has so recently practiced on America and much of the fading western nation-state world of countries.
As Nobel economist George Akerlof more presciently diagnosed as far back as 2001, "This is not normal government economic policy, but a form of LOOTING".
The global looting of public assets for private greed is the job of the global Empire, while the job of lying and luring the world into this trap is the job of Obama - and he has done a great job for his masters.
Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine
Liberty & democracy over violent empire - New America People's Party 2012
You are a moron of epic proportions.
This is ridiculous! How are we taking more money we don't have and putting it towards something that isn't helping us. Yes, what is happening there is completely devastating, but what is happening here at home isn't doing so well itself.
We should be trying to make it so families can afford the daily expenses and not have to break the bank doing it, or spending less time with their children because they are working multiple jobs just to stay afloat. Then we all ask what is wrong with kids the days.
Solving some major issues at home should be his number one priority, but apparently we need to fix others before us.
I get that somebody has to do something, but perhaps we should be demanding more leadership by setting a good example instead of going in their and giving them a "spanking" they don't learn from!
Obama gave a speech, in which he recommended that Israel take this course of action. So far, nothing has been done, and no mention of US involvement has been made. Even if Obama wanted to use military action (though there seems to be no reason to do this, either), congress would need to approve.
I agree that we need to come to some conclusion in the middle east Peace issue. By asking Ysreal to allow Palestine a state in Yraeli territory is not the answer. He claims that the US is in agreement with this. We are not in agreement with this. I believe that the Ysraeli Prime Minister is correct in going back to Pre 1967, this will only put ysraeli's in harms way. We need to backstep and stand firm on protecting the borders as they are now. Changing the borders again would cause more frustration in the Mid-East and unrest for all. This is not the solution.
Glenn Beck will bring 9-11 investigation to Israel
Glenn Beck will bring 9-11 evidence to Israel
Dancing Neoconservatives
United for Protection
Obama is taking a lot of heat for this, but the US has been wearing Israel around our necks like an albatross, and the only way for the Middle East to not want to kill us is if we do something to help a Palestinian state be formed.
Poll: Is Obama right to urge for the recognition of the 67 Palestine borders?
Link: http://www.wepolls.com/r/462872
oh my the end is here for this shall be done peace with pal and isr for we all been waiting for this. “If you wish to know the time of the day, look at your watch. If you’d like to know the day of the week, look at thecalendar. If you want to know the progress of time, look at Israel.”
The united States Of America should help palestinian and Israeli to find a solutions to a lasting peace in the middle -east region. Every time they fight one another.There is carnages,suicide bombing and sniper shootings at one another. The crisis and misunderstanding should come to an end.
for i know the will for "The entire world is increasingly looking to Israel, which is drawing attention amidst the Middle East peace process" for the peace the are looking for the will get it
Congratulations Mr. President. You finally said it. Yes, we support Israel, but only within its 1967 borders as was stated in the UN charter at the time of Israel birth in 1948. America has suffered from so much grief, spent hundreds of billions, lost American lives and gave birth to Al Qaeda because of our unwillingness to adopt an even handed policy toward Palestine and Israel. In the process we have alienated practically all friends and lost the respect and trust of countless more. Enough is enough. Netanyahu, you are the one who never got it. Time for you to change radically or leave office. As a patriotic American and supporter of Israel, I am damned proud of our President. No other has had the gut to tell Israel the truth because of fear of alienating the pro Israel lobby, starting with the bigots at FOX.
Very well put
Wow, Remy, there's a lot there. First, you think that we supported Israel's 1967 borders as expressed in the UN Charter in 1948? Nice bit of time travel there. Of course, the creation of the state of Israel is not discussed in the UN Charter. I guess you are thinking about the abortive UN Partition Plan, which the Jews of Palestine accepted and the Arabs rejected.
As for Netanyahu - a man who served in an elite commando unit and who lost his own brother to terrorists while Obama was "organizing things in Chicago - not "getting it," I suggest you read some of his several books, written over a decade ago, regarding the dangers posed by the growth of Islamic fundamentalism and how to stop it. They are nothing short of prophetic and, like Churchill, he seems to be one of the only people who "got it" long before anyone else did.
another well put
well,arfat was giving a chance for state,he tured it down,why,beause he wanted to destoring israel so bad he turned down a state. hate, stop stop the hate
Incorrect. Arafat turned it down simply because it was a bad deal for the Palestinians... It would have given the Palestinians only 85% of the "occupied territories" and Israel also would have kept the land in the Jordan river valley. Furthermore, Palestine would look like swiss cheese on a map if Arafat had agreed to that offer.
