OPINION LEFT: Now Is the Time for Middle East Peace Talks
Gil Kaufman
2010/09/04 14:00:00
|
|
|||||
|
27 votes
|
|
46% | |||
|
32 votes
|
|
54% | |||
There are a million reasons why now is the wrong time for the Obama administration to try and reboot Middle East peace talks. Actually, there are 10 million reasons.
That’s how many Americans remain out of work as the White House announced its intentions this week to try and get Israelis and Palestinians back to the bargaining table after two years of violence and crossed swords. You can almost hear the chorus of boo birds complaining about how focusing on a seemingly intractable, unsolvable conflict overseas now will once again take the administration’s eye off the most important battle of all: the war to revive the American economy.
But will it?
I held out hope that the official winding down of our engagement in Iraq would somehow provide one of those phantom boosts to the markets and to the spirit that could help light the spark of economic recovery. It still might.
Unlike President George W. Bush, who treated Mideast peace like a high school senior using Wikipedia to finish a term paper he forgot about until the night before it was due, the Obama team has had its eye on the issue since day one.
The White House has plenty to deal with domestically, but a win on Middle East peace -- a goal that has eluded every president since Jimmy Carter – would provide proof positive that the Obama era is one in which the U.S. is once again an active, engaged global citizen. It could signal that even as our own citizens struggle, we can look outside of ourselves and work to end this seemingly intractable conflict at the same time. (Just imagine if single-tasker Sen. John McCain, who had to suspend his campaign to think about the financial crisis, had won the election.)
Middle East peace has become the Loch Ness monster of diplomacy, a hard- to-see, unicorn-like mythical creature that every president and secretary of state feels compelled to chase, but which always eludes their grasp. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has purposely kept expectations low and Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, made it clear that it wants no part of the peace talks by killing four Israeli settlers on Tuesday.
They’ve cleared the first hurdle, as Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas have already agreed to meet again to continue preliminary talks. If Secretary Clinton can get the two sides to sit down on a regular basis, and then hammer out an acceptable two-state solution that ends decades of war, or even get both sides to consider it, how will the world react?
More than the stock market rising above 15,000, or unemployment dipping back under seven percent, a Middle East settlement, or even the promise of one, could provide the jolt needed to get the train back on track and restore confidence in an America that knows no obstacles.
That's the America I know. And that's the America I miss.
Could Middle East Peace Talks Help Revive the American Economy?
That’s how many Americans remain out of work as the White House announced its intentions this week to try and get Israelis and Palestinians back to the bargaining table after two years of violence and crossed swords. You can almost hear the chorus of boo birds complaining about how focusing on a seemingly intractable, unsolvable conflict overseas now will once again take the administration’s eye off the most important battle of all: the war to revive the American economy.
But will it?
I held out hope that the official winding down of our engagement in Iraq would somehow provide one of those phantom boosts to the markets and to the spirit that could help light the spark of economic recovery. It still might.
Unlike President George W. Bush, who treated Mideast peace like a high school senior using Wikipedia to finish a term paper he forgot about until the night before it was due, the Obama team has had its eye on the issue since day one.
The White House has plenty to deal with domestically, but a win on Middle East peace -- a goal that has eluded every president since Jimmy Carter – would provide proof positive that the Obama era is one in which the U.S. is once again an active, engaged global citizen. It could signal that even as our own citizens struggle, we can look outside of ourselves and work to end this seemingly intractable conflict at the same time. (Just imagine if single-tasker Sen. John McCain, who had to suspend his campaign to think about the financial crisis, had won the election.)
Middle East peace has become the Loch Ness monster of diplomacy, a hard- to-see, unicorn-like mythical creature that every president and secretary of state feels compelled to chase, but which always eludes their grasp. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has purposely kept expectations low and Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, made it clear that it wants no part of the peace talks by killing four Israeli settlers on Tuesday.
They’ve cleared the first hurdle, as Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas have already agreed to meet again to continue preliminary talks. If Secretary Clinton can get the two sides to sit down on a regular basis, and then hammer out an acceptable two-state solution that ends decades of war, or even get both sides to consider it, how will the world react?
More than the stock market rising above 15,000, or unemployment dipping back under seven percent, a Middle East settlement, or even the promise of one, could provide the jolt needed to get the train back on track and restore confidence in an America that knows no obstacles.
That's the America I know. And that's the America I miss.
Could Middle East Peace Talks Help Revive the American Economy?
Top Opinion
-
Joseph E. Bowker, CMSgt, US... 2010/09/04 23:28:43No, it's not our battle to end
+7Conservaturds are looking for another Waterloo, piss on America, just so long as President Obama is projected as a loser. You might have forgotten, the Republicans, GOP, need Obama to fail so they can win, and will do what ever it takes.
