An overflow crowd at the Washington Convention Center turned out on Monday night to hear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tell the gathering that Israel is America’s “indispensable ally” and that the bond between the two countries has never been stronger.
In a speech interrupted numerous times by applause – and also by the occasional heckler – Netanyahu spoke emotionally at times about the “special relationship” between Israel and the United States and he thanked America on behalf of the Israeli people and government for their support.
The speech was not a preview to the prime minister’s Tuesday address, which will take place before a joint session of Congress. However, he made some references to what he would be talking about. He will speak “the unvarnished truth” about the peace process as well as give his take on the “Arab Spring.” In that respect, Netanyahu will directly answer critics who say that Israel is to blame for all the problems of the Middle East. Pointing out that the millions in Arab countries who have taken to the streets do not do so in opposition to Israel, but rather for the simple reason that they desire freedom, the prime minister raised his voice when he said, “Israel is not about what’s wrong with the Middle East. Israel is about what’s right with the Middle East.” A standing ovation – one of several Netanyahu received – followed that statement.
Netanyahu knew he was among friends and appeared very comfortable talking about what America means to Israel and vice versa. His opening remarks made reference to the terrible storms to hit the Midwest and he offered his condolences to the dead on behalf of the people and government of Israel. Throughout the speech, he sought to cement the bonds of friendship by hearkening to our shared heritage and values.
He called to mind that common bond of liberty that unites the two peoples, stating that the words on the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials can find their echo in the Old Testament. He reminded the audience that Jews were proclaiming “all men are created equal” thousands of years ago when the world was inhabited by slave owning empires. “Israel is the cradle of our civilization, and the modern state of Israel was founded precisely on these eternal values,” said Netanyahu. He added that this civilization was born in “our eternal capital: The united city of Jerusalem” – an observation that received the loudest and longest standing ovation of the night.
The prime minister also pointed out that the Muslims and Christians who live in Israel enjoy complete religious freedom. Reason enough, he said, to give Israel complete control of the holy city since they could be trusted to allow freedom of worship for all.
The prime minister was frequently interrupted by hecklers. The effort seemed well-coordinated because as soon as one heckler was escorted from the premises, another would start up in a different part of the room. It’s a tactic that was refined during the Bush years by Code Pink and other radical Left groups. Netanyahu looked on with bemusement as the crowd would first drown out the heckler with applause, and then begin chanting “Bi-Bi, Bi-Bi” as the miscreant was led more or less voluntarily from the hall. Only once did he directly address the disturbances when he asked the audience if they thought this kind of protest could be held in Gaza. He received another standing ovation.
The prime minister had effusive praise for President Obama, calling him a strong friend of Israel and thanking him and the people of the United States for the security assistance we provide. Netanyahu received another standing ovation when he said that “Israel cannot return to the indefensible 1967 lines,” referencing President Obama’s belief that a peace deal must be based on the boundaries that were in place before the Six Day War. But there was no mention made of the disagreement, and Netanyahu appeared to go out of his way to speak kindly of the president.
Prime Minister Netanyahu was diplomatic in his kind words about President Obama. However, Netanyahu (and more the foolish Tzipi Livni) that Israel is in a permanent state of siege. Who is Israel supposed to negotiate with – Hamas and the PA which only want to destroy Israel and all Jews? (Another black mark against Obama – he calls for Israel to retreat to the pre-1967 borders and to negotiate with Hamas and the PA shortly after they have agreed to work together!
Netanyahu should stop referring to Arabs as "Palestinians." From the time of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 135 A.D., who changed the name of Judea to Palestina, after he had defeated the last Jewish rebellion under Bar Kochba, "Palestine" has been synonymous with "land of the Jews" (or the 'Holy Land" since Jesus was a Jew) and "Palestinian" synonymous with "Jew," which is why Great Britain was awarded the "Palestine Mandate" after World War I to be the "homeland of the Jews."
In 1964 in Cairo Gamal Nasser and the Soviet Union, haters of Jews, invented the "Palestine Liberation Organization" (P.L.O.) with all the phony history and propaganda accompanying it. The "Palestinians" are Arabs whose sole raison d'etre is to destroy Israel. They deserve nothing.
