Israel has every right to exist as a country. It has the right to govern its own people in whatever manner they will accept. That has never been the issue.

The real issue is how Israel manipulates the United States into being its protector, its enabler and its source for most of the arms with which it beats the crap out of its neighbors. Any attempt to plot and follow a neutral and/or middle ground in the Middle East by any American government official is nearly always met with immediate and petulant whines of anti-Semitism by the Israelis and their toadies here in the United States, i.e., AIPAC and its bastard kin. Any American politician who tries to follow a neutral and middle ground in dealing with all factions in the Middle East can count on being labeled "anti-Semitic" in a nonce, a trice and a heartbeat. Count on it!

Israel is our "special friend"? Consider: Israel knowingly bombed the USS Liberty and killed many United States naval personnel in 1967, knew it was an American ship and has a wall of "honor" at its military HQ dedicated to the event. Israel spied on the United States with Jonathan Pollard and yet it continues to whine that it wants him released because of our "special friendship". No apologies have ever been offered, either.

No, I don't hate Israel; I do view, with disgust, our complete obeisance to Israel, right or wrong, and wish that our Middle East policy was more even-handed. If not, at least Israel could do us all a favor and give us a "reach-around" while they're screwing us in the butt!

If I recall correctly, the Irgun Zvei Leumi, led by Menachim Begin, blew up the King David Hotel in 1946 and killed a large number of innocent British Soldiers. Also, if I recall correctly, said Menachim Begin, in his autobiography, bragged about being the father of terrorism. Menachim Begin later became Prime Minister of Israel. Killing innocent British soldiers in the name of Israel certainly qualifies one as a humanitarian and statesman to Israelis, I imagine.

And, if I recall correctly, there were once two towns called Qibyum and Dar Yassin which were visited by the Irgin and Stern Gang on the day that Israel was declared a state by the U.N. Horrible acts were committed that day, as well, on the local populace, in the name of Israel. More humanitarianism, huh?

So, according to Israelis and their apologists, by these and other bloody acts, Mr. Begin, et al, are heroes and not terrorists because what they did to the Arabs was OK because it was for the Jews, Israel and the greater good?

Bullshit, people, bullshit!

JonathanInTelAviv scribbled : "Screw you. Plain and simple...Israel doesn't need the support of the politically insignificant minority of Americans who don't and won't support us. Public opinion polls show consistent, long-term support of the US people, and the Congress and president-elect Obama are with us, not you, on the issue of Israel. The support we are getting from the major European countries, as well as Egypt & Saudia Arabia, is icing on the cake.-- JonathanInTelAviv"

Jonathan or Moshe or Zviv or whatever other name your Mossad handlers have given you to use on Salon...

Israel is a bully...plain and simple. From a disproportionate response to the Palestinians in Gaza to the complete disenfranchisement of neutral world journalists IN Gaza to crashing into yachts in international waters that were simply delivering medical aid to the people of Gaza to the deliberate killing/targeting of innocent Palestinian civilians to grabbing and occupying land that doesn't belong to you, Israel is a nasty bully.

How many nuclear devices do you have squirelled away out at Dimona...100? 120? How long before you feel so "threatened" by Palestinian women and children that you decide to nuke 'em all? You can possess nuclear devices but Iran needs to be bombed to keep them from acquiring them? R-i-i-ight...

Keep deluding yourself that most Americans agree with Israel's pogroms against Arabs/Palestinians. Those numbers are dropping precipitously. In time, you'll end up on the wrong side of history, pal.

>>tick, tick, tick<< Israel's apologists' time is running out. The world sees Israel for what it is: a nasty bully.

he's obviously drinking heavily at the large crescent-shaped bar in Eckman at Raines 2 Street, right on Dizengoff Square. Or, he's cuddled up with a nice Mossad agent on one of the big comfy sofas. By the way, Jonathan, you still stretching those scrawny excuses for muscles across the street at Everybody fitness center?

Loser...

JonathanInTelAviv scribbled : Clintonian multilateralism?Yes, we saw how effective Clinton's "soft power" was on 9/11/2001-- JonathanInTelAviv"

>>tsk, tsk<< Jonathan...

How convenient of you to omit the quite salient fact that George W. Bush was Commander In Chief on 9/11/01. The responsibility for that particular disaster is his and his alone. He eschewed reading his own intel reports that August prior to the attacks that had very specific warnings about what Bin laden, et al, planned. Bush's lack of personal involvement and his failure to react properly to the intelligence briefs were the proximate causes of that event.

Now...stop polluting SALON with your Zionist apologistic drivel. Nobody's buying it and, in the end, you will be tossed on the garbage heap of history with the rest of those who promote "Israel...right or wrong". Blind jingoism is all you have.

JohnathanInTelAviv scribbled : And as a matter of fact, yes, I'm a proud Zionist. How'd you figure that out? I guess my stating that I'm in Tel Aviv gave it away, huh?-- JonathanInTelAviv "

You are quite an eloquent spokesperson for Israel. However, silver-tongued as you are, it's damned hard for you to explain away those pictures we all see on CNN and other news sources of dead, maimed and mangled Palestinian children, women and old people, blown to pieces by Israel's precision-guided bombs. How dare you arrogantly dissemble while innocents are being slaughtered by your fellow Zionists.

In the past, I defended Israel as being a victim of attacks from Arabs, thinking that it was all "their" fault; I, and an increasing number of Americans, now view Israel as nothing more than an evil predator. You bomb schools, you bomb hospitals, you kill babies and you don't give a damn who or how many die in your Zionist orgy of blood and death as long as Israel triumphs.

Spin that, yarmulke-boy.

JonathanInTelAviv scribbled : The only reply you merit, Ana, is that you and other antisemites are reminders of the need for the State of Israel.-- JonathanInTelAviv"

Ah, the classic Zionist knee-jerk response: Criticize Israel and you are anti-Semitic. How quaint and how drole; precisely the kind of the pre-programmed rhetorical response I expected.

Actually, that is laughable bullshit, sir, laughable bullshit.