Obama's Stance Infuriates Israeli Settlers

Israelis Living In West Bank Settlements Feel "Betrayal", Fear As U.S. Leader Changes The Decades-Old Status Quo

(CBS)  Like everything else in the Middle East, there are two opinions of the work going on in Israel's West Bank settlements. The Palestinians call it Israeli expansion - another land grab. The Israelis call it "natural growth," to accommodate growing families. Whatever it is, President Obama says it has to stop. No more construction, period.

"This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve piece," Mr. Obama said last week in Cairo.

The settlers are furious, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips.

"We are the landlords. And we're living not with anyone's permission. We own the place," said Elisha Saracik, a West Bank settler.

While the settlers have always known that new outposts have been forbidden under various peace plans, and some have been forcefully demolished, successive Israeli governments, they insist, have always had a nod-and-wink understanding with the United States that building on existing settlements was tolerated. Washington denies any such deal.

"Do you feel betrayed by Washington?" Phillips asked.

"Yeah, there's a feeling of betrayal," said Aliza Herbst with the Settlers Movement Council. "We've had six decades of American presidents whose orientation was in our direction, and now I think that we are having to wake up."

Mr. Obama may not only have changed the rules of the game in these settlements, he may actually have changed the very nature of the relationship between the U.S. and Israel. Previous American presidents have called for a settlement freeze. The fear here is that this one may actually mean it.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now faces a stark choice - satisfy his right-wing, pro-settlement government coalition, or satisfy the White House.

"The most important Israeli diplomatic statement is not what's said in the negotiating room, it's what is built on the hillsides. The bulldozers and the cranes state Israel's diplomatic position," said Gershon Gorenberg, the author of "The Accidental Empire."

And those bulldozers and cranes are still at work.

[heliocracy]

There are some interesting patterns to these comments. You all seem to fall into categories:

1. Those who have racist feelings against Jews
2. Those who have racist feelings about Arabs
3. Those who hate everything Obama does (often the same as the people who hate Arabs)
4. Those who hate religious people
5. Those who realize that this conflict is a huge source of strife in the world, and for America to take one side over the other (as Bush did) will not help to reduce the tensions or lead to a solution.

The people in the fifth category are correct. Most of you need to learn that your personal biases cloud your judgement. If you believe that U.S. policy should make one side or the other completely happy, you simply have no idea what you're talking about.

[YrSoWrong]

The prime reason for the Israeli-Arab wars are not Israel's West Bank settlements. The problem is Arab racism, religious intolerance and xenophobia. This required a separate Jewish state to protect its residents from their Muslim neighbors. The British were in comtrol of the region when the Hebron Massacre occured. The leader of the Massacre was the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who was a Nazi sympathizer. His relative was Yasser Arafat, whose widow lives very nicely in Paris on money looted by the PLO. When and if the Arab world makes any sense politically, there will be peace in this region. At this time the Arabs can't have peace among themselves.

[YrSoWrong]

Day after day the individual rights of the American Revolution are being lost, and the thugs who are doing it use the false-cause propaganda war of supporting foreign dictatorships as if these warlords had something to offer. Jihad is active in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, the Near East, Central Asia, India, the Far East and the Pacific. Jihad attacks Christians in Africa, Hindus in India, Catholics in the Philippines and Jews worldwide. But never mind that, let's weep whenever a warlord fails to control this-or-that miserable sand dune and blame the US for not doing more to help that warlord impose his psychopathy on the public. It's only fair.

[mrjustice1]

RELIGION AND THE MINDSET IT CREATES IS A MAJOR AND LETHAL SCOURGE,
FOR ALL MANKIND.

RELIGION AND THE MINDSET IT CREATES, IS LEADING TO OUR TOTAL DESTRUCTION!

In the name of one brand-named God or other, we will soon experience massive and perhaps TOTAL destruction on this Planet Earth that we take for granted.

With the advent of nuclear weapons, and other weapons and devices of mass destruction being procured by rogue states as Iran, and by Islamofascist terrorists such as Hizbolla and Hamas who are supported by Iran...

...we SHOULD EXPECT said total destruction.

One more point of paramount import:
There has never been a nuclear war or a nuclear exchange by adversarial or enemy nations. However, the likelihood of just such nuclear exchange continues to increase!

If religion is phased out and eventually eliminated starting NOW, we may STILL have a chance to survive. Otherwise, this planet's future does not look very bright!

[toldyouso29]

"Yeah, there's a feeling of betrayal," said Aliza Herbst with the Settlers Movement Council. "We've had six decades of American presidents whose orientation was in our direction, and now I think that we are having to wake up."


Israelis to Obama:" How dare you not let us keep the land we promised not to steal, but stole anyway"

[mrjustice1]

TIME TO GET THE KOSHER/HALAL HAM SANDWICH TO SAVE THE MOSLEMS & THE JEWS

Yes my friends, a fresh, tasty ham sandwich would be the most holy, divinely-inspired element to get these two peoples together.

As a good-spirited compromise, have one representational Jew, and one representational Moslem eat 1/2 of that ham sandwich, so that at worst, both reps will only receive 1/2 a sin each!

Saalam and Shalom!

[barretpink]

I was surfin, looking for signs of intelligent life. I have a question. Does the subject of the article bring out the worst in most of the posters to this site, or is this the usual level of discussion and opinion here? The level of anger, hate, racism and just plain ignorance is astonishing. I must start posting my own opinions here as this site is in desperate need of some maturity and class. See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya.

