Obama Supports Israel, Opposes Occupation; GOP Does The Opposite
I remember when candidate Barack Obama gave his speech to AIPAC in 2008. It was pretty much the usual rhetoric.
Some of my friends, knowing that I had supported Obama for President from the day he was elected Senator, chided me. "So he's just another politician," they said. "Typical lobby speech."
I said, no, I don't care what he says to AIPAC. Let him say whatever it takes to win, but I know he'll push hard for an agreement. Don't read his lips; watch what he does after he's inaugurated.
He's doing it. And he's not backing down.
Read this from Ha'aretz. Barack Obama is the first good thing to happen to the Israeli left since Rabin was murdered. He's the honest broker the Palestinians and Israelis both need -- and have never had.
Meanwhile, the Jewish right excoriates Obama for opposing the occupation while Republicans only oppose....Israel. The foreign aid bill passed this week. Its largest component is the $2.2 aid package for Israel. 106 House members opposed it, 97 were Republicans. Paging Eric Cantor, the fierce lion of Judah.
Rep. Cantor, May 4, 2009: "Because many men are pointing guns at Israel. Indeed at Jews everywhere, promising to kill us." Thank God Eric is still among the living. So why didn't he get the caucus he leads to support the Israel aid package?
97 of the 106 'no' votes came from the R's. Yeah they're friends of Israel when trying to get Israel to bomb Iran for us. Other than that not really.
But most of the R's are born again Christian types who, when not busy cheating on their wives, want to protect Israel so it can be destroyed so the End Times fun can begin. I wish I was joking but if you ask any of the born again types no Jews are going to heaven because they have not accepted Jesus Christ as their lord and savior...never mind the ones who hate Jews 'because they murdered Jesus'. How can so many people get the message of that book so wrong? How can a book with a message of love and compassion make people hate and want to kill others like it does.
Anyways rant over...and where is Representative Cantor btw?
July 10, 2009 11:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
How can so many people get the message of that book so wrong? How can a book with a message of love and compassion make people hate and want to kill others like it does.
the same can be said of people of the book from the three major religions.
remember the NRA slogan? guns don't kill people. people kill people. well, holy books don't kill people, people do. it's not what is in the book. it's what is in the hearts and mind of people. in a way, in some people, holy books act like a juicer squeezing out all of the hate in their heart, directing it to other human beings, and all the while the mind professes love for god. the world is full of people like that.
July 11, 2009 1:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
No argument from me on your take on all of the books...they are all about love and compassion. I don't blame the books, or even the authors...just the people who feel they are the definitive voice on what it all means.
As the band Alice in Chains once sang...we really have heaven beside us and hell within.
July 11, 2009 1:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Do you approve of $3 billion of your tax dollars going to Israel every year?
http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=5725
.
July 11, 2009 2:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am a liberal. I don't think in terms of my tax dollars. But if I did, I'd focus on how much we're spending on the Iraq war first. (Hint. It's more than $3 billion).
July 11, 2009 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why don't you answer the question? By you avoiding the question, it sounds like you do not advocate for a reduction in aid, nor conditions on loan guarantees to Israel, so that it can be used as "leverage" -- because J-Street is a pro-Israel lobby and ultimately represents the best interest of Israel?
If you disagree, then I would be interested where you and J-Street really stand?
And I was surprised you bringing up Iraq's aid as a comparison to what Israel gets, especially when the big question -- why is Israel getting any aid is when you compare both their current per capita GDP. Really there is no comparison between the two.
Also, here's a J-Street candidate from the last election:
District 5: Democrat Dennis Shulman challenging Republican Scott Garrett. On the issue of aid:
J Streets Endorsement of Rabbi Dennis Shulman
http://www.jstreetpac.org/pac/candidates/dennis_shulman
Now, candidate Shulman has every right to feel as he does, but if I was in his district I would not be supporting him due his obvious confrontational stance against anyone who does not have an Israel First attitute, also noting that his District 5 has "no more than 10% of the electorate as Jewish." IMO we need more representatives in Congress that are prepared to back Obama up should the need arise to use financial incentives -- to push peace negotiations as well as our national security interests in the region.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1824434,00.html
July 11, 2009 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Our tax money goes all over the world. I have no more or less of a problem with it going to Israel than I do with it going to any other country.
And besides MJ is right on the money (no pun intended) with all the money being thrown at the Masters of the Universe (aka 'The Financial Sector') and the money being spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan what is $2.2B in the big scheme of things? Seriously...
And of course you miss the point of this if you just focus on the money itself and where it is going.
July 11, 2009 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
How can a book with a message of love and compassion make people hate and want to kill others like it does.
I can't imagine what book you're talking about, but it clearly is not the Bible.
July 11, 2009 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well for me the OT and NT. The main message I took out of them was be nice to one another and try not to do anything to hurt others. They were books with messages but if people want to get over analytical on the details of the stories used to get that message across I can see how the forest can be lost for the trees.
July 12, 2009 12:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wish I had your talent for such selective reading.
July 12, 2009 8:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
RE: "106 House members opposed it, 97 were Republicans"
MY COMMENT: I think we all understand the game that is being played here. I'm certain that Representative Cantor does.
July 11, 2009 3:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Let him say whatever it takes to win, but I know he'll push hard for an agreement. Don't read his lips; watch what he does after he's inaugurated."
Some us actually like politicians who don't simply lie to get elected. Although with these standards, at least you can never be disappointed by Obama's policies now, which I guess is the point.
But why did you support from the start someone you did not trust?
""So he's just another politician," they said. "Typical lobby speech." "
To this M. Rosenberg could reply: no, he's a new, inspiring kind of politician; he will lie and say anything to get elected!
July 11, 2009 2:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
You miss the point. I totally trusted him so I didn't care what he said. I just wanted him to get elected so he could do precisely what he's doing now.
Howard Dean made the mistake of saying he favored an "evenhanded" policy on the Middle East. That hurt his candidacy.
The fact is that Obama is pro-Israel but not pro-occupation. One is not permitted to say that so he said what he had to. Good. Good for him. Good for the US. Good for Israel.
July 11, 2009 2:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I totally trusted him so I didn't care what he said."
That's rather disturbing to think this way of a politician, unless you are a young adult voting for the first time. Obama can do no wrong?
"I just wanted him to get elected so he could do precisely what he's doing now."
Handing out "$2.2 [billion] aid package for Israel" is what he is doing now. I'm not sure why Republicans voted against it (probably some stupid reasons, so nevermind), but just six months after Gaza, it is politics as usual: a few harsh words but mountains of cash given to Israel. No real pressure on Israeli leaders, no progress at all towards peace.
Had Clinton or McCain been elected president, what would be different in Israel or Palestine today? Nothing.
July 11, 2009 5:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
To support Israel you need to support Palestine and you need to support occupation- Jews in Palestine and Palestinian Arabs in Israel. In other words, tear down the wall and end partition.
King Solomon was deemed wise when he devised a test to determine the infant's real mother. For the child to live, the real mother was unwilling to have Solomon cut the babe in half; "Please, My Lord, give her the live child - do not kill him". Meanwhile, the false mother was willing to take her 'share' so as to deny it to the real mother. "It shall be neither mine nor yours - divide it!"
So it is with peace. The unwise are willing to tear the country apart and call it partition. The wise know that united you stand and divided you fall.
July 11, 2009 8:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Everything
July 11, 2009 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink