Some Congressional Democrats Are Undermining Obama’s Israel-Palestine Policy
Some Congressional Democrats Are Undermining Obama’s Israel-Palestine Policy
Last month, President Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and pressed for focus on a resolution to the Israel-Palestine dispute. Obama specifically called on Israel to freeze all settlements in the West Bank. “Settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward,” Mr. Obama said. “That’s a difficult issue. I recognize that. But it’s an important one, and it has to be addressed.”
Previous Israeli governments have come to expect the White House to allow loopholes in any demand on settlement freezes, such as the Bush administration’s back-door agreement with the Israelis back in late 2002 allowing expansion within existing West Bank settlements, what the Israelis call “natural growth.” Israelis have used “natural growth” arguments to justify funding further settlement expansion. In fact, recent data show that “in 2007, natural growth accounted for 63 percent of settlement population growth, whereas internal migration accounted for 37 percent.”
This time, however, the Obama administration is holding firm and doing so publicly. More importantly, it appeared that Netanyahu ran into problems when dealing with Congress on the settlement issue soon after meeting Obama:
Whereas in the past Israeli leaders have sometimes eased pressure from Washington on the settlements issue by going to members of Congress, this time, observers in Washington and Israel say, key pro-Israel allies in Congress have been largely reinforcing the Obama team’s message to Netanyahu. What changed? “Members of Congress have more willing to follow the leadership of the administration … because [they] believe it is in our national security interest to move toward ending the conflict and that it is not a zero sum for Israel,” the former senior Clinton administration official said.
However, Politico reports this week that support for Obama’s message on Israel-Palestine among Democrats in Congress is starting to wane. “My concern is that we are applying pressure to the wrong party in this dispute,” said Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV). Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) complained, “I would have liked to hear the president talk more about the Palestinian obligation to cut down on terrorism.” Today, the L.A. Times reports more dissent from congressional Democrats:
Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House foreign affairs subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, said focusing on settlement activity “detracts” from top U.S. goals in the region. However, he added: “I do not support a settlement freeze that calls on Israeli families not to grow, get married, or forces them to throw away their grandparents. Telling people not to have children is unthinkable and inhumane.“
Ackerman’s claim is a canard. No one is calling on Israeli families “not to grow.” And as Matt Yglesias notes, “Ackerman’s position is just the position that peace is impossible, and that Israel must fight forever to squeeze the Palestinians out of the West Bank, while the Palestinians must fight forever for the destruction of Israel.”
Moreover, Weiner’s comment is not even factually accurate; Obama has made it very clear on numerous occasions that the Palestinians must meet their obligations under the “road map” to a two-state solution laid out in 2003. But Obama has also said the Israelis must meet their obligations as well. A provision in the road map specifically states that Israel “freezes all settlement activity (including natural growth of settlements).”
In an interview with NPR this week, Obama acknowledged that private agreements with the Israelis on the settlements issue (such as the Bush administration’s in 2002) undermines American credibility in the peace process. “I think what is certainly true is that the United States has to follow through on what it says,” he said, adding that “it is important for us to be clear about what we believe will lead to peace and that there’s not equivocation and there’s not a sense that we expect only compromise on one side; it’s going to have to be two-sided.”
Indeed, today in his speech at Cairo University in Egypt, Obama said that both sides need to follow through with their commitments. “The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people…Hamas must put an end to violence, recognize past agreements, and recognize Israel’s right to exist,” he said. “The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop.”
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HHmmmm let me guess, would Rhamn Emanuel be one of those Democrats, how about Jane Harman, Dianne Feinstein, Arlen Specter, the House, and the Senate.
AIPAC runs D.C.
RIP
June 4th, 2009 at 3:18 pmSGT Stephen R. Sherman
C CO 1-5 IN (STRYKER)
KIA 3 Feb 2005
Mosul, Iraq
What is the argument for continuing settlements? I just don’t understand that. There is no logical reason that one group of people should be allowed to force another group of people out of an area so that they can take it over. Guarantee that if this occurred anywhere else in the world, the US would oppose it. Why is Israel any different?
June 4th, 2009 at 3:25 pmChris: why is Israel any different? Here’s the reason: $$$$$$$.
