Cantor-led GOP delegation to Israel undermines U.S. policy on settlements.
Cantor-led GOP delegation to Israel undermines U.S. policy on settlements.
President Obama has made clear that, as part of his plan to achieve a resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Israelis should cease creating or expanding settlements in the West Bank (a position that has been official U.S. policy since 1967). Israeli officials have expressed displeasure with this demand and last Sunday, Israeli police evicted two Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem so a Jewish family could move in. The U.N., the U.S., and many E.U. states strongly condemned the evictions. However, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and many of his GOP colleagues are in Israel this week undermining U.S. policy by not only offering support for Israeli settlement expansion but for the East Jerusalem evictions specifically:
Cantor said that instead of focusing on issues such as Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, Obama should concentrate on “the primary issue of import … and that is the existential threat that Iran poses not only to the state of Israel but to the United States.” [...]
Cantor and others supported Israel’s handling of the eviction of two Arab families from a house in east Jerusalem earlier this week, a move criticized by the European Union and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I don’t think we, in America, would want another country telling us how to implement and execute our laws,” Cantor said.
It’s not just the Obama administration that wants a settlement freeze, the Israelis themselves committed to one in the Bush administration’s 2003 Road Map. “Maybe it’s too much to ask Cantor and his colleagues to recognize the injustice and indecency of Israeli policy toward Jerusalem’s non-Jewish residents,” the Wonk Room’s Matt Duss writes. “But it shouldn’t be too much to expect them not to go abroad and provide cover for it.”
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cantor needs to be evicted from this life. soon.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:37 pmToo bad such stupid contrary comments cant be considered treasonous so this stupid bastard can lead the way to prison for him and the rest of the anti-American Republic party.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:39 pmSo now they are independently interfering in US forign affairs?
But they had a hissy when Nancy went to the mid east.
wanted, one republican with one face.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:39 pmCantor-led GOP delegation to Israel undermines U.S. policy on settlements.
– - Eric boy, your first amendment rights don’t extend overseas to making contradictory, treasonous statements about the president’s foreign policy.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:40 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Who paid for this trip overseas in order to undermine the President and our nation? Was it We the People?
Treason! This bastard needs to go!
Eric Cantor (R-IS)
PEACE
August 6th, 2009 at 5:44 pmThe existential threat that Israel is to the Palestinians far outweighs any hypothetical existential threat that Iran may pose to Israel. I am so sick of their fear-mongering to justify more military expenditures.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:44 pmI expect Ed Morrissey over at the Captain’s Quarters will have some harsh words for Rep. Cantor.
After all, he strongly condemned Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Syria a while back.
As I recall, a number of righty bloggers were up in arms about that particular soiree. Which principle will they embrace? The one that says any foreign trip by a Congressman that doesn’t strictly adhere to the President’s foreign policy objectives is treasonous?
Or the one that says Republican = Good, Democrat = Bad?
August 6th, 2009 at 5:45 pmAnd Cantor is a total dickweed.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:45 pmI see conservative guy is an Israel Firster.
Anyone surprised to discover conservative guy’s latent hatred for America? I’m not.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:46 pmTo conman @5 – The U.S. needs to impose sanctions on Israel. I’d love to see Israel tell the POTUS to, as you say, “go f himself” so we can be rid of this financial drain on our economy.
But I will gladly tell you, conman, to go fcuk yourself!
To the rest of the community here, I bid you…
PEACE
August 6th, 2009 at 5:47 pmThey don’t have the balls.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:48 pmAmerica should withhold some of that $2.77 billion a year, maybe pull back our soldiers operating missile defense radar.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:48 pmAdd this imbecile to the tower of turds that make up the republican party. Eric Cantor is just an utter backwards ass buffoon.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:51 pmIsrael is not happy with us right now. That to me is a good sign.
