Israel

[superbeets]

+6

Netanyahu meets with Trump in the Oval Office after their joint news conference

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The leaders' wives joined them for the occasion. Netanyahu's wife Sara is on the left and First Lady Melania Trump is on the right - it's her first time at the White House since the inauguration



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[ScottL]

Abbas probably is, like Arafat definitely was, independently wealthy because he's paid by Iran to wage war against Israel. He lives in luxury while his people live in a dysfunctional chaos, and if he makes peace he'd have to find a real job or he's a dead man

Willie the money has come from literally everywhere in the Arab World. Mostly it comes from the Sunni side now however, like the Saudis and Qatar, as well as the EU who has thrown away millions on the Pals over 6 decades. Iran mainly throws its cash toward the Gaza side and Hizb'Allah now.

Abbas has always been wealthy. At the Munich Olympics in 1972 when the Pal terrorists murdered the Israeli athletes the money for the attack was provided by Abbas.

 

[ScottL]

The Changing Reality of Arab-Israeli Ties - Evelyn Gordon (Commentary)

• The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have grown tired of having their relationship with Israel held hostage to the Palestinian problem, and are discussing a proposal to normalize certain types of commercial relations with Israel in exchange for Israeli gestures toward the Palestinians.
  
• In exchange for Israel freezing settlement construction in "certain areas" of the West Bank and relaxing its blockade of Gaza, the Arabs would establish direct telecommunication links with Israel, let Israeli aircraft overfly their countries, lift certain trade restrictions and perhaps grant visas to Israeli athletes and businessmen.
• Even if the proposal goes nowhere, these details are significant. They show that Arab leaders are no longer willing to give the Palestinians (or Syria) a veto over their relations with Israel.
• The last time Arab states proposed normalization with Israel (in the Saudi-sponsored Arab Peace Initiative of 2002), they conditioned it on Israel signing final-status agreements with both the Palestinians and Syria and withdrawing completely to the 1949 armistice lines.
• The very fact that this proposal is being openly discussed shows that Arab-Israeli relations are thawing at a faster pace than anyone would have predicted a few years ago.

this would be a big first step, it's takes bold leadership and bold moves

the cheap words of a do nothing done nothing community organizer accomplished nothing

it is what it is, the proof is in the pudding



but Trump does like and pussy, and he fires fucking cunts every day

whoop whoop whoop

The 2002 Saudi offer was actually a suicide pill for Israel and it fooled no one. But ironically it did end up opening doors. Actual negotiation through back channels with the Sunni Arab countries was started by Ariel Sharon and his son. Elements that have contributed to higher hopes of cooperation between Israel and the Arab World since that time are Sunni Arab fear of Iran, huge fields of natural gas discoveries in Israel (pushes Arab oil prospects/wealth down), Jordanian and Egyptian borders threatened by ISIS, and Egypt's overthrow of Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood leading to gov't more friendly toward both US and Israel.

 

[ScottL]

Trump heads for Israel, and a wary welcome by the once adoring right wing

Ben Manson 3 hours ago

Now, as Israel prepares to receive Trump on his first trip abroad as president, things look very different. Just as Trump has upended political norms and expectations in Washington, he has confounded the expectations of much of the Israeli public and political establishment. His brash unpredictability has earned him the sobriquet “Mr. Balagan” — a word that translates roughly to “hot mess” — bestowed in an op-ed by the journalist Nadav Eyal.

--So true. Trump frequently trips over his tongue when speaking, and like most politicians is a flip-flopper, depending on who has his ear at the time.

Last fall’s election results led to the expectation (or, on the left, the fear) of free rein for Israel’s right-wing government to expand settlements on Palestinian territory in the West Bank and annex existing ones to Israel. In the first several months after the election, Israel announced plans for more than 5,000 new homes on the West Bank. And Trump was widely expected to be the first American president to live up to his campaign promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a gesture toward recognizing Israel’s claim to the whole of Jerusalem. This, in turn, would sideline the aspirations of Palestinians to establish a state in the West Bank, with its capital in East Jerusalem.

