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It’s rather ironic that I actually find myself agreeing with Bolton’s assertion that Obama’s handling of National Security issues has been; ‘hesitant, inconsistent, and just plain wrong’…
As Bloomberg had reported earlier today, on Obama’s first ever veto of an UN Security Council resolution…
U.S. Vetoes Palestinian Bid at UN to Halt Israeli Settlements
…The U.S., while “rejecting in the strongest terms the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity,” voted against the measure out of concern for the impact on the future of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Ambassador Susan Rice said.
The Obama administration sought until the final hours before the vote to reach agreement with Arab diplomats on a compromise statement that would have increased pressure on Israel to cease settlement construction, while stopping short of calling it illegal or demanding a moratorium.
The Palestinian Authority rejected the proposal earlier in the day and notified U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to a statement from the office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The U.S. was alone in opposing the measure on the 15- member council, the UN’s principal policy-making panel. It was the administration’s first veto of a UN resolution and marked the 10th time in the past 11 years that the U.S. has voted against a text considered to be critical of Israel.
“Every potential action must be measured against one overriding standard: Will it move the parties closer to negotiations and an agreement?” Rice said. “Unfortunately, this draft resolution risks hardening the positions of both sides. It could encourage the parties to stay out of negotiations.”
Al Jazeera added more flesh to the story…
The United States vetoed a UN resolution Friday that would have condemned Israeli settlements as “illegal” and called for an immediate halt to all settlement building.
All 14 other Security Council members voted in favour of the resolution.
British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, speaking on behalf of his country, France and Germany, condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank. “They are illegal under international law,” he said.
He added that the European Union’s three biggest nations hope that an independent state of Palestine will join the United Nations as a new member state by September 2011.
The Obama administration’s veto is certain to anger Arab countries and Palestinian supporters around the world. An abstention would have angered the Israelis, the closest US ally in the region, as well as Democratic and Republican supporters of Israel in the American Congress.
Washington says it opposes settlements in principal, but claims that the UN Security Council is not the appropriate venue for resolving the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told council members that the veto “should not be misunderstood to mean we support settlement activity.
“While we agree with our fellow council members and indeed with the wider world about the folly and illegitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity, we think it unwise for this council to attempt to resolve the core issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians,” she said.
As I’ve asked before, what’s the problem with one more UN Resolution directed at Israel…? They’ll only ignore it like the 65 other UN resolutions…
Btw, Ms. Rice, what would be the ‘proper venue’ for the Palestinians…?
*gah*
52 Comments
Why is the US led around by the nose by AIPAC? It makes us look irrational, weak, hypocritical and alienates us from the rest of the civilized world. I am just not seeing whatever upside there may be for our completely unconditional support for what is at the end of the day a racist theocracy run by violent Far-right wingnuts and fundamentalists as well as an unrepentant outlaw state with no respect for international law or human rights.
What gives here?
Great question…! ;-)
An abstention alone would’ve been sufficient and pleased the Palestinians, Arabs, EU, etc…!
Well..
Ali Abunimah wasn’t suprised at all. He reacted to everyone else.
Do you follow him on twitter? he’s @avinunu
I swear this guy is a rock!
Being Palestinian, he understands that expecting something from them only leads to disappointment.
Did you see the size of the crown in Egypt today? I’ll bet that many Israelis are looking for a way out, or at least they should since they have shown nothing but contempt for Egyptians fight for democracy and justice. AIPAC’s cheering today just adds another straw on the camel’s back…. 80 Million Egyptians who have just toppled their government…and 7 Million Israelis.. How long can this go on, really?
Angry Arab reports:
But it’s all so …. bipartisany. /s
I think the jury’s still out on the Egyptian Revolution…
Egypt opens Gaza border crossing – one way
Bibi had this to say…
As if…?
But, it gets even better…
Obama to cut funding for American poor but increases funding for Israel and other foreign nations…
Wtf…?
That whole quote from Netanyahu? I don’t believe a word of it.
U.S. veto of the UN resolution makes it’s “censure” of Israel impotent and meaningless.