Keep in mind that the occupied territories represent only 22 percent of what was British Palestine in 1947. In 1947, Palestinians made up 66 percent of the population before they were kicked out of their land. Now, Israel offers them 85 percent of 22 percent of the land that used to belong to Palestinians before it was stolen in 1948.
well israel was not nation until 1948,before that it a 1000 years.who had the land , plastane ,what did they do with it not a thing,now that the jews has it buid farms homes towns ,they wont it to desorying it they had there chance
I applaud Obama's statement that Israel should go back to the pre-1967 lines. Unauthorized occupation of Palestinian land is dictatorship to say the least. Israel became a country in 1949 with the support of the British super power, the US, and of course the UN. How would you feel if you were the Palestinians?
obama....America's shame
Read the Word of God (The Holy Bible). This whole situation is Biblical prophecies . Obama is just part of the fullfilling of God's plan for the return of JESUS CHRIST ! Open your eyes up people, the signs are all quite evident . It is real , not just an old story that's been told for thousands of years. In the Bible God says that a day is as a thousand years as a thousand years is one day to God. The one thing I do know is ; "we are so close to the end of this glorious life" as we (America) knows it. We have shamed ourselves in the eyes of our peers and our God (The Great I Am). May God have mercy on all of us. Get a grip folks, it's time we all start preparing for eternity instead of worring about global warming, saving the rain forest, or even trying to fix this mess in the middle east. Time is running out ! So if you have never fallen on your knees and ask God to forgive you of your sins, believed in your heart and not just in your mind that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and turned away from you sins, then know that global warming will be just a tiny glimmer of how warm you will be for an eternity. Jesus is coming back, God will destroy this old evil world, and only those that believe , trust, and surrender to Jehovah God will be raised up to be in eternity with Him. People, no one human has life figured out, certainly not Washington....Please! God is in control of all things, and He is calling the shots in America, in the Middle East, and He will have the final show, His show and you can take that to the bank ! Pleas read the book of Daniel, Jude, and Revelations. May God have mercy upon all of His people.
This isn't 'God's' problem; it is ours as a it is with children that should be mature enough to reconcile their own problems peacefully. God will stay out of this for as long as possible to give his 'children' a chance to 'grow up', be civil, and care about the well being of one another.
Prophecies are warning as it was with the instruction given to Joana to declare repentance or the consequence will be brought upon themselves. They did repent and destruction was averted. Joana had fully expected the vengeance of God to be wrought as does a spoiled child that believe they are favored of their parents. Just imagine the miracle of destruction avoided.
People that want peace should not be part of the problem by promoting the demise of a segment of the population.
The truth is you take and keep what you can. That is just the way it is.
But is that the way it should be?
I am freaked by Obama's request. The President of the United States trying to appease lunatics at the expense to the only democratic society in the region? Please Republicans, find a candidate who is honorable, wise, charismatic, and let us get Obama out of office. Obama, thank you for showing us your ignorance so we, the American public, can correct the mistake we made when we chose you to run our country. That's the good news as in America we can vote every four years to remove overmatched personnel (with the exception of Bush) from office. Please Republicans, find a decent, honest, intelligent man to run for president. No more career politicians who have their own agendas. No more candidates who are only trying to enrich themselves and their cronies. Obama, you are trying to make deals with people who have no honor. You’re trying to win over people who will use you and have no intentions of following through on their side of the bargain. Their ignorance is matched only by yours and your staff. This Arab Spring will not bring Democracy to the Middle East. It is only and sadly a chance for radical Islam and its followers to gain a foothold with running/manipulating these countries. All the people with unbridled optimism that Muslims would experience Democracy and join the rest of the world and become a productive society are naïve. What we are now experiencing at this point in history is potentially extremely dangerous to the future of humanity. In other words: No peace will come from what Obama is proposing, only more death and destruction.
LOLOLOL @ our President
Can we stop trying to rule the world and fix our own problems?
Get a Ron Paul in office asap.
Ultimately, it will be the American people, our Nation, who would have to bare a brunt of consequences of our president's decisions.
I hope the good of America, her heart and soul, would realize that support for Israel is, in the end, a support for Humanity, Human Dignity and Liberty in today's world. Please do not blindly trust anti-Israeli propaganda of lies and fabrications circulating in Western media and press. Please use your brains, look inside of You and listen to your conscience.