Obama has been around the world visiting a couple of times and I don’t think he has stopped in Israel once.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:51 pmContrast this with Clinton’s successful trip to North Korea. The Republicans are so incoherent in their criticism. Where’s the outrage from John Bolton’s mustache about this?
August 6th, 2009 at 5:52 pmI wonder if Cantor told the Israelis that Obama is a secret Muslim? Also wonder if the crazy lady at the McCain rally (I hear he’s an Arab) was Cantor’s biological mother?
August 6th, 2009 at 5:53 pmconservative guy says:
Israel should tell Obama to go f himself.
– - Yeah, it would make perfect sense for Israel to alienate what is easily their biggest defense supplier and best friend in the world.
Who the EFF are you, Joh Bolton?
August 6th, 2009 at 5:54 pmI love you Spencer’s mom! Well said @ #11.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:54 pmCan we revoke their visas while they’re visiting Israel?
August 6th, 2009 at 5:57 pmThey’re lobbyists for them anyhoo, what’s the problem?
This comment has been voted down. Click to read.
easy there, eggs.
cantor’s a yutz.
August 6th, 2009 at 5:59 pmMr. Evil says:
Add this imbecile to the tower of turds that make up the republican party
what beautiful wordsmithing, Mr. Evil!!
August 6th, 2009 at 6:00 pmWhat are they doing in Israel anyway?
August 6th, 2009 at 6:01 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
First, the Constitution delegates to the President the power regarding foreign relations. Cantor has no business stepping on Obama’s prerogatives. This also demonstrates the lack of respect by Cantor for the President’s office. If this were a Dem doing this to a Republican president, the Republicans would be calling for the Congressman’s head. I suppose that Cantor is a birther so he does not feel obligated as a member of Congress to defer to a President that Cantor does not believe is the legal officeholder.
Second, Israel has long had a policy of ignoring the peace accords and the Mideast peace initiative. It is imperative that Obama restore out diplomatic “good offices” as a broker in the Mideast. This requires us to take actions against Israel to stop their breaches and move them into a peace agreement.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:01 pm“tower of turds”. that’s the best.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:01 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Steak N Eggs says: I got nothing so I’ll just use the old “put words in someone elses mouth” routine.
It worked in the 3rd grade….ie yesterday.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:04 pmConservativeMoron.
YOU should go kill yourself. You are too stupid to be anything but a burden on decent human beings
August 6th, 2009 at 6:05 pmWell Israel needs us more then we need them. hell if it wasn’t for our Military hardware and our Intel and most of all just the fact that we are who we are America. is one of the only reasons that all the other country`s have not wipe them off the face of the map
August 6th, 2009 at 6:05 pmAnyone else think that Steak N Eggs is a mole, sent by Troll Central to make TPers look bad?
August 6th, 2009 at 6:07 pmIn the “real-Politik” of the region–anywhere, really–Israel has no choice but to continue to ethnically cleanse Palestine. No Isreali leader could stand in front of an audience of sabras and tell them they had to forego their lawns so the Arabs could grow olives, which some Israeli leader might one day have to do if the Arabs are granted, finally, their “state” (and stake) in the region. Neither Israel now, nor the US in the 19th Cnetury could bear, politically, to preserve a competing power within its boundaries. Israel has territorial ambitions, which it will never either admit or abandon.
And let me be clear: This has nothing at all to do with the actual ethnicities of the clashing cultures. Ethnic cleansing occurred recently in the Balkans, in other parts of Africa (Nigeria, Congo, Sudan, Somalia), and lately in Latin America, where States are systematically eliminating obstinate tribes which oppose ‘progress.’
