Please Hit

Folks, This is a Free Site and will ALWAYS stay that way. But the only way I offset my expenses is through the donations of my readers. PLEASE Consider Making a Donation to Keep This Site Going. SO HIT THE TIP JAR (it's on the left-hand column).

Thursday, June 4, 2009

How Obama's Cairo Speech Threw Israel Under the Bus

President Obama's speech in Cairo was historic.  No other President has gone to a foreign nation to so publicly throw a strong ally under the bus. Once again the President, pandered to the Muslim world by dissing Israel in a major way, he downplayed the role of terrorism, made Hamas look like a rowdy Boys Glee Club, called for the internationalization of Jerusalem, and used the Palestinian party line to describe the Israeli presence not only in the West Bank and Gaza but its VERY existence at all:

He started his Israel/Palestinian discussion by talking about the Holocaust and Anti-Semitism:
The second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world.

America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.
Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed - more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction - or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews - is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.
You notice that how he discusses Anti-Semitism, without mentioning the fact that the Muslim Middle East is the major supplier of Anti-Semitic fervor in the world.

Obama then goes on to talk about the 60+ years of Palestinian suffering, taking the Palestinian view that the very creation of Israel was bad. He mixes the "Christian" Palestinians with the Muslim ones, ignoring the horrible persecution of Palestinian Christians by their Muslim neighbors. Obama also discusses Gaza as an occupied territory. Er..Mr. President maybe you didn't read the newspapers in August 2005, but Israel pulled out of Gaza almost four years ago.  I know--I was in Jerusalem at the time.
On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people - Muslims and Christians - have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations - large and small - that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.
Obama also forgot to mention the role of Egypt and Jordan in making sure that the Palestinians stayed in camps and the fact that there were more Jews thrown out of Muslim countries in 1948 than Arabs leaving Israel. A mistake he repeats below:
For decades, there has been a stalemate: two peoples with legitimate aspirations, each with a painful history that makes compromise elusive. It is easy to point fingers - for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought by Israel's founding, and for Israelis to point to the constant hostility and attacks throughout its history from within its borders as well as beyond. But if we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth: the only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.
Displacement? I am surprised he didn't use the word nabka (catastrophe) that's what the Muslims call it. Again accepting Muslim propaganda, the President doesn't make the point that the Arab Palestinian's weren't thrown out, the were told to leave by the Arab League states.

That is in Israel's interest, Palestine's interest, America's interest, and the world's interest. That is why I intend to personally pursue this outcome with all the patience that the task requires. The obligations that the parties have agreed to under the Road Map are clear. For peace to come, it is time for them - and all of us - to live up to our responsibilities.

Palestinians must abandon violence. Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed. For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation. But it was not violence that won full and equal rights. It was a peaceful and determined insistence upon the ideals at the center of America's founding. This same story can be told by people from South Africa to South Asia; from Eastern Europe to Indonesia. It's a story with a simple truth: that violence is a dead end. It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus. That is not how moral authority is claimed; that is how it is surrendered.
Violence? You mean Terrorism? No because in the next few lines he reaches out to HAMAS:
Now is the time for Palestinians to focus on what they can build. The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people. Hamas does have support among some Palestinians, but they also have responsibilities. To play a role in fulfilling Palestinian aspirations, and to unify the Palestinian people, Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, and recognize Israel's right to exist.
He makes Hamas seem like naughty children, "OK Hamas stop hitting your brother." Here again what Obama doesn't say is just as bad as what he says, "recognize Israel's right to exist." The words he missed is ..as a Jewish state. Neither Hamas or the supposedly moderate Fatah recognize Israel as a Jewish State, they both call for flooding the country with millions of Muslims to ensure that Israel becomes another Muslim country:
At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel's right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine's. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop.
We have discussed this Ad nauseam during the past few days, by saying this, not only is Obama throwing Israel to the international wolves, but he is ignoring agreements that previous administrations made with Israel about natural growth of existing settlements.
Israel must also live up to its obligations to ensure that Palestinians can live, and work, and develop their society. And just as it devastates Palestinian families, the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not serve Israel's security; neither does the continuing lack of opportunity in the West Bank. Progress in the daily lives of the Palestinian people must be part of a road to peace, and Israel must take concrete steps to enable such progress.
This was one of Bibi Netanyahu's campaign promises, but not as an obligation as a way to peace.  This is not Israel's obligation, this is the obligation of Egypt and Jordan who created the problem.