[PacificGatePost]

Listening to people like Chris Matthews, you wonder if the MSM is actually listening to WHAT Obama actually says.
They hear his speech in Egypt, and miss important and telling signs like the fact that he actually does not speak as PRESIDENT of AMERICA, if you listen, you notice that he is speaking FOR HIMSELF throughout with ?I,?"I,?"I,?"I,?.

That is not only a sign of ingrained narcissism, it is disrespectful to ALL Americans, including those who idolize him.

It is also disgusting that while in Egypt, he Blames the previous administration ?. for Anything. He can whine all he wants while on American soil, however, it is absolutely not right under any circumstances, for him blame his predecessor while he is in Europe, and definitely not while he is just a short flight from Teheran.
Why is none of the MSM on his case for this? Is America happy with an Obama mandated and administered catharsis?

http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2009/06/does-america-yearn-for-monarch.html

[YrSoWrong]

Jihadists say whatever divine inspiration puts into their heads: in other words, whatever propaganda suits their will-to-power and their lame excuse at the moment.

[jjreding-2009]

Israel has been given billions of dollars of American taxpayer money over the years and all they've done with it is propagate their anti-Palestinian stance. If the US is truly about bringing democracy to the world, this is one good place for us to start taking a hard stance.

The jihadists have continuously said they hate America because of America's look the other way attitude toward whatever Israel has done regarding the Palestinians. Bush made it worse by allowing the Israelis to do what the US can't do - attack Lebanon and Palestine - in the 'name of 'self-defence'. But then again, this was a president who believed in do unto others BEFORE they do unto you, whether anyone was going to do unto anyone or not.

[YrSoWrong]

It's time that a President spoke-up for the values of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of Amerca: that the dictators, kings, mystics and warlords of the Near East are our enemies not because of Israel but because of what they are with-or-without Israel. If Israel is an imperfect republic, their enemies are perfect monstrosities, and should be condemned by anyone -- and they are, except for the Quislings that post to this blog and confuse their own dementia as the state-writ-large.

[YrSoWrong]

To the ovens of Europe?

[jjreding-2009]

It's about time an American president has had the balls to denounce the criminal enlargement of the Israeli settlements on the West Bank. This has been against the law for many years but nobody has stood up to them before now. In order for ANY progress to be made in the Middle East, the Israelis have to realise that THEY are the ultimate aggressors in this situation.

If it hadn't been for the British dividing up the Middle East after World War I, the Israelis wouldn't have had the opportunity to steal the land the Palestinians have lived on for millennia. Until a 'two-state solution' is adopted, and it's highly unlikely under Netanyahu's administration, NO progress will ever be made. Now that Obama has laid down the gauntlet, let's see if something concrete can actually come of this.

It has been speculated that Obama's speech in Cairo last week helped lead to the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and hopefully the same will be the case in Iran tomorrow. Obama's 'reach out and touch someone' policy is the best attempt yet at trying to reconcile this dilemma that has been stewing since the 60s when Israel conquered the Palestinian territories and started their 'settlements'. In the meantime, there are millions of Palestinian refugees that have been created because of this.

[number1GI]

To Heibett: Not all Americans agree with Mr Obama: SHALOM

[ToolMangler1]

With friends like that, who needs enemies.l.
Posted by heibett at 10:27 AM : Jun 11, 2009



I hope your family hasn't suffered. Do you live in what the world knows as an illegal settlement? If you do, my advice is to move for now...

[YrSoWrong]

A true democracy is what is called mob rule. They have a true democracy on the streets of Gaza and they don't need unification with Israel to perfect it. C'mon, this gibberish talk of 1 state knowingly endorses the traditional rule of force that exists throughout the Arab world and would bring this down on the Jews. It's a republic, not a democracy, that guarantees the rights of individuals. But it's not the rights of individuals that Jihadists want, it's the rule of blood and soil, same as the European facists who influenced Arab nationalism as an anti-British propaganda weapon.

[heibett]

Dear Mr. Obama.

I live with my family in Bet-shemesh in Israel, About 50 kilometers from Gaza crow flies.
Lucky, the missiles did not arrive to us.
I have misunderstanding about your ideas.
When you talk about two stats, practically, what do you mean?
Do you mean the Palestinians will have an independent country?
If so, if I understand correctly, the intention is to allow them to build Ports, Railways & Airports?
If so, if I understand correctly, they will be able to import any product they want?
If so, if I understand correctly, this also includes all kinds of weapon?
If the answer is still yes, I wish you go to hell.

With friends like that, who needs enemies.

Ofer, Israel.

[Newster1]

President Obama says it has to stop. No more construction, period. "

EXCELLENT!
It's about time someone puts his foot down an stops the land grab, telling them I hope that SANCTIONS and cut off of all aid will result if it continues.
It is our tax dollars pouring into their coffers in various way and they keep playing us for the suckers we are, we are Isfake's guard dog.

[NY-Joe-10]

Why is it difficult?

I need to do some research.
Posted by gravyboat3000 at 9:41 AM : Jun 11, 2009

Why ? I don't know, but the texture and constiency is very unique, not like italian or french bread.....flakey crust and made with lard

I mean, for those who make it, it's easy, but to you and I, it's not your typical bread you'd find anywhere

[gravyboat3000]

I need the recipe for baking the cuban bread.
Posted by gravyboat3000 at 9:06 AM : Jun 11, 2009

To make cuban montega (spelling?) bread is difficult, and I've only found it in the Bronx,NY or certain parts of Florida
Posted by NY-Joe-10

Why is it difficult?

I need to do some research.