WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama plans to act firmly and decisively in order to reach durable peace, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday night in a closed forum attended by 300 of the biggest donors of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The event was held as part of the pro-Israel’s [sic] lobby annual conference in Washington.
He reiterated that the ability to confront Iran depended on the ability to make progress on the Palestinian front. Solving the conflict will make it possible to advance the handling of the main threat posed by Iran, he said.
As I’ve been writing for the past several days (here and here), this is wrong and dangerous. Forcing a Palestinian state into being now will only advance Iran’s goals in the region, not retard them.
Emanuel explained Obama’s determination to pressure the sides to reach a peace agreement by the fact that when there was no progress in the process there was an intifada, an escalation in Lebanon and an escalation in the Gaza Strip. When there is no peace, he said, it benefits those who are against Israel. If Israel fails to make peace with its neighbors there will be those who will favor violence, he stated.
This is truly an incredible statement. When Arafat refused to accept a remarkably generous offer — because no offer that left Israel standing would suit him, after Israel had brought this terrorist back from exile and turned over large areas in the territories to his control — at this point he chose to unleash a massive murder offensive, which ended only when the IDF retook control of the areas.
When the IDF withdrew from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah invaded Israel, killed and kidnapped its soldiers and unleashed a massive rocket attack against the northern part of the country.
When Israel dragged 8,000 Jews from their homes in Gaza settlements, withdrew every last Jew from there, even dead ones, Hamas began its campaign of rocket attacks, cross-border raids, etc. Today there’s only one Jew left in Gaza, Gilad Schalit.
In every case Israeli concessions and withdrawals led to war and violence. How is it possible to miss this?
The White House chief of staff clarified that the foundation for an agreement between the two sides must be security for Israel and a sovereign state for the Palestinians. The US is committed to the two-state process, he said, adding that this was the only solution.
 All sides must meet their commitments, as difficult as they may be, he noted.
If Israel doesn’t meet her commitments, we know what will happen. But when terrorists with plausible deniability kill Israelis, what will the US do? The Palestinians will get their state, that’s guaranteed. But will Israel get security?
According to Emanuel, the US expects Hamas to accept the international Quartet’s principles – recognizing Israel and past agreements and renouncing terror. If Hamas fails to do so, he said, it will have no seat beside the negotiating table.
With all due respect, regardless of whatever magic formula Hamas can be made to utter, does anyone believe that Hamas will ever offer more than a temporary postponement of its jihad against Israel and Jews?
Meanwhile, while the US is busy raping Israel (apologies to ex-Ha’aretz editor David Landau who thought it was a good idea) into making concessions which will undoubtedly cost Israeli lives, Iran will be cheerfully spinning those centrifuges.
Israel needs to understand that the US is more interested in a Palestinian state and (as I wrote in my last post) keeping the Saudis happy than either Israel’s security or Iranian expansionism and bomb-making. Remember: American interests, Israeli interests. They are not the same.Â
Let’s hope that Israel understands that in particular the Iranian nuclear program is an Israeli problem, which will need to be solved by Israel. The sooner the better.
Rahm Emanuel strikes a pose at AIPAC meeting
Technorati Tags: Â Rahm Emanuel, Israel
Rahm Emanuel’s statement that progress with stopping the Iran nuclear push depends on negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians is surprising and disappointing. This is especially so coming from Emanuel who one would have thought would be more understanding of Israel’s situation. Obviously he is following the line of the President, and this makes his remarks even more troublesome.
The term is, “rapping,” not raping. Specifically, in the context of the article, beginning with the paragraph, first sentence, that begins, “Meanwhile . . . ”
Otherwise, the statement as written, makes no sense. And the topic of the article makes little sense either, since Israel is not being plundered by Rahm or the Obama administration.
The use of the word refers to the incident in which David Landau (see link in article), ex-editor of Ha’aretz, said to Condoleezza Rice that the US should “rape” israel into making concessions to the Palestinians. The point is that Emanuel has a similar attitude.
The use of that term makes absolutely zero sense in terms of the US doing anything with respect to Israeli policy.
You have access to dictionaries. If that person said it aloud, they probably meant to say rap.
Furthermore, the way the term is used in the sentence, as spelled, doesn’t comport with any definition of the word.
By all means, defend away though.
Me, apparently you didn’t read the article. If Landau had meant “rapping” the article would make no sense at all. He meant RAPE.
I am “rapping” with you right now, while the anti-semites and anti-Israelis would like to see Israel naked and exposed to her enemies. They want Israel to make concession after concession until there is nothing left of her.
She is blamed for being the victim. I am not Jewish and am not one of those Christians who thinks she has to protect Israel because they are the “chosen ones”. I just know who my “friends” are. How many times have we seen Israel give up “land for peace” and then, is attacked? How many times have we seen Hamas or Hizbollah agree to a ceasefire and then, break it? Nothing Israel does for the Palestinians or for the entire Middle East will change the fact that Iran and the other terrorist states want her wiped off the map. Emmanuel’s and Obama’s prescription for peace has been tried in the past and they KNOW it; “The Camp David Peace Accord” and others. Did they work? No, they have NEVER worked. It is a “Junk Policy”, in my humble opinion. Ahmadinejad must be loving this. It feeds his ego and his determination to wipe Israel and the West off the map. The Obama Admin, is feeding the lion and sacrificing the lamb. Israel is not the only one being raped.
Grandma:
You were never “rapping” with me, I don’t even know you.
Rapping, the primary definition, means the act of tapping or strike with a stick. Rap, means to render a light blow, or to strike quickly.
Grandma:
Also, it is spelled “ME” for future reference, just in case you were confused. It is not a personal noun.
ME
“ME”, check it out my dear; the WHOLE sentence was:
“Landau, who was seated next to Rice at the dinner, described Israel as a “failed state†and told her that the Israeli government wanted “to be raped†and that it would be like a “wet dream†for him to see this happen.”
I suppose you could have a “wet dream” from tapping/lightly striking Israel?