This international mislabeling of disputed land as 'Palestinian Territory' always irks me. It will remain disputed land until the Pals decide to come to the table. The land was never Palestinian territory though. Jordan took it in 1948 and held it until 1967 when Israel regained it in a defensive war aimed at destroying Israel. Jerusalem is in Israel, period. I would be more patient to listen to Pal demands if they didn't demand East Jerusalem as a ruse to conquer the rest of Israel however. But a ruse is what it is. They want no deal until there is no Israel, and until that changes......

But Trump’s remark to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during the latter’s visit to Washington in February, that “I’d like to see you hold back on settlements a little bit,” came as a surprise — although the administration hasn’t formally articulated a settlements policy.

If only building homes was the main cause of the conflict. It isn't. Everyone knows these communities will be part of Israel in a final status deal. If this conflict were only about territory and not prejudice it would have ended generations ago.

Naftali Bennett, the education minister in Netanyahu’s government, expressed his disappointment at a meeting of his far-right Habayit Hayehudi party. “During the campaign, [Trump] often talked in praise of settling throughout the Land of Israel and about moving the [American] embassy to Jerusalem,” Bennett said. “From his election to now, his tune has changed, and the impetus behind the change is not entirely clear.”

You move Left or Right to get elected. Afterward you move to the Center. All politicians do it, fortunately or not.

And in the weeks leading up to the visit, a series of diplomatic disagreements and misunderstandings have ramped up tensions. One flashpoint was a dispute about whether Trump would be accompanied by an Israeli politician on his visit to the Western Wall, a request by Netanyahu to which the government attached considerable symbolic importance. But the U.S., not wishing to send a signal that could be interpreted as endorsing Israel’s claim to the holy site, rejected the idea. A heated argument about whether Trump would give a speech at Masada, an ancient military fortress that is a national symbol of the historic connection of the Jewish people to the land of Israel, resulted in changing the venue to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

This is some weak-assed BS on Trump's part!

Then there was the stunning debacle of Trump’s careless blurting of top-secret Israeli intelligence to the Russian ambassador and foreign minister. Israel’s spy agencies were reported to be outraged and horrified over the blunder, which they feared could endanger an Israeli agent operating in ISIS territory. Officially, the Israeli government has sidestepped the issue. It is telling that while most newspapers put it on the front page, Yisrael Hayom (Israel Today) — often considered a mouthpiece of the center-right Likud party, supported by the casino magnate and Trump backer Sheldon Adelson — buried the story in its back pages.

Another dumb move by Trump. Smart non-response by Israel though.

Meanwhile, the Israeli left is feeling notably less apocalyptic than it did four months ago. One reason was the apparent shift in Trump’s attitude toward Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. With so much instability in the region, the plight of the Palestinians has become a less salient issue for neighboring Arab states, reducing international pressure on Israel to move toward a permanent peace. In addition, Abbas is 82 years old and unpopular among Palestinians; commentators have been discussing a succession crisis for years. But by inviting him to the White House earlier this month, Trump bolstered Abbas and made him more relevant, even if the American president’s promise of a deal within a year turns out to be no more fruitful than all the peace initiatives that preceded it.

Abbas is dead man barely walking. I don't get the move either. Trump hasn't said an unkind word about any leader in the rest of the world, not even kim jong un. Ironic, considering all that's slipped out of his mouth. But Abbas has no intent on making a peace deal, so why lie to oneself.

Still, the Israeli right took notice when national security adviser H.R. McMaster announced that Trump would affirm his commitment to “self-determination for the Palestinians” during his visit. It awakened fears that the Trump administration was succumbing to what the right views as the fallacy of treating the Palestinian leadership as a potential partner for peace — an idea the right vehemently rejects.