I liked this Dov Waxman piece; he sees how it could go if Israel could only see it.
http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/18/israel_s_demophobia
I haven’t been very impressed with Susan Rice…
Ironically, I believe him… Note: ‘Israeli requirement of security’ and ‘the process of achieving secure peace’…! 8-(
Might as well be Condi Rice…! *gah*
IMHO, “we’ need to be showing our fellow citizens about the U.S.S. Liberty and how our foreign policy towards Israel is actually against our own interests,e.g. it serves as a breeding ground for dis-affected arabs and terrorism.
Of course that action also needs to be tied to getting off an economy dependent on oil; disagree about climate change with Kurzweil but his point about what we COULD do is accurate:
http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/02/ray-kurzweil-solar-panels-climate-change
Israel is fighting for land with no oil at a time when the entire Middle East is in turmoil but American foreign policy is still stuck on Israel.
Guess what if one major oil producer falls to the rebels America’s economy goes in the toilet with $5 a gallon gas.
Israel’s friends will disappear very quick then.
By losing their power the Arab governments might finally beat Israel.
LOL.. the jury’s out? Ben Wederman in Cairo says the energy and mood in the air is electric. Worry for Bahrain and Libya, not Egypt so much.
Look at this.. :) from my favorite news source, of course!
That’s not the only time they’ve attacked us and tried to blame it on Egypt.
This really came as quite a surprise. After all the commitment to change I felt sure Obama would take a stand here and at least keep up with history if he couldn’t lead it. Tunisia and Egypt in flames and most the rest of the Arab world clearly showing the future reality and our man in Washington, after trying to bribe his way along, fails where he could easily have set a fresh start.
Sorry, Barry, the Egyptians got it right you are the black Bush.
President Obama Arab- Israel policy failure.
Obama diverted the focus from the basic issue:
!! Arabs refusal to recognize the Jewish right to a independent state in the 3500 years old homeland is the key peace blocking factor!!
It was in 1947 and in 2010:
As a result of his policy the Palestinians are avoiding negations.
For years Palestinians and Israeli negotiated with some with some achievements and some drawbacks.
Recorded on Oslo agreement, President Clinton+ Barak+ Arafat cape David summit and Taba discussion/
PM Barak on Taba negotiations made an unprecedented offer to Arafat in exchange for a :
****formal letter stating that the conflict is over and no additional future requirements will be made****:
—The Palestinians open the deadly terrorist war against Israeli civilian—
————
Wikileake disclosed: Arab leaders demand USA to stop Islamist Iran by any means without any connection to Israel.
Obama required Israel to give up major heritage and security assets, pretending that this is a key issue to form a coalition with Arabs states against Islamist Iran NUK’s.
Obama knew first hand that his linkage is incorrect.
The politicians and people willing to contribute to a long standing peace are advised to require:
1: Arabs recognition of:
- Jewish right for their single state: Israel
-Palestinian right to create the number 23 Arab state.
2: Muslims governed by Arabs.—Jews and others governed by Israel.
-Israel will hand over to Palestinian government land inhabited by Arabs from Israel and the Jews from settlements will be governed by Israel.
-Arabs and Jew will remain in their current homes nobody will have to move physically.
3: Defining the boarders.
4: Solving the Refugees issue- Both Arabs and Jews from Arab countries.
5; Put and end to the Jews hate teaching and preaching in Arab world.
6; Arabs end of conflict declaration.
No additional issues are open for conflict continuation.
—————-
Background:
Every group of people prefers to be governed by their own.
Artificial boarders or imposed boarders are major reasons to conflicts.
Examples|::
Canada-French want their state: Belgian Flames want separations. Basques in Spain.
Czechoslovakia partition in 2 states
Irish and Scotts want independence from UK .
Tibet a nd China.
The many wars in Africa because tribes have been separated or united by Europeans in artificial state.
Kashmir- Cyprus- Kurds in Turkey and Iraq.
The Balkan wars.
The USSR partition into many states. Current wars in Russia.
Yeah, he could have exercised his famous vote of “present”. No matter though. His name will be recorded in history next to Neville Chamberlain as another great appeaser. Good thing he’s only got girls. They can change their name upon marriage without the stigma for doing so.
