Well, the One who was to bring the world together in harmony, holding hands and singing Kumbayah, can’t quite get those pesky terrorist regimes like Iran and North Korea to join in. Apparently, they didn’t get the memo of how very sorry we are over whatever it is we supposedly did to offend their sensitivities in the past.
And now, Barack has an even bigger problem at the global campfire singalong: our staunchest ally in the Middle East has declined the invitation to roast marshmallows with us, too.
There are today “large scale” protests in Jerusalem against the United States of America for the first time in nearly 35 years.
Reread that sentence and let it sink in for a moment. Let the historicity take its toll. Allow your mind to take in the depths to which this nation and our new foreign policy have sunk.
Because while Obama is out apologizing to dictators and terrorist regimes, he is making demands for concessions from, and ticking off, our allies. And I thought George W. Bush was unique in his ability to tick off every end of the spectrum at the same time.
July 27th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Maybe the liberal American Jews who have foresaken their Judaism for Liberalism will see the light!
Obama is an enemy of Jews and the State of Israel (as well, of course, as being an enemy of America — but everybody already must know that by now).
July 27th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I’m so sick of this Israel-worship that so many on the right (and some on the left) seem to have. They’re an ally, but it’s not like we should change our entire foreign policy so Israel doesn’t get offended.
July 27th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
While I understand the point you are trying to make, Israel is far from our “staunchest” ally. That title probably goes to Australia or the UK. not only that “Staunch” allies don’t actively spy on each other and steal one another’s secrets, yet the Mossad and Israeli intelligence is highly active in the U.S. There is a reason we don’t view Israel much different than we do Germany or Turkey when it comes to intel.
Nevertheless Israel is highly important and Obama’s damaging our relationship with them. (Though where else is Israel going to turn? are we all they’ve got?)
July 27th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Yeah, like Israel is the only country that matters. Frankly, I could give a damn about Israel’s approval of the US. They have been given a free ride for quite some time. It is time they step up to the plate.
July 27th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Well, here is something interesting. I was doing a bible study(as i am evangelical christian), and it is possible that Obama is in the bible. Want to see where?
Daniel 11 is a prophetic part of the bible. Mostly unfulfilled. Well Daniel 11:21 on to the end of the chapter talks about the “king of the north”. Prophetically a lot of scholars agree that this king of the north is also Gog of Magog in Ezekiel 38 & 39. So what is the significance of that? Well prophetically the place we are at right now is right before the Ezekiel 38&39 war. Possibly the fulfillment of Isaiah 17:1 right before that. Anyhow, so if this great King of the North is coming on us soon, than where is Obama.
Check out Daniel 11:20
20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.”
Notice several things. He “imposes taxes” and “glorious kingdom”. At this point the only nation in the world that i would describe as a glorious kingdom is the united states. One other thing. “within a few days he shall be destroyed”. So if it is talking about Obama, we don’t have to worry about him for very long at least….on the down side, it also would mean prophetically all hell will break loose.
I know there are a lot of non-christians on this site, and i could be wrong about the whole meaning of the passage(i study prophecy a lot and you can never be quite sure)…..Anyways, i just thought it was interesting.
Kevin,
I am pro Israeli. For one, because the “nations” will be judged by their conduct toward israel. Israel will be a detriment to her supporters, but the nations that support her will be blessed in the end. I love my brothers and sisters of Israel, the jewish people. They have been persecuted and hated as a scapegoat. If i were president(probably good i’m not), i would attack iran’s nuke sights for israel.
July 27th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Rick,
just so you know, when israel “steps up to the plate” it will be with nuclear weapons. They won’t allow themselves to be displaced or overrun….destroyed or any other scenario. They would rather be hated by the world, than be shoved around.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Wow, some of you guys really hate the Joos!
July 27th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Not to state the obvious, but Bush was an idiot on foreign relations. Nice to see repairs being made.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Hmmm, Kevin, methinks there’s some animosity to Israel on this site. For your info, Palin proudly displays a little Israeli flag in plain site on her office cradenza (sp?). Maybe Romney people, not so friendly to Israel.
In any case, I think you’re missing the point. Israel is telling the USA, they’ll proceed as they wish FOR THEIR BEST INTEREST, PROTECTION & SURVIVAL, REGARDLESS of USA position.