August 6th, 2009 at 6:07 pmWe will always be a ally to Israel, even when it is not in our best interests. The fact Cantor has, in effect, undermined our Secretary of State and the European Union is un-American at best. Cantor and the rest of his Cabal should remember who is in charge now and keep his opinions to himself.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:07 pmSteak N Eggs says:
Go away you ignorant scumbag. You are nothing but a stupid piece of shite punkass false flag troll.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:08 pmralph the wonder llama says:
Of course he is he just is too stupid to be very good at it
August 6th, 2009 at 6:09 pmCantor does not speak for the United States of America. Especially overseas. This is disgusting and the leaders of Congress should punish Cantor for this.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:09 pmNo, I thought he was sent from mrs. smith’s kindergarden class to wait in the library, by the computers.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:10 pmI bet Cantor is going over there to give them the precise time and date to attack America so they can all blame Iran for it!
August 6th, 2009 at 6:10 pmHow could Cantor possibly do to help over there?
He’s a Fcuking Republican, he hasn’t got a clue how to pick up dog shit much less do anything helpful for anybody.
What has a Republican done in the last 40 years that has been good for our country?
Nothing.
And why isn’t Bolton going on a rampage about Cantor undermining US interests?
Oh, right, Cantor is one of theirs.
Fcuk the Republic Fascist Party
August 6th, 2009 at 6:14 pmIt is, of course, against the law for a person to engage in international negotiations without the imprimatur of the governing administration…
Israelis were duped by Cheney into attacking Gaza, when he told them to disregard the election, Obama was an insignificant ‘lightweight’. That attack alone may have cost the Israelis the last good will they had from Americans, including and especially many American Jews.
Haven’t Israelis noticed the giant uptick in anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic words and deeds after Bush II took office? Strangely correlated –
August 6th, 2009 at 6:14 pmCantor not so concerned about the US as he is about Israel?
Interesting – easy to see who really has Cantor in the yoke!
August 6th, 2009 at 6:14 pmAh yes the RepubliKlans really need to shore up that white base. They are too anti-caucasion. What better way then to go to the one and only American outpost country abroad and undermine our best interests!
GOP= fail…..again.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:15 pmWho is paying Cantor’s way? Could it be ‘C-Street’ is funding this trip. Remember, ‘C-Street’ has been funding all these so-called ‘Religious Consevatives’ trips all over the place. I have a feeling ‘C-Street’ is a can of worms about to open, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:16 pmRep. Cantor is worried about the “existential threat that Iran poses not only to the state of Israel but to the United States.”
The United States leads the world in Defense Spending.
Israel leads the World in Per Capita Defense Spending.
Iran has a couple hundred Centrifuges.
Existential Threat!?! Bullsh*t!
August 6th, 2009 at 6:16 pmGood troll spotting there, ralph.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:17 pmThese people have no shame at all. For the last eight years, any Democratic politician visiting overseas was roundly lambasted for messing in foreign policy. Every. Single. Time.
Hypocrisy, thy name is Republic.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:18 pmtha noive…
…
this could be good news:
Obama’s counter-terrorism advisor denounces Bush-era policies
Los Angeles Times – Greg Miller – ?3 hours ago?
John Brennan accuses the previous administration of promoting a ‘global war’ mind-set that served only to ‘validate Al Qaeda’s twisted worldview.
Obama official takes shots at Bush’s words Reuters Blogs
Obama’s Counterterrorism Efforts Aggresive, Nuanced, Advisor Says Security Management
The Washington Independent – AFP – Talk Radio News Service – ABC News
all 123 news articles »
http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&ned=us&ncl=d0iqinlw8MDUcPMezErTtnms686tM
too bad the cantors don’t want to help…
August 6th, 2009 at 6:29 pmIsn’t anyone in government tired of the “cantors” of this world? Sure Israel had a rough start but now Israel is the bully and the death merchant. Did they not learn from their own history??
August 6th, 2009 at 6:31 pmEvidently, Repubs have changed their minds again. If you remember, when Nancy Pelosi went to Israel during the Bush administration, some conservatives said they wanted her charged with treason. There was great outrage. Conservative Guy – care to explain the double-standard?
August 6th, 2009 at 6:40 pm***
steak ‘n eggs.
so easy to spot,
it frustrates them :)
. . .