Just last week four Israelis including a pregnant woman were shot dead whilst the "peace talks" where going on. Hamas threatened more violence fired another rocket.
We have been down this road before and each time the Arabs refuse and start waves of violence and murder. Case in point 2000 when 97% of the land was offered Arafat refused and started the second intafada, Israel withdrew 100% from Gaza, ethnically cleansing its Jewish population and as a thank you got 600 more rockets fired into it.
When any future state would make it ILLEGAL for Jews to live there or make it illegal for Jews to own houses there one can immediately realise these people are not serious about land or peace.
"Palestinian"Authority court: Sale of Palestinian land to Israelis is punishable by death
http://www.haaretz.com/news/d...
"Palestinian" Authority: Give us a State or It's War
http://www.israelnationalnews...
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEa...
“Moderate” Palestinian Leader, Abbas, Demands that a Future Palestinian State Must be Completely “Judenfrei”
August 2, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: Antisemitism, Guardian | by Adam Levick
(Here’s something to take into conside...
Just last week four Israelis including a pregnant woman were shot dead whilst the "peace talks" where going on. Hamas threatened more violence fired another rocket.
We have been down this road before and each time the Arabs refuse and start waves of violence and murder. Case in point 2000 when 97% of the land was offered Arafat refused and started the second intafada, Israel withdrew 100% from Gaza, ethnically cleansing its Jewish population and as a thank you got 600 more rockets fired into it.
When any future state would make it ILLEGAL for Jews to live there or make it illegal for Jews to own houses there one can immediately realise these people are not serious about land or peace.
"Palestinian"Authority court: Sale of Palestinian land to Israelis is punishable by death
http://www.haaretz.com/news/d...
"Palestinian" Authority: Give us a State or It's War
http://www.israelnationalnews...
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEa...
“Moderate” Palestinian Leader, Abbas, Demands that a Future Palestinian State Must be Completely “Judenfrei”
August 2, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: Antisemitism, Guardian | by Adam Levick
(Here’s something to take into consideration the next time a Palestinian leader is quoted uncritically in the Western press expressing outrage that Israel – where Arabs make up a full 20% of the population – is trying “Judaize” parts of the country.)
Courtesy of Jonathan D. Halevi (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs):
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas revealed his version of his contacts with Israel during the Olmert government and his basic principles for a political agreement. On July 28, as reported by the Palestinian WAFA news service, he told journalists in Cairo:
“I’m willing to agree to a third-party that would supervise the agreement, such as NATO forces, but I would not agree to having Jews among the NATO forces, or that there will live among us even a single Israeli on Palestinian land.”
(This JCPA report represents the kind of critical context you simply will never get from the writers at The Guardian.)
LOL, Only a true blue Liberal would think Mid East Peace talks would in any way help get the U.S. Economy back on track... It's typical Liberal "FEEL GOOD" rhetoric as usual and only a diversion from the 20 month reality of disastrous economic policies.
Hey Obama heads.... how about he concentrates on helping America!
If America doesn't help fix Israels problems, and the world starts to look at Israel as an entirely illegitamate place, then Israel may cease to exist, therefore compromising the US militarys logistics (landing or launching or whatever) as with regarding that part of the world, for now, and future.
It doesn't spend all that money on defense for nothing like.
America went all out to hold onto Berlin all those years. Almost 60 miles inside the East German border. So Israel, which is of actual use, will be looked after big time.
These talks aren't done out of the goodness of Americas heart, nor was 'giving' the Jews a place they could call their home.
Thats how I view it all anyway.
P.S. It is good "karma" though, which may have powerfully good 'vibrations'! Say a prayer, teddybear!
Here's some facts:
http://www.globalsecurity.org...
http://www.thedavidproject.or...
http://www.jewishvirtuallibra...
http://www.imra.org.il/story....
Benefits to the US EXCEED cost:
http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/...
Giving Turkey money the nation that committed genocide against the Armenians, have a abysmal human rights record, brutally oppress the Kurds and where honour killing is common place a country whose secular nature is being changed to more Islamic fundamentalist.
Although this is reason why Turkey shouldn't enter the EU. The reasons remain valid.
We have NO bases there - nothing!
70% of all of our supplies flow through Turkey- through which we can easily access the entire ME region.
ANd we have an ACTUAL BASE OF OPERATIONS THERE.
Turkey has been our ally- not Israel. We just give Israel lots of money -for no return.
What launches, what landing?
We do that in Turkey.
Maybe we should be giving her 3 billion dollars a year.
