Israel plays America like a puppet...

[kentuck]

Our President and Secretary of State have been unduly criticized by the Israeli government as supporting Hamas because we ask for a cease fire. This has left the Administration and its spokesmen at a loss to explain itself.

But, Israel knows that whichever Party is in power, the other Party will defend them no matter what the circumstance may be? They are like a small child running to its Mama because Daddy told them "no". They are using our own political system against us.

It takes a lot chutzpah to criticize so severely the hand that feeds you.

[H2O Man]

1. Recommended.

I agree.

[oldandhappy]

2. yep!!

[BillZBubb]

3. Israel calls the song,

the US dances to the tune. Some Super Power.

[hlthe2b]

4. Indeed...

It is infuriating to see US interests being pushed to the sidelines by those who fear reigning in the relationship.

[kentuck]

5. And who pays for their "Iron Dome"?

And who do the terrorists look to attack when Israel pisses off the entire Middle East?

[Scuba]

74. "And who do the terrorists look to attack when Israel pisses off the entire Middle East?"

Well, the country that armed them might be one target.

[WillyT]

6. K & R !!! - And I'm Wondering If Kerry's "Hot Mic" Moment, Mocking Israel's "Pinpoint Precision"...

Caused the current riff.

[Aerows]

57. The current Israeli government

has proven itself to be quite vindictive. You just never know with Netanyahu.

[LWolf]

7. It's not like that's hard to do. nt

[geek tragedy]

8. Not only that, but a lot of Dems are eager to stab

Obama and Kerry in the back if Bibi winks at them. They did exactly that when Obama pushed for a settlement freeze.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23207.html

And negotiations with the Palestinians:

http://m.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-join-republicans-in-questioning-obamas-policy-on-israel/2011/05/24/AFkEJpAH_story.html

[kentuck]

9. How Israel controls your media

[alp227]

73. Are you sure that's an appropriate video?

ToS state:

Do not post bigotry...This includes any post which states opposition to full equal rights for gays and lesbians; it also includes any post asserting disloyalty by Jewish Americans, claiming nefarious influence by Jews/Zionists/Israel, advocating the destruction of the state of Israel, or arguing that Holocaust deniers are just misunderstood. In determining what constitutes bigotry, please be aware that we cannot know what is in anyone's heart, and we will give members the benefit of the doubt, when — and only when — such doubt exists.

[Agschmid]

12. I don't think it's so clear cut.

[Fred Sanders]

16. Lot of spanking new posters trolling about for Israel....... just saying.

[Agschmid]

17. How was that a "spank"...

What?

[Terra Alta]

19. I think he meant "spanking new poster"

as in, brand new poster, not that you were "spanking" that poster.

[Fred Sanders]

22. I like the word, so many meanings, very useful word.

[Agschmid]

28. Ok... I didn't want this to turn into one of those BSDM threads...

[Fred Sanders]

60. Now that was a thread I had no part of.

[Fred Sanders]

18. Brand spanking new posters.....?

[Marr]

29. Bullshit. /nt

[HERVEPA]

32. A lot of the angst is heartfelt, some, maybe 20%, is anti-semitism.

It's an excuse to slyly let it out.

[broiles]

41. Don't talk to me about antisemitism

when Israelis are marching thru the streets chanting "death to arabs" and "there is no school in Gaza tomorrow because there are no more children." It's okay for the Israelis to say awful, hateful things about others but one word about Israel and they shout anti-Semitism.

[HERVEPA]

45. Are you saying anti-semitism is OK? I'm not saying "death to Arabs" is OK

[broiles]

46. No neither are okay.

[regnaD kciN]

65. +1000

[AgingAmerican]

51. So if you are against

The collective punishment Israel is raining down on the Palestinians you:

A: Are pro Hamas

B: You are anti-semetic?

Rush, is that you?

