If anyone still had any doubts about how innately hostile the Obama Administration actually is to Israel and the Jewish people, this little item should convince them.
The Israelis decided that in view of things, they should designate a number of their Holy sites in Judea and Samaria as part of a list of Jewish heritage sites marked for renovation and preservation. Included among them were Rachel's tomb and The Me'arat HaMachpela, the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
The idea of preservation and renovation is especially important, since it is due entirely to Palestinian violence and vandalism that these shrines need to be protected and renovated in the first place. There's a long history here.
It was the Palestinians who burnt the synagogues in Gaza to the ground after the Jews left,who destroyed 28 historic Synagogues in Jerusalem and used the tombstones of the historic Jewish cometary as pavement during the Jordanian Arab occupation, who desecrated the tomb of Joshua, Joseph's tomb, the Yeshiva in Homesh, just as the Iraqis are now 'de-Judaizing' Ezekiel's tomb.
And these are only the most prominent examples of historic synagogues and Jewish Holy sites destroyed by the Arabs over the last sixty odd years.
As for the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron,the Israelis actually attempted to share that with the Muslims. Their reward for this open-mindedness was to find anti-Semitic graffiti scrawled all over the shrine and to discover that the Palestinians had actually urinated and defecated in the area used to store the Torah scrolls.
As for Rachel's Tomb, situated in Bethlehem, the Palestinian attempted to firebomb it a couple of years back.
Nor is it just Jewish Holy sites. It was the Palestinians who invaded and trashed the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and are disinterring Christian bodies wholesale in Gaza as well.
In view of this history, Israel's decision to make a commitment to preserve these Holy sites is not only understandable but entirely justified.
There's even a clear basis for this under international law.
So what do you think the response was from the Obama Administration and the UN was when Israel made the announcement that they were making preserving these shrines official policy?
You guessed it. Outright condemnation:
The Obama administration sharply criticized Israel on Wednesday for designating the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb, both in West Bank cities, to the list of Jewish heritage sites marked for renovation and preservation.
The government's decision, announced Sunday, sparked Palestinian protests and has drawn criticism from other quarters, including the United Nations. {...}
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the administration viewed the move as provocative and unhelpful to the goal of getting the two sides back to the table.
Toner said US displeasure with the designations of the Cave of the Patriarchs in the flash point town of Hebron and the traditional tomb of the biblical matriarch Rachel in Bethlehem had been conveyed to senior Israeli officials by American diplomats.
Israel is frequently accused by its critics of 'ignoring international law.' In fact, it's just the opposite - international law ignores Israel, the Jew among nations.
As for Barack Obama, given given whom he is, none of this surprising.
Some people have speculated over whether the current occupant of the White House is an anti-Semite. Frankly it doesn't matter, since he continues to act like one at every opportunity.
Obama may very well end up acheiving his goal of destroying the relationship between America and its ally Israel, but it will not be without significant cost to the United States.
-selah-
Given that the United States government does not show much interest in protecting America's heritage, why should we trust them to support an ally who is trying to protect theirs? Israel's best bet is to simply ignore the United States and do what it feels is in its best interest.
ReplyDeleteAmerica's economy is deeply struggling, its debt load is massive, and its military capabilities are worn down from ongoing operations. There isn't sufficient financial capabilities for the Americans to address their military deficiencies.
Your statement that international law routinely ignores Israel is spot on. Also, if this relationship is destroyed it would be a tremendous blow to America is spot on as well. Without Israeli help during the Cold War the United States would not have won and probably would not have survived. In the current situation, America needs Israeli intellegence and military assistance.
Based upon current geo political realities the most powerful countries on earth right now are Russia and China. It might be a good idea for Israel to sever all cooperation with America and even treat America as an out right enemy in order to curry favor with the powers that be in the world today.
As an American, I don't want it to come to that but Israel must act in its best interest. I can easily see how costly it is to Israel to be allied with America. I can also see how America benefits from this alliance. Unfortunately I don't really see how it benefits Israel.
In the case of Russia, Israel depends upon Russia for about 80% of its oil. As such, it is vital for Israel to try and maintain some kind of positive realtions with Russia. Russia is an enemy of America and Russia is the most powerful nation on earth right now. Something to think about.
Semantics are important: I say Obama is not an anti-Semite,he is a Jew-hater.
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