Romney Goes To Israel

[Direckshun]

As to nobody's surprise who follows the news, Romney's trip overseas has been pretty embarrassing. He's shit on the Brits with his comments over the Olympics, and made the potentially prejudiced suggestion that Israelis make more money than the Palestinians because their cultures are different.

My general frustration with Romney's trip, however, is his seeming hostility to Palestine as well as him clearly getting in bed with big funders from a foreign nation. It makes me very uncomfortable and I'm pretty sure these behaviors are unprecedented.

No (serious) Presidential candidate in modern history has snubbed the Palestinians so aggressively -- Romney didn't even meet with a single significant Palestinian leaders. And no (serious) Presidential candidate in modern history, to my limited recollection, has ever held a fundraiser in a foreign country. Although I completely invite anybody to correct me on that. I cannot recall it happening. And no (serious) Presidential candidate in modern history has refused to explicitly call for a two-state solution.

http://www.juancole.com/2012/07/top-...med+Comment%29

Top Ten Most Distasteful things about Romney Trip to Israel
by Juan Cole
Posted on 07/29/2012

The trip of Republic Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to Israel is in bad taste for lots of reasons.

1. He is holding a fundraiser at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. It is distasteful for an American political candidate to hold a high profile fundraiser abroad, implying a commitment to a foreign country as a means of reaching out to American interest groups (in Romney’s case, Christian Zionists among the evangelicals and the minority of American Jews who would be willing to vote Republican).

2. It is distasteful that Romney has broken his pledge of transparency and declared the fundraiser off limits to the US press.

3. It is distasteful that Romney won’t explain why he has abruptly gone back on his word, and closed the Jerusalem event to the press.

4. There is a convention in US politics that you don’t criticize the sitting president, even if you are an opposition politician, while on foreign soil. Romney clearly intends to slam President Obama while in Israel.

5. It is distasteful that Romney is clearly holding the event in some large part to please casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who first bankrolled Newt Gingrich and now is talking about giving $100 million to elect Romney. Adelson is a huge supporter of far rightwing Likud Party Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and published a free newspaper in Israel to support all things Bibi all the time. Adelson is under investigation for allegedly bribing Chinese officials in Macau in reference to his casino empire there. Since Adelson is potentially an agent of Chinese influence and is a partisan of one of Israel’s most rightwing parties, Romney’s indebtedness to him is disturbing.

6. It is distasteful to have Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu interfering in an American domestic election by openly favoring Romney over Obama.

7. It is distasteful that Romney is promising his donors in Jerusalem a war on Iran. When George W. Bush promised his pro-Israel supporters a war on Iraq, it cost the US at least $3 trillion, got hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed, destabilized the Gulf for some time, cost over 4,000 American soldiers’ lives, and damaged American power, credibility and the economy. As Nancy Reagan said of drugs, so US politicians must say to constant Israeli entreaties that the United States of America continually fight new wars in the Middle East on their behalf: “Just say no.” Instead, Romney is playing war enabler, and that abroad!

8. It is distasteful that Romney will not meet with Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestine Authority, who actually was elected by Palestinians, but only with an appointed and toothless ‘prime minister’ known for cooperation with Israel’s Likud.

9. It is distasteful the Romney will not commit to a two-state solution within 1967 borders or demand Israel cease illegal squatting on and unilateral annexation of Palestinian land. If he is going to this Middle East hot spot, why doesn’t he visit a Palestinian refugee camp so as to understand the nub of the dispute, instead of hobnobbing with the uber-rich in Jerusalem.

10. It is distasteful that he is holding the fundraiser in the King David Hotel, which was famously blown up by the Zionist terrorist organization Irgun in 1946, in a strike that killed 91 persons and wounded dozens, many of them innocent civilians. Irgun leader Menachem Begin (later a leader of the ruling Likud Party) hit the hotel because there were British security offices there, which were tracking violent organizations like his own, during the British Mandate period of Palestine. He maintained that he called ahead to warn of the bombing, but that is just propganda to take the edge off the deed– who in 1946 would have taken such a call seriously? When current Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and other Likud leaders attended a commemoration of the bombing, the British Foreign Office sent over a sharp note of protest. I guess Romney is not finished with insulting London.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Israel deserves blame.