August 6th, 2009 at 6:41 pmBadger, not only does Israel spend the most per capita on defense, but they also have between 250 and 300 nuclear warheads. They also have missiles, and subs and aircraft capable of delivering those missiles and bombs. At the moment Iran doesn’t even have enough enriched uranium to start a power plant let alone build a warhead.
People talk about how awful it will be if the terrorists ever get the bomb. They already have a couple hundred. To try to claim that the present leadership of Israel is not the moral equivalent of terrorists is a mere quibble. There isn’t enough difference to fit in a buckyball. They and all the other religious fanatics of every stripe are the same. They use different sounds to pray, but they pray the same thing to the same god.
August 6th, 2009 at 6:49 pmI’m sure someone else has already asked this, and probably done so with much better emphasis and passion, but couldn’t The Right Honorable NitWit Butt Cantor refrain from going abroad and making foreign policy pronouncements? He and his rePublicrite buddies were always shitting large bricks when they thought a Democrat was about to do that and here they are doing that. WTF?
August 6th, 2009 at 6:50 pmtokin librul says:
In the “real-Politik” of the region–anywhere, really–Israel has no choice but to continue to ethnically cleanse Palestine. No Isreali leader could stand in front of an audience of sabras and tell them they had to forego their lawns so the Arabs could grow olives, which some Israeli leader might one day have to do if the Arabs are granted, finally, their “state” (and stake) in the region.
I do not believe that for a moment. It is the ultra-orthodox are the far right in Israel that pushing for more settlements in the West Bank. The general consensus is that a 2 state is the only way there will be peace. That means that Israel will have to withdraw from a large portion of the West Bank. The US in conjunction with the Saudis and Egypt are pursuing this solution. We support the 2 state solution and the majority of Israelis are willing to trade land for peace. Otherwise, the area will be in perpetual conflict.
August 6th, 2009 at 7:32 pmLet’s see, last month we saw Rep. Mark Kirk go to China and tell them now to believe what America says.
August 6th, 2009 at 7:37 pmNow we have Cantor undermining the Obama administration overseas.
I thought there was a rule about not bad-mouthing your president and your government when either you or they were on foreign soil. Hmmm, I guess that must be one of those rules for Democrats only.
Traitorous Repugs — when is someone going to call them out for what they are?!
Is this kind of trash-talking done by repugs something that Hillary Clinton’s State Department might do something about?
August 6th, 2009 at 7:39 pmDid the taxpayer fund this trip to Israel?
If so, we didn’t pay to have a traitor speak for us — he needs to refund the Treasury.
And thanks for the reminder that he was highly critical of Pelosi when she visited Syria — she didn’t utter any treasonous words, however.
Hypocrite repug.
August 6th, 2009 at 7:44 pmToday there are something like 400,000 Israeli’s living in settlements in occupied territory in Palestine. (I would like to see a chart showing the year by year population growthe in the settlements). This problem is the same to Israel as our “to big to fail” problem with the economic meltdown. The leverage overwhelms the ability of government to act in the best interest of the nation. In both cases we saw this coming and did nothing to prevent the problem. That is a colossal failure of government to govern. You just can’t uproot 400,000 people so you are left with permanent war in its aftermath. This is why people only talk about freezing the settlements. But Cantor shamelessly wants Israel to annex still more territory and permit who knows how many more hundreds of thousand to occupy that land. That is obviously unacceptable. Totally and completely. Someone like Colin Powell needs to take on Cantor on this issue. Somehow I don’t expect that to happen.
August 6th, 2009 at 8:09 pm“Cantor-led GOP delegation to Israel undermines U.S. policy on settlements.”
More crapola from Beavis Cantor. Hope Virginians wake up and vote this idiot out of office. Pass the popcorn please….
August 6th, 2009 at 8:18 pmLet’s never, EVER forget that the Repubs/GOP try to destroy any attempts at genuine, positive foreign policy. They simply are too stupid & war-loving to understand diplomacy. They never will.
