Posted on 09/13/2011 4:20:44 PM PDT by Kaslin
The expanding confrontation between Israel and its neighbors has been described variously as a "train wreck," a "lose-lose situation" and a "political tsunami." It's all those things, and likely to get worse: For there's no quick fix by Israel's ally, the United States.
The Obama administration has been seeking diplomatic solutions to the two most incendiary issues — the demand by Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for an Israeli apology for the Gaza flotilla incident of May 2010, and the Palestinian plan to ask the United Nations to declare statehood. Despite feverish American efforts to defuse these bombs, they're still ticking away.
Welcome to the Arab Spring, Arab-Israeli chapter. Commentators sometimes talked as if the Facebook revolutionaries had forgotten about the Palestinian issue.
Not so: The "dignity revolution" is connecting, as in last week's frightening riot at the Israeli embassy in Cairo, with the ever-flowing font of Arab shame and rage toward the Jewish state. Bidding for regional leadership is Erdogan, who thundered Monday, "Israel cannot play with our dignity."
The first instinct for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, feeling beleaguered and friendless, has been to hunker down and say no. Nobody ever wants to give ground under pressure, but Netanyahu's approach, while understandable, is a mistake. These are problems that Israel is going to have to answer more creatively.
When you strip away the posturing on all sides, what's happening is that Israel now lives in an Arab neighborhood where public opinion matters. For decades, Israelis have dismissed the "Arab street," as if presidents and kings were the only decisive voices. That approach worked so long as dictators could suppress popular opinion, but no more.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Grrr - David Ignatius can be counted on to be a reliable mouthpiece for Team Obama. Given that BHO LOATHES Israel and that Hillary Clinton merely hates Israel, and you can figure out how David Ignatius is going to spin this one. Israel faces an existential threat unlike any other country in the world, is the only democracy in the Mideast, and has been a reliable US ally. That all adds up to Team Obama wanting to help facilitate its destruction. FUDI. FUBO.
America is no longer an ally of Israel.
Oh!! a lot of Americans are on Israels side, but the leadership in the form of the Muslim, Obama is far from on the side of Israel.
Israel has the nuclear card to play and when their hand is called there is going to be hell to pay.
But those very same arab dictators are what promoted , financed and supported as long as the direction of the hatred was targeted towards Israel. Islamic fundamentalism was promoted as a way to deflect people from thinking about politics. It all failed of course. The only solution is to promote freedom and individualism to counter the collectivist tendencies of radical islam.
Once again, the Jew is the bad guy. Haven’t see this before... BARF!
Turkey tried to run an internationally recognized blockade.
The Palestinians are committing acts of war constantly.
So now this brain trust thinks Israel owes Turkey an apology, and Israel should tone it done when it is attacked by rockets from Gaza or the West bank.
Why doesn’t this guy just cut to the chase and tell Israel to push out it’s neck, and not flinch when it is slit?
DAVID IGNATIUS, not good.
Israel is not without potential allies. The Kurds and the Armenians are happy to accept aid., and their population is spread over Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. The Armenians have their own state and are found elsewhere. The world has forgotten the Armenian massacres, but they haven’t.
Unfortunately, I think the most potent threat that Israel has is the “Samson Option”, which might actually deter these savages. Those of us who know the Torah and/or Bible know how that turned out for the Phillistines. Team Obama is rooting for the Phillistines alas.
Ok, I can not take an author seriously when he talks about international politics when he uses the word “dissing” anywhere in the title, or article. WTF, is he trying to establish his “street cred” so his homies know that he is down with the cause...or what ever it is that urban (that’s Republican Racist Code, aka RRC, for blacks, don’t ya know) radicals do now a days?
If Israel goes, it’ll take the entire Arab world with it.
And I’m afraid I still regard the worth of a few million Jews to be much, much, much, much, much.......much more beneficial to civilization than that rathole of tribalism connected to an outdated religion.
Kick the Arab Street into the Arab Gutter where it belongs.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Another point: US troops are established in both Armenia and in Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as basing in Turkey. Obama's successor will have a presence to work with besides the Fleet, after 2013.
Sarah Palin has already semaphored her position by visiting Israel while wearing a golden Star of David among her jewellery.
Erdogan is a closet jihadi, and he's using the Pali issue to play domestic politics. He is locked in a continuing struggle with the formerly-incumbent secular Kemalists, who reject the Islamizing program of Erdogan's wannabe-mullocrats.
Israel may have to do something, but it is not something I can say on this board.
Respect 6th century animals who until recently wiped their butts with their hands? Why?
I saw the “arab street” on 9-11. They were all celebrating, dancing, giving out candy, shooting guns in the air. At that time I was more inclined to drop napalm and cluster bombs than care what they would ever think.
The continuing Israeli-Palestinian war destabilizes all of the E Med and Middle E. It threatens Turkey because the war allows Hezbollah to thrive in Lebanon and Syria and infiltrate and radicalize Turkey.
Turkey intends to confront Israel to pressure them for a settlement and sees the Israeli blockade as a pressure point, nothing more. There will not be conflict only confrontation.
Erdogan is very clever and wants to embarrass the UN and the US for their weakness in not pressuring Israel for a settlement with the Palestinians.
Turkey and Israel are our best ME friends. Turkey is tired of waiting.
Turkey will not enter Gazan territorial waters as that would be an act of war and their NATO membership will not bring support.
This confrontation goes to the heart of a Palestinian State. If the UN allows it, they would have to declare war on Israel if Israel refuses to end its naval blockade.
I want Constantinople back.
David Ignatius is not only a partisan media shill, now he’s pro-jihadist. Thanks Kaslin.
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