What a load of rubbish, always trying to justify that, that can't be justified. Instead just try and find peace for all and stop this nonsense. Do the right thing by Arabs and Jews and don't just use force to win an argument all the time. Jews, you are not seen as a generious people and you have been on stage showing just that for many years, maybe you should now show to the world instead of brute force but how Jews can be generious, you actually might even make friends around the world.
It's hard to make friends with those who want to "massacre" you and put an "end" to your existence – the words of leaders of Hamas which is now to be a part of the Palestinian government you want Israel to be generous to.
Eduardo, have you looked at a map of Israel and her neighbours? Have you seen the size of Israel compared to the Arabic world? Do you know that the Palestinians are ethnically identical to 70% of the population of Jordan? Perhaps you should acquaint yourself with the facts before you point fingers. Once you realize how small Israel is and how vast the Arab world is, once you realize that tiny Israel absorbed 800,000 Jewish refugees from the Arab world, while the Arab world has yet to absorb a single Arab refugee, then you may just realize that the finger you're pointing is aimed in completely the wrong direction. Accusing the Jews of a lack of generosity is not only hugely insulting, it's completely idiotic.
What is the right thing Eduardo? Dying? Committing National suicide? Are you ignorant of the Arab's stated desire to kill every single Jew? Not a generous people? Have you ever been to Israel? Have you walked freely in Jerusalem, able to worship your own god? When the Arabs had Jerusalem Jews were forbidden entry. Please gt educated on the matter and stop your ignorant please for "justice" and fairness.
"Jews, you are not seen as a generious people…"
Unfortunately we still are. If we weren't, we wouldn't be asked to give away our lands.
"…you actually might even make friends around the world."
Survival is a better option. A nation isn't equal to an individual. An individual who has no friends is in deep trouble, but an isolated nation can manage fine.
Indeed, why would anyone, except insane liberals, offer land and a state to barbarians who tell you over and over, their goal is to destroy you, your country and take everything you have? Give them NOTHING> Let them learn to live like civilized human beings first.
"Give them NOTHING> Let them learn to live like civilized human beings first"
Um, I think that's been tried. How's it working?
"Um, I think that's been tried. How's it working?"
Giving them nothing and land for peace have both been tried and failed. What hasn't yet been truly tried is what the Torah says needs to be done: Expelling them all from our land.
!OBAMA'S AIPAC SPEECH: IS HE NAIVE, OR INSANE?
Obama did a splendid job Sunday reading from his teleprompter and feigning a passionate commitment to Israel's security. But in the course of his speech when he told AIPAC (who cheered his insincere pro-Israel statements) that he wasn't "naive" about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict he should have been laughed off the stage. Trying to restart a failed and disastrous peace process with an implacable enemy hell-bent on Israel's destruction is not just naive, it's insane in the Einsteinian sense; for what better term is there to describe someone who imagines he can succeed where better men under more promising conditions have failed?
continurd
!Without a grain of evidence that the Palistinians were ready to do an Anwar Sadat and accept Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State Obama (like Bush 41 and Clinton before him) recklessly plunged ahead pressuring Israel to make unilateral concessions on freezing settlements-wisely resisted by Netanyahu. After two years of Obama relentlessly demanding concessions from Israel, then publicly raising the issue of the 67 borders, Netanyahu had enough and put an end to this nonsense by politely scolding a livid president in public. Obama is insanely blind to his own naivity and folly, as are all the fairyland losers on the radical Left when it comes to the turmoil in the Middle East and the civilizational war with Islam.
Click my name to continue reading this widely linked piece.
If Israel is " .. what’s right with the Middle East…" , why was Saddams invasion and occupation of Kuwait "wrong"?
If Israel is "right" in West-Jordan, Golan & Gaza, why was Serbia "wrong" in Kosovo?
If Israel is "democratic" in West-Jordan, Golan and Gaza, why is China "suppressive" in Tibet?
The biggest fools are those who believe their own propaganda.
so let's see. Is Israel not right in granting full democratic rights to all of its citizens, something no other country in the ME does?