[billhicks76]

13. For Obvious Reasons

Try looking beneath the surface and examine root causes of things. Israel probably wants Hamas to exist to justify putting down the people of Palestine so they can't emerge as a solvent country. The last thing they really want is for moderates to win because in the long run it would weaken Israeli dominance. The US does the same thing by surreptitiously funding or encouraging radical organizations to justify a money making war on terror just like they did with the drug war. It's amazing to me to see what kind of rationalizations people come up with to justify massacring children. Pathetic and a real dirty mark on what used to be a cause dominated by peacemakers.

[Fred Sanders]

21. 1100 dead people would disagree with you that Israel wants no one dead....LOL.

Give your head a spanking.

[JI7]

31. those 3 boys playing on the beach were "murderous palestinians" ?

[broiles]

44. I think it was 4 boys.

[malaise]

40. But it is Israel murdering Palestinians

300-1

[atreides1]

43. How many?

How many "murderous Palestinians"? What age groups...is there a limit or just wipe them all out? How about the systematic elimination of the entire Palestinian people, GENOCIDE!!!

I think that's what you want...I believe it's what you would get off on!

Come on step up and be counted, show some courage and say what you really mean!

[HERVEPA]

37. Check out the Covenant of the Hamas

Some points:


'The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and
kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the
rocks and trees will cry out: 'O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind
me, come and kill him.' (Article 7)

'The Islamic Resistance Movement is a distinguished Palestinian
movement, whose allegiance is to Allah, and whose way of life is
Islam. It strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of
Palestine.' (Article 6)

'Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will
obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.' (Preamble)

'[Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and
international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of
the Islamic Resistance Movement... Those conferences are no more than
a means to appoint the infidels as arbitrators in the lands of
Islam... There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by
Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a
waste of time, an exercise in futility.' (Article 13)



'The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and
kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the
rocks and trees will cry out: 'O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind
me, come and kill him.' (Article 7)

[840high]

72. Thank you.

[HERVEPA]

75. My pleasure

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

77. Why is Hamas always used as a justification for killing Palestinians?

When the world is angry at Israel for murdering Gazans, those who want to defend the slaughter always switch to 'Hamas'.

We get that there are criminals out there who despise Israel and need to be arrested. People who want to destroy Israel, but have no power to do so, any more than Al Quaeda could destroy America.

That does not excuse murdering children, women, non-Hamas men, destroying their hospitals, their schools, their homes, their lives.

[billhicks76]

35. Total BS

First off, you didn't address my point. Hamas is a militant minority exploited to keep the prevailing paradigm current. They are pawns to justify a war that would be waged whether they existed or not. They just offer a better, more convenient excuse. And Israel doesn't want us dead because they want our MONEY. It's naive to think they just like us. They only care about themselves and are very adroit at sucking us into wars to do their fighting for them. You need to brush up on your history too. Let's just say I'm glad I'm not like you with respect to defending massacring children with shallow arguments. And they our doing it with our money. I don't want to pay for this even if someone who claims to be a raging, populist democrat does. You don't sound like a populist...especially a ragin one. If you really want to be one and I have a difficult time believing that them you should check out some of the actual progressive, populist editorials at www.commondreams.org...all progressive democrats and not a single one agreed with your current assessment. Maybe a new beginning ?

[Fred Sanders]

61. Name auto removed can no longer hear you.

[regnaD kciN]

67. I assume "Name Removed" is the new way of saying "tombstoned"...?

[billhicks76]

69. Was I Too Harsh?

I didn't mean to be. Wars like these really hit a site spot with me. We as a species should've evolved beyond it given our collective intelligence level but certain interests are insistently persistent at manipulating out world. I love Israel and can identify with their feeling so much pressure.
But it looks to me like they are punishing civilians to try and force them to eject Hamas but they are powerless civilians and even more so now that they've been bombed back to the Stone Age. They don't have running water or electricity and haven't in years more than 2hrs a day. And Isreal complains about hardship? There were videos of preppy Israelis with their kids picnicing and toasted each other watching the bombing from a nearbye hillside like it was a fireworks show.
Now I'm sure you can find a minority of the other side too but Israel's main argument is that they're different as the previous commenter said but I don't think so...we are all the same. I recall the Israeli movers who got caught on film celebrating the WTC bombings as they occurred from the NJ pier. They knew it meant we were coming to wage war on their enemies. The Muslims do need to stop being so extreme in all their politics though I agree. Look at Egpyt...those governing are too extreme but they're our puppets. It's the same with the Saudis. But they are all extreme back there. Too much fighting for too long. Can that get in your DNA? I don't know. It's got to stop though. Someone needs to step up.

