But then tonight I saw just how badly Israel has handled it and also how badly and incorrectly even normally pro-Israel American rabbis understand what had happened. By "chance" I saw a letter a prominent American MO (Modern Orthodox) Rabbi sent to his congregants and my usual mellow motzei (after) Shabbat mood began to boil, hiss and steam.
"As you know, the Israeli government embarrassed Vice President Biden during his recent trip to Israel. The ill-timed announcement of a new housing project in Jerusalem (however legal and in keeping with Israeli policy it was) was an affront to a country to which we owe tremendous gratitude."
- I'm still trying to figure out how the U.S. Vice President could have been embarrassed by the announcement.
- Biden as a representative of the United States was supposed to be mediating between Israel and the Pseudostinians aka Palestinians sic.
- A mediator isn't supposed to have an opinion, certainly not supposed to voice or promote one.
- The United States has a plan, an agenda. They have been unabashedly pushing for another Arab State in the Ancient, Historic Jewish Homeland, and they want it now.
- That means that the United States isn't doing mediation; it's lobbying, very heavy-handed lobbying.
Could it be that Obama-Biden-Clinton promised, reassured the Arabs that they control Israel? Could it be that Obama-Biden-Clinton promised, reassured the Arabs that Israel wouldn't build any more Jewish homes in Jerusalem neighborhoods Israel liberated (yes, my term) in the 1967 Six Days War? If that's the case, then our Israeli politicians would be best off not continuing with this dangerous farce. There's no mediation going on, direct, indirect or "proximity," the latest euphemism for indirect.
Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should never have apologized. He should have asked the questions I did and push the Americans into the corner.
G-d willing next week should be better!
Shavua Tov!
12 comments:
Doesn't Biden spend his entire life being embarrassed by his own gaffs?
Embarrassment is a normal reaction for him.
Obama is a muslim : once a muslim, always a muslim. His father is one, and therefore he is one under muslim law. Naturally both he and his government are biased against Israel.
"The ill-timed announcement of a new housing project in Jerusalem..."
WTH? In the US we refer to the summer, at least in the Northeast, as the "construction season."
There's nothing ill-timed about building in Israel.
I think the timing was perfect! It showed the US that Israel wasn't under its thumb.
Now I have the Rolling Stones song Under My Thumb on my mind.
I'm so suggestable lol.
As for Biden being embarassed and insulted I don't recall him apologizing for the time he visited Sderot with Obama and picked up a spent kassam.
Biden picked it up and said, "I could this as a dumbell."
Talk about grossly insensitive and inappropriate remarks. Now all of a sudden he's Mr. Tender Toes.
Devorah, actually, I wonder who used the word "embarrassed" about Biden first. Was it Biden or the media? and re: Obama, strange guy for the US to have as Pres.
Keli, Bibi should never have apologized. There was nothing wrong with what happened. We have every right to build in Jerusalem. Now we'll just get more pressure.
The best way to withstand the pressure is to ignore it.
Excellent point about the use of the word embarassed. I would imagine it was the media. Ultimately anything negative about Obama is perceived as embarassing him. Biden is his proxy so the word is used to describe his feelings.
Obama thinks he's going to bulldoze (verbally) his way through Israel and get whatever he wants because he's Barack Obama, the wonderful, the messiah, the most ungracious lol.
keli, I agree re the pressure; the problem is the Israeli govt hasn't a clue.
Originally it was reported that Biden just "took offence". I don't know where that rabbi got the word 'embarrassment' from - maybe that rabbi is embarrassed and therefore assumes Biden was too.
I've been seeing the phrase. It must have been the media blowing this so far out of proportion that it will be used as a an example of "shot heard around the world." Classic mountain out of molehill, or certifiable insanity.
Not to haggle about words but I'd bet my life Biden did take offense--ie. was furious and harboring some most anti-Semitic thoughts, if not outright saying them outloud in private.
The media would spin this into embarassment rather than offense. Why? It makes the Israelis look cruel. Embarrassing a guest rather than the unresonable guest having a tantrum.
Offense--anger, outrage, hostility.
Embarassment--shame, hurt feelings, the victim.
It's all in the interpretation. The media is portraying Israel as being mean-spirited. They've been doing that with Obama, too.
Recall during the elections that after the first debate John McCain, who never raised his voice, was accused of being "too mean."
Too mean sounds childish but that's what we've got in the White House.
Keli, we have our work cut out for us, trying to fix all this, nu?
Batya
At the moment the last thing Obama needs is to pick a fight with people who support Israel.
I was planning to visit Israel in the fall, but unfortunately doing so would have an adverse impact on my career. Every five years I am subject to a security clearance review. I had to explain what I was doing in Canada for four hours and who I was with.
I will have to wait till I am retired. Until then I keep all of my travel domestic.
Beakerkin, what a shame. I'm sure that you'll enjoy retirement, G-d willing, in good health.
I wonder if Obama has a clue. That Maureen Dowd article was so vicious, and I'm sure that if you accused her of antisemitism she'd deny it.
But for me the blame is with Israel's politicians who don't demand respect. They make things worse.
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