I hope that our generation would not have to repeat the mistakes of previous ones…
G-d bless America and free and secure Israel!
THis means that Obama wants to use his poker face again, smiling and not to all to get all togheter but it doesnt work that way and Who would like to give back texas to Mexico? Why the Israeli treaty or the actual israeli borders have less right than the mexican texan border? So we need to give it back to the mexicans! We need to re negotiate ALASKA with Russia that was stolen from the Russians thru a negotiaton and payment to the Czar who did not represent the russian people, we need to give back Hawaii to the Hawaiian king from whow we took Hawaii! Why is this less important than giving back this lands to the "palestinan" people who are represented by a Billionaire who gets all the world's economic aid to the palestinian people and puts it on his secret bank account Blah blah, OBAMA doenst make any sense, I will go republican this time!..
By demanding that Israel surrender all the territories it captured in the 1967 war, (defending itself)...WITHOUT insisting that the Palestinians surrender their right of return, the president has gone further than Palestinian negotiators had during various prior negotiations.
Israel would go from only 45 miles wide to ONLY 8 MILES WIDE!
WOULD WE DO THAT? SOUNDS LIKE CZECHOSLOVAKIA, GIVEN TO THE NAZI'S BY THE EUROPEANS TO APPEASE HITLER IN THE 1930's....(THAT SEEMED TO WORK OUT "WELL"...
SHAME ON OBAMA AND THE WORLD PRESS...
Shame on obama!
Congratulations Mr. President. No country in the history of mankind has sacrificed so much to support another state. It cost us billions and many war casualties resulting from conflicts which are directly or indirectly related to our unconditional support for intransigent Israel. Many of our allies have lost faith in our ability to resolve problems in a fair and just manner. Many more no longer trust or respect us and all that because we obstinately continue to support Israel no matter what. Yes, Israel must be safe and protected but not at any conditions. Requiring that Israel returns to its pre-1967 borders, those that are defined in the UN Treaty that led to the birth of Israel in 1948, has always been the only viable solution, whether it pleases Israel or not. Now is the time to tell Netanyahu to deliver or lose the support of the US. And not even the bigots at FOX should be able to derail us again. Thank you for showing such political courage Mr. president.
President Obama
What did God tell you to do, regarding a Palistinian state? You are a Christian whose bible says that the land of Canaan goes to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joeseph. A Palstinian state is not goung to be, according to God. Get off it man and reread your bible!
Donald Hodge
peace deal? go live in Israel 1 month and come back here and tell me if you really believe this nonsense
Seven million Jews in Israel. Seven million. If we added up all the air time, all the resources, all the deaths and inhumanity it would seem Israel had 700 million Jews living in Israel. A little perspective is in order. What about the 7 million native Americans whose land was stolen and lived in poverty until casinos popped up? American concerns should be on 30,000 innocents murdered in Mexico or how about 15% real unemployment at home- not some sliver of land held to be sacred by psychologically damaged Zionists. Oppression is a mindset, it is not a reality- just ask Oprah Winfrey. Turn Jerusalem into a theme park for all monotheists to enjoy.
Good for Obama!!!! It's time to advise both the Israeli's and the Palestinians to get their acts together. The US should tell them we're tired of wasting our time on their school-yard bickering. If they want to have peace, hold a referendum and let the actual citizens who suffer from the conflicts have a say.... Most family members would like to live in peace and prosperity, not reeling from the posturing and politicizing of the circumstances. Grow up and behave like adults....
I am amused by what you said!
I would have read this article but I was distracted by some beautiful music which drew me into a tv show concerning Pope John Paul II, the good pope.
good job pres. follow up. if they cant come to a agreement we need to let it be. everybody wants us to stay out of iraq afgan.but want us to run and help make peace. what bout ghana ,sudan and other african nations. we need to get out of the way if they cant agree an stay out>
Israel wants submission, not peace. Oh, and land.
Exactly. The "peace" of the slave, or the "peace" of the grave. "Obey or die" - that's the message the Zionists send.
Real peace depends on RECIPROCITY, EQUAL treatment.
These concepts are wholly alien to the Zionist. Zionism is an ideology of terminal narcissism: "The whole universe revolves around us, our tribe is the only tribe that matters, and the goyim should just drop dead."