[AgingAmerican]

55. Hamas wants ME dead?

Show a single iota of evidence that Hamas wants me dead.

Israel is doing the killing. You are irrational.

[MisterP]

26. go to the Navy Museum: the Liberty's the first thing you see; THEY haven't forgotten

[billhicks76]

39. The U.S.S Liberty ship?

I don't think most Americans know about this. If they did they would be pissed off.

[atreides1]

47. I don't think they'd be bothered

Just look at some of the Israeli supporters here...the Liberty attack was brought up in one forum and they just did all they could to defend and justify that attack!

You even have some here on DU who want to release Jonathan Pollard, I would guess! And I seriously believe that if Israel were to wipe out all of the Palestinians in Gaza...there would be a few here celebrating!


I suspect we have those among us who would be happy for the genocide of the entire Islamic world...

[billhicks76]

54. Lots Of Sock-Puppets

The reality is that cyberspace cannot confirm people's identities. It's a sacrifice we make for free, anonymous discourse. Billions are spent on online opinion management by right wing governments, military contractors and corporations. This has all been exposed in detail in the New Yorker, New York Times and LA Times. There are of course many real Israeli supporters here and most Jewish Americans are Democrats even if the Israeli right wing lobby has more money. When you see the indefensible being defended, though, it's only natural to be suspicious. 911 really twisted this country up and Cheney and his neoconning buddies profited unimaginably huge from it so I expect warped opinions and attacks on anyone pointing out simple truths.

[Caretha]

27. Hamas

has little to zero ability to make me dead. Silly argument and stupid analysis.

[AgingAmerican]

56. It is the Bush/Cheney justification

nt

[stupidicus]

30. then some quotes to that effect could and should be posted, no?

oh that's right, argumentation by way of hollow declaration is not something rightwingers have a monopoly on.

[Marr]

33. Hamas doesn't suck up $10 billion of our taxes every year, and

they can't actually do anything to us, even if your loony assertion is true.

[billhicks76]

38. Bottle Rockets vs Bombs

All the Israeli dead are invading soldiers too. You should see how much money Israeli organizations and related PACs spend on online opinion "management". It's monstrous. They know they are losing the PR war big time and are very defensive.

[truebluegreen]

11. Where Israel is concerned we are all "useful idiots." nt

[Fred Sanders]

14. Sure they bite America's hand but it was forgiven for spying, why not for biting!

[tritsofme]

53. Those damn JOOOOOZ!!!!1!

Incredible. By the way, just shameful that a jury voted to hide geek_tragedy for pointing out such a disgrace.

[billhicks76]

58. My Favorite Jewish Editorialists

Are vehemently anti-war and so progressive they make Obama look right wing. I didn't read Geek Tragedy's comment but I can assume it was pro-war right? So much has changed since 911. But I'm glad democrats are finally not allowing themselves to be intimidated or falsely shamed into supporting policies of death and destruction. Seriously, how many dead babies do you have to see before wanting to throw up in your own mouth? Israel and its current Right Wing government aren't God and they are much closer to George Bush and all he represented.

[JI7]

66. GT has been very critical of Israel , his comment was pointing out the anti semetism in that post

[billhicks76]

70. Yeah No Need For Prejudice

I know that's utopian but no need to go there. Facts don't need anti-semetic embellishment. They should be able to stand on their own. My family has been a victim of anti-semetism. Let's all pray for the bombs to stop. No wonder Putin is scared of SDI and missile defense shields.