Moreover, it is unfortunate that you don’t see the primacy of the shared interests of Israel and USA to the future and security of Western Civilization. Moreover, which country do you think really WANTS ISRAEL TO REMAIN STRONG in the face of Iranian and/or Islamic threat? Answer: Saudi Arabia, as do some other middle eastern countries, albeit they cannot publicly procalim that.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I think Israel will have to turn to other allies if the Obama administration fails them. It happens all the time, and nations do what they have to do.
Personally, I do not see how any American does not realize the strategic importance of and the ideological similariites we have with Israel. You have to be blind, deaf and dumb to keep complaining about our close relationship.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Jack, WTH. You don’t know what the heck you’re talking about with Romney people.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Kris, yes, they don’t like Joos!
July 27th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Martha, isn’t Kevin a Romney person? If not, who is he for?
July 27th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Jack & Martha,
RIGHT ON!
July 27th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
THIS IS A PRO-ISRAEL SITE.
We have liberal ‘guests’ on this site who support Obama’s anti-Semitic policy towards the middle-east.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Kevin is a far-left Democrat, who supports President Obama.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
“Hate Bill” Favoritism
If “hate bill”-obsessed Congress [and Obama] can’t protect Christians from “gays” as much as it wants to protect “gays” from Christians, will Congress be surprised if it can’t protect itself from most everyone? If “hate bills” are forced on captive Americans, they’ll still find ways to sneakily continue to “plant” Biblical messages everywhere. By doing so they’ll hasten God’s judgment on their oppressors as revealed in Proverbs 19:1. (See related web items including “David Letterman’s Hate, Etc.,” “Separation of Raunch and State,” “Michael the Narc-Angel,” and “Obama Avoids Bible Verses.”) Since Congress can’t seem to legislate “morality,” it’s making up for it by legislating “immorality”!
July 27th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Woops, sorry Romney people who are pro Israel?
July 27th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Israel Lobby FAQ
What is the interest of Israel’s lobby?
To further Israeli interests at the expense of the US. To use the US to benefit Israel.
Like what?
Like fighting Islamist terrorists like Hamas and supporting Israel’s right to sovereignty.
Why is that against our interests in the Middle East?
Because it makes the terrorists mad at us!
Shouldn’t we stand up to evil?
No.
Why is Israel’s nefarious lobby so powerful , if it’s so obviously working against our interests?
It just is, okay?
July 27th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Laura,
If you believe in judgment for the conduct of a nation(as i do, it is biblical), than you should watch something.
Go to http://voe.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=152&Itemid=91 and click on watch previous episodes. Then click on “Sorry but you are wrong Mr. President”, if you click on the video icon for that episode it will play the video in the window.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I am pro Israeli. For one, because the “nations” will be judged by their conduct toward israel. Israel will be a detriment to her supporters, but the nations that support her will be blessed in the end. I love my brothers and sisters of Israel, the jewish people. They have been persecuted and hated as a scapegoat. If i were president(probably good i’m not), i would attack iran’s nuke sights for israel.
Politics makes for straaaaaaaaaaaaaange bedfellows, indeed. Sometimes the people who share my policy prescriptions scare me.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
#21,
neocon + born again
July 27th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I agree that Israel is a detriment to her supporters. But I am more concerned with the good than with nationalism or popularity. It’s shameful how many people inject nihilism and nationalism into foreign policy, rather than virtue.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Kris,
I’m not a neocon. I’m just pro-israeli. I don’t think we should’ve gone to Iraq, i don’t want to invade these countries to destroy terrorists. I just want to help israel, and provide a blanket for them so that countries will be afraid to attack her because of what we would do. I am born again though.
Alex 21,
Your reasons for agreeing with me on a particular issue don’t bother me at all. It doesn’t bother me that you are homosexual, even though i disapprove of the lifestyle. I just see it as a different situation. Who am i to judge you? I am a sinner in all ways and have done things that i’ve begged God to forgive me of. For me, i would just assume pray for those i love rather than judge them personally. I hope you don’t mind that i pray for you? I also don’t mind being an outcast in some circles for my beliefs(political or religious). I would rather be right and be persecuted, than be wrong and be loved.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
From what my Israeli cousins tell me, this “large-scale” gathering isn’t an anti-Obama protest so much as it’s a pro-settlement rally. In that respect, it’s no different from the many pro-settlement rallies that have taken place during the Bush Administration. Obama isn’t the only one they’re calling out. Prime Minister Netenyahu is also a target. The protest is in support of the thousands of Israelis who live in the West Bank, land the settlers feel is rightfully Israeli territory, where they have the biblical obligation to build and to live.