You are only entitled to self-determination in your own land, not someone elses. Unless you live in an Arab dictatorship, where subjects are entitled to nothing but what the dictators bequeath. Another loaded term that means nothing to this conflict and a dumb remark if McMaster made it.

Some elements on the left, meanwhile, are treating Trump’s visit as an occasion to mobilize Israelis around renewing the peace process. The nonpartisan grass-roots organization Darkenu (“Our Way”) has organized a campaign to unite the majority of Israelis who favor a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to pressure Netanyahu’s government to cooperate with Trump on what the president has called “the ultimate deal.” The campaign, which has posted more than 100 billboards in Hebrew throughout Israel, is rooted in the conviction that Trump is a pragmatic negotiator who won’t sell out Israeli interests.

And here we have another problem, the Israeli snowflakes. More of them per capita than we have here in America. People who dwell in a make-pretend world. One in which you can make a peace agreement with a partner who teaches their children from birth the lie that you stole their land and they need to wipe you out inshallah. Wake up Snowflake Jews!!

In fact, there are some on the left who — with appropriate caution and caveats —think Trump’s ignorance and belligerence may be an advantage because his desire to make a deal is fueled by self-interest and egotism rather than just good intentions, which haven’t been notably productive in the region.

NAILED IT x10

“Trump is running a White House that has spiraled out of control, where there is a mixture of madness and chaos, but he stands tall when it comes to the ultimate deal he wants to achieve between Israel and the Palestinians. Perhaps in the place where the experts have crashed, the man who knows nothing about anything will manage to do something with the tricks of a businessman who hates fussy arguments and whines about deprivation.”

Any deal he gets will be short-lived followed by a long BOOM!!!

Although self-reliance is central to the Israeli ethos, Israelis also recognize the indispensable role that American support in plays protecting the nation from hostile neighbors and international censure. Now their fate, like it or not, is at least partly in the hands of a political amateur who has, at least rhetorically, laid waste to decades of American foreign policy in many parts of the world. The Israeli public has watched this drama unfold from a distance. But now it is coming right to their doorstep, and they can only wait, with varying degrees of hope and apprehension, for the next eruption from the mercurial Mr. Balagan.

True. But the Pals will blow it up, likely beforehand -- maybe a crowded deli, a busbomb, some not so random stabbings, a truck driving on a sidewalk into a crowded market. Likely by Wednesday.....

 

[ScottL]

^^^Did not intentionally bold my responses. But half posted that way so I edited and bolded the rest.

 

[919]

^^^Did not intentionally bold my responses. But half posted that way so I edited and bolded the rest.

Appreciate your responses

 

[superbeets]

Ben Manson ? Who is this retard.

Any information on this journalist ?



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[superbeets]

Tom Nichols Retweeted






12hStephen Hayes
@stephenfhayes
[h=1]Good for him. It's long past time the US treated the Iranian regime as the enemy it is rather than the friend Obama wished it'd be. [/h]CNN Politics
@CNNPoliticsPresident Trump calls out Iran for having “fueled the fires” of terror (link: [url]http://cnn.it/2r5TUnT) cnn.it/2r5TUnT (link: http://snpy.tv/2qLpSTv) snpy.tv/2qLpSTv

[/URL]

 

[919]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

 

[superbeets]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

[h=1]Iran Deal Denounced by Netanyahu as ‘Historic Mistake’[/h]

 

[superbeets]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

Contrary to President Obama’s assertion that the agreement will cut off every pathway for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, Israel’s leaders rejected the deal as a dangerous compromise that will exacerbate regional tensions and pave the way over time for Iran to produce multiple bombs — “an entire arsenal with the means to deliver it,” Mr. Netanyahu said.



Israel views a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its survival. For Mr. Netanyahu, the accord is the bitter culmination of a long struggle that has severely strained Israel’s relations with the United States, its crucial ally.

