Obama’s Middle East Policy: A Unified Field Theory
During the earlier part of Phase Two — in February 2011 when the upheaval was happening — Obama was still in denial. When asked about the Muslim Brotherhood, he responded:
“I think that the Muslim Brotherhood is one faction in Egypt. They don’t have majority support in Egypt. But they are well-organized and there are strains of their ideology that are anti-U.S. There’s no doubt about it. But here’s the thing that we have to understand, there are a whole bunch of secular folks in Egypt, there are a whole bunch of educators and civil society in Egypt that wants to come to the fore as well. And it’s important for us not the {to] say that our only two options are either the Muslim Brotherhood or a suppressed Egyptian people.
“What I want is a representative government in Egypt. And I have confidence that if Egypt moves in an orderly transition process, that we will have a government in Egypt that we can work with together as a partner.”
In other words, the people can’t get it wrong; the Brotherhood can’t win; and everything will be all right. As the months passed, however, this evolved into believing that the people can’t get it wrong; the Brotherhood will win; and everything will be all right.
The Clinton and Panetta speeches explain the new policy. Have no doubt that all of these statements are coordinated along with many others. The talking points have gone out to everyone. The phrases and concepts — like the idea that Israel is isolating itself — have been used more than once. These are not isolated errors but rather following the White House-designated script.
For example the U.S. ambassador to Belgium explains to a conference of Jewish lawyers that Muslim antisemitism stems from Israel’s policy (thus ignoring centuries of proof to the contrary) and will end if Israel reaches a peace agreement with the Palestinians (thus ignoring the fact that Islamists oppose any peace agreement and do everything possible to block it). He also showed a video of himself being warmly applauded while visiting a Muslim school. Before the stunned participants in the conference could respond, he left.
Summary: Muslims good; Islamists moderate; No peace? Israel’s fault; ears closed. Have a nice day!
In brief, the Obama administration encourages and supports the coming to power of fanatically anti-Israel groups, then has the nerve to say Israel is becoming isolated because it isn’t making enough concessions! They encourage and support the rise of regimes that are totally against any peace with Israel or any two-state solution, then have the nerve to say that Israel can defuse the situation by making peace.
In the new phase, the Turkish Islamist regime became Obama’s guru. The Turkish model was presented as the best route for the future. To Obama’s administration, this means a stable democracy incorporating “moderate Islamism.” In reality, it means takeovers by radical Islamists pretending to adhere to democratic norms.
The administration assumes that the Muslim Brotherhood would be moderate. Only the barest lip service was given to its need to prove its credentials. The Obama administration actually welcomed Islamist victories in Egypt and Tunisia, while doing nothing to prevent that from happening in Libya. In Syria, the Obama administration collaborated with Turkey to push Islamists to the fore in running the Syrian opposition.
In short, the Obama administration has taken the Islamist side, the side of anti-American, anti-Western, genocide-minded toward Israel, anti-Christian, and anti-women’s rights forces. It keeps insisting that these are harmless forces, even the “good guys” who will bring about true democracy.
As a result, every traditional Arab ally in the region has been betrayed, as well as Israel. Every real democratic movement in the region has been betrayed (Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, etc.) either by a failure to help them, by active U.S. help for their enemy, or both.
The results are predictably catastrophic. As the danger becomes increasingly obvious, as the Islamists show their fangs, the Obama administration will ignore it. As crises develop further, the Obama administration will either do nothing or side with the aggressors.
This kind of problem is totally unprecedented in the history of U.S. Middle East policy. There have, of course, been many mistakes. Yet policymakers have kept some ambiguity in analyzing these developments. The Obama administration has no doubts.
Previous policymakers who are professionals dedicated to protecting U.S. interests have been open-minded to recognizing that they were wrong and adjusting policy accordingly. By now, with the landslides for Islamists in Egypt and Tunisia they would have quickly changed course. The Obama administration is singularly closed-minded and, unfortunately, these bad tendencies are endorsed by much of the media and academic “experts” who, in the past, provided a critical perspective.
The president is systematically removing strong and knowledgeable people from top posts. The national security advisor and the secretary of defense are now political hacks, mere mouthpieces for Obama. While Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has at times showed dissent, she has now been turned into a puppet either because she accepts the policy or is just going through the motions and counting the days until she leaves office, presumably to be replaced by another pawn of the White House
It is clear that Obama will neither learn nor change and if he is given a second term, the whirlwind will be reaped.
Democrats have initiated, supported and continued policies over the last 50 years that have destroyed the families and livelihoods of many inner city blacks, and continue to do so.
No matter, the dems know that they will ALWAYS get about 90% of the black vote.
Ditto for the jewish vote for democrats. The dems also can be guaranteed that about 80% or more of jews will ALWAYS vote democratic no matter what the demcocrats say or do re: Israel.
Look at the recent remarks of the american ambasssador to Belgium, Gutman (of polish-jewish parents) and big time Obama supporter and suck-up , who has presented the world with a new definition of anti-Semitism; one that makes it OK to hate certain jews but not all jews. How big of him.
Rest assured that Gutman – and all the jewish KAPOS – will keep on supporting Obama and do all in their power to mobilize all jews to support Obama.
Gutman need not waste his time.
Jewish voters will support Obama and the democrats to the bitter end. As far as jewish voters are concerned, voting democrat macht frei.
American Jews have not been taught the history of pro-German thought among the “progressives.” For instance, virtually the entire list of stars allied with the New Deal signed on to a total war for public opinion that copied Nazi methods of controlling the thoughts of the masses. I detailed that here in four segments: http://clarespark.com/2010/04/18/links-to-nazi-sykewar-american-style/. Because such tactics are not known,it become easier for upwardly mobile Jews to assimilate.
Have you noticed that Panetta said “Israel is becoming isolated” about as often as he said “Iran is becoming isolated” and for both states, attributed the isolation purely to their own actions, which requires their own actions to correct?
Linkage in action.
The American government funds our enemies and makes them stronger. Who of you are still blinded by the false claim that America is an ally of Israel? American’s are an ally of Israel, but not America.
Mr Rubin, you say “It is clear that Obama will neither learn nor change…”
But what you fail to grasp is that B. Hussein Obama is promoting the islamist agenda for the simple reason that he is pro-islamist…
and that is why he is against Israel, opposed to the British, and anti-American.
Yes, it is too horrible to consider.
Yet it explains everything. Weaken America by harming the economy, stirring up a spirit of discord and cutting the military, support America’s enemies, oppose America’s allies–it all fits.
What else would an islamist in the Oval Office do?
The really scary part is that he can be doing all this and still possibly be re-elected.
Yes, bob, you are exactly, and completely, correct on all your points.
No, he’s not a Muslim — but, yes, he is and has been (obviously) all along, Pro-Islamist.
And, yes, it is all too horrible to consider — but it’s all true.
It’s a waking nightmare.
What befuddles me is that any thinking person could possibly be surprised, because all this was written across O’s face before he was elected — and was proven further and further with each step and each word — unabashedly false or otherwise, that emerged from his foul-breathed mouth.
Yes, his re-election is very possible … half the country is in a deep hypnotic state …. unable to see reality — the massive chaos and major suffering that it will bring to us and the rest of the world.
But, alas, it is too late to prevent most of it — even if he isn’t re-elected.
If he isn’t re-elected, for sure the timing — the Middle East will explode just after elections (if not before, but probably not before), so that he will still be in control during the lame duck months. He’s laying the ground for it now. Either way, he will have the opportunity to do what he plans to do.
And the next president? How on earth will whoever it is be able to fix what will have occurred by then?
For one, Iran will have the bomb — that’s just for starters. Israel — will have a war. Can it prevail? Who knows? Nukes will either already have been used … or will be in the hands of Islamists who want nothing better than to harm us. China will have probably moved on Taiwan.
(They’ll want to do that before Obama is replaced by someone who might stop them.) Etc. Etc.
Nothing is being done to stop any of this — and actually — it is all being invited.
Mr. Rubin … this was an excellent overview. Thank you.
That Obama has not been “naive” and hasn’t “misunderstood” has been eminently clear from day 1 — despite all the wanting, at least, for that to be true. He is and has been all along, Pro-Islamist — known to anyone with eyes and ears open, but too horrible for many to admit without the proof of direct actions. Now you have them — all neatly added up.
Alas, the whirlwind will be reaped whether he’s given a second term or not.
He has carefully placed and made ready most of the chess pieces — some more will be placed step by step — just waiting for the right moment. (He’s had some good (?) advice from “somewhere” or “someone” — because he’s done it excellently — from his perspective — and he’s not clever enough to have planned it so well all by himself. History, at some point (if there is a history in the future) will reveal how and who. Someone will want it known.) No doubt, he’d prefer to hold the real fireworks off until after the election — but either way — they will come. If he loses, there’s that lame duck period from November to January next year.
Let us not forget the disgraceful, unethical gall of passing Obamacare — 1/6 of the economy — during the lame duck session, using barely legal tricky methods — when the nation had clearly voted against it. There’s no breath of ethics that would interfere with anything he wanted to do.
Although Congress can put some breaks on him re domestic matters during that period, there’s almost nothing they or anyone can do regarding foreign policy.
It’s not a question of Obama “learning” anything — he IS doing and will do just exactly what he has wanted to do all along.
He’s leading us all — all the world — into Hell on Earth for all the foreseeable future.
Bob what else would you expect from a muslim? the muslim in cheif will continue to work toward destroying Israel and the U.S. he WAS born a muslim. partialy raised a muslim. and will die a muslim. and yes. I am afraid there will be enough STUPID IDIOTS to reelect him to another term. then he will finish the job of destroying the U.S.A. and ISRAEL.
Hit the nail on the head Bob. The problem is, it was all clear before he was elected, and still he was. And may be re-electged to initiate the final Solution to the Jewish Problem. Except this time we aint going quietly into the night.
boo-yah! you can say that again. and I’m right there with you.
In the 1930′s the Jews in Germany and Poland did not want to believe what was written in “Mein Kampf”, so they didn’t believe it until it was too late.
Obama has said he wants a return to old indefensible borders. Was he lying?
What Panetta said is a milder–more diplomatic- version of what DCI Gen Petreaus, SecDef Gates, JCS Gen Jones and other leaders in the US Defense and Intelligence Community are all saying
Loud and Clear–current Israeli policy endangers both the lives of American troops and American fundamental interests in the larger region.
Israel can do what it wants
But not on the US dime and not on the US brand.
The clock has run out–enough is enough–is what they are all saying–and they mean it.
Current Israeli policy? You mean current Israeli policy of not handing even more concessions to enemies who clearly will be satisfied with nothing less than its destruction? or are you complaining that Israel refuses to preemptively self-destruct altogether?
Panetta’s demands that Israel fix its relations with Turkey are edging ever closer to those who said that the Jews must have done something really bad to make the Nazis hate them so much, and it was up to the Jews to mend things.
So you are supporting the cracy Michael Totten theory that they are all Nazis
–he calls all Arabs Nazis
–you add the Turks to that meme
Meanwhile the US and our Military is focused upon American fundamental interests moving forward
Not the ghosts of 1939-1945
Invoking ghosts is not working–but keep it up!
If it makes you feel—-?
First of all, Victor, the Turks are not Arabs. You do know that, don’t you? Second, the point wasn’t that PM Erdogan is a Nazi, but that he hates Jews for ideological reasons — just like the Nazis did — not because the Jews had done something bad to deserve it. Obama’s new official policy on anti-Semitism is to blame the victim.
No, Victor doesn’t get that. Which is why he had so many problems over at Totten’s Blog. Victor see nothing wrong with the Valley of the Wolves. He said not one word as Erdogan made friends of Ahamdinejad and Assad while rejecting the UN Report on the Turkish assisted Flotilla Fiasco.
Not a word about opening up naval fire on Nobels Cypriot energy rigs or Israelis beyond a sea limit not even the Chinese would agree with.
Any one who tells the truth has problems at the “masters” blog since his views revolve around his own ego rather than what anyone else in the world does. He’s killed more messengers than any blogger at PJM.
This is what Petreus said:
“The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of US favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strengths and depths of US partnerships with governments and peoples… and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world. Meanwhile, Al-Queda and other militant groups exploit the anger to mobilize support. The conflict also gives Iran influence through the Arab world through its clients, Lebanon’s Hizbullah and Hamas.”
The important word here is “perception.” Petreus is not saying that perception is justified, merely that it exists.
It is very clear what David “Holy Qur’an” Petraeus said in his staff report to congress. He blames Israel. You have to shut the eyes of your mind and keep them shut by force not to see it.
http://www.dianawest.net/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/1318/Is-Petraeus-an-Islamic-Tool-Part-2.aspx
Here’s a plan Gen. Petraeus should be able to get behind: A new battle strategy, maybe a Kilcullen special, for him to join forces with Iran to once and for all nuke Israel and its genocidal apartment houses out of existence. That, according to his own lights, is sure to keep American troops safe in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Heck, it would win the war — or at least the jihad.
Yes it is very clear since I gave you a quote and not some nonsensical article that has nothing to do with that quote, is not sourced and from which you lifted a quote as if it was your own not to mention the article asking a rhetorical and moronic question if it’s okay for Israel to breathe.
It is sourced. Look at the link (and summary quote), right in front of your eyes, from Diana West, a member of Team B II.
Gen David Petraeus said: “No country has suffered more from Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida than Afghanistan.” If this is not spiting on the 3,000 American victims of 9/11, and their families, all the troops, and their families, of the Americans who have lost life or limb in Afghanistan, all those who have been molested, or had children or mothers molested at American airports, all those who must pay hundreds of billions for the COIN Clusterfark in Afghanistan, then I don’t know what is.
This should be the rule of thumb: If we have troops in a Muslim country and they are not tearing down at least 1 mosque a week, they should not be there. Instead Petraeus paid (with money that we have to borrow from the Chinese) to build and repair Mosques. And he made Lady Soldiers wear Hijabs, a sign that they are inferior to Muslim men. He should be in Leavenworth instead of at the CIA
It takes an observation and extrapolates it out as speculation. Unless Petreus was wearing a “dhimmi-hostage” t-shirt, it is hardly more than an op-ed and a not particularly bright one at that.
And he is guaranteed over 40% of the popular vote and could be re-elected.
The whirlwind will be reaped. The US enabling the Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East in multiple countries is the biggest strategic mistake by the West since the 1500′s.
Please, you over generalize, Obama is the name you need to use. Most of the rest of us are appalled!
Arius, You are overly generous calling the enabling of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and other ME countries as a ‘strategic mistake’. In my mind BHO is getting exactly what he set out to get. Remember the BHO admin is composed by their on admission, of the ‘smartest people’ on the planet.
Our only hope is the that Islamism will revert to standard Muslim against Muslim violence. Now that we no longer need their oil as much thanks to natural gas flooding the market, we can leave these wretched medieval societies fester and turn on eachother. We can only act as best we can to protect Israel and minorities. The Islamists are cowards and so inept that they cannot mount a decent war against eachother or Israel. Ultimately the Arab treacherous character is our only cause for hope.
The first part of Obama’s foreign policy was for American Jewish consumption while he “community organized” Muslim protests to overturn the Arab regimes. He always planned for the Muslim Brotherhood to rule over the Middle East. It is a planned zone of globalism like the EU or NAU. Israel does not fit in the Muslim region; just like Christians don’t fit. He does not mind if the Muslim Brotherhood takes Israel out and commits genocide against Christians in their territory. Hillary is very much on this band wagon. She’s no puppet. She is a radical like Obama which is why Bill Clinton had to put a short leash on her after his first year in power.
His current plan is to community organize Israel to push BiBi out so Obama can get a sympathic leftist to meet his “peace” demands. Leon Panetta is accusing Israel (BiBi) of making the Muslims hate Jews. Hillary lets it be known she’s concerned for womens’ rights in Israel. They will esclate their disapproval and they will organize leftist protests in Israel while calling for BiBi to step down. They already got one Leftist protest off the ground in Israel. There will be more turmoil until BiBi is out.
Lily,
I don’t think that it will be so easy getting rid of Bibi because more and more Israelis have become aware of what is transpiring so much so the Kadima is having a credibility problem and people I know of a liberal nature who only read Haaretz are shocked at the apparent ignorance/naivety displayed by the foreign political classes.
I say apparent because in some cases they are just malevolent.
My unified theory on Obama is similar. It goes something like this:
The works of Marx and Mohammed – Holy
The Bible, the Constitution, the Declaration of Indepedence – Claptrap.
So what was Obama doing in a Christian church, albeit a black KKK version, for 20 years? Laying low until the moment came to strike?
Black Liberation Theology is Christian in name only. It’s really Marxism wrapped up in a Christian package. It’s similar to Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam, which is Marxism wrapped up in a Muslim package. By no coincidence, Farrakhan and Wright have been BFFs for over twenty years. They are both mourning now for their good friend, Qaddafi.
That doesn’t make Obama a Muslim. If he’d wanted to be a Muslim at the age of 27 he’d have done so, instead he was baptised. Is everything that’s “real” in the world seen as the opposite of whatever someone says or does? If so that does make the world easily understandable but full of Loch Ness Monsters, UFOs and other weird, almost cult-like events.
Obama may be no Muslim but he certainly is no true Christian either. Actions speak louder than words; upon watching what Obama does, most reasonably-thinking people would draw this conclusion.
He was born to a Kenyan student in Hawaii who was a Muslim and then brought up in Indonesia undergoing a Muslim education until 10 or so, with a Muslim stepfather to boot.
So what is likely to be the product of his former years apart from the communist ideology he apparently gained from his grandparents?
I can’t know what’s in Obama’s heart, but to me he oozes atheism. I find it very difficult to imagine he believes in any god. I do think that he has special sympathy for the Muslim world because of his background, which will only be natural.
HUSKY (in #12) is correct about the similarities between part of the leftist and part of the Islamic geopolitical views, so it’s easy to confuse them at times. I think a president influenced by far-leftist views will act like Obama, no matter what the rest of his background is. A Jewish far-leftist, or a Swedish post-Christian transexual three-hugging descendant-of-the-Vikings far-leftist, will act the same. So there’s no need to assume he’s a Muslim. In a way it’s even a distraction from the real systemic malady, which is the takeover of the academia by the far-left.
And I do believe that the far-left doesn’t understand the Islamist threat. The Egyptian left cooperated with the Muslim Brotherhood. In the Iranian revolution the Marxists cooperated with the Islamists to overthrow the shah. After they achieved the common goal the Islamists had no more use for the leftists. So the fact they cooperate indicates to me that the leftists don’t really understand what they’re messing with. This may sound unbelievable to the common person, but it’s not really that surprising considering the delusional rubbish their mind is constantly fed with. The rather big problem is not a single person, a president of a Muslim background, or even if he is a covert Mulsim Brotherhood implant like some people believe, but the system that manufactures far-leftists by indocrination – the education system. That system produces the Western elites, journalists, politicians, thinkers, the next generation of educators and professors, and influences many of the young citizens. If the problem was only one person called Obama things were a lot simpler and easier. In fact, if that was the case he probably wouldn’t have been elected since the media would be way more robust in its scrutiny if it wasn’t that biased to the left.
I don’t draw my world view from what most reasonable people think but from events; I have no idea what info reasonable people are acting on.
Obama is a product of the most shallow Leftist and eternally contrary-to-success stereotypes which pervade political correctness. His views are as thin as the Che Guevarra t-shirt he wears under his suit.
The Marx Obama most resembles is the Groucho persona that sings:
“I don’t know what they have to say,
It makes no difference anyway,
Whatever it is, I’m against it.
No matter what it is or who commenced it,
I’m against it.
Your proposition may be good,
But let’s have one thing understood,
Whatever it is, I’m against it.
And even when you’ve changed it or condensed it,
I’m against it.
I’m opposed to it,
On general principle, I’m opposed to it.”
That’s all Marxist Critical Pedagogy/poltical correctness is: taking the other side for it’s own sake and slapping morality and wisdom on it.
The Nation of Islam isn’t Marxist. It’s a crackpot racist cult that sounds more like cheap sci-fi.
“Weaken America by harming the economy, stirring up a spirit of discord and cutting the military, support America’s enemies, oppose America’s allies–it all fits”. – Yes it all fits in with both the agenda of the left, and that of Islam, which is why we’re witnessing such a cozy relationship between the two.
I think the influence of Soviet propaganda on the Middle East is underestimated. It begun since before there were any special relations between the US and Israel. It goes back to the 50s, before the US even sold Israel any weapons. Even back then the Soviets spread among the locals the idea that there’s some imperialist collusion between the US and Israel. They also identified the local anti-Jewish sentiment and used it to incite the locals against America by telling them the Jews control America. What some British begun back in the 20s, and the Nazis increased back in the 30s and 40s – spreading the most virulent European antisemitic material – the Soviets continued later. The concept of Great Satan and Small Satan sounds suspiciously similar to the soviet propaganda line that Israel is the extention of imperialist American power in the Middle East. It sounds like Soviet conceptualization in Islamic clothings. This particular propaganda line is also quite common in the Western far left.
Very true
R.B.
Once USSR, now Israel
I just figure that the White House crafted these remarks by Panetta and Gutman, and ordered them to express them. I assume that the Obama administration after Obama proclaimed that he was the President most supportive of Israel in history felt it needed to bolster it’s Moslem and Arab credentials. Thus for the Obama administration’s own political reasons like reassuring American Moslem voters and for diplomatic reasons, like reassuring the Arabs, the White House sent these two flacks out to castigate Israel and the Jews.
But I do not claim to “know” and it could just be another example of Obama’s own personal incompetence and confusion about foreign affairs.
Or this whole affair is just another expression of the Obama Doctrine, that is, behave treacherously towards America’s allies, and remain harmless towards America’s enemies.
Obama proclaimed himself the most pro-Israel President ever as cover for Panetta’s and Gutman’s speeches. Obama has an established pattern of using rhetoric to “counterbalance” and cover up his deeds. He does one thing but says the opposite.
In a TV discussion Krauthammer described Obama as delusional because of that claim.
Krauthammer is so dumb he doesn’t see Obama is lying.
Krauthammer is smart; he can’t just say Obama is lying.
Take your pick. But I’d say,
Krauthammer is much too scared to say Obama is lying.
(Or, maybe it’s all three?)
Nah!
I still think that Obama and Clinton’s pro-Islamist policies stems from the idea that if they are simply nice to radical Muslims and are unjust to Israel, that the rest of the Muslim world will simply “love” the United States. Unfortunately, nothing over the past three years has proven this idea to be true. Muslims in the Middle East still hate us, maybe even more now than before Obama took office. And now, by throwing Mubarak under the bus, Obama has made Egypt, perhaps the most critical country in the region, more unstable and certainly more anti-American. Egypt’s most recent elections have shown big wins for both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamists, certainly no friends of the United States or the West.
But, like I’ve always said in the past, how will Obama and Clinton pay for these mistakes? Will they just say, “Oooops, sorry, we thought we were doing the right thing” and then move on? The only way to make them pay is by throwing them out of office next year. That at least would be a start. Then we need a president that will not only stand up to the Islamists, but repair our damaged alliance with Israel. That will be a tall order, but one I’m sure the Republican candidate is up to. At this point, anything would be better than the far-left anti-Israeli policies maintained by Obama and Clinton.
In Obamas Cairo speech there are a dozen or so references to the Quran. There are a half dozen or so references to the Bible. In each case he precedes the reference withe the word , ” Holy ‘. In his single reference to both The Torah and The Talmud he refuses to refer to either as Holy. Notice the differences.
Here is the only reference to The Torah and Talmud- –
” We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.
The Holy Koran tells us, “O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.”
The Talmud tells us: “The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace.”
The Holy Bible tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” ”
Obamas disdain for Jews, Judaism and israel could not be more glaring. Only the willfully blind can come to another conclusion.
Or people who don’t think the entire world revolves around them.
Or Islamist apologists.
It’s not correct to imply that President Obama was disrespectful of Judaism because he referred to the Torah and Talmud, unlike the Holy Bible and Holy Koran. For whatever reason, Jews don’t put the qualifier “Holy” in front of the names of their religious texts. I’m not saying that Obama hasn’t sided with the Arabs and Muslims with regards to official US government rhetoric concerning Israel. But, Obama’s not antagonistic towards Judaism or Jews per se; he just wants them to get with the program.
excuse me, “get with the program”? what does that mean? STFU and commit suicide? and if you think Obama isn’t “antagonistic” toward Israel, you must have a very high tolerance for antagonism.
“Get with the program” means don’t criticize, just agree. Yes, Obama’s rhetoric does appear antagonistic toward Israel. But, I don’t expect Israelis to commit national suicide based on Obama’s ill-considered suggestions. We know Obama uses rhetoric to flatter Arabs/Muslims at the expense of Israel. This policy doesn’t get Obama any adulation outside the US; on the contrary, Obama would be respected more if he were to be friendly with allies and tough with enemies.
The urban elites, among whom Obama is a member, are not overtly anti-Semitic. Obama can’t really afford to alienate his many Jewish supporters. It’s fair to point out that Obama’s policies may be harmful towards Israel. It’s not particularly helpful to point out that Obama used to be acquainted with a few anti-Semites in Chicago. But, to suggest that Obama insulted Jews or Judaism in his Arab/Islam flattery speech in Cairo is an untenable accusation, which undermines the real areas where Obama is failing.
Obama spent 20 years in an anti-white church that considers Farrakhan a hero: Farrakhan doesn’t like Jews – it’s not rocket science.
The urban elites, among whom Obama is a member, are not overtly anti-Semitic. Also, Obama can’t really afford to alienate his many Jewish supporters. It’s fair to point out that Obama’s policies may be harmful towards Israel. It’s not particularly helpful to point out that Obama used to be acquainted with some leftist radicals and anti-Semites in Chicago. But, to suggest that Obama insulted Jews or Judaism in his Arab/Islam flattery speech in Cairo is an untenable accusation, which undermines the real areas where Obama is failing.
Much diplomacy is conducted out of the public eye.
Is it remotely possible that the administration and other western leaders have come to understand that since the Islamists can only be placated by the destruction of Israel; then the danger from radical Islamist states can only be removed by precipitating a war, and crushing the terrorist states once and for all?
If that is the case, then they’re more likely to decide to eliminate Israel since this is way easier than crushing so many states. Of course, as long as they don’t take the Samson Option into account.
When every single step this administration and president take serves to empower the Muslim Brotherhood and its al-Qa’eda and Iranian allies, at some point it becomes impossible to say they are “mistaken,” “misled,”, or even “clueless.” Inexorably, knowingly, and deliberately, this president is enabling the emergence of the next Islamic Caliphate. Of course he favors Turkey: it is Istanbul that aspires to regain its lost honor and reinstate what it lost almost 100 yrs. ago. A Turk already heads the 57-member OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation), the head-of-state representative body of all Muslim countries (plus the Palestinians) which describes itself as the voice of the Muslim ummah — and from whence more than likely will emerge the next Caliphate.
We ignore what is taking shape in front of our eyes to our great detriment.
This reminds me of a conspiracy theory held by a small group of far leftists (led by Jared Israel and another guy whose name I can’t remember right now) who believe the US strives to strengthen radical Islam and is also planning a genocide for Israel (they were anti-Israel like the regular far-lefists for decades until they “realized” the US is an enemy of Israel and not an ally, so they became pro-Israel. These people see the US as the Great Satan, albeit in a less religious formulation, and hate its allies because they’re “on the side of the bad guys”, so if the US is pro-you they’re anti-you, and if the US is anti-you they’re pro-you). Except they reached that conclusion during the Bush (W) admin.
With Obama it’s quite clear where his sympathies and antipathies lie, but Bush never expressed a special sympathy for the Muslim world or antipathy for Israel. Yet if you look at his actions, then assuming he knew what he was doing (a big if), you have to conclude his goal was to strengthen radical Islam. For instance he removed Saddam Hussein, the most effective enemy of Iran, and practically turned Iraq with its shiite majority over to the Iranian side. The Bush admin insisted Hamas would be allowed to participate in the elections even though both the PLO and Israel objected and warned the US Hamas will win. They also got rid of Musharraf in Pakistan by pressuring him on democracy.
So if you’re looking at sympathies there are obvious differences between Bush and Obama, but if you examine they’re actions they have a lot in common – they both went for democracy in the Middle East regardless of the price, or maybe because they miscalculated the price.
Just for the record – I don’t know about Obama, but I don’t believe Bush did it on purpose. I think there’s really this combination of idealism, naivety and ignorance in the American character. And as much as I dislike Obama’s views, it may be the explanation also in his case.
The talking points have gone out to everyone…These are not isolated errors but rather following the White House-designated script.
My thought exactly.
Given Hillary’s remarks yesterday critical of Israel, Leon Panetta’s recent comments and words to the effect that Israel is the cause of antisemitism from the nutty US ambassador to Belgium, I’d guess that Barack has recently held some kind of strategy session in the Oral Office including his secretary of state, his secretary of defense and any other sycophant he could muster.
Lest we forget, Barry and Hillary are steeped in the protocols of Saul Alinsky, isolate the target, public ridicule is the most powerful weapon, etc. Hillary did her Sr. thesis on ole Saul, although she later claimed she wasn’t an adherent.
“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”
In Barry’s World, that’s governance, Chicago style.
(John Brennan, Obama’s counterterrorism adviser, spoke to a Palestinian audience (May 2010) and referenced Jerusalem as “al-Quds”, the Arabic name for the city.)
Support in the US Congress for Israel is strong, witness a very widely endorsed declaration to that effect around the time Netanyahu spoke to a joint session, earlier this year.
But your unified field theory as to the position of the Executive branch is hard to refute.
Another pile of rubbish from Mr. Rubin. Next time could he tell us one country that is not critical of the current Israeli government. The current Israeli government is reactionary in every sense of the word. (Yeah I know you would say Canada and Cyprus. Go figure.) What is more troubling is that it wants Western support, both military and diplomatic against Iran, but it wants to act independently. Wants to share NATO’s military intelligence capabilities, but have the ability act independently outside the NATO consensus. You can not have your cake and eat it too. Israel is not the boss of NATO let alone a member. Of course, it can cooperate, there is no harm in that as long as they share a common threat perception. But it is Israel, not NATO, to align its policies and tactics. The current government in Israel is not an easy partner at all. If it were not for the USA, I don’t believe any NATO member would cooperate in any meaningful way.
NATO is, essentially, the United States, without whose support, money and armaments, it would be even more a paper tiger than it is.
European support for NATO has been steadily shrinking.
I always chuckle at the backward thinking of those that view Israel- American cooperation as a one way street. It was Israel’s capture of an intact Mig aircraft that helped end the Cold War. it was Israel’s destruction of Osirak that removed the nuclear option from Saddam Hussein ten years prior to American boots on the ground. The United States has been a welcome partner in defending Israeli interests. To deny the benefits that Israeli cooperation has played in defending America is ludicrous.
Also the military cooperation has acquired a life of its own, and the technology aspect of it isn’t one-sided anymore, so the strong military relations are not because Obama is such a great fan of Israel, but because Israel is a valuable partner. Of course, the American president, particularly if supported by congress, can pull the plug, but not without a lot of resistence. Israel is, of course, a junior partner. After all, it’s a small state with limited resources, but in the niches Israel does invest in it’s one of the world leaders and has produced many brilliant innovations. Check out this one, for example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzag6xo9jTY
On one hand, this has created a new situation where the American military industry sees Israel as a competitor and therefore at times excercises resistance to Israeli-made technology. On the other hand, cooperation in joint projects is valuable. All in all there’s quite a bit of Israeli technology used by the American military.
And there are also two other aspects. Israel has already become India’s largest arms supplier, surpassing Russia. And the Chinese and Russians would just love to share our knowledge and technology. Israel, being a small state in an extremely hostile neighborhood, needs a superpower on its side. If it won’t be the US it’ll be someone else because we don’t have a choice. As long as it’s the US the Americans can exert pressure on us and practically veto arms sales to certain countries.
Another aspect is that they can – and have once in a while – pressured Israel to withdraw Israeli candidates in various technology contract bids, thus eliminating the Israeli competitor for that contract, so they got it themselves. And we’re talking big money.
And there’s also the economic side of the relationship. Several American corporations and companies have important branches in Israel, responsible for important innovations. And many Israeli companies operate in the US. Israeli-made components and patents are used in various American products.
But hey, nevermind. You should all listen to mstrbtr and his unending ignorant rants about the Likud, Israeli right, Israeli control on America etc., and throw Israel out the window. Then you will surely have a love affair with Iran and the rest of the Islamists who are just peace loving moderate lovely guys who only hate you because the evil Likud controls America. Just get rid of Israel and the world will be as cool as a shiny Obama smile.
Pnina you are right of course and thanks for the informative link. I am not as concerned about having a
” superpower ” on our side as you are however for two reasons-
Israel’s greatest victories have come without US aid.
Most importantly we have One.
Yes, Israel can do this all alone: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8936797/Iran-Revolutionary-Guard-prepare-for-war.html
And at the same time deal with Hizb’Allah, Hamas, Egypt because of the One’s immaterial help.
You do realize that the Intel 8086, 80286, 80386, … were designed in Haifa.
Hebrew software — microcode — underlies Western economic power.
Never forget it.
And don’t forget peanut butter and jelly in the same jar and world peace: those were huge.
Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world’s population, can lay claim to the following :
The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel.
Some of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel.
The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.
Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel.
The Pentium microprocessor in your computer was most likely made in Israel.
Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.
Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.
The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis.
Israel has the fourth largest air force in the world (after the U.S, Russia and China). In addition to a large variety of other aircraft,
Israel’s air force has an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16′s. This is the largest fleet of F-16 aircraft outside of the U. S.
Israel’s $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.
Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.
According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry’s most impenetrable flight security. US officials now look (finally) to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats.
Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world.
Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin – 109 per 10,000 people – as well as one of the
highest per capita rates of patents filed.
In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has the
largest number of startup companies than any other country in the world, except the U.S. (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).
With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and startups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world — apart from
the Silicon Valley, U.S.
Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right behind the U.S.
Outside the United States and Canada, Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies.
Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East.
The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.
On a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech startups.
Twenty-four per cent of Israel’s workforce holds university degrees, ranking third in the industrialized world, after the United States and Holland and 12 per cent hold advanced degrees.
Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.
In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews (Operation Solomon) at Risk in Ethiopia, to safety in Israel.
When Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world’s second elected female leader in modern times.
When the U. S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya was bombed in 1998, Israeli rescue teams were on the scene within a day — and saved three victims from the rubble.
Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship — and the highest
rate among women and among people over 55 – in the world.
Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth. Immigrants come in search of democracy, religious freedom, and economic opportunity. (Hundreds of thousands from the former Soviet Union)
Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as “conflict free.”
Israel has the world’s second highest per capita of new books.
Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees, made more remarkable because
this was achieved in an area considered mainly desert.
Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.
Medicine… Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.
An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U. S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from
treatment mistakes.
Israel’s Given Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, for cancer and digestive disorders.
Researchers in Israel developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innovation with the potential to save lives among those with heart failure.
Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U. S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work
force employed in technical professions. Israel places first in this category as well.
A new acne treatment developed in Israel, the Clear Light device, produces a high-intensity, ultraviolet-light-free, narrow-band blue
light that causes acne bacteria to self-destruct – all without damaging surrounding skin or tissue.
An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale solar-powered and fully functional electricity generating plant, in
southern California’s Mojave desert.
All the above while engaged in regular wars with an implacable enemy that seeks its destruction, and an economy continuously under strain by having to spend more per capita on its own protection than any other county on earth.
Are you making a case that Jews are some kind of racial “other”? Because once one establishes such a thing, one can unwittingly enable a down side as well. “Different” is not all roses and there are some arguments one cannot afford to win – be careful what you wish for.
American “exceptionalism” is a fusion of culture and Israel is arguably part and parcel of that fushion dating from medieval European times. I can live with the idea of a superior culture but one can die from the notion of a superior race.
Although I read you regularly, an excellent overview. Thanks, Barry. I also have to say that I don’t think Obama is an Islamist the way Egyptians or Palestinians etc. are Islamists. I think he is the product of our left liberal education and culture which so thoroughly projects its own values onto any group seen as oppressed that it cannot imagine people with highly illiberal values will not respond to liberal overtures. Hence – the Cairo Speech. So, I think his very real support of islamists stems from projecting a belief on the islamists that goes back before Marx to Schiller in the 9th Symphony “Alle menschen werden bruder” (All men will become brothers) . Gorgeous George Galloway called the Islamists ” the last best hope” for the socialist revolution in a more extreme example of the phenomena. Furthermore, Obama’s loyalty to his theoretical beliefs and persistence in the face of contradiction is typical of academics. Like the President I graduated from Columbia and worked on the South Side albeit a few years earlier so I have some feel for his background. What we have, I think, is a liberal intellectual much like Wilson with some really bad ideas and that special academic conceit that the point of the exercise is not to be effective but to win the argument. No amount of cognitive dissonance will deter him. The Muslim Brotherhood are moderates, and that is it – reality be damned. I recognize this phenomena – I grew up with it. My father too went to Columbia and he would announce from time to time he was off to see a particular intellectual friend “to solve the world’s problems.’ The main difference between Obama and my father is that my father understood that even though he couldn’t resist thinking about the world’s problems, he knew he couldn’t solve them.
No amount of cognitive dissonance will deter him. The Muslim Brotherhood are moderates, and that is it – reality be damned.
On any given topic, the pre-approved liberal narrative must be upheld, damn any pesky “facts” pointing another direction.
This particularly rigidity is the one defining characteristic of the modern liberal mind & the academic so called élite.
You can’t remove one brick of the structure or you risk crashing the entire thought system.
It is essentially a mental disorder.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/05/us-iran-coldwar-idUSTRE7B41GC20111205
A unified field theory about to explode
At some point those morons in Iran are going to learn that the Israelis are listening to their sabre rattling and Jew-hatred and may take them seriously. Nasser learned this to his dismay when his bark was worse than his bite but Israel said okay, took him at his word and took Gaza and the Sinai and destroyed the Egyptian air force in a pre-emptive strike.
Apparently “shut up” is not a phrase in Arabic or Persian. Sadam Hussein couldn’t bring himself to shut up nor could Sayd Qutb and they got neck ties for their troubles.
Hizbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas are all playing with fire in this regard and let’s face it, surviving only on the seemingly eternal patience of the West and Israel. Problem is, there is in fact a limit to that patience to people who are, in real military terms, completely helpless and mostly armed with overweening arrogance which makes for poor armor.
This is the source of the whining about “disproportionate force” that emanates from those whose mouths never seem to shut.
Radical leftists are always anti-semites. Everybody who knew obama in 2008 knews he was a jew hater. That’s how he was brought up. Those are the people whom he surrounds himself with.
Provident that all the crap in this world has coalesced, is it not? Analyzing O’s ideology is like picking peanuts and corn out of a rancid turd.
It would be time for Obama, Petreaus etc to act, and to peel away the ordinary Arab, Turkish, Iranian citizens from supporting their violent leadership.
The suicidal leaders could go and act on their own. Why should any innocent citizen follow them into disasters?
Pacifist,
Is it OK if the 40% of Egyptians who voted Muzzbruzz and the 20% who went with the Salafistulas go along with the suicidal leaders of the military council into disaster?
Professor Rubin appears to be surprise again and again by the consistency of the Obama administration in taking the antisemitc side. No surprises ever since Obama declared Israel “an open sore that infects American policy”, May 12 the Atlantic, jeffrey Godlberg.
It is time to see that American interests, according to Obama’s views, include the liquidation of the jewish State, all the better by its own hand. Its time to see that no few American Jews see eye to eye with obama on that issue.
However, when Iran is attacked and the Hormuz Straits close down, quadrupling oil prices, then it will be time for israel to point the finger at obama and say, he made me do it
Whhich is Rahm Immanuel, seeing this future, left the administration
sorry, I’m going to need a link before I believe this one:
“Obama declared Israel “an open sore that infects American policy”, May 12 the Atlantic, jeffrey Godlberg.”
Prof Rubin,
A phrase which you might be able to do something with is:
the phrase moderate Muslim is like saying a “moderate Nazi”.
I’ll add to that.
What’s a perfect synonym for mohammedan?
C U C K O O.
Great analysis, Mr. Rubin. Obama loves to use his surrogates, namely Panetta and Clinton, to castigate Israel, while he portrays himself as the most pro-Israel president ever. What a joke! