The US shrugged off Israel’s small settlement announcement yesterday, insisting that it would have no impact on peace talks, even as Palestinian officials were condemning it and analysts were wondering why Israel did so as Vice President Joe Biden was arriving in the nation. Today, the other shoe fell.
Vice President Biden was in the nation still today, delivering the sort of pro-Israel speech one might expect from him – complete with the claim that Israel’s government is the “central bolt” that allows all existence to even be possible. Not long after, Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai announced one of the largest settlement expansions in years, 1,600 new housing units that are almost certain to derail the peace talks and which Israel’s media says has humiliated Biden, the highest ranking Obama Administration official yet to visit the nation.
Biden condemned the new settlement announcement in as clear a terms as possible, but was clearly shaken. He arrived 90 minutes late for a dinner meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and his planned meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, aimed at kick-starting the peace talks, will be awkward to say the least.
Netanyahu was quick to praise Biden as a “true friend of Israel,” and to deny that the move was designed to embarrass him. Yishai’s opposition to the peace talks hasn’t exactly been a secret, however, and the timing seems clearly designed to do the maximum possible damage to the peace process.
I'm afraid Israel no longer knows the meaning of the English language with regard to embarrassment. If making announcements about continued building in Palestinian lands before and after the visit of the 2nd highest official in their friendly neighbour, the USA, they are out of touch with reality. But then again, if Obama and Biden were to cut off the 3-4 billion dollars of US yearly support to Israel, the Congress and Senate would take the side of Israel. When will the average American wake up to what is happening.
Israel is dirt
"When will the average American wake up to what is happening. "
They won't not as long as American Idol is more important than some piddly little war in Afghanistan or the Arab-Israeli conflict is still ongoing. Kind of use to it by now so why worry?
Soon it will be summer and I will be to busy to care, then it will be football season, well I will care after the season ends, but by then it will be a new year…I will care next year. Signed the American People
The next step is for the Likud to simply publicly order Obama to appear in Tel Aviv, prepared to attack Iraq, or face defeat in the next election. An open declaration that they are in charge of the United States is only a small extension of their attitude right now. And why not? They might actually find that in reality, they are.
Whoops. I meant, of course, prepared to attack Iran.
Israel owns the US government–a condition that would not exist if we got rid of elections and removed politicians from power.
Serving in Congress should be similar to jury duty. A district's representative would be selected at random till someone willing and able to serve was selected for a single 4-year term. Half the districts would select their representative every second year. We could have a single chamber of Congress of, say, 435 members. The Congress would elect the president for a two-year term from among its members who have served in Congress for two years. The job of the president would be to supervise the federal bureaucracy and the military, but he/she would be subservient to the Congress.
Getting rid of elections would also get rid of partisanship and give Congress a more diverse membership rather than being populated primarily by sleazy, self-serving lawyers. The level of intelligence would be about the same as it is now, but the level of patriotism and good character would increase greatly. Anyone found guilty of corruption should be punished severely.
The best way to end terrorism is to cut Israel off from any of our billions of dollars of support and blind protection and allow them to reap what they have sown for themselves.
But knowing our government does not serve "we the people" and only it's corporate masters this will not happen.
Bring the Revolution!
What a shame that America's corrupt and degenerate political class is owned by the Zionist scum.
The Israeli's might not say it publicly so I'll say it for them, "Joe, shut the hell up and just give us the money and anything else we demand. BTW: we need some more white phosphorus".
When are we going to pull all monetary support for Israel? Answer: NEVER
No amount of hand wringing and or editorializing will rein in Israel. The US has leverage, if only we had the ba**s to use it. We give 3bn in aid to Israel every year. The solution therefore is to cut off the money and tell Israel to go to Hell. And…if they start a war with Iran…they are on their own. Were our so-called leadership under Hillary and company to stop kissing the Israeli butts and tell them its our way or the highway…things would I think change for the better. If we examine the ledger, our Israeli investment and uncritical support has not produced anything positive for the US. Israel is an anchor around our necks.
All true Bruce. Just shows you how powerful the Zionist lobby really is in Washington.
End the charade of a 2 state solution. Tthere is not enough land left for an economically viable state for the indigenous population. The US should push for a single state encompasing jews and non jews with equal rights.
If the zionist want to preserve the "jewishness" of the state then offer $200,000 to each non jewish household to move out. Even if the US taxpayers pick up the tab of about $200 billion it would be a great investment toward ending these endless wars.
I'd rather pay to resettle Israel on the dark side of the moon.
In a way, I'm grateful that our Jewish Supremacist Masters sometimes get playful with their humble puppet-servants and make them do a little public bootlicking…serves as a periodically needed practical reminder of who's who and what's what.
Moreover, even malignant narcissists like our Masters need to take a break from the tedium of everyday treachery and have a little "clean" fun every now and again.
Israel not only shames "Zionist Joe", but the entire chickenshit world. And, by the way, what the U.S. shuffles over every year to Israel is far more than the "official 3 billion", it's more or less in the neighbourhood of 14 billion, probably more. Sadly, the U.S. seems to be institutionalized with Israel, an evil duo, indeed. Sorry, I forgot the UK with it's illustrious leader Gordon, Brownwash. So, cancel the evil duo for the evil trio.
9/11 would have never happened if we had not supported Israel for the last thirty years.
Endless war by the U.S. for Israel until the Zionists destroy America.
The zionists have bought our congrssmen and women and they bdo what the zionists tell them to do. Unless we play their game and buy the polititions to vote against Israel by ending aid to them, we will continue to be Israel's puppet. Israel is succeeeding in all areas to have all of Paleestine and drive the non Jews out. They have stolen so much of the West Bank and settled it that a two state solution is not possible. There must be one state with equal rights for Jews and nonJews. The Jews, however, will never accept that, unless the US stops proping up this zionist state. Zionism is indeed racism.
Time to dump Israel
They are biting the hand that feeds them.