Doc's Talk: Obama's Swift Change on Security and Israel‏

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Obama's Swift Change on Security and Israel‏

Larry Greenfield asks, 'Has U.S. begun an age of appeasement?'

March 04, 2009

Prior to the November 2008 presidential elections, there were specific concerns expressed about Barack Obama in pro-Israel circles, and in Jewish vote debates and by U.S. national security advocates, more generally.

Obama was suspect based on his long-time pastor's hostility to Israel, his political and military affairs advisers views and comments about the Jewish state and its supporters, and his own executive inexperience and far-left foreign policy ideology. Questions were raised about Jeremiah Wright, Gen. Tony McPeak, Samantha
Powers, Rashid Khalidi, Robert Malley and others.

Questions were also raised about Obama's campaign rhetoric approving of
presidential meetings with dictators, without preconditions; about taking
sides in Israeli internal politics, but not between Israel and her sworn
enemies; and about suggesting that the surge had failed in Iraq, and that
the Patriot Act and FISA were unworkable and needed radical change.

During the campaign, Jesse Jackson pronounced to supporters of Israel that
they would come to be disappointed with Obama.

Well, the early evidence is in: President Obama's concerned pro-Israel
critics were right, and his defenders, who denied all the warnings and
Jackson's promise, were wrong.

Just weeks into office, Obama has:

* Announced the forthcoming closure of the Guantanamo Bay military facility
(without an alternate location to imprison extremely dangerous battlefield
detainees), and the immediate suspension of military trials, including that
of Khalid Sheikh Muhammed, the mastermind of Sept. 11 and the man who
admitted decapitating American Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl.

* Ordered all overseas intelligence interrogation centers closed, and
withdrawn all charges against the masterminds behind the USS Cole bombing
that killed 17 U.S. sailors (such as Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri).

* Threatened cuts in some American military projects and preparedness,
budgeted significant cuts in Homeland Security spending, wavered on
ballistic missile defense projects in Poland and the Czech Republic, and
suggested weakening American leadership in space based defense programs
meant to safeguard U.S. military defense and commercial satellites.

* Made his first Oval office phone call to Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas. An alleged one-time Holocaust denier and financier of the Munich
Olympics mass murder of Israeli athletes, Fatah's Abbas may be a lifelong
terrorist, or a newly moderate leader seeking peace, but he is certainly
unworthy of this honor.

* Appeared in his first White House television interview with the
Saudi-funded, Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television network, where he took pride
in his Muslim name and heritage (yet Obama's campaign had rejected the
discussion by others of his Muslim background).

* Expressed a new way forward for American policy toward Muslims in the
Middle East. This ignores that America has for decades spent treasure
(Egypt, Jordan, Palestinians) and blood (Afghanistan, Somalia, Bosnia,
Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq) on behalf of Muslim liberty and defense.

* Decided soon to send a new U.S. ambassador to Syria and to lift sanctions
against a nation charged with aiding al-Qaida in Iraq and secretly working
on a weapons of mass destruction program with North Korea.

* Appointed Susan Rice as ambassador to the United Nations, and made her
post Cabinet-level. Susan Rice has a long history of Israel bashing, which
she continued in her very first U.N. Security Council speech, raising the
question of Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Obama has also greatly enhanced the
roles of National Security Council officials Gen. James L. Jones and of
close Obama confidante Samantha Powers; both have shown consistent hostility
to Israel

* Appointed Charles Freeman Jr., a former U.S. envoy to Saudi Arabia,
hostile critic of Israel, and leading advocate for Araby in the Middle East
conflict, as chairman of the National Intelligence Council, which
coordinates the work of U.S. intelligence agencies and prepares the
important National Intelligence Estimates. Freeman has been widely denounced
by Jewish leaders, as well as by the human rights community deeply troubled
with his support of the infamous Chinese repression at Tiananmen Square.

* Abandoned American policy, which had rejected the Orwellian named United
Nations Human Rights Council (Cuba, Iran, Saudi Arabia, et al.), with
suggestions that the United States join it.