Night and day, we see Zionists on these forums encouraging us to despise entire nations, entire religions. "Jews GOOD, non-Jews BAD! Israel GOOD / HOLY / PURE! Everything else, BAD / LAUGHABLE / STUPID / UGLY!" They exploit bigotry, fear, ignorance. And when ignorance is not enough, they fill the void with lies.
Americanism has succeeded where Zionism has failed.
Here in the U.S., where we still believe in EQUAL rights, Jews and non-Jews alike have found security and prosperity. In Israel, where one tribe reigns supreme and millions are treated as subhuman, there is no peace, and there will never be.
The Zionists have had SIXTY years, well over a hundred billion American dollars, and the "Absolute" and "Unconditional" subservience of the world's superpower, and STILL they have failed to make their apartheid system work. If they had even a trace of empathy for their victims, they would understand why: There is no way that millions of people can or should accept subhuman status.
The only kind of peace that works is the peace of EQUALS.
Well, then according to you, the United Kingdom, the state of the British and Scottish people, the country of France, the state of the French People, the countries of Poland and Germany, the state of the German and Polish people, have no right to exist. Israel has a culture, language and religion distinct from the arab peoples that surround them, just as the Brits, the French, the Germans and the Poles do. But, as in those countries, unlike most arab states, Israel guarantees equal rights for all.
And who represents the peace of "Equals"? Men only? Are women included in this perspective?
Are homosexuals included?
Are Jews, Chrisitans, Buddhists, - anyone else beside Muslims included?
AS WELL TEA BAGGERS, CONSERVATIVE HARD CORE PEOPLE, I CANT STAND FOX NEWS AND THE 2 HOMO'S ON FOX AND FRIENDS, CANT STAND SARA PALIN IN MY ASS PALIN, BOTH BUSH...'S, HERMAN CAIN, NEAL BOORTZ, FAT BOY RUSH, MICHAEL SAVAGE, THE GLENN BECK, 1 REASON I CANT STAND THEM IS NOT ONE HAS ANYTHING GOOD ABOUT ARABS I BET NOT ONE OF THEM HAS A TRUE ARAB FRIEND THEY ALL THINK THE PALESTINIANS ARE TERROR. ALL WE WANT IS OUR LAND BACK FROM ISRAEL WHICH THEY FORCED THE POOR ARABS OUR OF THEIR HOMES. WHAT THE PEOPLE HERE IN AMERICA THINKS ITS OK FOR THE JEWS TO DO SO THEY HAVE TO DEFEND THEM SELF'S . SO THE QUESTION IF A MAN COMES TO YOUR HOME THAT YOU OWN COMES IN WITH A MACHINES GUN TELLS YOU TO LEAVE WILL YOU FIGHT FOR YOUR LAND AND HOME THE ANSWER IS YES I WOULD. I HAVE A LOT OF JEWISH FRIEND'S WHO AGREE WITH THIS PROBLEM. GIVE US BACK OUR UNCLES HOME GRANDPARENTS HOME THIS FIGHT WILL STOP AND PEACE WILL PREVAIL
you still on that hormone therapy ???
WOW.......Barack Obama looked small next to a TRUE statesman like Netanyahu
You can be sure Obama won't let THAT happen again......I guess he couldn't vote ...... PRESENT !!!
The United States is not the police force or the morality enforcement agency for the world. Being a world leader means setting the example - not forcing our will upon others.
But, when foreign policy requires us to make a decision between two opposing points of view, the first question we should ask ourselves is, “How does is each country/nation involved in the conflict take care of its own people?” Does the country operate as a democracy or a dictatorship? Does it value basic human rights? Does it murder and abuse its own citizens?
A country that cannot live in peace within itself will never live at peace with the rest of the world. The United States needs to support those countries who demonstrate that they value human rights, democratic principles, and have a tolerance for diversity. Palestine and most of the Arab world demonstrate none of these values. Until they do, the U.S. should continue to support Israel.
very well said
+(
The Palestinians are a cosmopolitan nation, however.
We are the descendants of a mixture of cultures and civilizations that have lived in this land since the Stone Age. We have Canaanite, Semite, Aramaic, Arab, Turkish, African and European blood in our veins.
Here we were born, and here our forefathers have lived. A common history, a common passion for the one homeland and the same bleeding wound unite us.
We are not xenophobic or exclusive.
We are Muslims, Christians, indigenous Jews, Baha'is and Druze.
Over the centuries our doors were open to foreigners.
....