To argue otherwise is little more than Republican dogma.

Other than merely existing or coming into existence, what blame does Israel have? I suppose one could argue that settling inside territory taken by Israel during the wars that have been fought is somewhat naughty, but Israel wouldn't have taken that land had she not been attacked (or under immediate threat of attack).

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by patteeu

FYP

Are you suggesting that it's impossible for foreigners to financially participate in the election?

Not foreign Americans. Foreigners.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Well, so do the Israelis.

That's the whole point of compromise.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I've heard that argued a few times. And I agree that is something that Palestine should do.

I don't know what that changes on the ground, however, if anything. Israel is still going to want the land it has annexed and settled. Palestine will still want the '67 borders.

It's symbolic, seems to me. Israel and Palestine could theoretically map out a mutually-approved border (along the '67 lines with land swaps) without having to acknowledge each other as a proper state.

It's a symbolic gesture, it seems to me. An important one, but meh.

Good. I don't think that any meaningful peace can be had without it. There would obviously need to be some sort of compromise regarding the land taken, something which Israel has done before (Gaza and others).

Originally Posted by Direckshun

You don't agree with what, exactly?

That engagement works and isolation doesn't.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Are you suggesting that it's impossible for foreigners to financially participate in the election?

Not foreign Americans. Foreigners.

I'm saying that it's illegal for Romney to collect money from foreigners for his campaign and that he hasn't done so. My link indicated that he hadn't done so. Your link indicated that he hadn't even collected from foreign bankers as you originally believed. You've failed at every point in this discussion to bolster your accusation with even the slightest bit of evidence but instead of admitting you were wrong in your original criticism of Romney's overseas fundraisers you've continued to dig yourself deeper and deeper into fail. That's what I'm suggesting.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Well, so do the Israelis.

That's the whole point of compromise.

The Israelis have made multiple efforts over the years at a viable and mutually-acceptable two-state solution. The Palestinians haven't to the best of my knowledge. They can't, of course, because they won't accept Israel's right to exist.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Originally Posted by Donger

Sorry, that is how it seems, but I'm glad to see I was incorrect. How are the Palestinians to blame?



Again, I don't know what Romney's lack of motivation to meet or not meet with Abbas was. But, perhaps it is Abbas' position that Israel doesn't have the right to exist that gives him the willies?

Since Direcshun is such a little girl and doesn't like to hear answers to his own questions. Donger, did you know Abbas funded the 1972 Munich Massacre?

Don't you think that it would be disrespectful to meet the terrorist funder on the anniversary?

[BucEyedPea]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Link?

He's raised shitloads from British bankers, for one. One of the likely reasons he visited the UK.

I would imagine his trip to Israel for similar reasons.

Disgusting

[Donger]

Originally Posted by ForeverChiefs58

Since Direcshun is such a little girl and doesn't like to hear answers to his own questions. Donger, did you know Abbas funded the 1972 Munich Massacre?

Don't you think that it would be disrespectful to meet the terrorist funder on the anniversary?

I believe that the killer who ran the operation (Abu something) claims that Abbas funded the op without knowing how the money was actually going to spent. I don't know what the truth is.

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by BucEyedPea

Disgusting

And false. Which brings us back to post 62.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Originally Posted by Donger

I believe that the killer who ran the operation (Abu something) claims that Abbas funded the op without knowing how the money was actually going to spent. I don't know what the truth is.

Yeah, I wouldn't think it would matter if he claimed he accidentally funded a terrorist operation or not, all the while paying the terrorists pension up till the day they die of course. The anniversary of said terrorist attack is not the time to try and appease known terrorists supporters. I hope it had something to do with the non meeting anyway.

BTW, keep in mind Abbas was an Arafat disciple and even named his son after him.