August 6th, 2009 at 8:23 pmJust imagine if DEms went overseas & totally trashed Bush’s policies when he was in office. Repub calls of treason! jail! gitmo! lynching! (The usual Repub responses)
August 6th, 2009 at 8:26 pmEric Cantor has been paid to give US money and support to Israel as well as other Law Makers. Israel had been milking the US for years and now it’s stopped. The Plan was for Israel with the help of the US the Palestine people would be wiped off the face of the earth. Next Iran is no threat to Israel but they would to have a pre emptive attack like the US did with Iraq. Many Jewish Law Makers and powerful rich Jewish people have been working hard to get the Middle East land and now the Plan is busted because Obama is President. If only McCain had won things would have gone as plan. In the end Israel would have even taken over the United States in the end.
August 6th, 2009 at 8:39 pmRE: “Who paid for this trip overseas in order to undermine the President and our nation? Was it We the People?” – Spencer’s mom
SEE: “ERIC CANTOR LEADS REPUBLICAN AIPAC-HOSTED ISRAEL JUNKET”, by Richard Silverstein, 08/04/09
(EXCERPT) Rep. Eric Cantor, who has the distinction of being the last Jew left in the Republican Party–er, Congress–is leading an Aipac-hosted junket** to Israel accompanied by 25 other dutiful Republicans paying obeisance to the Lobby….
**”Cantor and Hoyer’s trips will reportedly be underwritten by the American Israel Education Foundation, a charitable organization affiliated with the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee.”
ENTIRE POST –
August 6th, 2009 at 8:47 pmhttp://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/
So i guess all you libs didn’t have a problem when queen Nancy Pelosi was parading around the Middle East when Bush was president right?
EugeneDebs, I know this will piss you off but I can’t help it. I’m a long time member of the NRA and have a concealed carry permit. My gun goes where I go. I’m also a proud conservative.
August 6th, 2009 at 9:44 pmconservative guy says:
So I guess all you libs didn’t have a problem when queen Nancy Pelosi was parading around the Middle East when Bush was president right?
____________
So I guess you were one of the uptight righties who wet himself when Pelosi to the Mideast, right?
August 6th, 2009 at 9:46 pmAt some point the people of Israel will wake up and realize they are being led down a path of war and death as dupes of the fascist right.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:20 pmI do not believe Eric Cantor was in Israel on an official diplomatic mission as a spokesperson for American foreign policy – we have a Secretary of State and a U.S. President, voted into power by the American public, and only they are empowered to articulate US policy, unless at any time they chose to ask another US representative to do so. In which case, that individual represents the President’s policy when he speaks.
Eric Cantor’s behavior in Israel borders on treason and may actually be an ethics violation, under the Logan Act.
Cantor was on “a junket” to Israel, financed by the powerful Israeli lobbyist group, AIPAC.
As a senior Republican Representative,Cantor knows the rules (remember the Dixiechicks?). He violated all rules & diplomatic protocols when he vehemently criticized official U.S. foreign policy, while on foreign soil. And, funded by that foreign country, Israel,he acted as their paid spokesperson by supporting their position against America, undermining the policy of the President of the United States and the statement made this week by Hilary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State. Cantor’s outrageous behavior was not just direspectful, it was anti-American. Cantor had no standing and no mandate, either from the President or the American people, and no right to meddle in this nation’s foreign policy. He embarrasssed America and, while he may think he gained stature before a global audience, he disgraced himself and the Republican party.
Cantor’s behavior was symptomatic of the disrespect and disdain with which the leaders of the minority Republican party increasingly treat the elected President of the United States. At home in the US, they question his birth certificate, challenge his citizenship and right to be President, they call him a Nazi, use racialy motivated words when proudly describing disruption of his town hall meetings as “lynchings”, shout out “kill him” at their own town hall sessions and imply he is not like “real” Americans.