* Legitimized the anti-Israel Durban II conference (touted as an
international forum to confront racism, which savaged Israel in 2001,
causing the United States to walk out). The Bush administration accorded it
pariah status. The Obama administration first suggested that the conference
had redeeming value, then failed to block numerous problematic canards
against Israel, and then finally quit the conference altogether for apparent
political reasons, without a moral pronouncement.

* Announced plans to provide some $900 million to help rebuild Gaza, still
under the control of Hamas, which would inevitably pilfer some of the
reconstruction aid and claim credit for any improvement in Gaza's
infrastructure. The administration promises the money won't end up with
Hamas, but we shall see.

* Named as Mideast envoy, Arab-American George Mitchell, who expressed
support for Egyptian efforts to forge a Palestinian national unity
government, indicating that America was taking a dramatically new approach
to Hamas. The White House has also leaked concerns of a looming
confrontation with the new Israeli administration over "settlements," and
new Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has reportedly picked a fight with
Israel on the Palestinian front as well.

Since Obama's inauguration, and perhaps in response to this change in
American foreign policy, there has been some swift international activity.

Yemen released 170 al-Qaida suspects. Pakistan released from house arrest
notorious nuclear proliferator Abdul Qadeer Khan, and signed a deal with the
Taliban which ensures Shariah law abuse of women in the Swat region. And
Iran successfully launched its first satellite into orbit, on the 30th
anniversary of the Islamic revolution, a step hailed by Iran's president as
a "source of pride" for the Islamic republic. And North Korea has promised a
missile launch. And Venezuelans passed a referendum to keep Chavez in power.

Have we begun an age of appeasement? Obama had the bust of Sir Winston
Churchill, a gift from Britain after Sept. 11, removed from the Oval Office
and shipped back to the British embassy.

One European observer remarked: "We like it when the U.S. acts strong,
because we do not. Then we can blame the U.S. for what we really, deep down,
want and need them to do to keep a dangerous world somewhat sane and free.
We don't need Obama to be like Europe. We already are Europe. The U.S. has
to lead, and Obama does not get that."

There were sophisticated American Jewish voters who perhaps thought the
concerns about Obama were overstated, or that all U.S. presidents have to be
pro-Israel and strong on national security. Really? Think Jimmy Carter.

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________________________________

Larry Greenfield is vice president and
fellow in American studies at The Claremont Institute
.

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The IDF’s Minorities in Numbers and Pictures

In honor of IDF Diversity Week, we present diversity through numbers and pictures. Each year, more and more Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouin and immigrants from around the world take on the responsibility of defending Israel.

MUSLIMS:

Muslim Arab Israelis are not required to draft in the IDF, but there are many who volunteer. In 2013, there were over 200 Muslims serving in the IDF and over 300 in the reserves.

Bedouins:

Bedouins are nomadic Muslims who were in Israel when modern borders were set in place and are now considered Israeli citizens. They are not required to draft but a growing number choose to enlist. In 2012, there were over 1,400 Bedouin Muslim soldiers doing regular IDF service and almost 1,500 in the reserves.

Read more:http://www.idfblog.com/2014/02/27/truth-idf-numbers-pictures/#more-34027

Are you aware that in 2013, Middle class taxes go up-significantly?

In January of next year, the federal income tax rate for middle-class taxpayers is scheduled to rise from 25 percent to 28 percent, and the payroll tax is scheduled to rise from 13.3 percent to 15.3 percent… This drives the marginal tax rate based on the aforementioned three taxes to 48.12 percent. Add in state and local property, corporate, excise, and other state and local taxes, and the percentage of each additional dollar that is taxed hovers around 50 percent… When half of each additional dollar earned is taxed away, taxpayers experience a disincentive to start businesses or expand existing ones. This leads to fewer jobs being created.

Why is HAMAS Inside Tampa Schools?