It’s really that simple…Israeli lobbyists like AIPAC have more clout on the Hill than almost any other special interest group, and money talks…
June 4th, 2009 at 3:31 pmHypocritical President Obama talks about “peace” to the Egyptian people as he continues to wage war on the Iraqis, Afghanis and Pakistanis. Continuing his illegal hostile criminal occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq is not the road to peace. Continuing to arm the colonialist Zionist Israeli war machine is not the road to peace. President Obama needs to stop preaching and start practicing peace by withdrawing all US military forces and the two hundred thousand US contractors curently occupying Afghanistan and Iraq. President Obama needs to end his drone/missile murders of Pakistanis.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:37 pmWouldn’t it be great if, just once, the Democrats actually supported our President on a major policy? Fights about healthcare reform, fights about EFCA, fights about stimulus money, fights about funding the closure of Gitmo, and the list goes on.
There is a time and place for honest disagreement, but when our President is in the Middle East making major speeches designed to unite the world for peace in a fight against violent behavior is just not that time. Isn’t it enough that the GNOP is slamming him on every major network?
PEACE
June 4th, 2009 at 3:39 pmWhy is the US the only country in the World in the middle of this conflict in the first place? Israel is ready to “nuke” Iran without US involvement and yet when it comes to the matter of the Palestinians they want the US involved? Please help me understand?
June 4th, 2009 at 3:40 pmThen the “I’s” have it.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:40 pmIt’s because Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East and the ‘nukes’ are really our nukes (shhhh). Israel is our bulwark and first line of defense in the Middle East and plays a key role in stabilizing (and unfortunately because of their aggressive policies towards Palestine, destabilizing) the region. We’ve just got to get everyone over there to play nice. It can happen but it takes a President who is dedicated to making it happen, like Bill Clinton was.
When Clinton left office he stayed awake for 72 hours negotiating a settlement between the two, and when Bush came in the next week he declared he was dropping those efforts and was going to try a “hands off approach” to Israel. Bush fueled tensions by using inflammatory rhetoric against Palestine, and ignored the middle east until it all blew up in his face again.
Fortunately President Obama is a smart man, like Clinton, and is picking up where Bill Clinton left off, 8 years ago.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:49 pmThere must be a few brain-dead democrats who tune into the hate-mongering right wing radio rant-jockeys.
If you want a good laugh, tune into Little Seanie Vanity’s rant-fest right now. Most days, this moron is mildly amusing; today, he is utterly hilarious!
The poor little piss-ant’s got nothing but he is criticizing the President’s speech anyway. Gotta admit that he’s “committed to his gig” and giving his audience of imbeciles just what they want. Too bad he’s such a stupid, arrogant, shallow, pathetic, whiney little prick.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:50 pmAIPAC’s Financial Contributions to members of Congress
Follow the money.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:53 pmThese obstructionist prostitues (bought with lobbyists’ cash) like Ackerman need to wake up and smell the “new” Global reality, To say “I do not support a settlement freeze” in an indefensible position. Period. We, as citizens, need to get more involved during elections. Let us not forget Mr. Ackerman’s record when he’s up for reelection!
June 4th, 2009 at 4:00 pmMay ‘09
Congressional leaders inadvertently expose Israeli lobbyists behind letter to Obama:
June 4th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
It’s policy — President Obama don’t need no steenkin’ votes on it.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:16 pmWAYNEBRO
Thanks for making it clearer for me.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:20 pmIf Obama pulls a Carter, and actually succeeds in creating a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine, it will only be if he pushes against the extreme rightwing Zionists in Israel.
You have no idea how much respect I will have for Obama if he pulls it off. I am one of Obama’s greatest RATIONAL critics. I have had my doubts about Obama’s Presidency for the last few months.
But it really looks as if he’s serious about putting the squeeze on the Israeli hardliners–and that will be the ONLY way peace will come to Israel and Palestine. We shall see.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:22 pmIt’s fine to have them be our ally, but members of Congress should not be privately setting foreign policy. The entire concept of allowing foreign countries to lobby Congress (not just AIPAC, but others as well) should be utterly illegal.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:26 pmranus69, the US is far from the only country in the world involved in this issue.
But no one gives Israel anywhere near the $3 billion every year that the US gives. Not that the money is going to stop flowing…no chance of that. But it IS a subtle threat, and it looks as though Obama is ready to twist some hardline neoconservative Zionist Israeli arms into producing a real and lasting peace.
Shee. I have real problems with SOME of Obama’s policies so far, but not this one. He is racing right out of the gate, so to speak, especially compared with his two predecessors. Bush never did a damned thing except to try to DESTROY the peace in the Middle East, while Clinton (the greatest President of my lifetime) waited until his last two years in office to really put the screws to both sides (although the Oslo Accords were ratified in ‘94).
