Comments on: Rep. Berman criticizes McCain’s possible elimination of aid to Israel.

By: benmer

benmer — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:32:32 +0000

Well, I am certainly perplexed, I have rarely seen such uninformed or unfactual drivel in all my life. You people definitely need to read more, and I am not talking about your local newspapers. Perhaps a little history would be beneficial. I don’t know which representation to answer first they are all so misguided and uneducated. Last time I looked, Israel was being inundated on a daily basis with missles raining down on towns bordering the Gaza strip. Last time I heard, Israel is being threatened with annihilation on a fairly regular basis. Last time I read, Hamas’s Charter spews hatred towards not only Jews but all infidels (that’s you guys). It is plainly sick to equivocate Israel with the Nazi’s. There is no other place in the Middle East where Arab’s enjoy more freedom than in Israel where they serve in Parliament, vote, are educated, have access to some of the best medicine in the world, have freedom to express there views, etc. Perhaps you should travel the internet a bit more and get a little more acknowledge. What would you do if rockets were being hurled on a daily basis from Mexico into towns in Texas? How long would any country allow its citizens to be injured, threatened and terrorized? Not long, I imagine, before we would flatten the aggressor.

By: 1984

1984 — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:11:49 +0000

Aid to Israel is actually not a very good thing the way studies shows.
‘They hate our policies, not our freedom
‘Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather they hate our policies [the report says]. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights, and the long-standing, even increasing, support for what Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan and the Gulf states. Thus, when American public diplomacy talks about bringing democracy to Islamic societies, this is seen as no more than self-serving hypocrisy.’
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1129/dailyUpdate.html
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2004-09-Strategic_Communication.pdf

By: HouseDemocrat

HouseDemocrat — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:28:06 +0000

Come on Jews, we love you but you have to admit the “Israel – Home of the Jewish People” thing has gotten out of hand. Way outta of hand. No one wants to cut aid to Israel and watch all the good jews in Israel get killed or made homeless, they just want to see some justice, cut some funding and watch the Zionist squirm and force them to compromise on a fair deal. learn to be good neighbors.

The problem with “Israel – The Jewish Homeland” I that the protectionist idea is itself fundamentally racist. Israel, where we stand up for one type of person, um more.

If they had started off with “Palestine, Safe Place for People to Chill and Heal and be Close to Their Roots”, that would have been more doable. That would be something everyone can enjoy.

By: IgnoranceIsNotBliss

IgnoranceIsNotBliss — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:42:57 +0000

Let’s see if I’ve got this right: The Palestinians were there like, hundreds of years before the Israeli’s came over in what? 1948 (or something like that) and took the Palestinians land saying they (the Israeli’s) were more entitled to the land than the Palestinians were and now the Israeli’s don’t know what all the fuss is or why the Palestinians would be upset with the Israeli’s?

By: mary

mary — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:36:34 +0000

Luis M – thanks for your comments.

For me, the thing the Israelis do that reminds me the most of the Nazis is the way they seem to treat the Palestinians as a lower form of life. As though their deaths don’t matter as much as an Israeli’s. I certainly don’t go around calling Israelis nazis. Although that awful Gaza Strip does seem like one huge prison camp sometimes.

I hear that Israel has resumed some shipments of fuel to the Palestinians. I’ve never understood why they can only get fuel through the Israelis.

One would think that after what the Jews have been through that they would be more ‘mindful’ about treating people fairly though. No?

By: L. Hussein Annie

L. Hussein Annie — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:22:58 +0000

So….the Israelis are not locking up the Palestinians in ghettos?

They’re not rounding them up and forcing them to live behind high walls with no access to food or water?

The Israelis are not bulldozing their houses…?

How many Palestinians have to die before we can say that Israel is treating the Palestians “the same way” as Germany treated the Jews…? Do they have to start shoving them into gas chambers? Kill 6 million of them before we act?

What??

If someone had taken action when Germany was merely walling off Jews behind ghetto walls – perhaps the 6 million would NOT have died, eh?

By: Luis M

Luis M — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:57:56 +0000

… and I think I overused the word “indeed”. Sorry.

By: Luis M

Luis M — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:56:41 +0000

mary Says:
I just took the time to review the comments on this thread and I didn’t see anyone say that “Israel acts like the Nazis”. Did I miss something?

I think NoOneYouKnow is referring to this comment:

L. Hussein Annie Says:
Furthermore, I’m appalled that the same people who suffered the Holocaust would turn ’round and oppress another group people the same way.
(emphasis mine)

While I do think that Israel is indeed committing acts of mass punishment against the Palestinians, it is indeed a great exaggeration to put them on a par with the Nazi atrocities.

PS Cheetohs suck, Doritos rule.

By: hussein toasterhead

hussein toasterhead — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:49:00 +0000

Report: Netanyahu Says 9/11 Has Been Good for Israel
The Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv has reported that Israel’s former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly said the September 11 attacks have been good for Israel. Netanyahu said, “We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq.” Netanyahu then reportedly said that these events “swung American public opinion in our favor.” Netanyahu’s comments came during a conference at Bar Ilan University.

http://www.democracynow.org

With friends like these, eh?