From Wikipedia:

In his autobiography, From Jerusalem to Munich, first published in France in 1999, and later in a written interview with Sports Illustrated, Abu Daoud wrote that funds for Munich were provided by Mahmoud Abbas, Chairman of the PLO since 11 November 2004 and President of the Palestinian National Authority since 15 January 2005.


Though he claims he didn't know what the money was being spent for, longtime Fatah official Mahmoud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen, was responsible for the financing of the Munich attack.


Abu Daoud, who lived with his wife on a pension provided by the Palestinian Authority, has said that “the Munich operation had the endorsement of Arafat,” although Arafat was not involved in conceiving or implementing the attack. In his autobiography, Daoud writes that Arafat saw the team off on the mission with the words “God protect you.”

[patteeu]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

As to nobody's surprise who follows the news, Romney's trip overseas has been pretty embarrassing.

BTW, this is a laughably misguided notion. Romney's trip has included some outstanding speeches letting both US citizens and our foreign allies know that after four years of foreign policy embarrassment, we have a chance to once again elect a President who is a friend and supporter of the free world. A man who won't treat our adversaries better than he treats our friends. A man who isn't afraid to lead and won't hide behind.

The so-called gaffes that seem to bother Direckshun (not counting the ones you made up) are trivial compared to the bumbling foreign policy we've experienced since the amateur took over four years ago.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by ForeverChiefs58

Yeah, I wouldn't think it would matter if he claimed he accidentally funded a terrorist operation or not, all the while paying the terrorists pension up till the day they die of course. The anniversary of said terrorist attack is not the time to try and appease known terrorists supporters. I hope it had something to do with the non meeting anyway.

BTW, keep in mind Abbas was an Arafat disciple and even named his son after him.

From Wikipedia:

In his autobiography, From Jerusalem to Munich, first published in France in 1999, and later in a written interview with Sports Illustrated, Abu Daoud wrote that funds for Munich were provided by Mahmoud Abbas, Chairman of the PLO since 11 November 2004 and President of the Palestinian National Authority since 15 January 2005.


Though he claims he didn't know what the money was being spent for, longtime Fatah official Mahmoud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen, was responsible for the financing of the Munich attack.


Abu Daoud, who lived with his wife on a pension provided by the Palestinian Authority, has said that “the Munich operation had the endorsement of Arafat,” although Arafat was not involved in conceiving or implementing the attack. In his autobiography, Daoud writes that Arafat saw the team off on the mission with the words “God protect you.”

Yes, I'm not quite a fan of the man.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by patteeu

BTW, this is a laughably misguided notion. Romney's trip has included some outstanding speeches letting both US citizens and our foreign allies know that after four years of foreign policy embarrassment, we have a chance to once again elect a President who is a friend and supporter of the free world. A man who won't treat our adversaries better than he treats our friends. A man who isn't afraid to lead and won't hide behind.

The so-called gaffes that seem to bother Direckshun (not counting the ones you made up) are trivial compared to the bumbling foreign policy we've experienced since the amateur took over four years ago.

Your hate is beginning to consume you.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Originally Posted by Donger

Yes, I'm not quite a fan of the man.

I am not either. I don't see how anyone could support such a person...Oh yeah, they are also Obama and Ron Paul supporters.

Mahmoud Abbas- He wrote his thesis was published as a book in Arabic titled "The Other Side: the Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism" where he denied the Holocaust.

He funded the 1972 Munich Massacre.

"I renew my commitment to continuing the road he [Arafat] began and for which he made a lot of sacrifices, until the Palestinian flag flies from the walls, minarets and churches of Jerusalem." (2005)

"A Jewish state, what is that supposed to mean? You can call yourselves as you like, but I don't accept it and I say so publicly."(April 27, 2009)

"We have frankly said, and always will say: If there is an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, we won’t agree to the presence of one Israeli in it." (December 25, 2010)

-Mahmoud Abbas


Yeah, he is a great guy to try to forge peace with, can't imagine why anyone would skip that visit.