[stranger81]

64. Wow, yeah.

That was an inexplicable hide. Strange.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

34. That's what we pay them tribute for. The foreign policy guidance they give us.

[spanone]

36. k&r...

[riverwalker]

48. Just wait until they build the moat

I read today that Israel might build a 85 foot deep moat around Gaza to stop anymore tunnels. Guess who will pay for that.

Ambassador Oren:
“A tunnel is a medieval tactic, which is so low-tech that it’s quite literally below our radar,” says Oren. “Tunnels have been around since antiquity, and we may have to use a medieval technology to combat them, at least in the initial stage…. We may have to make a moat at 85-foot deep around the Gaza Strip.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2014/0728/Hamas-attacks-by-tunnel-rattle-Israelis-on-Gaza-border-video

[Peregrine]

50. The Palestinians play the American left like a puppet

[Electric Monk]

59. Please feel free to elaborate. I see no evidence to support your contention. nt

[WillyT]

62. The Israeli Governmet... Along With Full US Military Backing... Is The BULLY...

It's like a senior in High School, kicking the ass of a 6th Grader.

Nobody is impressed... instead we start rooting for the 6th Grader.

If you "Punch Down"... you are a BULLY.

[Swede Atlanta]

52. That's why we need to dump Israel for good....

I am tired of the American taxpayer being Israel's "bitch". We give them billions of dollars in aid every year. Why?

Well the arguments go like this....
1. They are an ally (only not so much - they take, we give)
2. We share core values (not so much)
3. They are the only truly democratic state in the middle east (so what)
4. We need Israel to build the temple so Jesus will return******

#4 wins the big prize. That is really the reason we do this. The knuckle dragging xtians believe if Israel just builds that temple then Jesus will come back and they get to go to heaven.

Israel is not our friend or ally. They act only for their own self-interest. They like the fact the U.S. taxpayer pays for their missile defense and gives them tons of arms they can use to kill Arabs. Yee-ha!!! When we ask them to stop new settlements they laugh because we are their bitches.

They are a terrorist country. Their country only exists because the world felt bad about the Holocaust. The land taken for the Jews to have their country was taken from Arabs/Palestinians. These people had been on the land for decades or centuries but were moved off their land and placed in camps (didn't the Jews have enough of camps during WWII? Did they think they were grand as long as it wasn't Jews in the camps?).

We should be isolating Israel. No more money to them. No more intelligence sharing. Only then will Israel realize they are a NOTHING country. They aren't special. God doesn't see them as anything special. They are just a small two-bit country that is absolutely meaningless on the world stage.

[Half-Century Man]

68. I hope you are never judged as harshly as you seem to judge others.

Why would a country act outside of their own interests?
While I'm a big fan of a third Temple; I really don't see the Islamic world letting that happen. Add to that, there are certain religious conditions which need to be met first (the Red Heifer, The Ashes from the first two, Temple incense and oils, the Ark of the Covenant, etc).
Israel exists despite the Holocaust. If you think that the History of the Jewish people in the middle east starts with or was caused by the Holocaust, you might want to explore deeper than you have.
Claiming all Israelis are terrorists is as valid as claiming all Palestinians are terrorists. Statements like that only show ignorance.
The rise of the Right wing in Israel mirrors the rise of the Right wing in America. Break it here, it breaks there. We have to crush the American MIC to achieve peace in the world.
Claiming the democracy of a country, any country, doesn't matter on the site "Democratic Underground" seems...odd, to me.

[kentuck]

71. I very much agree with this point:

"The rise of the Right wing in Israel mirrors the rise of the Right wing in America."

[stillcool]

63. something is very wrong..

with the picture that is being painted by Israel. We've been hearing about AIPAC and the power they have in the US government, but this is ridiculous. Makes no sense. I saw Stony Hoyer do some serious ass-kissing and he even managed to blame Iran for what the Israeli's are doing. A totally united front when defending Israel...not so much when/if they attempt to defend the American people. They want to increase aid to Israel, so I guess that means no more food stamps?

[whathehell]

76. [phone]

and like a growing number, I'm sick to death of them.