Little-Acorn
Well-Known Member
President Obama made a speech yesterday, in which he announced a bizarre demand that Israel return to its pre-1967 borders and assume the stance where her enemies had attacked her with impunity again and again.
Today after a talk, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu came out and flatly told the President that such borders were "indefensible", and that the outcome he had requested was "not going to happen".
I've been trying to find an instance where one Head of State told another to go jump in a lake so directly. Closest I can come is at the beginning of WWII, when FDR suggested to Yugoslavia's government that if they resisted Adolf Hitler's attempts at conquest, they would be treated better after the war ended. The Yugoslav govt replied, "You big nations are hard. You talk of our honor, but you are far away".
The difference between then and now is, of course, that Hitoler wasn't trying to destroy Yugoslavia and her neighbors, only to conquer and exploit them. But Israel's enemies have pure destruction and nothing else in mind. Hamas even has that explicitly written into its founding charter, and has had for decades despite civilized nations' pleas that they remove it.
Obama's speech, of course, breaks a promise made to Israel by George Bush, that Israel would never be asked to go back to its pre-1967 borders. Bush at least realized that Israel's very existence was at stake. Too bad Obama doesn't think so. He's going to keep getting embarrassed and slapped down by the Israeli govt as long as he doesn't. Israel has been attacked and nearly destroyed by its neighbors at least four times since they were founded after the end of WWII, including the 1967 war where Egypt, Syria et. al. massed thousands of tanks, armored vehicles around Israel's borders, screaming (for the third time) that they would "throw all the Jews into the sea". Israel had had enough of such unprovoked attacks, so that time they finally struck first, destroying most of the armies with airstrikes and chasing the Egyptians all the way across the Sinai desert. Israel later gave the Sinai peninsula back to Egypt, but that wasn't enough for Egypt.
As Netanyahu patiently told him, "History will not give the Jewish people another chance."
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110520/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_mideast
Disputes 'between friends': Obama, Netanyahu at WH
by ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Erica Werner, Associated Press – 33 mins ago
May 20, 2011
WASHINGTON – Showing no progress toward peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat alongside President Barack Obama on Friday and declared that Israel would not withdraw to 1967 borders to help make way for an adjacent Palestinian state. Obama had called on Israel to be willing to do just that a day earlier.
Obama said in his speech on Thursday that the United States supports creation of a Palestinian state based on the border lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War in which Israel forces occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The comment drew angry criticism in Israel, and Netanyahu made clear after meeting with Obama that the idea was unacceptable.
"We cannot go back to those indefensible lines," said Netanyahu.
Netanyahu said his nation could not negotiate with a newly constituted Palestinian unity government that includes the radical Hamas movement, which refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. He said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had to choose between continuing the deal with Hamas and making peace with Israel.
"History will not give the Jewish people another chance," Netanyahu said.
Another major stumbling block is how to resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees. Palestinians demands a "right of return" of large numbers of refugees and descendants to Israel, but Israeli leaders say this would dilute the Jewish presence in Israel so that it would no longer be the Jewish state that Netanyahu demands and Obama supports.
"That's not going to happen," Netanyahu said. He said Palestinians need to recognize that, and also said that Israel would not budge on its need for troops on the border with Jordan.
Palestinians reacted angrily. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Netanyahu's comments were tantamount to "his total rejection of the Obama vision and speech."
[Yes, Mr. Erekat, that's what it was. And your point is....?? - LA]
Today after a talk, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu came out and flatly told the President that such borders were "indefensible", and that the outcome he had requested was "not going to happen".
I've been trying to find an instance where one Head of State told another to go jump in a lake so directly. Closest I can come is at the beginning of WWII, when FDR suggested to Yugoslavia's government that if they resisted Adolf Hitler's attempts at conquest, they would be treated better after the war ended. The Yugoslav govt replied, "You big nations are hard. You talk of our honor, but you are far away".
The difference between then and now is, of course, that Hitoler wasn't trying to destroy Yugoslavia and her neighbors, only to conquer and exploit them. But Israel's enemies have pure destruction and nothing else in mind. Hamas even has that explicitly written into its founding charter, and has had for decades despite civilized nations' pleas that they remove it.
Obama's speech, of course, breaks a promise made to Israel by George Bush, that Israel would never be asked to go back to its pre-1967 borders. Bush at least realized that Israel's very existence was at stake. Too bad Obama doesn't think so. He's going to keep getting embarrassed and slapped down by the Israeli govt as long as he doesn't. Israel has been attacked and nearly destroyed by its neighbors at least four times since they were founded after the end of WWII, including the 1967 war where Egypt, Syria et. al. massed thousands of tanks, armored vehicles around Israel's borders, screaming (for the third time) that they would "throw all the Jews into the sea". Israel had had enough of such unprovoked attacks, so that time they finally struck first, destroying most of the armies with airstrikes and chasing the Egyptians all the way across the Sinai desert. Israel later gave the Sinai peninsula back to Egypt, but that wasn't enough for Egypt.
As Netanyahu patiently told him, "History will not give the Jewish people another chance."
--------------------------------------
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110520/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_mideast
Disputes 'between friends': Obama, Netanyahu at WH
by ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Erica Werner, Associated Press – 33 mins ago
May 20, 2011
WASHINGTON – Showing no progress toward peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat alongside President Barack Obama on Friday and declared that Israel would not withdraw to 1967 borders to help make way for an adjacent Palestinian state. Obama had called on Israel to be willing to do just that a day earlier.
Obama said in his speech on Thursday that the United States supports creation of a Palestinian state based on the border lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War in which Israel forces occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The comment drew angry criticism in Israel, and Netanyahu made clear after meeting with Obama that the idea was unacceptable.
"We cannot go back to those indefensible lines," said Netanyahu.
Netanyahu said his nation could not negotiate with a newly constituted Palestinian unity government that includes the radical Hamas movement, which refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. He said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had to choose between continuing the deal with Hamas and making peace with Israel.
"History will not give the Jewish people another chance," Netanyahu said.
Another major stumbling block is how to resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees. Palestinians demands a "right of return" of large numbers of refugees and descendants to Israel, but Israeli leaders say this would dilute the Jewish presence in Israel so that it would no longer be the Jewish state that Netanyahu demands and Obama supports.
"That's not going to happen," Netanyahu said. He said Palestinians need to recognize that, and also said that Israel would not budge on its need for troops on the border with Jordan.
Palestinians reacted angrily. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Netanyahu's comments were tantamount to "his total rejection of the Obama vision and speech."
[Yes, Mr. Erekat, that's what it was. And your point is....?? - LA]