Eight-and-a-half months ago, I reported here in FDL’s The Seminal that President Obama’s disgraceful actions, inactions, and statements regarding the Sea of Marmara massacre of humanitarian aid workers constituted a UN veto threat to protect Israel from prosecution for atrocities. Through your report of today, mine from June 1, 2010, is proven correct. Yet prominent people here angrily rebuked me in the comments, because they did not recognize the veto threat. I did. It wasn’t ESP. It was there:
http://my.firedoglake.com/normanb/2010/06/01/obama-endorses-massacre-of-peaceful-activists-threatens-un-veto-to-support-piracy-murder/
I was said to be wrongly using free speech and shooting my mouth off.
Mondoweiss has some information on this point, why?
Obama gives big thumbs up to settlements at UN (and kills the two-state solution –Haber)
Philip Weiss
February 18, 2011
Some more complicity by the US in Israeli colonialism:
Omar Barghouti kept from entering the U.S. for BDS speaking tour
Feb 18, 2011
Adam Horowitz
I’d like Obama to give us his definition of “democracy” because it sure isn’t mine. All the US has done is put one dictator after another into power, most of them quite brutal. I agree strongly with Noam Chomsky, the last thing the US wants is democracy in the ME.
Israel wants/needs access to water. They are specifically eyeing the Litani River and would have already secured it had they not withdrawn from the 1978 conflict with Lebanon.
The US stands alone backing Israel!
Yet another case of the “The tail (Israel) wagging the dog (US)”
However, note what the “foreign press” has to say:
What really toasts my cookies is that so many of us really believed that Obama meant to try some whole noew paradigms toward peace. That he and Clinton and his team of sticks-not-carrots-Diplmats and beliggerent Defense cronies make a lie of that is both pitiful and enraging.
Yep — It sucks!
The 65 other UN resolutions (or is it more?) seem to indicate that once upon a time, the US was not run by AIPAC.
These settlements are illegal. Period. And waterboarding is torture. Torture is illegal. Period.
More bad Obama on this one.
The US being an honest broker in the Israeli-Arab dispute would be a refreshing change.
Memo to US politicians: Israel needs us more than we need them. So why are they leading us by the nose?
Actually, I need to add: Only when Clinton came on board did I really see the writing on the wall, and knew it was “all going to end in tears” — Oh well.
“…Memo to US politicians: Israel needs us more than we need them. So why are they leading us by the nose?…”
Hmmm… Weird via Booman’s blog talking about our “Jewish Causus” that has a strangle hold over our US Foreign Affairs committees:
However, when you go to the link these staunch booster club: Israel for Jews, promoters of the Jewish State of Israel etc. Congress members/Jewish causus quotes are no longer there?
Link: http://www.boomantribune.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2011/2/18/163025/196
Believe Netanyahu? Believe any Israeli PM going back to Begin? Only a fool….
How unsurprising. Israelis could cook and eat Palestinian babies and Obama, (or any US president), would veto a resolution condemning it.
AIPAC has a considerable hold on US policy toward Israel. Regardless of what Israel’s hard right does, most recent US Presidents have not gone at them hard – at least not in the way that makes news. Until AIPAC’s influence is taken down a few notches, US policy toward Israel will probably not change. I doubt we know what is said behind closed doors. To me, it is amazing that President Obama has criticized Israeli actions and policy toward Palestinians at all given the pressure and influence of AIPAC.
I wonder what the average American Jew thinks of AIPAC? On most blogs and in response to most news stories that allow comments, I rarely read any comments from someone who will identify themselves as Jewish and American. That makes those of us who will openly criticize Israeli actions appear to be anti-Semitic, which I think most of us aren’t. I think most of us are responding to Israeli extremism and aggression and flaunting of international law with regard to the Palestinians. I also wonder what the average European Jew thinks. And what the average Israeli Jew thinks. Or the average Israeli Arab or Christian thinks of all this and AIPAC too. There might be a place to read that, but I also think it likely that those who disagree aren’t speaking up – for obvious and probably good reasons. They are living in or right next to the hornet nest that is AIPAC and the hard rightwing of Israel’s governing body – wouldn’t be wise to stick a stick in that hornet’s nest –
It reminds me of the “little man” who picks a bar fight because he knows he has a “big man friend” standing behind him who will save his ass. I am tired of the US saving Israel’s ass, because they aren’t stopping their aggression.
