@13, well, “Wiggy” Bolton is at least a reliable talking head, even if he is reliably wrong.

You’re entirely correct in pointing out that terrorism is bad.

However, that’s not really what this article’s about. Moral relativism doesn’t affect the fact that Israel’s building houses on land that’s not theirs.

Under a hail of domestic critisism over its reckless and unforgiveable inslaught against Israel, Hillary Clinton – deputed by Obama to do his dirty work last week – is now trying to defuse the crisis by adopting a more emollient tone. But Pandora’s box has now been opened, and the vicious creature that emerged cannot be put back again.

The ever-sagacious John Bolton….

At this point I had to stop reading as my monitor was covered in coffee.

Given that all it’s done is voice its displeasure, it barely even reacted at all. The chances that this will translate into actual, concrete policy changes are zero.

The Israelis built some house and get slammed. But they didn’t -

This is a devastating argument, worthy of gracing any toddler-fight at any nursery in the land.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?ID=171009

The Israelis built some house and get slammed.
But they didn’t air calls for a Jihad against America, as Palestinian Arab TV did.
They didn’t name a square after the murderer of an American photographer, as the Palestinian Authority did.
No Israeli Anchorman did a skit in blackface during Obama’s visit, as a Turkish anchorman did during Obama’s visit there.
Are Israeli religious institutions issuing Fatwahs against America, as Al Azhar University, which Obama visited and spoke at, has done?
Are Israeli leaders funding terrorism against America, as the Saudi King, before whom Obama bowed, does?

http://topicallimerick.com/

Please note that I’m not normally pro-Palestinian come what may. I think Israel has unfairly received some rough treatment from the left in the past. But this? Seriously…what is Netanyahu hoping to achieve?

Newsflash: he doesn’t give a shit. For now, building settlements keeps his coalition together, and keeping the coalition together delivers the only outcome that Bibi is in any way emotionally engaged with: it keeps Bibi in his post as prime minister, and assures that his eventual retirement to the Ivy League speaking circuit will be comfotable. The End.

I’m a broken record on this, but it’s worth the tedium in order to maybe someday have the message heard: if the Americans are serious about peace for Palestine, they need to stop paying Israel to be at war. The best way to ensure the settlements are not expanded further is to make sure there’s no money in the piggy bank to do that with. And that is not something that’s on the gift of anyone other than a brave US administration (or a cunning one – the Bush-Baker loan guarantees scheme is what enabled Oslo, after all).

Forgive me for being naive, but why don’t the Palestinian workers building the settlements just go on strike?

Surely not.

Anyone else think this may be Netanyahu testing President Obama’s resolve?