Obama: Israel must halt all settlement activity

[ack44]

https://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/05/28/obama_again_calls_for_halt_to.html?hpid=moreheadlines

 Settlements are the biggest obstacle in the conflict and Obama seems to at least understand this. The next step is to stop funding the Israeli military.

[ReaPsTA]

What I can't tell is if the settlements they're talking about are civilian or military.

The Israeli military is never, ever backing down until their neighbors get their shit together and stop wanting to kill them.

[ack44]

 They are civilian settlements that are the issue. The settlements have been growing since the 60s. From what I understand most of these settlers are orthodox hardcore Jews who believe Palestinian land should belong to Israel (correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to hear the Jewish perspective.)

[Adami]

I agree. The settlements need to go. All of them.


However, whether or not jerusalem is a settlement is a different issue.

[rumborak]

Problem from what I understand is that those settlers are essentially committing something illegal according to Israeli law, but then it's politically difficult for the Israeli government to kick out its own citizens.

rumborak

[Adami]

The settlements are completely illegal. I've met people who have lived in them, they weren't anti arab or anti palestinian, they wanted peace and so forth. But to them, it was just their home and didn't agree that they should have to leave.


Of course they all need to be relocated. Send em to new york or something.

[Disappear]

Is this the first time USA has stood up to Israel's counterproductive (and self-defeating) settler program? Anything that will appease the Palestinians is fine by me.

[emindead]

Now, now. Next president that does something that's really counterproductive to Israel will receive a shot in the head.

[Adami]

Now, now. Next president that does something that's really counterproductive to Israel will receive a shot in the head.

Doesn't usually work that way.

[emindead]

Now, now. Next president that does something that's really counterproductive to Israel will receive a shot in the head.

Doesn't usually work that way.

Oh. OK.

[Adami]

I totally respect Obama for standing up to Israel finally. It's about time america stopped letting them get away with everything.

[Disappear]

I know, right

[AndyDT]

They are civilian settlements that are the issue. The settlements have been growing since the 60s. From what I understand most of these settlers are orthodox hardcore Jews who believe Palestinian land should belong to Israel (correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to hear the Jewish perspective.)

Then what's that got to do with funding the military?

[rumborak]

I totally respect Obama for standing up to Israel finally. It's about time america stopped letting them get away with everything.

Fully agree. With the big brother in the back Israel has definitely done quite a few irresponsible moves.

rumborak

[Jobe]

They are civilian settlements that are the issue. The settlements have been growing since the 60s. From what I understand most of these settlers are orthodox hardcore Jews who believe Palestinian land should belong to Israel (correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to hear the Jewish perspective.)

Then what's that got to do with funding the military?

If Uncle Sam buys weapons for Israel and Israel uses them to kill brown people, don'tcha think they'll be pissed off at US too?

[AndyDT]

They are civilian settlements that are the issue. The settlements have been growing since the 60s. From what I understand most of these settlers are orthodox hardcore Jews who believe Palestinian land should belong to Israel (correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to hear the Jewish perspective.)

Then what's that got to do with funding the military?

If Uncle Sam buys weapons for Israel and Israel uses them to kill brown people, don'tcha think they'll be pissed off at US too?

What are "brown people" and what have they got to do with Israel or Israel's defence or anything at all?

[Super Dude]

Basically he's blaming Israel for carrying out a supposedly racist military program and blaming the US for funding it.  This is all I'm gonna say.  Don't any of you dare to get me into this, y'hear?

[emindead]

Basically he's blaming Israel for carrying out a supposedly racist military program and blaming the US for funding it.  This is all I'm gonna say.  Don't any of you dare to get me into this, y'hear?

Jobe is right.

[ack44]

They are civilian settlements that are the issue. The settlements have been growing since the 60s. From what I understand most of these settlers are orthodox hardcore Jews who believe Palestinian land should belong to Israel (correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to hear the Jewish perspective.)

Then what's that got to do with funding the military?

 Nothing directly. They just always came hand in hand. The U.S. is finally getting in line with what the rest of the world has always been saying. If Israel is able to distance itself from the U.S. and establish better relations with the EU and its neighbors, it would get much more respect from the world.

