The problem with Rahm Emmanuel is not that he is Jewish or that he is tough (as some of the posts imply). Rather it is that he is a war mongering Zionist who told Tim Russet on "Meet the Press" that he would still have voted for the Iraq war even after knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction (kind of reminds me of another Zionist who has shown his true colors when it came to warmongering: Joe Lieberman)!

Face it Beagle, anyone who supports the brutal occupation of Palestine by Israel, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and the siege and starvation of 1.5 million people in Gaza is a scumbag, Jewish or not. In fact, many Jews are at the forefront of standing up against Israeli terrorism and apartheid (but obviously not you).

The key thing is to realize that Rahm is an AIPAC man. He will attempt to influence Obama to use US power to Israel's advantage in the Middle East, creating more extremism there in the process, while continuing to scare Americans shitless so they agree to attack Iran!

This doesn't bode well for America's policy in the Middle East where much of the change is needed

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/13/obamas-ambiguity/

Until he does, it is unlikely that any real change can be brought to American foreign policy.

A good place to start would be to take a moral stand against the collective punishment of 1.5 million people (over half of them are children under 15) in Gaza

http://counterpunch.com/mowrey11242008.html

Bellatrix,

These "Palestinian scumbags" who were dancing in the streets after 9/11 were reportedly a bunch of kids who were given sweets by the Israeli military and asked to pose for the camera. Most Palestinian were scared shitless (I know that from my relatives who still live in Palestine) because they realized that Ariel Sharon (known amongst Palestinians and much of the world as simply the "butcher of Sabra and Shatila") would have a free hand in killing all chances for peace (and many Palestinian civilians along the way).

What you may find interesting is what the leader of the fascist Likud party - with which most of the neocons are closely associated - said about 9/11:

"We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq," Ma'ariv quoted the former prime minister as saying. He reportedly added that these events "swung American public opinion in our favor."

- Former Israeli Prime Minister and likely Next Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/975574.html)

"If we end the war on terror, there will be another 9/11, and another, and another. Terrorists are SUBHUMAN FILTH. They will continue to murder women and children."

- Bellatrix

I agree that terrorists (defined as anyone who targets civilians to achieve political goals by spreading terror) should be dealt with the utmost severity.

I think though that should apply to all terrorists (and not just when convenient). For example people like Ariel Sharon -responsible for the cold blooded murder of over 3 thousands Palestinian men, women and children who were murdered as his glorious Israeli army surrounded the refugee camps for 3 days of murder- should be classified as terrorists. What about Rahm Emmanuel's father who worked for the Irgun the infamous Zionist terrorist organization which specialized in brutally murdering Palestinian villagers so as to scare other villagers into fleeing (so as to ethnically cleanse Palestine and create a "Jewish majority")? What about Binyamin Netanyahu?

Had McCain been elected, we would have likely gotten a response completely unrelated to the terrorist incident (e.g. attacking Iran) which would have made the problem of terrorism much worse.

Obama, on the other hand, will hopefully deal with terrorism the way it should be dealt with; with cool headed police and intelligence work and by creating the political conditions that will help dry up the sources of terrorism.

The Lobby has controlled US foreign policy bringing about the disastrous consequences we have lived through over the past few years (http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html).

Obama needs to shake off the Lobby's control if there is to be any hope in a real change in America's relationship with the rest of the world. Unfortunately the likely appointment of "Mr. Lobby" Dennis Ross to be in charge of Israel/Palestine and the appointment of Rahm Emmanuel as chief of staff don't bode well for the future.

Given the power of the Israel Lobby and its virtual control of MSM, the neocons are still quite powerful. They will continue to try to get America to do Israel's bidding as they did with the Iraq war.

There is nothing more urgent than exposing the Israel Lobby which has for too long controlled US foreign policy in the Middle East much to the detriment of the US.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html

anti-semitism, Jew-hatred, etc. Well I have news for you. Israel is committing war crimes against the most vulnerable Palestinians, including letting children die of starvation next to their dead mothers as Israeli soldiers look on. This is what a sinister anti-semitic organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, said (see http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-under-fire-children-found-next-to-dead-mothers-1242607.html)

BTW why are you here on Salon? I heard the Israeli army is looking for volunteers to help with the killing of more Palestinians in Gaza.

It is time for Israel to stop playing the victim. There is something obscene about doing this when it has more nuclear weapons than England and when it lets Palestinian children die of starvation next to their dead mothers as the International Committee of the Red Cross said.