I think Karma will visit, and knock that huge chip of their collective shoulder. The chip on their shoulder allows them to dismiss or outright condemn anyone who disagrees with their policies. They don’t listen either. As with most rightwingnuts that I know, they refuse to believe they could be wrong.
“Don’t confuse me with the facts. My mind is made up.” Sad. But it is their mantra even if they don’t say it, or think it so – their actions belie it as truth.
Pellora :kissandwaves: to CT.
Aloha, Pel…! kisses and hugs to ya…! *g*
Give GIYUS a big hug from me…! ;-)
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/
http://www.nkusa.org/
http://www.inminds.co.uk/jews-against-zionism.html
“so many of us really believed that Obama meant to try some whole noew paradigms toward peace. “; and I still don’t understand the why “so many believed” given his cabinet appointments,FISA vote )a flip flop) and the naming of Hillary as Sec. of State.
The ‘handwriting on the wall’ was there for all to see.
Great links, gigi…!
We’ll never be free from Israel. No one has guts enough to stand up to AIPAC and say “enough.” Our gov’t is allowing Israel to harm us in many ways and it won’t stop.
So does my typing; sticky keys. ;o( I have imagined what might have been over the past couple years, though. What a waste, to have the opportunity to actually begin to forge a better world for so many who have lived long under tyrants and now deem themselves ready for self-determination…and get little help from the rest of the world.
Dov Waxman wrote at FP Mag about the alternate way Israel might be able to look at the Egyptian revolution, as a true road to security, were she able to ease off on The Fear. It sometimes seems like too many Israelis thrive on fear by now; maybe it’s a raison d’etre.
“Washington says it opposes settlements in principal, but claims that the UN Security Council is not the appropriate venue for resolving the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
wow thats fucking brilliant.If the UN and ALL of its organs arent the “appropriate venue” then there is no “appropriate venue” and thats what obama and his un representative just told the Paletinians and the world. The UN needs to tGET THE HELL OUT OF NEW YORK and strongly consider suspending or expelling the US from membership.
as “inflamatory and insensitive”
they arent. they are an extension of (mainly) US and (also some)western european imperialism. they are so arrogant because they understand that.
Aloha CT. Those are just 3 of many sites I found. I have a close friend who is an Orthodox Jew. He is strongly opposed to the Zionists and concerned about how their actions reflect on the Jewish community as a whole.
The last President to stand up against Israel was JFK.
Earl on in his campaign rhetoric, ubetcha. He spoke out for the Palestinians, which was a bog old Uh-Oh for the AIPAC-ers. Some months later, by the time of their big convention, his speech convinced them. I only watched it once, but I watched Hillary’s numerous times, and she spoke with the fervency of a True Believer in Zionism and swore undying support for the protection of Israel. She then made a few feints at tsk-tsk’s over a need for more fair treatment of the Palestiians, but no one in the crowd murmured much.
Campaign Obama schmoozed and wove images of peace and speaking with ‘our enemies’, transforming relationships; President Obama worried; now, our hair is on fire over this hawk-austerity-banker Obama, but his approval ratings are still at 48%.
(‘Early’; sorry, I have sticky keys on my laptop.)
Remember danger signs to Zionists early on? For God’s sake, the man is friends with Rashid Khalidi!!!
http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/6025 (only did a quick search; I’m sure his concern-quotes for the Palestinians are in the cache.
Gates, Summers, Geithner, Bernanke… Gaaaaggghhhhh! Oh, God; ticking through them in my mind…Arne Duncan??? Education?? Lord Love a Duck.
But if he didn’t veto, he would have lost the Koch brothers.
Thank you, Gigi. I appreciate the links and the information.
All democratic presidents except Carter for a long time have just been place holder for the republicans president, when it comes to Israel.They have learn they lesson well. Look what happen to President Carter when he got out of line. They need that land because Dimona Nuclear Plant has contaminated alot of the ground water. It more to do with water than land.
I think George Bush the elder did okay at it too. Some say that’s why he only served one term.