[AndyDT]

Basically he's blaming Israel for carrying out a supposedly racist military program and blaming the US for funding it.  This is all I'm gonna say.  Don't any of you dare to get me into this, y'hear?

Jobe is right.

About what exactly?

[AndyDT]

They are civilian settlements that are the issue. The settlements have been growing since the 60s. From what I understand most of these settlers are orthodox hardcore Jews who believe Palestinian land should belong to Israel (correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to hear the Jewish perspective.)

Then what's that got to do with funding the military?

 Nothing directly. They just always came hand in hand. The U.S. is finally getting in line with what the rest of the world has always been saying. If Israel is able to distance itself from the U.S. and establish better relations with the EU and its neighbors, it would get much more respect from the world.

Better relations with its neightbours? They've tried to annihilate it in the past. Also, European states' record on arm's sales is no more respectful than anywhere else from what I know.

[Super Dude]

They are civilian settlements that are the issue. The settlements have been growing since the 60s. From what I understand most of these settlers are orthodox hardcore Jews who believe Palestinian land should belong to Israel (correct me if I'm wrong, and I'd like to hear the Jewish perspective.)

Then what's that got to do with funding the military?

 Nothing directly. They just always came hand in hand. The U.S. is finally getting in line with what the rest of the world has always been saying. If Israel is able to distance itself from the U.S. and establish better relations with the EU and its neighbors, it would get much more respect from the world.

Better relations with its neightbours? They've tried to annihilate it in the past. Also, European states' record on arm's sales is no more respectful than anywhere else from what I know.

And they still are.  Israel can't count on its own allies, even.

[emindead]

Basically he's blaming Israel for carrying out a supposedly racist military program and blaming the US for funding it.  This is all I'm gonna say.  Don't any of you dare to get me into this, y'hear?

Jobe is right.

About what exactly?

That: "If Uncle Sam buys weapons for Israel and Israel uses them to kill brown people, don'tcha think they'll be pissed off at US too?"

[AndyDT]

"Brown people" includes Israel which once again shows how misleading it can be to label things with colours.

[Super Dude]

Thank you.  For once I agree with AndyDT.

[emindead]

"Brown people" includes Israel which once again shows how misleading it can be to label things with colours.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what he meant.

[bosk1]

Better relations with its neightbours? They've tried to annihilate it in the past.

Well, true, and there is no arguing that that is wrong in and of itself.  But the problem is that they don't really have any right to be there in the first place.

[Disappear]

Says who?

[bosk1]

Says who?

A whole lot of Arabs who think the UN had no right to carve out a portion of their land and unilaterally declare it a separate Israeli nation, and who think Israel's subsequent expansion past those borders given to it by the UN violate international law.  I happen to agree with them.

[Disappear]

So what would you do with them?

[El Barto]

So what would you do with them?

Give them Montana. 

[emindead]

So what would you do with them?

Send them to Adami's house.

[bosk1]

I'm not saying I have a solution.  Just saying I can certainly understand the position of those who feel they shouldn't be there.  I agree.  They shouldn't be.  However, now that they are, and you have people who are established there and just trying to live out their lives, kicking them out is also problematic.  The UN never should have stuck its nose where it doesn't belong and has created a huge mess that, probably, nobody can sort out.  If a compromise cannot be worked out mutually between the groups involved (and history has shown us this is not a realistic possibility in the foreseeable future), there is little any outside force can do to make everybody happy.  It's a shame, really.  I feel for those who are caught up in the strife this has caused.

[Adami]

The british owned Palestine before israel reexisted. They decided way earlier than ww2 to make it an israeli/palestinian state.

The israelis have as much a right to be there as anyone else does where they are. They were given the land by the owners, and fought for independence. Just like a bunch of other countries.

[emindead]

If you fight a fight on your own, like AMERICA (the continent) did. I'm cool with that. They wanted emancipation and by themselves they did it.

If you fight for independence with the UN covering your back, that's a complete different issue.