Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Points Out the Obvious, While Missing the Point

Writing over at Foreign Policy, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon, points out that the UN Human Rights Council is absurd because so many of the member nations are human rights abusers. Point taken. One of the major problems that has dogged the legitimacy of almost every council and agency within the UN is […]

It’s Official: Entire World Sick of United States Protectionism Towards Israel

A hearty congratulations to the Obama administration is in order- the administration which raised hopes around the world that it would deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a more even-handed manner has managed to not only help cause one of the worst Israeli-Palestinian rifts in decades but they have actually managed to piss off pretty […]

Israel Continues to Illegally Withhold Palestinian Tax Revenue as Collective Punishment

These funds are not international donations but rather tax revenue that legitimately belong to the Palestinian Authority. Pretty much the entire world, including the EU and US, have demanded requested that Israel turn over the funds. Of course, Israel, being the great ally of the US, Europe, Scandanavia that it is, has once again thumbed […]

Are We Witnessing the Beginning of a Change in Discourse on Israel-Palestine?

It goes without saying that for the past 30 or so years in the U.S., real debate about our policy on Israel and Palestine is almost non-existent in any real sense of the word. The media, politicians, commentators etc. stick to one theme- unwavering, blind, unquestioning support for Israel no matter what, even if it […]

Every Media Outlet Proclaims Israel Accepts Quartet Statement to Return to Negotiations Without Preconditions But Leaves Out Israel’s Demand for Preconditions

This is so frustrating but predictable. I did a search of major news sources- Washington post, MSNBC, NYT, Reuters and even read the State Department press briefing from yesterday and with the exception of the Israeli Daily Haaretz, all are reporting Israel will return to negotiations based on the Quartet statement and is urging the […]

Chutzpah: Bibi Netanyahu to Demand Quartet Change Mideast Peace Plan Statement

After the US and our allies have spent the past however many months running around arm-twisting and cajoling the world to deny the Palestinians any recognition at the United Nations, after the US has intervened on behalf of Israel with regard to deteriorating ties with Turkey, Jordan and Egypt, after the US President gave a […]

How A Strong Sovereign Should Respond to a Slap in the Face From an Ally

While the U.S. rewards Israel for each public and private slap in the face leveled at the President, German Chancellor Angela Merkel demonstrated the appropriate response after being taken for granted by Bibi Netanyahu: German Chancellor Angela Merkel took Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly to task Friday over last week’s decision to approve 1,100 housing […]

Washington Post: Support for Palestinians at UN is Anti-Semitism *updated*

The Washington Post is certainly working overtime to get Israel’s message out. Between Jackson Diehl, Richard Cohen, Jennifer Rubin and Fred Hiatt, it’s hard to tell who is a more effective hasbarist. In a guest commentary over at the WaPo, Robert Bernstein makes an argument that ends up minimizing true anti-Semitism as it tries to […]

Why The Two State Solution is Dead

One of the problems with the administration’s foreign policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that it increasingly ignores reality in favor of political expediency. The so-called “peace process” has become a time-honored endeavor for many, many Presidents and while 15-20 years ago there actually was the possibility of creating two states along lines that would […]

Palestinian Authority Rejects Quartet Proposal

The so-called Mideast Quartet issued a statement yesterday that was, quite frankly, insulting to the Palestinians. The Palestinians have rejected it. Given the stakes at the UN, you would think the US would allow the Quartet to actually issue something substantive for once but given the administration has tacked far to the right on Israel, […]

Israel LOVES Obama’s Speech at the United Nations

And well they should. After all, the ultimate goal of perpetual occupation, circular negotiations, continued settlement expansion and American protectionism has been achieved. To hear President Obama speak about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one could be forgiven for thinking that Obama has adopted the philosophy of right-wing Likud. Israel’s far, far, far-right racist Foreign Minister, Avigdor […]

US Brags About Denying Palestinians Legal Redress for Israel’s Human Rights Violations

I just got an email from the White House with bullet-points highlighting all the wonderful things the U.S. has done at the United Nations. There was a section on Israel. Here it is: Defending Israel Standing up for Israel at the UN: The Obama Administration has consistently and forcefully opposed unbalanced and biased actions against […]

The Price of Israel

There is a good article over at Foreign Policy about how most countries, including our European allies, are pretty much fed up with the United States’ constant pandering to even the most damaging, de-stabilizing Israeli dictates. The irony of course is that in doing Bibi’s bidding, the Obama administration is, in essence, validating right-wing Likud […]

It’s Nice to Know Australia Also Has Their Own Israel Problem

I guess the endless, pointless, stupor-inducing game “who is more supportive of Israel?” isn’t just an American political distraction. I’m disappointed in PM Julia Gillard of Australia. She should at least abstain from the UN vote as FM Rudd is suggesting. But it sounds like she may vote against the recognition of Palestinian statehood.

The Washington Post Continues to Carry Bibi Netanyahu’s Water

Richard Cohen is a hack, but given his lofty perch over at the WaPo, it’s important to call him out on his shameless need to put the interests of a foreign country over the interests of the United States: Israel’s dilemma is that the Middle East, for all the talk of revolution, is slipping backward. […]

Israeli Intelligence Says Failure of Peace Process Harming Israel’s Relations with Turkey and Egypt

It’s no secret that the inability to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict harms U.S. and Israeli interests in the region and that a viable, fair peace agreement would help ensure Israel’s long term security. Despite this, neoconservatives, Christian Zionists and some Jewish organizations roundly denounce this view, known formerly as linkage, because it helps them rationalize […]

State Department Says Israel’s Violation of Palestinian Rights is an ‘Internal Matter’ for Israel

As Kurt Vonnegut would say, “and so it goes.” From the State Dept. spokeswoman Victoria Nuland: QUESTION: Can the U.S. confirm the Israeli government’s eviction of Negev Bedouin Palestinians from territory unrecognized by Israel as Palestinian? If so, what do we know about the details of the removal from these communities? ANSWER: This is an […]

U.S. Threatens to Cut Off Aid to Palestinians if They Go to UN

This is interesting because the other day the State Dept. press spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, was asked about this issue and she said that Palestinian aid is based on the needs of the people, ie. it’s not a carrot or stick. It seems she wasn’t telling the truth. From Haaretz: The United States will stop all […]

Israel Lobby Gives Clinton & Obama Their Marching Orders

Over at Politico former AIPAC spokesman, Josh Block, argues that President Obama and Secretary Clinton better damn well get on top of this Palestinian statehood thing! Of course, Obama and Clinton are on top of this issue to such a degree that it begs the question, if the statehood declaration is only symbolic and largely […]

Israel’s Claim That Terrorist Attacks Came From Gaza Called Into Question

I’ll admit to feeling sort of vindicated by this story in the independent Israeli mag +972 after being verbally taken to the woodshed by a liberal American Rabbi on Twitter yesterday who felt the need to school me about how Hamas was responsible for the terror attacks in Southern Israel last week. All I was […]