April 15, 2004
OUR JEWISH PRESIDENT:
Sharon's master move (Sidney Zion, April 15, 2004, Jewish World Review)
Israeli leader outflanks the Palestinians and gets Bush's okay
Ariel Sharon scored a home run in Washington yesterday, and if that doesn't defang his critics in Israel, the Jewish state ain't what it used to be.The one (and maybe only) thing that brings together nearly all Israeli Jews is the okay from Uncle Sam. America is seen as the country's umbilical cord, and while there have been times when Israel stood fast against U.S. pressure, nothing beats a nod from the White House.
Never did an American President give them anything like George Bush delivered on the day after Passover.
Democrats have become so reactionary that you almost expect to hear them decry the President "tipping towards the Jews" and mnaking it impossible for us to be an "honest broker". Posted by Orrin Judd at April 15, 2004 10:57 AM
Republican co-opting of constituencies traditionally assuned as safely in the democrat pocket is a long term project that began long before either Bush was President.
Posted by: M. Murcek at April 15, 2004 11:12 AMAll this exultation is quite a bit premature and most absurd. The following maxims regarding any possible solution seem to be continually forgotten.
a. A solution is not acceptable if it means that the Israelis benefit and the Palestinians do not.
b. A solution is not acceptable if it means that the Israelis benefit and the Palestinians benefit.
c. A solution is acceptable if the Palestinians benefit and the Israelis do not.
d. A solution is acceptable if the Palestinians do not benefit and the Israelis also do not benefit.
Thus a solution is acceptable only if the Israelis do not benefit.
The only problem is that there are some Israelis who don't really care fo this idea of a solution.
Party poopers.
Posted by: Barry Meislin at April 15, 2004 11:38 AMBarry:
In most of the Arab world and much of Europe:
1) The agreement is unacceptable if Isreal continues to exist.
Posted by: Jeff at April 15, 2004 12:07 PMAll Bush did was tell the Palis what is true. The war is over and you lost. Make the best deal you can, but the train is leaving the station, don't let it leave without you.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at April 15, 2004 12:35 PMBarry:
No one is being asked to accept anything--terms are being dictated.
Posted by: oj at April 15, 2004 12:58 PMDJ OJ Touche!
Posted by: pepe at April 15, 2004 2:47 PMDJ OJ Touche!
Posted by: pepe at April 15, 2004 2:47 PMThis is one of those issues I would have loved to have heard the Air America talk show hosts give their comments on today (assuming they weren't too scared to touch it), along with any future Israeli-Palestinian issues.
Their on-air status in Chicago and Los Angeles may be iffy, but the Rachel Corrie-like comments about that conflict that are likely to come out of some of those shows, either from the hosts or the callers, might be worth a few thousand votes to GWB.
Posted by: John at April 15, 2004 10:50 PM