By: Zimzone

Zimzone — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:35:09 +0000

munch, snap…

By: mary

mary — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:51:46 +0000

NoOneYouKnow Says:
But to say that Israel acts like the Nazis isn’t just a nasty insult, it’s stupid.

———————–

I just took the time to review the comments on this thread and I didn’t see anyone say that “Israel acts like the Nazis”. Did I miss something?

Oh, and btw, you might want to do something about that fixation with cheetohs…

By: NoOneYouKnow

NoOneYouKnow — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:42:32 +0000

Oh, and for everybody who goes with the “Israel went through the Holocaust and now they treat the Palestinians the same way”: Wrong again!
The Jews of Europe weren’t rocketing, shooting at, mortaring, or suicide-bombing their neighbors, including women and children and a few Olympic athletes.
The Jews of Europe didn’t dance in the streets when they heard about Pearl Harbor.
The Nazis didn’t make numerous peace overtures to the Jews over the decades.
There are more than a million Arab Israelis, and they serve in Parliament and (voluntarily) the Israeli Army. Jews in the SS? Not so much.
The Jews didn’t educate their children that the Germans were “sons of pigs and monkeys,” born liars, murderers and infidels, etc.
The Jews of Europe didn’t declare that Germany had no right to exist and try to take it away from them.
There weren’t millions of Germans who sympathized with the Jews and fought for their rights and a peaceful solution.
The Israelis aren’t trying to wipe all Arabs from the face of the earth because they’re parasites and the root of all evil. I could go on, but having to explain what should be obvious makes me tired. Israel commits war crimes. Israel inflicts mass punishment (although it can be hard to pick out the suicide bombers from the other Palestinians). But to say that Israel acts like the Nazis isn’t just a nasty insult, it’s stupid. So again: please put down the cheetohs and pick up a book.

By: impeachcheneythenbush

impeachcheneythenbush — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:26:57 +0000

Fred, it appears that you are flagging Ike because you disagree with his opinion on some things and consider him a “troll” because of that. I think it’s pretty ridiculous to post links to comments from February, and it’s obvious you’ve saved them. It’s also shows that while some posters will join in with you on an attack, many call you out on it and say it is you that is acting like a troll, since you are disrupting the thread.

By: NoOneYouKnow

NoOneYouKnow — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:24:59 +0000

It’s fun to see all the Israel-haters out today. It’s a very one-sided affair, this Israel-Palestine thing, right? Israel bad, Palestinians good. So simple. Thank god, because if it’s black and white, you don’t have to think about it. Just eat more cheetohs.
First up: Israelis in Iraq and Afghanistan? No, those are America’s wars. Despite what the neocons in the U.S. and Israel say, Bushco’s wars have been a disaster for Israel. Saddam was not threat to Israel before Bushco invaded, but now, there are tens of thousands more Arab terrorists, and very well-trained and funded. And in the meantime, Israel gets none of the oil the U.S. is trying to steal. It’s nice that most Israelis are trying hard not to criticize us for our stupid wars, eh?
Second: The “aid” that Israel gets is mostly funding for American-made weapons. Get it? The U.S. gives Israel money so they can give it to American corporations! And in return, the Israelis get weapons that are inferior to the ones they make. Sweet deal, right?
Third: Israel’s not essential to U.S. security? Well, they have a much, much better intelligence system in the Middle East and elsewhere (They warned Bushco that there were terrorists in the U.S. before 9/11, but Bushco wasn’t interested). Without that intelligence system (and its bases, and military, etc.), the U.S. has much less ability in the Middle East, which is a pretty important part of the world. Also, Israel develops and sells military technology to the U.S. that is better than U.S. technology. And Israel is actually a democracy, however flawed, and not a dictatorship, and that makes it pretty valuable to the U.S. in and of itself. Please, people: before you type, put down the cheetoh and pick up a book.

By: Ike_Skelton

Ike_Skelton — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:00:12 +0000

Fred, you’re pathetic man; get a life. I almost feel sorry for you.

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:33:28 +0000

Wayne Says:
Fred, why so flag happy?
Please explain why exactly you flagged Ike.

Per your request and because you said please:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/oreilly-dodge-fox-news-at-your-peril/

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/07/thinkfast-february-7-2008/

do your own search, you will find plenty more.

By: galmud

galmud — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:15:57 +0000

silly statement. Of course McCain wont cut aid to Israel, thats absurd

By: hussein toasterhead

hussein toasterhead — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:57:46 +0000

Keith Says:

If Israel had a couple billion dollars less for their military, would they be forced to make peace with their neighbors?

I know we give Egypt $2 billion every year, $1.2 billion going for military. If we stopped that, wouldn’t Israel need a lot less.

April 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
_____

No – more. Much of that $2 billion is a bribe to keep Egypt at peace with Israel.

By: Keith

Keith — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:54:13 +0000

If Israel had a couple billion dollars less for their military, would they be forced to make peace with their neighbors?

I know we give Egypt $2 billion every year, $1.2 billion going for military. If we stopped that, wouldn’t Israel need a lot less.

By: merrylib

merrylib — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:49:00 +0000

Hasn’t anyone noticed that Israel can take care of itself? Did you see BBC News report yesterday on the carnage in Gaza against civilians because 3 Israeli soldiers were killed? Israel said it was “sorry” civilians were murdered because the militants use civilians as a shield.