According to the [PLO Charter], Jews who immigrated to Palestine before the 1948 Nakba are still considered Palestinians.
)+
– Samah Jabr, "A State for All Its Citizens - One Palestinian's Dream of Peace", Sep/Oct 2002, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
So, in your opinion, is Palestine an Arab nation? Do you see Palestine as a place that promotes religious freedom for all denominations? Do you believe the Palestinian govenment operates by democratic principles and represents the needs and protects the rights of its citizens? Could an openly homosexual man or woman purchase a home there or even come to visit and feel safe? Do women have equal rights and the same opportunities as men?
Interesting questions, True moderation!
I'm not a scholar: I can only give you my impressions, not definitive answers. I see Palestinians as a mixture of peoples brought together by a common oppression. This produces a cosmopolitan outlook.
The original Palestinian resistance organization, the PLO, was secular. Other resistance organizations were founded by Christian Palestinians. Today, many Palestinians have been pushed into the embrace of Islam, because they need support - and because Hamas offered relatively clean government - but left alone, I think that many Palestinians would return to secularism.
Governance is uneven. Fatah was notoriously corrupt. Democratic principles? Palestinians are probably about as democratic as us Americans - which isn't saying much these days!
I doubt that open homosexuality is tolerated. It seems to me that sexual orientation is regarded as a private matter in the Middle East, not as a matter for public display.
Nowhere do women have equal rights, but Palestinian women have more freedom than women in many other countries in the Middle East. I'd guess that they have as much freedom as Lebanese and Tunisian women.
Thank you for your honest response! I am not a political or historical scholar either. And, since I've never been to Palestine, I appreciate your perspective. My only understanding of what is happening in the Middle East–like most Americans–comes from what I see on American news. (And I do watch CNN primarily– not FOX!) Everyday there is just so much hatred and violence. It's hard for me to believe that, even if Israel were to give back the land it acquired in 1967. the Middle East would have peace.
No we can see why America has become a third world country. If this is the intelligence of America GOD help us all.
amen
Israel calls on US to return to pre-1845 boarders allowing millions of Mexicans to return to their homeland.
I agree that we have used and abused our Mexican and Hispanic neighbors!
I believe that the Mexican and South American illegals who are here - who have real jobs, no criminal records, and who contribute the good of our country, need to be given permanent residency.
But I also have friends from other countries - from Turkey and Switzerland... Who work here legally, who fill out all the right paperwork, who pay U.S taxes, who jump through all of the political hoops... but there residency is questionable?????
This is not fair!!!!
Firstly, we give $3 BILLION DOLLARS in Aid to Israel to commit genocide, so we are a guilty. The entire premise of our relationship with Israel is whacky. It is Israel's current government that has insulted and embarrassed the United States. I would like to hear the Israeli government pledge its support of US policies, and say that the US is a great and important ally and so on. Why is it always on the US to keep saying this?
Secondly, We were attacked on 911 because of our support of Israel. A fifth column is a group of people, like the Jewish Lobby(see: American Enterprise Institute) and Neocons Richard Pearle and Paul Wolfowitz, which clandestinely undermines a larger group to which it is expected to be loyal, such as America.
Thirdly, We are America, we are suppose to be the good guys. For 60 years Israel has played us for a fool. Israel thanks the stupid Americans who die in the Middle-East for Israel's land grab while they live better than most Americans.
All the time while Israel rakes in Billions of American foreign aid, or as I call it welfare, for their social medicine and subsidized housing on Palestinian land.
They sit on the beach at Tel Aviv and laugh at how stupid Americans are to fight their war for them.
Mr. Fred,
How much aid do we give to Saudi Arabia and many other Middle Eastern countries who don't share our perspective and political views....?
Please give me the breakdown of where our U.S. dollars go.....
I'm sure that you understand it so much better than me....
Both sides are hard headed, both sides believe in ancient superstition, both side do and will continue to do horrible things to each other. Both sides want to believe they are right and in all likelihood both sides are in fact doomed unless one or the other or both wake up.
I think President Obamas speech urging the Islraelis to withdraw to the pre-1967 boundaries is unrealistic. Why a country to surrenter territory for which fought to acquire and costed human lives (Jewish)? there is absolutely no reason. I think the West Bank and the Gollan hights are fully incvorporated within the Jewish state. Any peace agreement should be based on this. I've also read at http://www.naro.gr that Israel President Netanuahu also claimed (after the Obama speech), that this is unrealistic. I agree with him. It is not logical to ask from a state to surrrender territories acquired via war. If this was the case, then most states today would have the size of ...Luxemburg!!!
