Obama at Iftar: ‘We Welcome That Debate’ on ‘Heart-Wrenching’ Images from Gaza, Israel

President Obama told guests at the White House’s annual Iftar dinner tonight that “further escalation” in the Middle East “benefits no one, least of all the Israeli and the Palestinian people.”

Faced with criticism from some Arab and Muslim activists who think he has been too friendly toward the Israeli side, Obama addressed the conflict near the end of his comments, which largely honored “the traditions of one of the world’s great faiths.”

“For all of us, whatever our faiths, Ramadan is a reminder of just how much we share. The values of peace and charity, the importance of family and community — these are universal values. The command to love one another, to uphold justice, and to care for the least among us — these are common threads in our faith traditions,” Obama said.

“…In Islam, there is a hadith that says God helps the servant as long as the servant helps his brother. In other words, we’re summoned to serve and lift up one another, and that’s the lesson of several of our guests here tonight.”

Guests included Muslim Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Andre Carson (D-Ind.), as well as Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.). Ambassadors from Arab and Muslim-majority countries were also invited.

“The pictures we are seeing in Gaza and Israel are heart-wrenching. People here in the United States care deeply about what’s happening there, and I know there are strong views, as well as differences, about how we should move forward, which is part of American democracy. We welcome that debate. That makes us stronger,” Obama said.

“Our goal has been and continues to be peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians. And I will say very clearly, no country can accept rocket fired indiscriminately at citizens. And so,

“And I will say very clearly, no country can accept rocket fired indiscriminately at citizens. And so, we’ve been very clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against what I consider to be inexcusable attacks from Hamas,””

So he supports Israel’s actions. That’s great. So stop right there. Oh sorry, he has to support the other side too.

“he continued. “At the same time, on top of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that we’ve worked long and hard to alleviate, the death and injury of Palestinian civilians is a tragedy, which is why we’ve emphasized the need to protect civilians, regardless of who they are or where they live.””

Which gives Hamas hope and resistance to carry on. You can’t sit on the fence forever on this. Until you destroy Hamas’s will to win there will be no peace.

Ahhhh, Hezbollah...

“Some argue that Reagan’s refusal to engage Hezbollah and Islamic jihadists in the 1980’s led to the growth of Al Qaeda. Others argue that had Reagan gotten bogged down in a Middle East war, he couldn’t have defeated the Soviet Union and won the Cold War.”

“But ten years and two lost wars later, the Weinberger Doctrine is getting a second look. Turns out the lessons of Vietnam were to become the lessons of Iraq.”

from: Lessons learned — and forgotten —from Beirut Marine Barracks bombing

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/10/23/lessons-learned-and-forgotten-from-beirut-marine-barracks-bombing/

Some infections you ignore until the poison spreads throughout your system and you die. The lessons not learned from all these “losses” are that the Rules of Engagement and the politicians are what caused the “loss.” As for the Cold War...now we are in a civil cold war against our own infected government and Russia is free to do as they please.

A critical commentary on what might have been going on inside the President Obama’s head when he was offering the 2014 White House Iftar comments:

President Obama: “And I will say very clearly, no country can accept rocket fired indiscriminately at citizens.”

[Commentary: Which is why I am so glad Palestine is not a country, because if it were, they wouldn’t accept having Israel bomb them and fire at them either. Oh, and that’s why we in the United States use drones to kill civilians in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia. Not rockets. That’s totally different. Drones. Not rockets.]

President Obama: “And so, we’ve been very clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against what I consider to be inexcusable attacks from Hamas.”

[Commentary: Please, please, nobody ask me if Palestinians have the right to defend themselves from inexcusable attacks from Israel. Because then I’ll either have to say that the US has to use its considerable leverage to put an immediate pressure on Israel to stop, or, o crap, I have to say that Palestinians have the right to defend themselves against Israel, which… o crap… since they have no army, o crap, that means either HAMAS or suicide bombing Wow. I don’t like this at all.]

President Obama: “At the same time, on top of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza that we’ve worked long and hard to alleviate, the death and injury of Palestinian civilians is a tragedy, which is why we’ve emphasized the need to protect civilians, regardless of who they are or where they live.”

[Commentary: yeah, we’ve worked long and hard….to send billions of dollars in military hardware to Israel, which it is now being used to unleash hell on earth on a defenseless trapped civilian population already malnourished, thirsty, sick, and underemployed.

And ‘regardless of who they are.’ Of course all the civilians since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza are Palestinian, but anyway, ‘regardless of who they are, or where they live’—I mean they could be in Gaza City, in Khan Younis, in any of the places in Gaza.

And by the way, sure hope how nobody noticed how I called Palestinians dying a “tragedy” and not a crime. And note to self, Obama, wow, you are really smart. You just managed to talk about death of injury of Palestinian civilians, without ever once using the word Israel as the agent. Smooooooooth.

Oh, and I will mourn the three Israeli teenagers and talk about my own grief as a father, but good God, if I have to actually name any of the Palestinian children killed by Israel’s bombing, wow, that would not go over well.]

President Obama: “In the United States of America, there is no place for false divisions between races and religions….We are all Americans, equal in rights and dignity, and no one should ever be targeted or disparaged because of their faith.”

[Commentary: ‘No one should be targeted’….well, except that part where we use tax-payer money to do NSA surveillance on people precisely on the basis of their religion and ethnicity. Yeah, in that case, screw them.

Oh, and ‘Americans are equal in rights and dignity/, except the poor people who now stand at a greater level of income equality than any point before. So let’s talk about equal rights, without talking about income inequality, re-distribution of wealth, a corrupt system of corporate influence, etc.

And can we just say that we are all equal, without anyone asking me about what the heck is happening in inner-city Detroit, please? Because if I have to explain why water is being shut off to half of the families in Detroit and the UN now considers that a violation of human rights, oh Jeez… can’t we just stay in the realm of equal rights and not talk about issues of poverty and justice? Please?]

Enjoy the meal, no questions, don’t forget the goodie bags.
al-salam alaykum! See you next year!

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