These are the worlds' declared percentages of religions Chritistians= 33% Muslims= 21% and Jews= 0.23%! Atheists or Non declared= 10%) From the CIA World Factbook.
Something stinks, and I don't know what. I'll look it up though, I automatically believed the US had they're 'way', god forgive me, with Israel.
I'll talk to you again, I've moved to Galway from Kilkenny so I don't have much time to use computers!
It also helped when the neocons decided to play on the stupidity of the evangelical right Christians and use them to kkep pumping weapons and money into Israel.
Or look at the second largest lobby n America- only after AARP(Ammerican association of retired people)
AIPAC- American;Israel Public Affairs COmmittee- whose on;y function is to funnel american tax dollars- yes, that's right- to Israel.
One could also ask why Pro-Israeli Jewish politicians are over-represented by
more than 5 times their population,
1.7% of the population of America is Jewish, yet they hold 10% of all seat in the HOuse.
The most disproportionately represented group here.
I love CIA Factbook-
Religions:
Christians 33.32% (of which Roman Catholics 16.99%, Protestants 5.78%, Orthodox 3.53%, Anglicans 1.25%), Muslims 21.01%, Hindus 13.26%, Buddhists 5.84%, Sikhs 0.35%, Jews 0.23%, Baha'is 0.12%, other religions 11.78%, non-religious 11.77%, atheists 2.32% (2007 est.)
https://www.cia.gov/library/p...
Egyptian police kill Sudanese refugee trying to infiltrate Israel
Victim is first killed by police while trying to reach Israel; IDF abandons 46 refugees in Be'er Sheva market.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/e...
How the Mubarak Regime Enables the Persecution of Egypt's Copts
http://www.meforum.org/2599/e...
What does Egypt do for the US?
Compare that to Israel more university graduates, Phds, scientists, engineers, scientific papers written (contributing to science), patents owned (meaning it innovates), technology start up companies (meaning its cutting edge), Nobel Prize Winners 169 than any other country on earth. It leads the world in water irrigation technology, exports more life saving medical equipment than any other nation on earth on a per capita basis. That means it saves lives like no other. Its the only democracy in the region.
It sends its experts all over the world in disaster. It sent more people to Haiti than the EU and Arab world combined, It help the Turks in their earthquake, Iran (Bam) during their earthquake, Sudan its doctors give people sight, the Tsunami it sent people and gave a Tsunami early warning system. The Arab muslims do no such thing.
There is not a single of the 22 Arab Muslim countries that is a democracy there rulers are ALL autocrac...
Compare that to Israel more university graduates, Phds, scientists, engineers, scientific papers written (contributing to science), patents owned (meaning it innovates), technology start up companies (meaning its cutting edge), Nobel Prize Winners 169 than any other country on earth. It leads the world in water irrigation technology, exports more life saving medical equipment than any other nation on earth on a per capita basis. That means it saves lives like no other. Its the only democracy in the region.
It sends its experts all over the world in disaster. It sent more people to Haiti than the EU and Arab world combined, It help the Turks in their earthquake, Iran (Bam) during their earthquake, Sudan its doctors give people sight, the Tsunami it sent people and gave a Tsunami early warning system. The Arab muslims do no such thing.
There is not a single of the 22 Arab Muslim countries that is a democracy there rulers are ALL autocracies, theocracies, dictatorships or authoritarian. There rulers fear their people. Israel needs nothing from the Arabs muslim world we fought them when they waged a war against us and they lost.
What intelligence do they have or can they give? Like I said they contribute nothing.
Here's a few facts about Israel and what it has done in the last 62 years: Israel has more university graduates, Phds, scientists, scientific papers written, engineers, patents owned (meaning it innovates), Nobel Prize winners (meaning it gives to humanity), new technology start up companies per capita than any other country on earth. Its universities are ranked in the world top 100, its a the only democracy in in the region. And there are only 7 million Jews in Israel (14 million in the world)
Compare that to muslims 1.6 billion 9 Nobel Prizes, excluding their oil production 22 out of the 44 muslim countries have a TOTAL COMBINED manufacturing output equal to Finland! Not a single university ranked in the world top 100 and they have 56 countries.
Israel exports more life saving medical equipment per capita than ANY other nation on earth which means that Israel SAVES lives.
Muslims:
10,000 Islamist terrorist attacks since 9/11 -60,000 dead and 90,000 injured
http://www.militantislammonit...
There's a...