I think what President Obama is telling both sides is the fact that he made the peace process a priority from day one in his administration. For the last thrity years the same thing happens; a photo-op with hand shakes at the White House to only lead to continued killing of one another. He's saying in a sophisticated (sic) way this is what grown-ups need to do to achieve peace, and until you quit acting like kids leave me the f-- along. BiBi needs to be ashame of himself, and Abbas seems to care more for politics than his people. Come on people grow up, or keep acting childish,but do not expect the american government to be complictive.
Who is Obama kidding? The guy does not have a clue. He is just trying to help his muslim brother. DOes the world realizes that one Israel goes back to the 1967 lines/border, that will again not be enough. The arabs will want more and more. I think really the only hope for Israel and the Jews is to get Obama out of office. How can any Jew fund his campaign and even vote for him?
The President should stop wasting time with foot dragging Israeli politicians, step aside and allow the UN to resolve the matter in September when it is expected to vote in favor of a Palestinian state and open the floodgate for legal actions against Israel to resolve core issues based upon customary international law and existing UN resolutions.
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/36808
Now that is an example of bias in reporting.
The only solution for a lasting peace is absolute democratic process (that we Americans cherish so passionately) for the entire territory in question, otherwise, the peace will not last. All people who lived there without regard to religion, race, etc. should vote on how they would like their one country to be run. I favor one state solution because two states would only attempt to “legalize” Zionist occupation that will be remembered in history until it is corrected by future large scale conflicts, so no lasting peace will result.
The only issue with the fair democratic process is what to do with all manipulated Jewish people who the Zionist regime imported for decades to increase the Jewish population from around 100,000 to over 5 Million since the start of the occupation. This is obviously an attempt to unjustly manipulate any future democratic process by forcefully increasing the occupier’s population at the expense of others. Any compromise other than the absolute fair democratic process with no manipulated population will be temporary with terrible conflicts looming to correct it in the future.
The truth is that the Zionist regime will not accept any democratic process even if the manipulated Jewish population is included because it cannot exist as a democratic country as Zionists will be outvoted by all others who live there (Zionists were in an infinite minority before the occupation). The Zionist regime can only temporarily exist through the force of its arms as a one people country where only select ones can vote and where different laws apply to different people.
The world must stand up against the Zionist regime by cutting all diplomatic and economic relations with it. Many countries have already stopped all relations with the Zionist regime and others are in the process of doing the same. We Americans need to completely distance ourselves from this oppressive regime through urging our state representatives and senators to do what the rest of the world is doing.
If it is ever reached, the current and any other artificial “peace agreement” will be illegitimate before it is ever signed because (1) all people living in Palestine regardless of religion, race, origin, etc. (hereinafter “All People of Palestine”) were never given a choice on how they want their land to be governed, and (2) all contracts signed under duress are null and void.
The biggest problem in Palestine is that the Zionist regime never offered a choice to All People of Palestine on how they want to govern their land because the Zionist regime cannot exist as a democratic entity. If there was ever any democratic process in Palestine, Zionists would have been outvoted and the Zionist regime would have never existed. That is why the Zionist regime is the occupier because it does not offer choice (i.e. democracy), but instead imposes its regime (i.e. occupies). Imagine if Russians would simply occupy a town in the U.S. where they are in significant numbers and attempt to create a Russian state there without giving the rest of the Americans living there a choice. Imagine then if they would try to institute a “peace agreement” that would attempt to legitimize their occupation. The “peace agreement” would logically and legally be illegitimate because the Americans were not given a choice.
Under all countries’ laws, any contract is null and void if it is signed under duress. The current Palestine “peace agreement” process reminds me of The Godfather movie where the mafia boss (i.e. the Zionist regime) made a guy “an offer he could not refuse” by placing a gun (i.e. Zionist conventional and nuclear arsenal) to his head and making him sign the contract. Like the mafia boss’ offer, any “peace agreement” other than the choice for All People of Palestine is a crime, and the contract is legally null and void.
