Posted on 06/17/2008 4:55:23 AM PDT by SJackson
| Condi’s Middle East Swansong |
On Friday the Israeli Interior Ministry announced plans to build 1300 homes in Ramat Shlomo, a Jerusalem neighborhood in a part of Jerusalem that was occupied by Jordan from 1948 to 1967. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, here for yet another visit, didn’t like it a bit. As she told reporters on Sunday, “It’s important to have an atmosphere of trust and confidence. Unfortunately I do believe, and the United States believes, that the actions and the announcements taking place are having a negative effect on the atmosphere for negotiations.” She also complained about slow progress in improving Palestinians’ quality of life in the West Bank—“I recognize that we haven’t made the progress that we would like to in terms of movement and access and removal of barriers. Particularly I am concerned about the outposts, which are illegal, even under Israeli law, and so I would hope to see more movement.” She put the onus on Israel, in other words. Only one report that I’ve seen—and it’s in the Israeli press—has her also saying, “While the issue of settlement construction may hinder the peace process, we have to bring the attacks on Israeli citizens to a stop. There is a lot we have to discuss.” Oh yes, that little detail. If Rice’s scolding had any benefit at all, it’s that it evoked a little backbone—almost—even from Ehud Olmert, no one’s idea of Mr. Ramrod-Straight. He told Rice Sunday evening that “We are not confiscating additional Palestinian lands but building in Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem which are expected to remain in Israeli hands.” Olmert, in other words, invented a nonexistent Israeli sin of “confiscating Palestinian lands” to make up for defending a fundamental Jewish value of living in Jerusalem. His spokesman Mark Regev was a bit more forthright, stating that “It is clear that the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem will remain part of Israel. It is not realistic that we freeze the lives of people in Jerusalem”—the closest one can imagine to a little character being shown by the immediate Olmert circle. One wonders if, while she’s here, Rice bothers reading the Israeli press. On Sunday she could have read in the Jerusalem Post—a mainstream paper that favors a Palestinian, Muslim-Arab state in Judea and Samaria—that As US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem on Sunday, top Israeli defense officials and IDF officers slammed two American-backed initiatives to deploy additional Palestinian forces in the West Bank, saying they are allowing terrorism to flourish. According to the defense officials, since 600 Palestinian Authority soldiers, who were trained by US defense contractors in Jordan, were allowed to deploy in Jenin last month, there has been an increase in terrorist activity in the city. On Sunday morning, a 20-kg. bomb detonated next to an IDF force in Jenin without causing any casualties. …Terror suspects arrested by the PA forces were usually released in a few days or just hours later, another defense official said…. Weapons provided by the US to the PA are finding their way to Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists in Jenin as well as in Nablus, where 3,000 PA policemen and soldiers have been deployed over the past year, a top officer in the Central Command said. In addition, defense officials said terrorists have infiltrated the ranks of the PA police and military.… A certain problem of U.S. blinders when it comes to the Palestinians? No sign that Rice has become cognizant of such a problem or that it has affected her view of the Palestinians at all. And having managed not to be in Israel since the first week of May, when she made another bold effort to get Israel to take down checkpoints, Rice presumably missed the May 19 story about the 20-year-old Palestinian carrying four pipe bombs [who] was shot dead…at an IDF checkpoint located south of Nablus in the West Bank…. Corporal Michal Ya’akov of the military police recounted the incident: “A young Palestinian who seemed confused arrived at the checkpoint…. I asked him what it was that he had on his body.” …the Palestinian responded by saying “nothing” in Arabic while lifting his shirt and exposing the pipe bombs, which were strapped to the right part of his body. “I identified the explosive devices and yelled ‘explosives in the checkpoint.’… The Palestinian raised his arms up for two seconds, then pulled them down and reached for the explosive device,” she [Ya’akov] said. At this point the checkpoint commander shot the man dead…. The Hawara checkpoint has seen several terror-related incidents in the past. A week-and-a-half ago a Palestinian was caught there with a 6-inch knife.… It’s impossible to know what causes Rice to see the main problems in this corner in the world as Israeli building of homes in places she considers off limits to Jews, and a lack of “movement and access” for Palestinians requiring “removal of barriers.” The best conjecture probably lies in her statement that “I know what it’s like to hear that you can’t use a certain road, or pass through a checkpoint because you are a Palestinian. I know what it is like to feel discriminated against and powerless,” which she followed with a description of her childhood in Birmingham, Alabama. In other words, her seeing the Palestinians in the image of southern blacks under Jim Crow—a perception so cockeyed that it alone should have disqualified her from holding such an office. (To begin with, nobody had to inspect southern blacks at checkpoints because they didn’t carry knives and bombs, seek to murder anyone, or seek anything but the rights they were denied—but it should be too obvious to need spelling out.) Reportedly there’s not much concern in Israel about Rice’s latest round of criticism, and focus on the central Jewish value of Jerusalem, because she’s seen as part of a distinctly lame-duck administration whose days are numbered. She has, though—with the blessing of her boss, President George W. Bush—further eroded the legitimacy of Israel’s security concerns and Jewish essence, and whoever is her successor, if so inclined, will find it all the easier to continue her destructive path.
The report goes on to recount several more such incidents—and this is only one, albeit a major one, of the many checkpoints, roadblocks, and barriers in Judea and Samaria, which exist for one purpose and one purpose only: to protect Israeli citizens from being stabbed, blown up, poisoned, and the like.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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Carolyn
She sees what I see. A hideously stupid Israeli policy of settling Isrealis among Palestinians who do not want them there.