Anyway. The EU is very concerned and diplomatically involved in a lot of countries besides Palestine and Israel. Just listen to the BBC late at night on your local NPR station, and you might get an idea of how much more involved and interested in the rest of the world the OTHER First World countries are than the US generally is…
June 4th, 2009 at 4:26 pmChris LeJeune Says:
There is no logical reason that one group of people should be allowed to force another group of people out of an area so that they can take it over. Guarantee that if this occurred anywhere else in the world, the US would oppose it. Why is Israel any different?
June 4th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
____________
Actually, this isn’t the only place in the world that this is happening, and it’s not the only place in the world the U.S. has been mum on the issue. Just look at nearly every place that the World Bank has dammed up a river, displacing thousands of indigenous people from their ancestral lands so that a few urban elites can have hydroelectric power. Or places like India where slums and farms are bulldozed in order to build “special economic zones.” I don’t often see our diplomats criticizing either of these.
So, from that perspective, Israel isn’t very different at all.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:27 pmElBruce, lobbying is one of those strange concepts that people love to rail against, but there’s basically not a damn thing anyone can do about it. Lobbyists have to register, which is an improvement of sorts; it’s good to know who they are, and who their clients are.
But lobbying is simple speech. It’s persuasion. And it works both ways, too, like campaign contributions. You can’t control speech to members of Congress, nor should you want to, despite any alleged abuses.
If we had serious campaign contribution limits or some of the more radical laws enacted, Obama never would have been able to raise the huge amount he did. It works for and against both sides. Sure, the rich have more money to throw at the process, but even if they had five times the money in 2008, and five times the air commercials and mailers…would that have changed the outcome of that election?
Heck, no. Speech and money have influence–but only so much. Eh. Rant over.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:32 pmWith all due respect . .
I think Jewish congressman and senators have shown by their comments that they should recuse themselves for obvious reasons!!
June 4th, 2009 at 4:45 pmSeveral months ago , I posted a comment that “It’s the Settlements, Stupid.”
That’s still my position…that’s part of the Deal….and No Peace is Possible without it.
I believe President Obama Gets it….and I also believe that Rahm Emmanuel is just the guy to make sure the Israeli Govt, and its supporters in Congress …Get it TOO.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/199146
June 4th, 2009 at 4:46 pmThis may not be a popular view, but over the last several years, I have come to view Israel as one baby step away from being a terrorist state – much the same as Iran and North Korea.
I’m sick to death of them, their ongoing barbarism toward the Palestinians and their stranglehold on our government.
June 4th, 2009 at 4:57 pmAnnie,
Please remember that the Israeli Govt. and the Israeli People are Not the Same thing…
anymore than the American people and the Bush Administration are the same thing.
The Neocons are no longer in Charge….that makes a BIG Difference in the Prospects for Peace in the Holy Land.
At least I hope so.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:17 pmHad Enough – the first list posted is really out of date, but by following the link on that page, the list of 2008 contributions is available.
The full list of AIPAC’s financial contributions to members of Congress is found on the following website: http://www.wrmea.com
Campaign contributions and in many cases, loyalty to a country due to their own ethnic/religious background. Bottom line – if you are in the Congress, your loyalty should be to the American people and what is best for THIS country first. Otherwise, as far as I’m concerned, these people can resign from their office in either the House or Senate, immigrate to Israel, give up their American citizenship or get dual-citizenship and run for office over there.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:34 pmWhy can’t the members of our Senate and House of Representatives fight for America’s senior citizens, the working class, the middle class, the unemployed, and the disabled like they fight for the Zionists in Israel?
June 4th, 2009 at 5:45 pmBadger, I get that – and for the last 8+ years, I’ve been saying that about America, too.
I do hope you’re correct – I’m sick to death of rightwing extremism – ALL OF IT.
~A
June 4th, 2009 at 5:46 pmBadger Says:
Annie,
Please remember that the Israeli Govt. and the Israeli People are Not the Same thing…
anymore than the American people and the Bush Administration are the same thing.
The Neocons are no longer in Charge….that makes a BIG Difference in the Prospects for Peace in the Holy Land.
At least I hope so.
Unfortunately, the leadership in Israel has not changed and it will be a long time before the blood thirsty war mongers get kicked out. These blood thirsty war mongers ARE the Israel lobby. So we have three parts to the equation: US Leadership, Israeli Leadership and the Israeli Lobby. Having only one of these not being blood thirsty war mongers is not the way to any peaceful settlement.
And yes, governments and the people they supposedly represent are NOT the same thing. Calling out the Israel government and lobby is NOT antisemitism, contrary to what they want people to believe. Same as calling out the US government.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:46 pm“Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don’t worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it.”
Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon to Shimon Peres, October 3, 2001
June 4th, 2009 at 5:53 pmThe Dogfather Says:
“Chris: why is Israel any different? Here’s the reason: $$$$$$$.
It’s really that simple…Israeli lobbyists like AIPAC have more clout on the Hill”
I’d be interested in seeing exactly how much of that money is actually our tax dollars given as “aid” to Israel.
June 4th, 2009 at 6:00 pmDaddy-O Says:
ElBruce, lobbying is one of those strange concepts that people love to rail against, but there’s basically not a damn thing anyone can do about it.
I’m fully aware that of all forms of speech protected by the First Amendment, talking to your elected officials about what they should do is the most important; all the others pretty much exist for the purpose of guaranteeing that one.
However, foreign governments are not American citizens, much less constituents from their districts. The same Constitution also specifies precisely who may conduct foreign policy, and it’s not individual Congresspeople.
June 4th, 2009 at 6:33 pmSo Israel is wanting more Lebensraum.
How history repeats itself.
June 4th, 2009 at 7:30 pmDaddy-O, I see your point about lobbies not being a bad thing in themselves, and I’ve already decided to start kicking a little money to Democrats that are campaigning in other states (I don’t eat much); but I’m thinking that kick-backs might be an issue when it comes to AIPAC. If I’m not mistaken, members of AIPAC have gotten out of some pretty hot water—like spying, and the theft of classified information.
June 4th, 2009 at 8:55 pm*** HELP STOP THE SALE OF CATERPILLAR BULLDOZERS TO ISRAEL ***
FROM: Jewish Voice for Peace (info@jewishvoiceforpeace.org)
This coming June 10, we will be at the Caterpillar annual shareholder meeting for the sixth time.
We will remind the Board of Directors that stopping the company’s sales of bulldozers to Israel is not only ethical but affordable for Caterpillar. We will remind them that not changing course will be increasingly more costly to Caterpillar: Hampshire College has already divested from CAT, and so has the Church of England; other churches are considering similar steps. Twenty Israeli peace and justice organizations have come in support of divestment from Caterpillar.
We want you to be with us at the meeting. Please sign a letter to Caterpillar by June 9th, and we will hand-deliver it to the Board of Directors the next day. Help us bring thousands of letters of protest!
*TO SIGN – http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/301/t/1849/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27360
June 4th, 2009 at 9:40 pmSo, you’ll understand then when some of my chicago buddies and I start paving over a chunk of long island to make retirement homes so we don’t have to throw away our grandparents.
I think the president means business, dbag. Not sure isreal has a lot of friendly neighboors right now either.
June 4th, 2009 at 10:04 pm@LizCoro, #22:
“With all due respect . .
I think Jewish congressman and senators have shown by their comments that they should recuse themselves for obvious reasons!!”
June 4th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
@winddancer, #26:
“Campaign contributions and in many cases, loyalty to a country due to their own ethnic/religious background… as far as I’m concerned, these people can resign from their office in either the House or Senate, immigrate to Israel, give up their American citizenship or get dual-citizenship and run for office over there.”
Charming.
June 5th, 2009 at 2:45 amSo “Jewish [C]ongress[people] and [S]enators” are, by definition, unable to put their loyalty to America before any concern they may have for Israel.
Tell me, how does it feel to realize that there is no appreciable difference in this regard between either of you and GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-psychosis), famous for telling Chris Matthews, “I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America?”
I ask with all due respect, of course.
This quote gave me an instant headache. The degree of disingenuous and bias is astounding. Okay, let me get this straight. According to Ackerman’s tortured morals, I can take some armed buddies and throw him and his family out of their home. Then, I can have it bulldozed. Then, I can build myself a home on the land.
Now, when Ackerman comes back and wants his land back, he is in the wrong because I’m planning to start a family and my grampy lives there. Ouch, there’s that headache again.
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Obama is doing the smartest thing he could do in this situation. For decades the middle east situation has been handled the same way by both parties, some more forceful then others but always the same position, yet it never seems to work.
So the single most intelligent thing to do, is to approach this like no one before you has. Reach out to them and tell them we are on their side. Then follow up on those words. The extremists have conditioned themselves to think of America as its eternal enemy. But if you give them a different point of view, it throws a major wrench in their ability to spread their views.
People who are against this speech or stance are just purely ignorant.
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I knew he would still be wallpapering this thread. I take the Holocaust seriously enough not to wear it out. I am not nor have I ever been anti-semitic. I’m agnostic. Why in the world would I be anti-semitic? The assertion that I would “forget” or approve of any persecution and systematic murder is anti-social.
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