His discussion of the "humanitarian crisis" was a bit disingenuous. Maybe he should have mention why Israel closed the borders, and the fact that Hamas has been stealing many of the supplies heading to Gaza.
Finally, the Arab States must recognize that the Arab Peace Initiative was an important beginning, but not the end of their responsibilities. The Arab-Israeli conflict should no longer be used to distract the people of Arab nations from other problems. Instead, it must be a cause for action to help the Palestinian people develop the institutions that will sustain their state; to recognize Israel's legitimacy; and to choose progress over a self-defeating focus on the past.
Again he doesn't call for the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. Now he calls for the internationalization of Israel's capital Jerusalem:
America will align our policies with those who pursue peace, and say in public what we say in private to Israelis and Palestinians and Arabs. We cannot impose peace. But privately, many Muslims recognize that Israel will not go away. Likewise, many Israelis recognize the need for a Palestinian state. It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true.

Too many tears have flowed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed (peace be upon them) joined in prayer
During the campaign, I warned all lovers of Israel, that Barack Obama would abandon the state of Israel, today he foreshadowed that abandonment to the Muslim world

Here is Pamela's Take on Atlas Shrugs and Robert Spencer's Take on Jihad Watch  (Sorry Charlie).

Ed Morrissey disagrees with me he says that Obama’s Cairo speech was surprisingly good I recommend that you go to Hot Air and read his take, then you decide. Click Here to read Ed's Post. Eds Boss, Michelle Malkin was not as positive as he was

Israellycool gives the Israeli perspective of the speech here Elder of Ziyon has pointed out some of the troubling parts of Obama’s speech, as does  Soccer Dad and Gateway Pundit.

WND's Aaron Klein provides his analysis from Jerusalem here

UPDATE: I had the honor of being on the G. Gordon Liddy Show to discuss the president's speech If you would like to hear it, the podcast is here

13 comments:

Findalis said...

He has tried to throw them under the bus, but they are not there yet. For a more humorous look at his speech: http://tinyurl.com/qlycnp

Shaul B said...

As offended as I am also by his speech, I think you've read him wrong.
IMHO, Barack Obama is not evil, just clueless.
Doesn't make the situation any better, of course, but he's not so much out to nail us as he is out to lunch...

Jay.Mac said...

I find it interesting that he quoted an Islamic story (the Isra) to illustrate his point. Surely as a Christian he is aware that Islam has claimed Moses and Jesus as Islamic prophets? His audience is surely is.

The story has nothing to do with Jew, Christian and Muslim praying together- rather they were all a part of the Islamic tradition in this telling.

If Obama's plans for the Middle East come to fruition, it surely won't be long before the state formerly known as Israel is indeed an Islamic nation.n

Carol_Herman said...

FROM CAROL HERMAN

Obama is NO friend of the Jews! Plus, the ones he knows are far left liberals. And, you can always go and eat their candy. Jews lost to Blacks, starting with the 1963 riots in Chicago and NYC. And, then on campuses. And, then in America's military. Just about everywhere you needed "connections" to get ahead.

Of course, now you can see it. The "teleprompter man" is exposed. He sees Jerusalem as the capital of the 'palestinian' state; and he denies that this group of arabs have suffered in jordan and eygpt. This is just the UN's answer to Israel's existence. And, yes, there will always be people who believe this stuff! Doesn't mean it's a winning tactic. To say nothing of almost 50% of the voters who didn't vote for Obama!

Politics in America won't change too soon, because both parties try to lock out "outsiders." While they also control who gets to sit on the bench.

There was a "funny" happening as Caroline Kennedy found out she was no longer considered "game." And, a Rahm Emanuel "pick" got seated in the senate. This seat returns to the ballot box in November 2010.

And, even if you think politicians have all the ammunition they need to recover; I don't believe that for one minute.

In other words? In other words, I believe Obama will turn into a miscalculation that so far has belonged to Jimmy Carter. Still, I just vote. I have to wait to see.

Carol_Herman said...

FROM CAROL HERMAN

You know the picture that shot up in my mind? It was as if Obama climbed onto a bulldozer "thinking he could throw Israel under the bus." I think he's wrong. I think this speech isn't going to be popular in the USA.

I also think it was dumb of Obama, to come into office, without changing Dubya's FAILED Mideast rhetoric.

If Dubya didn't lose popularity, which he did. Over this very subject, Condi Rice would have been the Black grabbing at the GOP nomination. That she lost this in the summer of 2006, should teach Israelis something about Americans.

Just as those "bulldozer maniacs" are stopped in their tracks by ordinary Israeli Citizens in Jerusalem.

Like traffic accidents, you can't stop terror. But, yes, you can stop terror in its tracks!

Give Bibi time. Let's hope he's not so frightened that he falls out of his PM's chair.

The Halli Casser-Jayne Show, Talk Radio for Fine Minds said...

