tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675600882597316438.post5907749617827565567..comments2023-10-26T06:29:39.824-07:00Comments on The Magnes Zionist: Reprint: Why I Still Support ObamaJerry Haberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15173892714754718716noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675600882597316438.post-61395840850692036452008-06-06T14:39:00.000-07:002008-06-06T14:39:00.000-07:00He may prove a point which in the long run is very...He may prove a point which in the long run is very good for Israel i.e <B> A Democrat can become president without capturing the "Jewish vote.</B><BR/> <BR/>Released from this burden, the US might pursue more rational policies toward Israel and prevent Israeli governments from getting away with their irrational and self-destructive ones.<BR/><BR/>-PloniAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675600882597316438.post-54415417221271589722008-06-06T06:49:00.000-07:002008-06-06T06:49:00.000-07:00I would like to remind everyone out there of somet...I would like to remind everyone out there of something I have stated before in many of these internet forums....<BR/><BR/>All Presidents of the United State follow more or less the same policy regarding the Israeli/Arab conflict. Their stated goal is to get a more-or-less complete withdrawal of Israel to the pre-1967 lines and creation of a Palestinian state. A President Obama would be committed to this just like all his predecessors. The problems begin when whoever the President is begins to realize that a peace agreement along those lines is just not achievable. At this point the problems like what to do about Arab terrorism or (l'havdil) Jewish building in Judea/Samaria come up.<BR/>Don't forget that the Arabs overwhelmmingly supported the election of President Bush in 2000, assuming he would follow the policies of his father. In fact, he has. He is the first President to openly call for the creation of a Palestinian state. When the big suicide bomber war began late in 2000, his administration openly pressured Israel not to respond, and the government, under the supposedly "tough hawk" Sharon obeyed and didn't respond. This led to something like 1000 Israelis being murdered and thousands more wounded, all the while "tough hawk" Sharon was saying "restraint is strentgh" and "we can't do anything about it because this is what I promised President Bush". Finally, after the Passover Night massacre of March 2002, Sharon was forced to act and he succeeded in suppressing the terrorism coming from Judea/Samaria, and Bush was also forced to acquisce (so would a President Obama in the same situation), but realizing that the world doesn't like this, he decided to destroy Gush Katif, betraying explicit promises given to his voters. Fortunately for those who don't like Israel, Gaza has turned into a non-stop generator of terrorism and rocket attacks. In resonse the government has made it pretty clear that it will not use force to stop it, but it did evacuate soldiers from the area (civilians living in the rocket fire zone are on their own). Thus Ahmedinejad and HAMAS along with HIZBULLAH can speak pretty confidenly that things are going their way. I am saying these things to show that the "progressive" claim that President Bush is "pro-Israel" or "anti-Arab" is simply not true...no President has been a better friend of HIZBULLAH and HAMAS who have flourished since he came to power.<BR/>Add to this fact that Bush got rid of a bitter rival of Iran and Syria when he ousted the secular Sunnim regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and that Iraq will have pro-Iranian Shi'ite governments in the future. Also, President Bush insisted that the Palestinian Authority conduct elections which HAMAS won. HIZBULLAH has now gotten official veto power over all decisions of the Lebanese government.<BR/><BR/>In summary, it is hard to see how a President Obama can be a better friend to the radical Arab/Muslim movements than President Bush has been.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675600882597316438.post-67943355652964546082008-06-05T15:04:00.000-07:002008-06-05T15:04:00.000-07:00Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't voting for marg...Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't voting for marginal candidates in Israel, with its system of proportional representation, very different from doing so in the US, with its first-past-the-post system?<BR/><BR/>SFStephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675600882597316438.post-27887152718946212232008-06-05T10:05:00.000-07:002008-06-05T10:05:00.000-07:00You write: "To expect the Palestinians and their a...You write: "To expect the Palestinians and their allies to have the clout in the US that the Jews have is wishful thinking."<BR/><BR/>Very true and lamentable, as is the fact that when it comes to matters of US policy towards Israel neither does the rest of the population.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7675600882597316438.post-89972543528891405252008-06-05T06:17:00.000-07:002008-06-05T06:17:00.000-07:00Obama realizes, as a REAL pro-Palestinian, that Pa...Obama realizes, as a REAL pro-Palestinian, that Palestinian suffering is due almost entirely to their own dreadful leadership that uses and abuses their arab citizens (just like the rest of the arab/muslim world). The sad fact is Palestinian leadership cares as much for their own civilians as the rest of world Arab/Muslim leadership cares for Palestinians (they're only fodder against Israel and nothing more). Obama seems to understand this. You don't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com