The Palestinians are outbreeding the Israelis. Rice knows this. She sees the demographic trends, even if some on this board don’t. She wants to separate the Israelis from the Pallies. It’s the only guarantee for the long-term survival of the State.
Once this becomes an issue like South Africa, Israel will lose any sympathy here in the U.S..Hamas and the Fatah gangsters know this. As Hamas says, settlements “keep the egg mixed”.
They want settlements just as much as the Shas Party.
Condi Rice is the only person who is thinking of Israel’s long-term security. I would be very surprised if Israel is around in a hundred years, given the policies of settlements.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
since 1949 U.S. Presidents and their Sec. of State have labored like Sisyphus under the assumption that the Israeli/Muslim conflict could be settled by negotiations and good will.
The bones of their diplomatic efforts litter the landscape at the bottom of that mountain of ill-will.
Carolyn
You bet, Condi Rice’s long view has been helpful...let’s recount the results of this miracle worker in
Lebanon, Gaza, NoKo, Syria, NATO, Iraqi freedom, UN Human Rights. She has never been anything more than the EEO crony bud of GWB, that’s my opinion, be seeing you.
There was a problem in the beginning with naming someone whose background was devoted to the Soviet Union and the Cold War to the position of Secretary of State. This was the case with both Powell and Rice. Like it or not, George BushI James Baker and Brent Scowcroft all had a good grasp of the issues that beggared the Middle East. Unfortunately, while screwing the pooch in the Middle East, Powell and Rice did little to burnish their reputation for expertness in European affairs. Thus, our policies in both regions have been abominable.
Ironically, the policies of Cristopher and Albright were even more slipshod. Thus, we have had nearly sixteen years of drift in the State Department, the NSC and the intelligence agencies. It is easy to write that we can’t go on like this — but given McCain or Obama, we will.
Hey Condi, why don’t ya just try to force Israel to fold it tent entirely and give everything to the mooselimbs?
GO back to freaking Stanford.
Really since the mid/late 70s. In the early days we didn't have much involvement, and what we did was pro Arab.
Right, send them all back to Europe. You know perfectly well the conflict isn't about settling areas in Jerusalem Jews have lived in for millenia, 1948 to 1968 when Reich like laws prevailed. If it were, they'd have had their state long ago. Along with East Jerusalem. Condi knows that too.
Right.
I wonder why we haven't had a progress report from Condi-The-Clueless on the disarming of Hezbollah that was supposed to be the next step of the Israeli/Lebanon cease-fire
That would be the one she forced on Israel to save Hezbollah from being wiped off the face of the earth.
The same one that has allowed Hezbollah unhindered freedom to rearm with weapons supplied by Syria, Iran and others.
Just once in modern times I would like to see a person appointed as Secretary Of State because they are the strongest, most patriotic and most qualified, not because they are the newest token female, negro, gay or the most liked by America's detractors.
I’m Not sure your history is correct. As far as I can remember—and I go back to 1949 as an observer—the U.S. interest and support, particularly in the early days from ‘49 through the various wars, to Carter, was heavily weighted toward the Israeli side.
If my memory is incorrect, or if there is revisionist history you’d like to cite, give me a link.
So, you're in favor of advancing a policy of making parts of Israel Judenrein? While we're at it, how about booting the Arab citizens of Israel into the surrounding Muslims countries? Shouldn't this religious segregation go both ways?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
In 1948 the US was the first country to recognize Israel (over State Dept objections), a major plus. Ironically Iran was the second country, the Soviets I think were the third. However the US observed an arms embargo against Israel. Israel only, we were willing to sell arms to the Arabs. Yes, there was some winking and nodding going on, but embargoing one side of a conflict, in this instance Israel, isn't pro-Israel and could be described as pro Arab. Fortunately Israel was able to get arms from the Czechs, France, and to a lesser extent illegally from private firms in the US.
Fast forward to 1956, the next war. After 8 years of attacks from the Sinai, and after Egypt's nationalization of the Suez, Israel, Britain and France wrested the Sinai and the Suez from Egyptian control. The US immediately intervened, and successfully pressured Israel, Britain and France to return their gains. Nixon later described that effort as the single biggest foreign policy blunder of the Eisenhower years in his memoirs. Anecdotally Ike was said to have agreed. The Arabs double crossed us and moved to the Soviet sphere. That act was clearly pro-Egypt, and certainly no benefit to Israel.
Fast forward to 1967. In April Egypt blockaded the Strait of Tiran. A clear act of war. As part of the 1956 withdrawal, the US agreed to maintain free passage, using force if necessary. Being embroiled in Vietnam, President Johnson was unable to either break the blockade, or organize an international effort (the UN was similarly obligated) to do so. Leading two months later to the 1967 war. I don’t think that demonstrates pro-Israel bias either.
Those are facts, not revisionism. Our alliance with Israel strengthened after the 1967 war, largely as a function of the cold war.
Anecdotally I think it’s fair to say the support of the American people was heavily weighted toward the Israeli side as you suggest, but the government, no.
Minor correction, Hezbollah was to have been disarmed as a function of the agreements permitting our withdrawl from Lebanon. After Hezbollah had bombed our Embassy and Marine barracks. Israel withdrew, the Christian militias disarmed, Syria and the muslim militias lied, which is why we're where we're at now.
But what did we see...the "New Tone" went through without a single peep from her as far as I can tell, and the Able Danger project was closed and work product all erased permamently.
And all this AFTER the handover of the baton...
Good points on the failures of Clueless Condi, but if she is so clueless what does that inply about GWB? WTH was that New Tone crap about...sounds like something that GHWB or BJC would spout. That 3rd way idiotcy!
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