Netanyahu to U.S. : Drop Dead

[Jefferson23]

Posted: September 27, 2010 12:15 PM

Prime Minister Netanyahu sent a clear message to President Obama when he ignored the US request to extend the settlement freeze to keep the US-sponsored negotiations going. It was "drop dead."

His statement came in his decision to end the settlements freeze which the Palestinians have said must be extended if they were to keep negotiating.

Prime Minister Abbas says that he has not decided what to do now.

As someone who favors negotiations (including with Hamas), I have a hard time arguing that Abbas should walk away.

However, it is hard to imagine Palestinians negotiating while Israel is gobbling up the land they are supposedly negotiating over.

Moreover, Israel's position is utterly hypocritical.

remainder: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/netanyahu-to-us-drop-dead_b_740380.html

[mediaman007]

1. Netanyahu is a NeoCon. He certainly is not an advocate for any kind of settlement

with the Palestinians.

I have no trouble distancing my feelings for Israel when Netanyahu is involved. He's a schoolyard bully.

[RobertBlue]

2. +1 n/t

[Jim Sagle]

3. Oh, bullshit. The Palestinian side takes its ball and goes him, and that's Israel's fault? Riiight

[Tripmann]

4. There is no onus for one side to stay when the other resumes breaching international law.

[Jim Sagle]

11. If there are such violations, that's part of what gets negotiated. Duh!!

[Tripmann]

24. There ARE such violations and they were suspended at the start of the peace talks. Duh indeed jim.

If the settlements were being attacked with the PAs blessing, nobody would expect israel to keep negotiating. It works both ways.

[oberliner]

25. But this is a change from the past

In the past, Palestinian leaders have negotiated with Israeli leaders even while settlement construction was going on.

[Tripmann]

26. So because they were breaking the law the last time they've a carte blanche to do it again?

[oberliner]

27. No - but peace talks ought to continue in spite of them

I don't see anything positive coming out of the two sides no longer speaking with each other - do you?

[Tripmann]

28. No. Nor do I see anything positive in either side sanctioning the breaking of international law

[oberliner]

29. Isn't the whole occupation a violation of international law?

The point of the peace negotiations is to find a way to end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state.

[aquart]

5. He denied the United States' right to exist? REALLY?

Well, that's just shocking. To deny a nation the right to exist.

[Jefferson23]

7. Would you like to clarify yourself ? n/t

[aquart]

8. What does "drop dead" mean to you?

[Jefferson23]

10. Netanyahu to Obama, drop dead....means the settlers will continue

to EXPAND their land grab. What do you think Netanyahu means? Peace is a sure thing Obama, despite the expansion?

[oberliner]

6. Another MJ article so soon?

When does this man sleep?

[Jefferson23]

9. How far apart in time should the articles be, in your opinion?

I read columns by Scott Horton for example, he write consistently for Harpers Magazine.

Does he write too often too? What about Glenn Greenwald, too often too?

[oberliner]

12. I would think some research, interviews, legwork would take at least a week?

I know things are fast in this here age of the internet, but he seems to churn out in many cases very lengthy articles at a rate of just about every other day.

Edit to add: I guess the question I would ask is - is he a blogger or a reporter? And is there a difference?

[Jefferson23]

13. That's interesting, do you hold that same concern for Scott Horton

or others like him? Or is this exclusive to Rosenberg?

[oberliner]

14. It is exclusive to Rosenberg

His writing style gets on my nerves, so I am just looking for reasons to criticize him.

[Jefferson23]

15. That's what I thought, thanks. n/t

[oberliner]

16. You're welcome

There are so many writers with whom I disagree who I look forward to reading articles from because they are so well crafted and artfully articulated.

MJ would be the antithesis of that as far as I am concerned.

And I do think part of it is because of how quickly he churns out material, but most of it is because he is, in my humble opinion, a dufus.

Edit to add: There are several posters here whose writings are exponentially more thought-provoking and well-written than his (again, in my opinion). And I disagree with them, often times sharply.

[Crunchy Frog]

18. I thought he made some very good points.

[whosinpower]

17. This is just my opinion but

I don't think Netanyahu has the political collateral to facilitate another building slowdown. I am not sure if his coalition would survive....and am not totally secure that his coalition IS solid given Lieberman's escapade at the UN.

Having said that, I hope Abbas stays at the table. If nothing else, to prove Lieberman wrong.

[oberliner]

19. MJ has also found time to weigh in on the Jon Stewart/Rick Sanchez situation

He writes that Sanchez should be allowed to apologize and move on.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/poor-rick-sanchez_b_747178.html

[Jefferson23]

20. Rosenberg is a compasionate man, interesting point of view. Thanks for posting oberliner.

[oberliner]

21. You are very welcome

It is surprising, yet informative, to see just how many folks are showing compassion towards Mr. Sanchez and coming to his defense.

The post in Late Breaking News on the subject is riddled with deleted messages for some reason.

I wonder what that is all about!

[Jefferson23]

22. I think you might want to post your topic of interest from Rosenberg

if you want to find out, instead of posting it here.

Interesting you posted it here in an OP regarding Israel...not that I mind. Yet, considering
your position on Rosenberg, it is an odd entry.

I don't recall any poster on DU so concerned about how much time an author spends writing
and or twittering.

Sounds like you follow Rosenberg closely.

[oberliner]

23. It's a little strange, I agree

I don't know what it is about him that bothers me so much.

I guess I posted it here because the folks in I/P seem to know who he is, while the broader DU community would probably not recognize the name (or care about his opinion on this matter).

Edit to add: I'll post it as an OP on GD.

[txaslftist]

30. The US is naive ...

to believe that Israel has any interest in stopping settlement construction.

Or that it is even really on the table.

The "piece talks" are just cover while Israel takes a piece here and another piece there. The entire objective is to create facts on the ground, negotiate from those facts, then while those negotiations are taking place, create more facts on the ground.

The facts being the continual gobbling up of Palestinian land.