Is Israel not right in allowing gays to live in freedom, practice whatever they want to practice and even hold parades, something no other country in the ME does?
Is Israel not right to allow anyone to practice their religion, free of fear, no matter what that religion is, something no other country in the ME does?
Is Israel not right to allow women to stand for Parliament and even sit on the bench of the Supreme Court, something no other country in the ME does?
Your idea of right and wrong appears to be horribly off kilter.
The Palestinians strap munitions on their own women and children and send them out on homicide-suicide missions to murder other innocent women and children in markets, restuarants, on school buses, and in their homes. The Palestinians in their own words and by their actions are committed to the genocide of the Jewish people therefore, they have foreited their rights to even exist at all let alone have a UN sanctioned terrorist state of their own.
"The biggest fools are those who believe their own propaganda."
So you're admitting you are a fool? About time!
Nice article. Very encouraging to learn about strong American support. I relish the ties between us and Israel.
obama is not a friend to israel. when are american jews going to wake up and end their dangerous bloc voting for democrats. if obama is reelected he will have no restraints on his policies. then the mask will come off and israel will truly be in danger.
Obama is "not a friend to Israel?" But Netanyahu says he is, and praised him "strongly." So Netanyahu was lying?
I suspect, rather, that you are allergic to facts, and fly willy nilly to the tune of your own rampant emotionals. Obama probably will be re-elected; I would bet money on it. And Israel will continue with the unwavering support of the United States it has always had. And you will be proven a nincompoop, and that will undoubtedly be lost on you, because you allergic to facts.
"Obama is 'not a friend to Israel?' But Netanyahu says he is, and praised him 'strongly.' So Netanyahu was lying?"
You think Netanyahu should have been honest and voiced his true thoughts on Obama? Without regard to the full-blown diplomatic incident that would have ensued? And you call yourself a realist.
Is the aid not coming in? Has the policy changed significantly? Is the USA not Israel's biggest, most unwavering suporter?
'Nuff said.
Netanyahu: "ONE MILLION ARABS AND PALESTINIANS" live in Israel and are given full democratic rights. That fact alone is one that should be repeated since if Israel is an "apartheid state," discriminates, wantonly kills Arabs, then how can live side by side with their enemy?
I attended a local meeting and the two guest speakers were in the IDF. I was surprised to hear all the rights the Arabs and Palestinians have and their rules of engagement. Jews and Arab children playing soccer on the street. There is a respect for each others way of life and their ways of worship. I was also surprised that Arabs are NOT allowed to join the IDF. They did not elaborate.
Netanyahu focused on what is good about Israel, which is an oasis surrounded by a Sea of Death! I also heard an interview by the Mayor of Jerusalem and he said there were SEVEN MURDERS the previous year. This was still bad he said but we can open our own newspapers and that "SEVEN" is a daily count in many of our cities!
"I was also surprised that Arabs are NOT allowed to join the IDF. They did not elaborate."
You misheard. Arabs are not *required* to join the IDF, but some do. Bedouins form the backbone of the tracker units, but a smattering of Arabs (I suspect mostly Christian) serve in other units. Some do National Service, but I don't think their numbers exceed 2,000. There's still a lot of social pressure in Arab communities *not* to serve in any capacity.
ALL Arab countries are Muslim theocracies, inherently discriminatory, depriving minorities of their basic political rights.
Israel is a Jewish theocracy, where non Jews are second class citizens.
Muslims and Jews need to evolve in a political sense, implement human rights and political freedom at the same level it is practiced in the West before peace can be achieved in the Middle East. Remember the American president comes from a minority.
Have you actually been to Israel? I don't think so. If you had, you could never have written this post. I'll tell you why:
If non-Jews in Israel are "second-class" citizens, how come they can vote? How come they can live and work anywhere they want? How come they have full rights under the law? How come they can represent their constituencies in the Knesset (Parliament)? How come they even sit on the bench of the Supreme Court? How come they are members of the Cabinet?
Learn the truth if you want to post on this site, because the kind of nonsense you're spouting will not be allowed to pass without being corrected.
I've nevr been to israel, so why do they have roads only for jews?