Republicans do not occupy the White House. When they did, their hawkish “bomb, bomb Iran” posture was well-known, but now Barack Hussein Obama decides what US policy in the Middle East and towards Iran, Israel and Palestine will be. On the verge of provoking civil war at home with their campaign of distortions, lies and deranged accusations of ethanesia, designed to stir up anti-Obama sentiment and kill his health reform policy, the Republican party is now trying to undermine his foreign policy by fomenting war in the Middle East and endangering national security.
Revoke his visa, bring him back to the U.S and IMPEACH HIM.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:35 pmI thought Cantor had a Lady Gaga concert to go to.
Or are he, Bolton and Ari going to save up for a Beyonce binge?
August 6th, 2009 at 10:49 pm32. ralph the wonder llama says: Anyone else think that Steak N Eggs is a mole, sent by Troll Central to make TPers look bad?
I respectfully disagree, Mr. Wonder LLama, sir. I think Steak’n'Eggs is a wart from the Devil’s Backside, sent via a gust of putrid gas passed by Troll Central, to make a rude noise. Oh, wait, that’s the same thing, isn’t it…
August 7th, 2009 at 1:05 amTruthfairy1 says:
I do not believe Eric Cantor was in Israel on an official diplomatic mission….
You are absolutely correct. Cantor should be publicly flayed in the MSM for this stunt. It is time for the Dems to fight back and call the Republicans on this kind of behavior. Obama should be shedding the nice guy image and use his office to politely demand that this kind of thing stop and that his office should be respected. It would also help if Reid, Pelosi and a group of prominent Dems say the same things.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:08 amYeah, we knew you were a pants-wetting pussy, conservative guy. You’re not telling us anything we didn’t already figure out from your posts.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:12 am70. pags2 sez:…
Mostly correct, pags2, but…
Yes, cantor and friends should be publicly chastized and then tastefully flayed.
But no, Obama and his team do not need to ask that Obama’s office be respected. They do need to tell cantor and the rePublicrites that they must respect the law and protocol regarding foreign policy and other matters of state. That should suffice; if not, the leadership of the House and Senate need to remind cantor and the people around him of cantor’s proper role; he is not the President, he is not the Secretary of State, he has no responsibilities in matters of state and/or foreign policy, when he goes abroad he must be clear with any foreign state or governmental representative he meets that he is there as a private citizen, and he must be clear with any media people that he does not represent the views of the US government (unless he’s been given a folio by the President – fat chance of that happening), etc etc.
August 7th, 2009 at 1:23 amHold on now…the WSJ advocated prosecuting Nancy Pelosi under the Logan Act when she visited Syria (under a diff. president I might add). Cantor may be a jerk, but if he wants to take positions diametrically opposed to his president, espousing views utterly rejected by the American people–who are we to stop him? We have to be right there to point out Cantor’s outrages. But let’s him stick his foot in it if he so chooses.
August 7th, 2009 at 3:50 amRepublican diplomacy.
Funny how they didn’t bother when they had the majority.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:42 amAnother Israel First elected official. This is a serious problem in America. There are elected officials, both Republican and Democrat, who represent the interests of Israel ahead of the interests of their districts or America. If they want to serve Israel, they should move to Israel and serve Israel. Either that, or we should acknowlege that Israel really is the 51st State, and give them seats in the House and Senate and let people like Cantor and Lieberman represent Israel honestly.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:34 amCantor should be brought up on charges for being a traitor to America and a threat to it’s safety. Where is Homeland Security when you need them?
August 7th, 2009 at 10:43 amI could be wrong here, but is it not treason for an American, let alone an American politician, to do this in DIRECT OPPOSITION to what President Obama, in the name of our government, has said? Is this not giving aid to our enemies, and the enemies of peace. He can have his opinions and even express them, but not to the prime minister of the country involved.
August 7th, 2009 at 4:00 pm