Having said all that, it should be noted that, as the only Mid-east democracy, Israel sees protests from all sides of the political spectrum on a constant basis. Recall the leftist Peace Now rallies of the pre-Sept 11th era. It’s what makes Israel so unique in the region – what other nation in the region has such democratic ideals? – and really why the US should continue to support them.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I think it’s a bit naive to assume Israel faces some immediate existential threat.
It faces terrorists who disrupt the economy and kill small numbers of civilians. That’s not something that will bring Israel to an end.
Some coordination with Israel on a few issues is probably warranted. However I don’t want to place too much trust in a nation that steals our secrets and sells them to the highest bidder.
We ought not to let Israel be conquered by its neighbors but that isn’t on the horizon.
July 27th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
It doesn’t bother me that you are homosexual, even though i disapprove of the lifestyle.
Lol. I love how that came out of nowhere. (Although I love that gay men have “lifestyles,” while straight men have a love life.)
July 27th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
26 – Yes, let’s put off helping Israel until it’s facing an existential crisis!
How about not letting it get to that point?
July 27th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
#28 Our committment to face down an illegal aggression does that fairly effectively.
I’d not favor doing anything for Israel that we wouldn’t do for Taiwan as it is a more strategically important ally.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
“Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations – entangling alliances with none.” – Thomas Jefferson
July 27th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Maybe the pro-Palestinian folks on this site are correct….if Eva’s husband had just gone through with the ‘Madagascar option’, we would be having these discussions (sic).
July 27th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Doug, you do realize that China controls Taiwan’s foreign policy…you would allow Arabs to do the same to Israel?
July 27th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
30 – Thanks, that’s really great advice for the year 1790.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Who does Alex Knepper support or prefer, if known? (Romney, Huckabee, etc.?)
July 27th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Alex 27,
Yeah, that was probably a stupid way for me to put that. Lol.
33,
yeah except that even in 1790 we had tyrants that wanted to conquer the world. Our change from isolationism to a globalist reality is largely because of Adolf Hitler….yet there were many people in history that were just as bad. Isolationism is a fine policy if you don’t believe in globalistic human rights. If you’re not willing to wage war to protect those being abused, than you pretty much have to be an isolationist. Ron Paul is a perfect example of that.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I don’t have a candidate right now, barring a Giuliani run.
I would have supported Sanford had he not been a non-interventionist, and…well, so it goes.
If it comes down to Romney, Palin and Huckabee I’ll probably go with Palin for two reasons:
(1) To test-run her, so I can prove once and for all to the Palin hacks that she’s not electable, and
(2) On the off-chance that she can win, she picks Giuliani as her running-mate, something Huckabee and Romney would not do
July 27th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
#32, It’s an extreme exaggeration to say China controls Taiwan’s foreign policy. It bares almost no resemblance to reality.
I’m not suggesting Taiwan is an analogue for Israel. I’m only suggesting its a more important strategic ally. We shouldn’t apply efforts in Israel that would be too costly for Taiwan as it is the more important ally strategically.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
35 – I would say that globalization has changed things.
International terrorism amongst Muslim fanatics is partly due to such changes, leading to a revolution in wartime methodology and, in some part, the privatization of war to individuals who want to wage it. Thankfully, most people are not fanatics and have no desire to engage in international terrorism. Unfortunately, there’s a rather popular ideology (Islam) that condones it.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
36,
I think there is a small chance of huck picking rudy. For one, i think they like each other. Also, huck might be looking for a balance to his ticket. Someone that the people already know and trust in a leadership position. It’s pretty far fetched though.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
37,
How is Taiwan a more important strategic ally? If world war 3 was launched tomorrow….i’d rather have israel than taiwan. For one, we supply taiwan with their weapons….and two israel is a better military force than probably any other nation in the world(at the moment, while our forces are spread thin). They have some great technology, although admittedly the arrow isn’t quite as good as previously thought. It failed it’s recent test.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Israel is a far more important strategic ally, but that’s more due to Taiwan’s lack of importance than Israel’s importance. On the whole, supporting Israel is a net loss to us in reputation and short-term safety. If Israel ceased to exist, we’d probably be safer, at least in the short term.
However, I am not willing to sacrifice virtue to barbarians.
We can try to shape the world or watch it get shaped for us.