Huh? There are no "Jewish-only" roads in Israel. Nice try though.
"Israel is a Jewish theocracy,…"
Israel is not a theocracy. Most of Jewish Law isn't state law in Israel. Where it appears there is great religious influence, this is usually because most of the people consent to it (for example, an Ultra-Orthodox town like Bnei Brak is closed during the Sabbath because that's what the inhabitants want).
You swallow the lies of the Leftstream Media whole. You've never actually been to Israel, and even if you did, you'd probably see what the anti-Zionist propagandists have directed you to see.
Israel is a SECULAR democratic state. There is no official state religion in Israel and Israeli law guarantees equal rights to all of its citizens regardless of race, religion, creed, sexuality or background. Get with the program.
Hit a home run tonight before Congress today, Prime Minister Netanyahu.
And where is the President during this time? On another vacation on the people's dime.
Did you complain this much about the president that took the most vacations in history?
Of course you didn't. So tiresome.
Israel's attempt to give Moslems equality in its country, by giving equal rights to 1,000,000 Muslims in their midst, is commendable.
Unfortunately, when protecting one self from an implacable foe such as Islam, containment with respect and kindness eventually fails.
Historical example in the 1930s, what did the dismantling of Czecholslovakia achieve for Peace against Hitlers Demonic drive to conquer?
With Islam, history is repeating itself.
We must prepare for Total War to destroy Islam, just as Democracies did against Nazism.
For starters sign the "Ban Islam" petition at: http://www.petitiononline.com/MYSTIC/petition.htm…
ARCH ANGEL MICHAEL'S WARRIORS, ARISE!
President Obama never mentions Hebrew/Christian Scripture. The President's speech about Israel shows no awareness of Scriptural facts detailing the heritage of the Arab tribes and the tribes of Israel. Genesis chapters 16 & 17 distinguishes Abram from Abraham and Ishmael from Isaac. Ishmael by Abram is progenitor of the Arab tribes. Isaac by Abraham is progenitor of Israel's 12 tribes. Ishmael and his descendants are the sons of Abram. Isaac and his descendants are sons of Abraham. Ignorance of crucial spiritual detail produces crisis. History proves it so time & time again. Slow learners?
Honestly, I seriously doubt Obama is aware of any scripture. It's difficult to learn of love, which the entire Bible teaches, when your basic "spiritual" education is from Islam. He probably didn't learn any scripture or about love from Wright's building that mislabels itself as a church. Couple that with his true lack of knowledge of Israel, which is why he deserved the rebuke from Netanyahu at the White House. He certainly isn't listening to the American people on the subject. I'm afraid Obama is leading the charge on the new anti-semitism.
"I'm afraid Obama is leading the charge on the new anti-semitism."
He's not–at all–but I'm sure that won't stop you from being afraid.
If you could take the fear and hysteria off this page and turn it into combustible fuel, our energy problems would cease to exist.
Now the question is are the people of Jewish decent still going to vote for a Democrat?
Can't you see that for years the Democrats have been your 2nd worst enemy.
Only the good looking, well-educated, compassionate, and thoughtful ones will continue voting Democrat. The homely, ignorant ones can see through the ruse!
Well-educated idiots, compassionate to a fault, and so thoughtful they can't see a peril in front of their eyes.
Again, what's with that "good-looking" bit? It's not like all the others. Why do you bring it?
It has a certain zing!
In other words, only people who agree with you are good-looking, well-educated, compassionate, and thoughtful. Is Obama's narcissism startig to rub off on you?
I don't think Obama is "anti-Israel" at all. So he doesn't get along with Bibi–many don't! But Obama, and the US, will continue to be Israel's staunchest supporter. So I ridicule the anti-Obama sentiment. That's all.
Tell you what, Jim, if you'll also ridicule the anti-(put GOP candidate's name here) sentiment, I'll help you out with the anti-Obama sentiment. The only thing that I'm interested in is seeing Obama's presidency, along with his failed policies, be rejected by the American people.
Without all the anti-whoever sentiment, we might be able to have reasoned debates in America, once again.