Here's a few facts about Israel and what it has done in the last 62 years: Israel has more university graduates, Phds, scientists, scientific papers written, engineers, patents owned (meaning it innovates), Nobel Prize winners (meaning it gives to humanity), new technology start up companies per capita than any other country on earth. Its universities are ranked in the world top 100, its a the only democracy in in the region. And there are only 7 million Jews in Israel (14 million in the world)
Compare that to muslims 1.6 billion 9 Nobel Prizes, excluding their oil production 22 out of the 44 muslim countries have a TOTAL COMBINED manufacturing output equal to Finland! Not a single university ranked in the world top 100 and they have 56 countries.
Israel exports more life saving medical equipment per capita than ANY other nation on earth which means that Israel SAVES lives.
Muslims:
10,000 Islamist terrorist attacks since 9/11 -60,000 dead and 90,000 injured
http://www.militantislammonit...
There's a guy called speedy who makes blogs check out what Israel does.for the US and free world and what it faces. People will spin their lies because they think people don't know. The more knowledge you have which you can check the better for you.
She lies Israel NEVER received billions of dollars for 62 years check my links out
AIPAC only has SEVEN lobbiests
I think muslims are just jealous because Jews tend to work hard and succeed in life whilst they tend to never achieve much. The next thing you'll hear is the Jews control Hollywood and the Banks but its Arab muslims that are major/or majority share holders.
Like I said 70% of the $3 billion goes on US defence because Israel has to. That goes US industry falls flat and jobs go. Can you imagine giving weapons to crazy muslim governments??
Nobel Prizes - Muslims VS. Jews
My Israel
The differnce between Jews and Muslims also is that Muslims are very poor. Don't forget, money talks, raggy walks.
P.S. If you like your facts, check out the 128 BILLION dollar arms deal going on between the US and Arab states. Who'd give crazy Muslim people guns? America! Fair play to her though, she made it to the top, and she's not letting go!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/wor...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ne...
God all the info you gave me, nice one! I'll read it all when I get access to a computer with a little more intimicay, I'm in a library in Galway! I fell to sleep and woke up here! Wha' happened!?
They also sent hundreds of their soldiers on a suicide mission to open up Korea for American troops in the late 50s.
They saved countless lives- and MacArthur called the Turkish Brigades the "heroes of heroes".
Today, our troops and 70% of ALL supplies that flow into our 2 theatres of war go through Incirlik Air Base, a hospitality from the Turks to the USA.
We could not begin to fight in the ME and Afghanistan without their help.
We've also given 3 TRILLION dollars in arms and weapons and technology and outright aid to Israel for the past 60 years.
And now Israel is beating the drums of war towards Iran, a country that has not attacked a neighbor in 2,500 years.
Whats your angle on Israel in general anyway. For or against? One simple answer! But elaborate though.
I'll take your word for the facts you gave me though.
Nishe one!
Khamanei (Khomeni was the Ayatollah during the Revolution in 79)
Yes, he looks like he could be Jewish.
For Israel.
Against the occupation.
And I think we should stop giving them weapons and money now.
Of course peace is better than war. Duh!
I don't think middle east peace talks will have an effect on the economy. They have failed time and time again in the past. Who can have any confidence that this round will do any better? Hamas control of Gaza, and Palestinian demands for a capital in East Jerusalem are simply irreconcilable.
And sadly, I don't think the American people in general have much interest in these talks or what they are about. And, more importantly, I don't think Obama knows a great deal about the situation in Israel either.
If by some miracle Obama is able to broker a deal, I will be first in line to offer kudos; I just don't see it happening.
NOBODY buys Obama's Messianic Complex anymore..
He's NOT going to make the Seas recede..
He's NOT going to UNITE the Country
He's NOT going to bring racial harmony to America and;;
He's NOT going to bring PEACE on Earth and Goodwill towards men..
Not ONLY will he FAIL in this but it was HOPELESS from the Start..
Every President in the past has Failed in this and the reasons are SIMPLE..
There will be NO Peace in the region until the parties involved WANT Peace in the Region..
As for THIS comment,," the Republicans, GOP, need Obama to fail so they can win, and will do what ever it takes."
THIS is NONSENSE.. Republicans,, the GOP and MOST Americans need Obama to FAIL so that AMERICA can win..
When Obama WINS,, America and Americans ( AND their Children and GRANDCHILDREN to come ) SUFFER..
On the OTHER hand.. He MAY just get another Nobel Peace Prize out of this..
He got the FIRST one for absolutely NOTHING and the AWARD no longer MEANS anything anyway so what the hell,, WHY NOT?????
Hell.. GIVE him the CONGRESSIONAL Medal of HONOR too while we're AT it....
Check my links out and other answers.
(breathe)
Haaaaahahahahahahahahha.
There will be no peace, and there will be no economy until the clowns leave town. That has nothing to do with peace, peace talks, or the weather.