The bottom line is that All People of Palestine never wanted to divide their land into artificial two states the way the occupation and this “peace agreement” attempt to divide it. From the beginning of the Zionist regime to its unavoidable end, All People of Palestine and the region never wanted the Zionist regime and they do not want it even more after all the atrocities the Zionist regime committed. I just cannot believe how the Zionist regime can be so ignorant to think that this or any other “peace agreement” that does not allow people to choose how they want to be governed will last and ensure its people’s survival. The Zionist regime fails to realize that no matter if it succeeds in muscling this “peace agreement” by unspeakable historic coercion tens of millions of moral people around the world will oppose it until it is corrected, and until justice and free choice prevail. Also, ever increasing number of Jewish people are realizing that Zionism is becoming a destructive force for them and are leading the global resistance to it.
P.S. feel free to copy this comment, email it to other bloggers, and repost it on other blogs, newspaper websites, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking websites, and include it in any correspondence/lobbying with senators, state representatives and any other public officials so the public learns the truth…
Imagine in the current time if France would want to create its own state in Michigan and separate it from the U.S. French are a minority in Michigan so democratic vote on the separation would not work because they would be outvoted by the rest of the Americans living in Michigan. So imagine if they had a historic opportunity when the U.S. is at its weakest and militarily occupy a part of Michigan and impose a regime where only French can vote and all the others who lived there cannot. Furthermore, the occupiers rename the occupied part of Michigan as the “French State” where not only that Americans are not welcome, but they are systematically expelled over time creating huge refugee camps in nearby states of Indiana and Ohio. Imagine then that at that point in history the artificial organization called the United Nations is full of French supporters and somehow that makes the occupation “legal” and Americans who fight for their homes in the occupied part of Michigan are labeled as terrorists. The occupation is a part of a careful log-term plan (i.e. Zionism) of acquiring land by French, so literally days after the occupation is implemented (what a coordinated plan!) the occupiers import millions of other French from all over the world to increase their population in Michigan from around 100,000 to over 5 Million in a short period. Then Americans resist and fight to regain the occupied part of Michigan, but Russia steps in, sends weapons, cash, and everything else the occupiers need to sustain the occupation.
What do you think all of us Americans would feel? We would hate French first, and then all of their supporters (Russia in this analogy) that make the occupation of our land possible. Still questioning yourself why people in the Middle East and other parts of the world do not like us? Because our Zionist controlled government, not the people, supported the very exact scenario as described above against our will and with our tax money making us accomplices in this unspeakable crime. The scenario that would outrage all of us Americans and make us fight against it if it happened in Michigan or anywhere else in the U.S.
This comment is not intended to make derogatory remarks about France and Russia. It is merely used as an example of how Americans would be outraged and fight back in the same situation as the forced establishment of the Zionist regime and its occupation of Palestine.
Urge your state representatives and senators to immediately stop any remaining support for the Zionist regime. Much of the support already stopped because of the increasing pressure on this issue, but we Americans need to completely distance ourselves from this oppressive regime and start actively opposing it.
We Americans speak of freedoms, tolerance, and diversity, yet our government makes the Zionist occupation possible against our will, with our tax money, and making us accomplices in constant murders that the Zionist regime is committing including murders of our own American citizens (search on youtube for “Rachel Corrie” video of Zionist bulldozer crushing her to death). I am ashamed as an American that our politicians are controlled by the Zionist regime to such a terrifying extent. Tens of senators, state representatives, and ambassadors to foreign countries are Jewish. While I recognize that many are honest and against the Zionist regime, I am concerned about the fair representation of our will at the highest levels of our government. Just look on Wikipedia for “List of Jewish American politicians,” and visit prince.org/msg/105/271100 to discover that all five Federal Reserve chairmen/chairwomen are Jewish, and almost all (9 out of 12) regional Fed chairmen/chairwomen are also Jewish. I never like to generalize, but Jews comprise only 2% of our population and they have so much power in the government and almost absolute power over our money supply and economic polices. I am just not comfortable that all Americans are being represented properly especially not on the Palestine occupation issue that I know most people do not support judging by the comments against the Zionist regime I hear everywhere. Urge your state representatives and senators to immediately stop any remaining support for the Zionist regime. Much of the support already stopped because of the increasing pressure on this issue, but we Americans need to completely distance ourselves from this oppressive regime and stop being accomplices in its murders! The world is also reacting. Who would want to be remembered in history as an accomplice to ruthless occupation? Many countries, companies, and countless moral individuals have already successfully implemented no relations with the Zionist government and others are implementing the same policy as we speak. Not travel there, not buy anything from it, not trade with it, not communicate with it, etc. Also do the same with any country that supports it because the Zionist government only survives because of its external supporters.