Clare Lopez

Kelly Miliziano, who teaches history classes at Steinbrenner High School in the Tampa, Florida area apparently thinks it’s perfectly OK to invite a senior official of a HAMAS-affiliated organization into her classroom to discuss Islam with her students. According to local media reports, not only has this been going on for years, but in spite of the civil and criminal proceedings that could result from such reckless negligence, the Hillsborough County school superintendent, Mary Ellen Elia, and the chairman of the school board, Candy Olson, also expressed approval for students under their responsibility to be exposed repeatedly to guest speaker, Hassan Shibly, who is the Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the Tampa area.
More...

Did You Know... Ignoring the Call to Islam will Bring Jihad

‘Conquest through Da’wa [proselytizing] that is what we hope for. We will conquer Europe, we will conquer America! Not through sword but through Da’wa.’
-- Yousef al-Qaradawi , Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader The Arabic word ‘Da’wa’ means the “call to Islam.” But do not think that Da’wa is the same thing as an invitation to an optional holiday event. The classical Islamic doctrine of jihad mandates that enemies must be given the opportunity to convert to Islam or pay the jizya tax before it is permissible to attack them.
Clare M. Lopez

Who is being discriminated-facts tell the truth

Religious bias

Hate crimes motivated by religious bias accounted for 1,409 offenses reported by law enforcement. A breakdown of the bias motivation of religious-bias offenses showed:

65.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
13.2 percent were anti-Islamic.
9.5 percent were anti-other religion, i.e., those not specified.
4.3 percent were anti-Catholic.
3.8 percent were anti-multiple religions, group.
3.3 percent were anti-Protestant.
0.5 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses.

On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview

with PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

In March 1977, Zahir Muhsein, a PLO executive, said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct Palestinian people to oppose Zionism."

"For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

The Arab Apartheid

Ben-Dror Yemini
In 1948, the Arab countries refused to accept the UN partition proposal and they launched a war of annihilation against the State of Israel which had barely been established. All precedents in this matter showed that the party that starts the war - and with a declaration of annihilation, yet - pays a price for it. Between 550,000 and 710,000 Arabs fled because of the war and a larger number of 850,000 Jews were expelled or fled from Arab countries (the "Jewish nakba").
Population exchanges and expulsions were the norm at that time, occurring in dozens of other conflict points and affecting about 52 million people. In all the population exchange precedents that occurred during or at the end of an armed conflict, there was no return of refugees to the previous region, which had turned into a new national state.
Only the Arab states acted completely differently from the rest of the world. Instead of assimilating the refugees, they crushed them despite the fact that they were their coreligionists and members of the Arab nation - instituting a regime of apartheid. So the "nakba" was not caused by the actual dispossession, which had also been experienced by tens of millions of others. The "nakba" is the story of the apartheid, oppression, abuse and denial of rights suffered by the Arab refugees at the hands of the Arab countries. (Maariv)

International Law and Military Operations in Practice - Col. Richard Kemp

"Islamist fighting groups study the international laws of armed conflict carefully and they understand it well. They know that a British or Israeli commander and his men are bound by international law and the rules of engagement that flow from it. They then do their utmost to exploit what they view as one of their enemy's main weaknesses. Their very modus operandi is built on the correct assumption that Western armies will normally abide by the rules, while these insurgents employ a deliberate policy of operating consistently outside international law. "

Lost Historical Moments

What Rabin’s last Knesset speech really said:repudiation of a Palestinian state

Rabin ruled out a fully sovereign Palestinian state :

“We view the permanent solution in the framework of State of Israel which will include most of the area of the Land of Israel as it was under the rule of the British Mandate, and alongside it a Palestinian entity which will be a home to most of the Palestinian residents living in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. We would like this to be an entity which is less than a state, and which will independently run the lives of the Palestinians under its authority.”

Rabin ruled out a total withdrawal from Judea and Samaria and thus a return to the pre-June 1967 borders :

“The borders of the State of Israel, during the permanent solution, will be beyond the lines which existed before the Six Day War. We will not return to the 4 June 1967 lines.”

Rabin ruled out withdrawing form the Jordan Valley:

“The security border of the State of Israel will be located in the Jordan Valley, in the broadest meaning of that term.”

