The train is coming down the tracks.
Maybe it won't arrive on time, maybe the ride is rough, but it's coming.
Rather than whining and looking like a spoiled baby and begging the US to stand alone and prevent Un recognition, Israel should use this UN vote as an opportunity.
Free Gilad Shalit. Demand Human Rights. Insist that if the Palestinians are UN recognized that they must speak with one voice, the UN cannot recognize the PA and allow Hamas to be a separate gov't entity.
Israel and the US should offer to also recognize the Palestinians in the UN if the Palestinians show that they deserve recognition by acting within acceptable codes of conduct.
The train is coming either way. Israel needs to get on board or get out of the way.
Showing posts with label United States of America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United States of America. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Forget about Pollard
Yes. That's right. Forget about Pollard, the man who is sitting in prison, quite possibly for the rest of his life, for having pled guilty to selling American secrets.
Let's take him out of the equation and look at the silly arguments people make in his defense.
There are really only 2 main arguments that I hear in his defense:
#1 It's discrimination. He's rotting in prison in the US because he's a jew. No other spy has been punished for these types of crimes, so it must be anti-semitism.
So the US is anti-Semitic, anti-jew, anti-Israel. Not any one president, but all the presidents in all the time Pollard has been in prison were all jew-haters. Disregard the tens of billions of dollars in aid they gave Israel during that time period, deep down they are happy to have a Jew in their clutches. Disregard that 2 of the US's largest cities have Jewish mayors. Disregard the numerous other jewish politicians of note, and jewish judges, and oscar winning jewish movie stars, and freedoms and unquestioned equality and safety that Jews have in no other place outside of israel; the US is really a jew-hating land and that's why Pollard is rotting in jail. Jew.
Or just maybe there is a difference when you catch an enemy spy or you catch a spy from a close ally. And then that ally plays games for decade(s) as to whether or not he was a spy for them in the first place. He's not our guy, they said, but it's really important to us that you free him. Perhaps when you catch an enemy spy you are less disturbed because you expect your enemies to betray you. Perhaps you expect spies from your enemy, or even from countries you have a cold peace with. But how many other freed spies came from a country that touts itself as America's biggest friend and ally and is the recipient of vast sums of aid?
#2 Look at all the famous people who are in support of Pollard.
Kissinger? a few weeks ago the same people praising Kissinger today for coming out, now, in favor of clemency, were blasting him as a self-hating jew when his own secrets were revealed.
Potential presidential candidates and other politicians who have their own hands out for votes and donations are hardly unbiased.
Should he be freed? I don't know. How many people really know what happened?
I do know that these arguments in his favor turn my stomach. So until someone can give me a reasonable argument why Pollard should be freed from the deal he signed, I'd rather just forget about him. There are plenty of Jews in far worse places than Pollard for far less reason who could use a bit of help.
Let's take him out of the equation and look at the silly arguments people make in his defense.
There are really only 2 main arguments that I hear in his defense:
#1 It's discrimination. He's rotting in prison in the US because he's a jew. No other spy has been punished for these types of crimes, so it must be anti-semitism.
So the US is anti-Semitic, anti-jew, anti-Israel. Not any one president, but all the presidents in all the time Pollard has been in prison were all jew-haters. Disregard the tens of billions of dollars in aid they gave Israel during that time period, deep down they are happy to have a Jew in their clutches. Disregard that 2 of the US's largest cities have Jewish mayors. Disregard the numerous other jewish politicians of note, and jewish judges, and oscar winning jewish movie stars, and freedoms and unquestioned equality and safety that Jews have in no other place outside of israel; the US is really a jew-hating land and that's why Pollard is rotting in jail. Jew.
Or just maybe there is a difference when you catch an enemy spy or you catch a spy from a close ally. And then that ally plays games for decade(s) as to whether or not he was a spy for them in the first place. He's not our guy, they said, but it's really important to us that you free him. Perhaps when you catch an enemy spy you are less disturbed because you expect your enemies to betray you. Perhaps you expect spies from your enemy, or even from countries you have a cold peace with. But how many other freed spies came from a country that touts itself as America's biggest friend and ally and is the recipient of vast sums of aid?
#2 Look at all the famous people who are in support of Pollard.
Kissinger? a few weeks ago the same people praising Kissinger today for coming out, now, in favor of clemency, were blasting him as a self-hating jew when his own secrets were revealed.
Potential presidential candidates and other politicians who have their own hands out for votes and donations are hardly unbiased.
Should he be freed? I don't know. How many people really know what happened?
I do know that these arguments in his favor turn my stomach. So until someone can give me a reasonable argument why Pollard should be freed from the deal he signed, I'd rather just forget about him. There are plenty of Jews in far worse places than Pollard for far less reason who could use a bit of help.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Jewish State
Israel is exploring the idea of creating a loyalty oath which defines Israel as a "Jewish" state. The Palestinians have declared that they will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Within Israel, people on the far left and impressionable children have protested the idea. Around the world there has been mention of this idea attached to words like racism.
Have any of these people protested Iran's name as the "Islamic Republic" of Iran? Do the Palestinians not deal with Iran because they have their religion/ethos in their name?
Ok, so Iran is a country run by a committee of dictators. Maybe not the best example. What about the Vatican, also known as the Holy See. What about all the lands named after saints?
Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_name_etymologies and you will see that many countries and lands are named after gods or tribes. It just so happens that except for the Catholic and Islamic named lands, many of the names are old enough that no one remembers those gods or tribes.
The fact is Israel has every right to call herself whatever she likes and demand loyalty oaths no different then the Pledge of allegiance in the United States which had the phrase "under God" added to it by a reverend. The pledge can be heard in public classrooms from sea to shining sea each morning.
If Israel can do nothing right she should stop listening to people who tell her she is always wrong.
Have any of these people protested Iran's name as the "Islamic Republic" of Iran? Do the Palestinians not deal with Iran because they have their religion/ethos in their name?
Ok, so Iran is a country run by a committee of dictators. Maybe not the best example. What about the Vatican, also known as the Holy See. What about all the lands named after saints?
Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_name_etymologies and you will see that many countries and lands are named after gods or tribes. It just so happens that except for the Catholic and Islamic named lands, many of the names are old enough that no one remembers those gods or tribes.
The fact is Israel has every right to call herself whatever she likes and demand loyalty oaths no different then the Pledge of allegiance in the United States which had the phrase "under God" added to it by a reverend. The pledge can be heard in public classrooms from sea to shining sea each morning.
If Israel can do nothing right she should stop listening to people who tell her she is always wrong.
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