Well, that didn't take long. The Obama Administration has now given official recognition and a White House invite to a terrorist entity :
A senior Palestinian Authority official reportedly announced that the US has invited the new Palestinian unity government's prime minister, Rami Hamdallah, to an official visit in Washington.
According to a report by Maariv on Friday, a Palestinian official stated that the invitation is a declaration of American recognition for the unity government. The report cited the official as saying, "The visit will take place in June, during which Hamdallah will meet with American president and visit the US Congress."
"The US administration has renounced its previous disapproval of the national unity government and will now support the new government," claimed the head of the Fatah reconciliation team, Azam al-Ahmad.
Washington has previously announced that it expects any Palestinian government to refrain from violence as well as recognize Israel and agreements.
Does that mean that the next time a missile from Gaza hits Israel, the White House will withdraw recognition? We know it doesn't. Nor does it mean that U.S. aid, military and otherwise to Hamas and Fatah is going to cease, no matter what Congress says.
President Obama actually signaled his approval of the Hamas - Fatah merger a month ago.This just makes it official.
What this president has essentially done is to choose sides in the conflict, and to break existing U.S. law regarding material support for terrorism while doing it.
And Israel? PM Netanyahu admitted today that he had imposed what Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon called a 'silent freeze' on all construction in Judea and Samaria in response to major pressure from the Obama Administration:
Netanyahu, who met Thursday night with mayors from 20 West Bank settlements, said the United States recently demanded that the Civil Administration not only refrain from issuing tenders for construction, but also freeze the activity of its planning committee altogether and not approve new projects that would later require tenders.[...]
"I don’t know of a formal policy to limit building. But when you look, de facto, what’s happening on the ground, yes, you feel there is a silent freeze in terms of planning and in terms of government construction,” Danon (Likud) said. “And that’s something that bothers me.”
"This “freeze” is being enforced everywhere — within and outside the so-called settlement blocs", he said. “If you don’t allow any planning, it will stop. You will have no [housing] units for youngsters in Ariel, in Maaleh Adumim. This is happening already.”
Danon said he wasn’t sure why the government would agree to quietly freeze settlement expansion, suggesting that pressure from the United States might be behind it. “Building in Judea and Samaria is a major issue among the Americans,” he said, using the Biblical names for the West Bank. “A lot of pressure is being put on us.”
Here's the thing about blackmail...once you give in to it,it never ends. And it's also true that anything like this someone threatens you with is something they're probably going to do to you anyway eventually,out of sheer hatred.
That's exactly what's going on here.
President Obama's goal was always to destroy the relationship between America and Israel before he leaves office, and he's made a fair degree of progress.It's a major part of his agenda, and no amount of groveling by Israel is going to change that.
It's time Israel said no, publicly.
"It's time Israel said no, publically." I could not agree more. By not saying no publically and forcefully Israel creates at least two basic problems for itself. 1.)Israel still has substantial support within the US. By not standing up to things like this they cut the legs so to speak out from under their allies. It makes these decisions appear as they have the full support of Israeli officials and the Israeli people. In such a case, who are we to oppose the decisions or to criticize the decisions of the government of an allied nation? 2.)America is under tremendous pressure from important nations and individuals throughout the world to conduct its policies in certain ways with regards to Israel. When America gets pressured Israel gets pressured. Given the most ideal of circumstances, people even with exemplary character will find it extremely difficult to resist this kind of pressure. Unfortunately our circumstances are not ideal nor do a significant number of America's leaders possess exemplary character. Additionally all available evidence to date indicates that POTUS and his team do not possess this kind of character. By saying "no" publically Israel would likely offer encouragement and a reason to be courageous for those who would consider standing with them. If Israel is not going to say no publically, then it becomes problematic for anyone in a leadership position in the US to stick their necks out for this so to speak. As such, it seems no accident that the Arabs generally seem to make their major actions during US election seasons.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to point 2 it would be extremely helpful to both nations if the so called "special relationship" were to be significantly altered. With Israel less dependent upon America the nation will not be susceptible to pressure from America and America would be less susceptible to pressure as well as there would be no utility, in such a case, for someone to pressure America in hopes of getting America to pressure Israel.
Finally, America has massive problems. As such, the nation is unlikely to even exist in three to five years and if it does manage to survive it is unlikely to do so in its current form. Essentially in the case of Israel it seems to make little sense to me for them to sacrifice mid to long range economic and security interests to appease a leader of a nation when at a minimum the leader of this nation will only be around for only about two and a half years or so and furthermore the nation he leads is unlikely to be around in its present form for much longer either!! Assuming America survives which is big if it figures to be a far weaker and less influential nation than it has been. It would seem to be imprudent to spend much time worrying about the leadership of such a nation thinks about pretty much any thing.
The State Dept. issued a denial.
ReplyDeleteBasically, they said no decision made as yet.
So, either the Arabs are lying, the State Dept. is lying, or the Arabs jumped the gun, revealing perhaps promises made in private.
No matter, if not true today, it'll be true tomorrow.
Only the Jerusalem Post would take a PA authority's word as gospel. There's been no invitation and formal recognition, but these Israeli idiots see spectres everywhere. This article is just baiting Israel-firsters in the states who put America's interests a distant second. No wonder you bought this tripe hook, line and sinker.
ReplyDeleteI love the cute handles, anonymous. You have no idea how comical you are,but I always appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteAs the commenter above pointed out,if it isn't true today, it'll be true tomorrow as Obama is certain to recognize a Hamas-Fatah government.
Actually, it sort of already is true tomorrow, as our secretary of state is going to meet with the head of this terrorist affiliated entity. Just not in DC, but that will definitely come later.
I wonder if people like you ever stop to ponder how much American blood Fatah and Hamas have on their hands, including a couple of diplomats they tortured to death in Sudan. Or how many American lives Israel has saved?
Ah well. I wouldn't want to confuse you any more than you already are.
But let's get to something we agree on, that 'Israel Firster' stuff.
Now, you intend it as a snide, Jew hating slur,which doesn't affect me one iota, considering the source.
But what you're really saying, even though you don't realize it, is that I'm very much loyal to certain principles; human freedom and dignity, justice, liberty, the defeat of totalitarian barbarism, and the victory of good over evil.
You very obviously support very different principles, but we both agree that one should be loyal to one's principles. How 'bout that?
Israel is imperfect as all countries are, but for the most part, it advances these principles I very much support and has also been an extremely underappreciated ally to America in the struggle to advance those principles,often at great cost to Israel.
OTOH, to the extent our leadership has veered away from those principles, especially since Barack Hussein Obama became president, I stay true to my principles and do not support the current regime.
That, of course, is why most patriotic Americans support Israel. It's a matter of principle.
"That, of course is why most patriotic Americans support Israel. It's a matter of principle." I agree wholeheartedly and could not have stated this better myself.
ReplyDelete