I did not care for the anti-Bush sentiment–even though I thought Bush was a pretty poor president, at least during his first term. As much as I found his policies disastrous, I not only feel he had the country's interests at heart, but that history has yet to judge the Iraq effort. To this day, among liberal friends, I find myself defending Mr. Bush. (Messrs Rumsfeld and Cheney, not so much). While I don't think Gore would have taken the same tack, it was clear that democrats were beating the drums on Iraq, as well.
Watch for it because I'm sure it is on its way. That is the promise that the "New Palestinian State" will be an unarmed state to ensure Israel’s security. What a joke! There is not now or ever will be an enforceable rule against a sovereign state having arms to "defend" itself. Of course, once armed…. Israel should think twice and three times before it agrees to such language because it will be to their ruination.
It will be unarmed in the same way that Hezbullah has been disarmed in Lebanon. The UN forces threaten to shoot down Israeli surveillance planes, and watches haplessly as Hezbullah brings in 40,000 more missiles and hides them intentionally among civilians.
Why are Americans so divided? As a matter of example, just two comments form POLITICO:
"Ya know it's funny. Every single time the right says Obama is wrong, he ends up being right about everything!! He's always 3 steps ahead of you when are you going to get that. Trying to make him look bad really makes you look like an idiot. Stop waisting our time."
……..
"Israeli settlers on the West Bank continue to steal land from the Palestinians, continue to uproot and devastate olive groves of their Arabic neighbors, continue to burn their crops, continue to forge counterfeit documents in order to take more Palestinian houses and land, continue to ignore the decisions of the Supreme Court of Israel to relinquish their illegal settlements and Netanyahu has the impudence to stand before our Congress and maintain that the settlements are not an impediment to the peace process? Who exactly doesn’t understand what is going on in the Middle East?"
I don't know who you are. But for sure you are nothing but a magnific idiot fool with 'capital letter'. The Israelis are in the West Bank because they won the war against five stupid arab countries, who thought they could decimate the Jews living in Israel in 1948, 1967 and 1973 by invading them. The Israelis were attacked by those "camel smell no-good arabs" who deserve nothing but be despised by the Israelis and by the Western civilization.
Go to Europe and ask any European what they think about the arabs and muslims. Be lucky if they don't spit and slap your idiotic face.
Why were the so called palestinians expelled from every single arab country where they lived for a while, including Jordan, where the population is 65% made of this screment palestinians?
You know the answer: because whatever they go, they bring nothing but misery and destruction. Besides dirtyness and bad smell.
Thank you for your explanation which I need not.
The magnific idiots in question are the Americans who wrote the two above cited comments which I found on POLITICO. And my question was: why are Americans so divided regarding Obama and Israel?
A gentle suggestion: before calling people idiots, read carefully what they write.
Have you heard of any arab country which accepted the palestinians as citizen, with exception of the palestinian state that is Jordan? And this because the Jordanians were in charge of the territory that is inhabited by the then arabs who pretend they ever had a country.
There was never any palestinian state, much less a palestinian ruler because palestine was never a country, but a name change for Israel/Judah given by the vengeful Romans who couldn't stomach the vociferous challange the Jews offered when they tried to bring their pagan gods to the Jews Temple in the years 66-70 CE.
If I were a Jew I would extend my time going over more details so that your brainless head would turn to be less ignorant and disdaintiful. But idiot as I perceive you, I imagine I'm wasting my time in giving you the honor of seeing what I think about you. For sure you can't even be considered a recycable toilet paper, regardless if you think you are a Christian or a camel smell muslim arab.
At least now the world knows without a doubt…..AIPAC' Israel Lobby, not the US president, rules US Congress Midd-East policy, and can act accordingly.
brilliant analysis crackerjack. Now tell me why America is so tolerant of gender apartheid in Saudi Arabia and of Saudi funding of Wahabi-style education in America. Explain to me why America hasn't taken out Iran's nuclear facilities? Explain to me why America is so tolerant of Syria's murderous rampage? It must all be the result of AIPAC and Israel running America, right? Yeah, right.
Ah yes, Israel control's America's congress… and crackerjack finally devolves into classical antisemitism. Glad you finally showed your true colors bud!
