Aaron Goldstein has this to say about the administration's decision to publicly vilify Israel:
Amazing as it would seem, by all appearances the Obama Administration is angrier at Israel for building houses for Jews than it is at Iran for building a nuclear weapon intended to kill Jews. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is undoubtedly grinning from ear to ear. And why shouldn't he? When he and the Mullahs crushed the streets protests after last year's fraudulent Iranian elections; President Obama proclaimed it wasn't America's place to meddle.Think about that.
Meanwhile, Israel doesn't need to fire a single shot. It doesn't even need to break ground. All Israel had to do was to merely announce plans to build new housing in East Jerusalem and the full force of the Vice President, the Secretary of State and the President's top adviser came crashing down on the Jewish state like stone. All with President Obama's blessing.
3 comments:
It's reasonable to argue that Israel has had a free ride for years. For Israel's continuing building outside the "green line" in direct violation of UN restrictions does not show taking any kind of peace process seriously. What does "free ride" have to do with getting some movement out of Israel toward justice and peace?
Reading your comments always assures me of one thing: the President will always be asked for his ticket aboard your bus. Otherwise, reading your blog does help me cultivate the virtures of patience and perseverence. I thank you for that. May God continue to bless you. Dean.
Dean,
The prerequisite for discussing Israel’s mistakes is admitting that she is surrounded by countries and, worse, people that want her dead (not too quickly, though, since she functions as a convenient scapegoat), and a world that would prefer she simply disappear as a problem. From that perspective we can talk about the tragedy of the Palestinians. Gladly. But this administration wants to hold the coats of those who would “dialogue” with Israel using rocks and stones. Then, when she lies there in a bloody heap, will we weep over her tragic resistance to “justice and peace”?
The “principalities and powers” will always hate Jews, not because they hate Jews but because they hate the God who called them.
Gordon,
I will admit your "prerequisite". I think however, we have to admit another prerequisite for discussing both Israel's and Palestine's mistakes: both are caught up in that all-too familiar cycle of victim becoming victimizer. The downward spiral of violence and victim-making is utterly reciprocal and where did it all begin? Who started the cycle? Will either side agree that one is more victim than the other? Who cares because actually both are victims who use their victimization to justify their own victimizing. So who will take the risk to deal with the common call as "people of the Book" to take the risk for "justice and peace." Or, maybe without a cross in their field of view neither Israel nor Palestine will find it possible to take that risk. Dean
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