 

[superbeets]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

[h=1]Congress was right: The Iran deal is a travesty — and Obama is to blame[/h]

 

[superbeets]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

[h=1]President Trump and King Salman Sign Arms Deal[/h]
[FONT=&quot]MAY 20, 2017 AT 1:30 PM ET BY THE WHITE HOUSE
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]

President Donald J. Trump met today with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Nayef of Saudi Arabia, and Deputy Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.

The President’s meetings underscored the deep and longstanding commitment of the United States to the security, stability, and prosperity of Saudi Arabia and demonstrated the President’s confidence in the future of U.S.-Saudi relations. He also emphasized the importance of working jointly to address challenges to regional peace and security, including defeating ISIS and al-Qa’eda, countering Iran’s destabilizing activities, and resolving conflicts in Yemen and Syria.
President Trump and King Salman signed a Joint Strategic Vision Statement promising close collaboration to counter violent extremism, disrupt the financing of terrorism, and advance defense cooperation. Moreover, the President expressed his strong support for Saudi Arabia’s economic reform plans and promoted U.S. companies as ideal partners for Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation, as illustrated by the many deals signed by U.S. companies during the President’s visit.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was also there as President Trump and King Salman participated in the signing ceremony for almost $110 billion worth of defense capabilities. This package of defense equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of malign Iranian influence and Iranian related threats.
Additionally, it bolsters the Kingdom's ability to provide for its own security and continue contributing to counterterrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on U.S. military forces.
This package demonstrates the United States’ commitment to our partnership with Saudi Arabia, while also expanding opportunities for American companies in the region, potentially supporting tens of thousands of new jobs in the United States.




[/FONT]

 

[superbeets]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

Tillerson also said the new defense deal — which includes upgrades to Saudi communications, missile defense, maritime, border and cyber security — will lower the demands on the U.S. military.


“This huge arms sales package reduces the burden on the United States to provide the same equipment to our own military forces,” he said. “It will strengthen Saudi security forces for the future so Saudi Arabia is more capable of carrying a greater share of the burden.”

 

[superbeets]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

[h=1]Tillerson: Saudi Arms Deal Meant to Counter Iranian Influence[/h]

 

[superbeets]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

[h=1]Israel develops new ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states[/h][FONT=&quot]America Abroad[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]April 19, 2017 · 9:00 PM EDT[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]By Linda Gradstein[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States share common goals with Israel, one of which is developing new energy, water, and agricultural technology. In 2015, Israel opened its first diplomatic mission in the United Arab Emirates, and there are extensive business ties between Israel and Gulf countries valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Israel and the Gulf States also share common enemies: ISIS and Iran. According to Dan Diker, head of the project for counter-political warfare at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, the threat of a nuclear Iran and the Islamic Republic’s terror proxies around the Middle East are particularly worrisome for the Gulf States.

[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]“That convergence of concern between Israel, the Sunni Arab states and President [Donald] Trump’s administration creates the possibility for real coordination and cooperation between Israel and the Arab world.” These geopolitical circumstances, Diker says, “make Israeli outreach and Arab acceptance much more possible than it was before.” [/FONT]

 

[superbeets]

Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal


Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms dealuk.reuters.com

Intelligence Minister Israel Katz stated that “President Trump’s visit strengthens the anti-Iranian camp in the region and presents an opportunity to advance regional security and economic cooperation as a foundation for regional peace.”

 

[919]

And now, an exclusive look inside HR McMaster's brain as Trump confirms it was Israel's intel he blurted to the Russians.

 

[919]

What an idiot






ABC News Politics
@ABCPolitics





Pres. Trump with Netanyahu: "I never mentioned the word or the name Israel" during Oval Office meeting with Russians (link: [url]http://abcn.ws/2q9OnIJ) abcn.ws/2q9OnIJ[/URL]

 

[919]

Amazing


Andrea Mitchell
@mitchellreportsHis comments just confirmed it was Israel something no U.S official had admitted