By the way, if Israel really does control congress, why does congress consistently vote in ways that are adverse to Israel's interest? Why did the U.S. invade Iraq against Israel's advice? Why does the U.S. provide billions in aid to Arab/Islamic despot regimes that seek the destruction of Israel? Why does congress constantly bend over backwards to appease the Arab lobby?
http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/05/24/its-…
“It’s time that we admitted another truth: This conflict has raged for nearly a century because the Palestinians refuse to end it. They refuse to accept the Jewish state.” That singular fact of existence dominates the peace process. All other issues including right of return, the status of Jerusalem, and territorial issues pale in comparison to the importance of the Palestinians acknowledging their partner in the process.
With all due respect Netanyahu didn’t speak the unvarnished truth. Had he spoke the unvarnished truth he would have said that what is happening in Israel today is that a jihad of conquest is being waged against the Jewish unbelievers by the Islamic world via their proxies the so-called Palestinians, and as such that jihad of conquest is no different from the many other jihads of conquest also being waged against other unbelievers around the world in places like Kashmir and Jammu, where the Islamic world is also waging a jihad of conquest against Hindu unbelievers, in Thailand, where the Islamic world is also waging a jihad of conquest against Buddhist unbelievers, in the Philippines, where the Islamic world is also waging a jihad of conquest against Christian unbelievers, and in too many other places to name without becoming too redundant.
He would have also said that the jihad of conquest per the texts and tenets of Islam is permanent and will continue to be waged perpetually against the Jewish unbelievers in Israel for as long as Israel continues to exist and regardless of any and all fake peace processes intended to weaken Israel and to dupe gullible useful idiots. Just like the greater global jihad at large is also permanent and will continue to be waged perpetually against all unbelievers around the world as long as unbelievers continue to exist that haven’t been forced to submit to the authority of Islam.
If Netanyahu follows your advice he will loose at least half the support from AIPAC, he knows what he have to say isn't always what he wants to say.
Maybe for the short run but not in the long run. In the long run if people eventually came to understand the unvarnished truth, that not only are the Jewish unbelievers in Israel targets of the global jihad, but also all unbelievers around the world are also targets as well, instead of being the pariah nation of the world that Israel is today, the Islamic world would become the pariah and scourge of the world.
That’s the problem: the majority of the world doesn’t understand that the so-called Palestinians in reality are the proxies of the Islamic world and that the jihad being waged against the Jewish unbelievers in Israel, like all jihads in the past and like all jihads today, is permanent and perpetual, regardless of any and all fake peace processes intended to weaken Israel and to dupe gullible useful idiots.
Of course, if Netanyahu tells the unvarnished truth the Left and their propaganda arm –the lamestream media – will attack him mercilessly and try to marginalize him, but in the long run he would prevail because he has the truth on his side. However, if he continues playing along with the charade, then eventually Israel will inevitably be destroyed as time is fast running out, and after that happens no one will ever bat an eye, just like know one bats an eye today about what happened in Bosnia and Kosovo, because know one will know the truth and the Islamic world will continue subsuming the world, only much more emboldened and much more aggressively.
Do you think the world today would nonchalantly allow Iran to acquire nukes and for Pakistan to have a humongous nuclear arsenal, far more than it needs to destroy India, if they understood the unvarnished truth, that the Islamic world also targets us?
Israel, no restraint, no concession to the Arabs
Any restraint is counterproductive. Israel must respond with extreme force. This is the only way to subdue the enemy. This is the enemy that wants to throw you into the sea.
I would gladly support a major offensive against Gaza or any other Arab Palestinians that are hurting Israelis in any shape or form.
Many years ago when Sharon was defense minister of Israel (while his wife was alive) his policy was, any violent acts by the Palestinian Arabs were returned with extreme force, and it worked.
Let us go back to the old ways and respond with very extreme force, no restraint, no concession. You will see in the long run, it will bring a much more peaceful life in Israel.
Let us celebrate living in safety in Greater Israel.
Remember the Arabs are the occupiers.
The Qur'an 17:104 – states the land belongs to the Jewish people
YJ Draiman