We can go into the world in a position of strength, or we can try to, as Churchill put it, feed the beast, hoping it eats us last.
We can stand up for virtue, or we can retreat into the crumbling walls of what was once Fortress America.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
39 – Huckabee is more ideological than Palin. He’d be unwilling to pick Rudy because he’s trying to go into the White House to shape a social agenda.
I think he’d be more likely to pick a senator (insider/outsider balance), and I think that senator would probably be John Thune.
Palin doesn’t care about those conventions, and Rudy and Palin genuinely like each other, it seems. If she were the nominee, Rudy would be the perfect complement to all that she’s lacking: urban credibility, experience, “moderation,” East Coast, acceptability amongst elites, etc.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
“#32, It’s an extreme exaggeration to say China controls Taiwan’s foreign policy. It bares almost no resemblance to reality.”
Doug, obviously we disagree…Taiwain remains a bastard society/nation because of the pressure China places on its business partners and allies.
Doug, if China attacked Taiwan, would you support sending in our forces to repell the attack?
July 27th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
wateredseeds, there’s not a chance in hell Huck picks Rudy for veep. Not much chance he wins the nom either for that matter.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
foxnews.com NOW! Rand Paul for Senate!
July 27th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Alex,
“Israel is a far more important strategic ally, but that’s more due to Taiwan’s lack of importance than Israel’s importance. On the whole, supporting Israel is a net loss to us in reputation and short-term safety. If Israel ceased to exist, we’d probably be safer, at least in the short term.
However, I am not willing to sacrifice virtue to barbarians.”
A refleshingly frank and honest post, there Alex. At least you don’t try to pretend that Israel is an enormous net benefit to us, politically, or the our self-interests are always aligned.
For my part, I think Israel does pretty well defending itself (and of course holds the biggest deterrent possible). I’d be willing to sell them F-16s and Abram tanks for sure, but I’d stop the subsidies (hell, we can’t pay our own bills). I also think that BOTH Israel and the US would be better off if we weren’t seen as joined so much at the hip. I think anti-Americanism also fuels anti-Semitism and vice versa over there.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Watered,
Who is Rand Paul?
July 27th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Martha,
You understimate Huck. I think you guys will dodge a bullet, cause Huck ain’t gonna run. On the other hand, i think Pawlenty is gonna boom better than huck.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
47,
Rand Paul is Ron Paul’s son. He had announced a while back that if Bunning didn’t run for re-election, he would campaign to replace him. He lives in Kentucky and is a doctor like his father(though different areas of medicine i think). Very much like his dad.
July 27th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
#43 We have committed to doing so. We either will defend Taiwan or all of our allies will realize our word is worthless and that we’re cowards.
In essence Taiwan is just China’s stepping stone to taking over all of the strategically important Spratlys and extending its control over more of the vital Pacific Rim. That would dramatically harm America’s economic and military influences.
If Israel falls there’s little loss to us in any economically or militarily meaningful way. However we’ve committed to opposing wars of conquest on moral grounds. On that basis I think we ought to defend Israel from conquest if that was ever attempted.
July 27th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
46. I’d rather give money to Israel than Hamas, etc.
July 27th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
48. No bullet dogde at all. Huck will run and Romney already proved he can beat him.
July 27th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Martha,
“I’d rather give money to Israel than Hamas, etc.”
Okay, but how about we just start paying our own bills instead?
July 27th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
#41 Wow you’re a complete idiot about realpolitik. It’s interesting because I didn’t realize you were that utterly oblivious to the strategic element of geopolitical reality.
Taiwan’s economy is somewhere around 2-3 times the size of Israel’s GDP. Taiwan is relevant to our naval power, Israel is not.
Defending Israel is a luxury we can afford because of our economic and naval power. If China swipes Taiwan both of those elements of our power would be endangered.
July 27th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
BINGO to #54 Doug Forrester, it is all fine and well to be Pro-Israel, but if Alex thinks that Taiwan is unimportant, he has lost it.
July 27th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
U.S. indicts 7 in N.C. for alleged terrorism plot in Israel
http://www.newsobserver.com/1573/story/1623530.html
7 charged with terror conspiracy in North Carolina
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j34g9gaPJEUOAIczVt028baWrkaAD99N38BO0
July 29th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
[...] is favoring Arab nations over our brothers in Israel and he immediately attacks the Cambridge police, all in an effort to defend his close friend, who [...]