The Obama White House released a video in conjunction with his speech, which was meant to show the world that America has many fine, upstanding Muslims, some who even work for our govt. One of the woman in the video spoke to her parents. Her mother she called "a Palestinian-American, who was born in raised in the U.S. The woman also spoke of her father, and said in the video," my father is from "northern Palestine." Now, as far as I know, there is no such place as "Northern Palestine." There is northern Israel. But, apparently, not in the view of the White House.
See: http://www.thecjpoliticalreport.com/my_two_sense1.html

Halli Casser-Jayne

DemoCaster said...

Excellent article!

Watch what Jon Voight told me about Obama's approach.

DemoCast.TV

Leo said...

Did you catch Obama's speech? Notice he never said "Jewish state".

Israel is not "a" or "the" Jewish state in the sense that it does not belong to Jews or Judaism. It belongs to its citizens! Now, Israel can define itself any way it wants, but Israel can't expect the world to view Israel as anything but a state belonging to its citizens, the same way any other state is viewed. Therefore the demand by Israel that Hamas recognize Israel as a Jewish state is absurd on its face. 20% of Israelis are Arabs, and such a definition would disenfranchise them. It would be like saying the US is a a Christian state.

Human rights and self determination individual rights. Iran does not belong to Persians, Italy does not belong to Etruscans, the US does not belong to Christians. Starting to see a pattern?

Self determination only makes sense by geographic contiguity. Self determination by religion, race, ethnicity, or hobbies, would lead to the fractal-ization and bantustan-ization of the map of the world. Borders would constantly have to be redefined. The Kurds for example doesn't have a right to state. But the Kurds in Turkey have the right to Turkish citizenship and the Kurds In Iraq to Iraqi citizenship and those in Iran to Iranian citizenship. People have the right to stay in their towns and villages and be full citizens in whatever state claims their town or village as part of it.

If Israel wants to keep the West Bank, it has to extend citizenship to all West Bank residents. Israel cannot keep the West Bank in an eternal state of occupation. It's already been 40 years. Israel has to annex it or get out, and certainly it's wrong and illegal for Israel to have built and continue to build more settlements in a place where it has not extended citizenship to all residents already there at the time Israel gained possession(1967).

Strident Conservative said...

http://www.stridentconservative.com/2009/06/04/obama-equates-holocaust-to-palestinian-pursuit-of-homeland/

mangabalanga said...

I thought the Israel/Palestine segment was the strongest part of the speech. And it's too damn bad if he didn't mention every little detail that supports your side of the argument, because he a) still called out all those who deny the holocaust, b) still called out all who deny Israel's right to exist, and c) he still managed to perfectly call out Palestinian violence. Social change happens best and lasts longest through thought-out, nonviolent social movements, and if the Palestinian people really want to the moral high ground, they'll stop blowing themselves up and get with it.

Like I said, I enjoyed the speech.

Jonathan said...

B.O. said during the campaign that he was firm in his support for Israel.

So, my question for Jews who voted for this schmuck is this: How does his #ss taste now?

David said...

President Obama used his speech on the 19th anniversary of the ADA to outline his disability policies — about time. And as strong an Obama admirer as I am, I think we’re in trouble.

The roughly 22-minutes-long clip opened with Obama’s admiration for his father-in-law, who had MS and “never complained,” even when he had to get up a flight of stairs with two canes, and how he “never missed a day of work.” Obama’s comments feed into the whole “super crip” stereotype, and it’s troubling that Obama can’t identify the dynamic of oppression at play in his depiction of his father-in-law’s disability.

Visit

Bob from district 9 said...

"elusive. It is easy to point fingers - "for Palestinians to point to the displacement brought by Israel's founding, ...

Displacement? I am surprised he didn't use the word nabka (catastrophe) that's what the Muslims call it. Again accepting Muslim propaganda, the President doesn't make the point that the Arab Palestinian's weren't thrown out, the were told to leave by the Arab League states. "

Now that part is a lie. It is true that *SOME* Palestinians left because they were warned by the Arab League, but they always expected to return. Others were forced out by Israeli forces.

"Again he doesn't call for the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state."

And he shouldn't. No religion has the right to claim a nation. Christianity has no right to claim America, and Islam has no right to claim Palestine.

Unless you can create land you have no right to claim it for your personal prejudices.

The only right to claim a land belongs to the people, all the people.

To one of your followers:

"I find it interesting that he quoted an Islamic story (the Isra) to illustrate his point. Surely as a Christian he is aware that Islam has claimed Moses and Jesus as Islamic prophets? His audience is surely is."

That was an excellent point for Obama to make. Emphasizing the commonalities between us is important in bringing people to agreement.

As to Mr Lid...

You are a fool if you think hammering away is the route to peace. Of course you don't, you only want total victory, since no other route can lead to peace without concessions.

When Obama did not name those he was calling out, they knew who he was targeting. If you need them named then you are the one who cannot see.