Rabin ruled out uprooting settlement blocs, like the Gush Katif bloc in Gaza (which was subsequently uprooted by former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon):

“The establishment of blocs of settlements in Judea and Samaria, like the one in Gush Katif.

AND

Rabin ruled out removing any settlement before coming to a full peace agreement with the Palestinians:

“I want to remind you: we committed ourselves, that is, we came to an agreement, and committed ourselves before the Knesset, not to uproot a single settlement in the framework of the interim agreement, and not to hinder building for natural growth.”

Rabin insisted on Israel retaining full security control of the borders with Egypt and Jordan, contrary to Israel’s relinquishment of the Philadelphia Corridor on the border with Egypt:

“The responsibility for external security along the borders with Egypt and Jordan, as well as control over the airspace above all of the territories and Gaza Strip maritime zone, remains in our hands.”

Correcting Oslo Myths-Part 2

3) Kuttab laments that the post-1993 Oslo process resulted in a Palestinian Authority "whose ministers and legislators are not guaranteed passage between Gaza and the West Bank ...."

Before free passage or other perquisites, PA leaders were obligated, among other things, to eliminate the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, end anti-Israeli, antisemitic incitement in schools, mosques, and communications media, and resolve all outstanding issues through peaceful negotiations. They met none of these commitments, sometimes bolstering terrorism and greatly increasing incitement.

4) Kuttab complains that under Oslo the PA got "lightly armed police ---- but no real sovereignty over the land or contiguity between our communities in Gaza and the West Bank."

Oslo agreements repeatedly were revised, regardless of Palestinian non-compliance, until the authorized number of police grew from 8,000 to 40,000. Though they were to be the only armed forces in the territories, Israeli estimates early in the second intifada put the number of gunmen - police, "security services," terrorists, and armed gangs - at 85,000. Their armament reportedly included not only heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but also anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

Sovereignty was to be negotiated in the envisioned 1998 "final status" talks - after a five-year period of confidence-building. Palestinian leadership chronically undermined the process. Palestinian terrorism made the 1993 - 1998 Oslo period more deadly for Israelis than the 15 years preceding it.

The United States doesn't have contiguity between the lower 48 states and Alaska and Hawaii; territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip - that is, through the 20 miles of Israeli territory between them - was never promised and would destroy Israeli contiguity.

5) "Palestinians have been made to endure hundreds of checkpoints in the West Bank, an eight-foot wall deep in our territories, and tight Israeli control over borders."

The security barrier is not "deep in Palestinian territories," but rather encompasses less than 8 percent of Judea and Samaria, and is mostly a fence, rarely a wall; the land in question is not "our [Palestinian] territories" but disputed territory to which, according to the authors of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, Jews as well as Arabs have claims; and there are no international borders, only the 1949 armistice lines with Jordan. Under 242, borders remain to be negotiated. As for checkpoints - like the security barrier and "tight Israeli control" - Palestinian Arabs precipitated these measures themselves. No terrorism and there would be no fence or tight Israeli control and few checkpoints - like before the first intifada.

Correcting Some Oslo Myths

1) In Oslo "Israeli, Palestinian and other world leaders promised that ... Palestinian sovereignty would be solidified."

No, they didn't. The 1993 Declaration of Principles and subsequent Oslo agreements outlined a process by which final status negotiations about the West Bank and Gaza Strip would be reached. The process required an end to anti-Israel terrorism and incitement and a commitment to peaceful negotiations. The PA, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and other terrorist groups, sabotaged the process from the start.

2) "The reality is that, in defiance of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which states that it is inadmissible to occupy land by force, Palestinian territories are still under foreign military occupation."
Wrong again. Resolution 242 (1967) does note "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war." It also affirms the right of every state in the area "to live in peace with secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force." There were no "Palestinian territories." Jordan occupied the West Bank, Egypt controlled Gaza. Israel did not have "secure and recognized boundaries," so retention of some of those territories was possible under 242. Israel is not a "foreign" military occupier in the West Bank but, pending final negotiations, the lawful military administrator as a result of a successful war of self-defense.

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