I haven't heard a single credible argument as to why the U.S. should sit idly by while Israel does whatever the heck it wants regarding its expansion of territory.

Still waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Is that it would lead to our acknowledging that American domestic and foreign policy should be dictated from Beijing, since China contributes a far larger percentage of America's operating budget than the U.S. contributes to Israel's.

I'll point out, since I'm an American Jew and therefore apparently required to state and justify my policy on Israel repeatedly though I've never been to that country, that I'm opposed to settlement expansion and favor a two-state solution. (By the way, if you want to see modern anti-Semitism, that's it. Too many people, even leftists, seem to think I'm far more obligated to justify the actions of a country I've never seen than I am to justify the actions of my own country based solely on the fact that I share a common religion with many of Israel's citizens.)

Is that it would lead to our acknowledging that American domestic and foreign policy should be dictated from Beijing, since China contributes a far larger percentage of America's operating budget than the U.S. contributes to Israel's.

Nobody said anything about "dictating", but China absolutely does use its leverage over the U.S. in all sorts of ways. The difference, though, is that we're so indebted to China that the leverage almost equals out (the old cliche: "if someone owes you $1,000, you have power over the -- of someone owes you $10 billion, they have power over you).

That's not true with the U.S. and Israel -- the leverage is much more one-way.

I'll point out, since I'm an American Jew and therefore apparently required to state and justify my policy on Israel repeatedly though I've never been to that country,

I don't know where you think that "requirement" comes from - I'm not familiar with it.

In your cliche quote? I don't know the cliche but suppose that it's meant to be something like, "If someone owes you $1,000, you have power over them. If someone owes you $10 billion, they have power over you".

Yeah?

Thanks for all your great, thorough work!

Identically, if Israel wants to be free of what it and some of its U.S. supporters call "interference" from the Obama administration, that’s very easy to achieve: Israel can stop asking for tens of billions of dollars of American taxpayer money, huge amounts of military and weapons supplies for its various wars, and unyielding American diplomatic protection at the U.N.

I think it's worth emphasizing that those things themselves are "interference", even if they came with no strings at all. It just happens to be interference that Israel and many of its supporters welcome.

Is there a typo?

In your cliche quote? I don't know the cliche but suppose that it's meant to be something like, "If someone owes you $1,000, you have power over them. If someone owes you $10 billion, they have power over you".

Yes - that's what I meant to write. Thanks.

Hmm, China, yes. Apparently I am unaware of the huge lobbying force that the Chinese government allows the US to maintain in Bejing in order that the pressure that the Chinese government exerts on the US can be what the US wants it to be. Well, maybe it does not exist, now that I think about it.

Other than that, what a great analogy. Oh wait, maybe commercial debt is not quite the same thing as direct government aid with the implied purchase of weapons.

Now that I think about it, I can see why some folks give you a hard time. No, it is not modern anti-jew predjudice that you feel. It is just the natural response to your ideas.

don't know if i should even post since this is such a hot topic, but i find it very encouraging what Obama is doing. 2 states, no more settlements. lets do it already.

violence has been going on for way too long. too many politicians refused to takcle the problem because of the lobbying. its time. if the mideast is to ever have peace, the first step is to solve the israel/palestinain issue. just the first step, but an important one.

if israel wants to keep taking our money and weapons, they have got to concede a little ground.

so, i hope Obama doesn't back down no matter how hot it gets for him.

we need to be real and pragmatic for once.

I tried in vain to find something substantive in your post with which I disagree. :) I couldn't.

And yes, it seems that there is some hysteria on the part of Israel's supporters in the US.

I would just like to point out that it's up to Obama, and others, to push for the Palestinians to fulfill their road map obligations.

How weighty is the Jewish vote in Edwards' district?

but it would save a lot of time if this site would spring for the nice slick thumbnails when cursing links in the articles. Sometimes anyway most of the information is in the first couple of sentences, followed by 50 more of daft and appalling gibberish.

Where do all of the "Keep America Safe" people disappear to when we're talking about supporting Israeli actions that inspire people to attack the U.S.? Is Israel's political agenda more important than the safety of Americans?

Hasn't Israel interfered with their internal business?

...the usual excellent work by herr gruenweldt, however...

hee hee hee

gee, just *why* is it israel enjoys such consistently special kid-glove treatment ? ? ?

ho ho ho

uss liberty, anyone ? ? ? amdocs anyone ? ? ? art students, anyone ? ? ? pollock, anyone ? ? ? mossad shadowing 'hijackers', anyone ? ? ? invisible-nukes, anyone ? ? ? war krimes, anyone ? ? ?

um, torture, anyone ? ? ?

(oops, better strike that last one... sounds, well, SS-ish...)

ha ha ha

as usual, there is *something* else going on, something below the superficial political infotainment we swallow, some deep political machinations which we catch glimpses of, indications of, and rumors and disinformation about...

*what* is it ? ? ?

why don't we know ? ? ?

shouldn't we ? ? ?

ak ak ak

art guerrilla

aka ann archy

eof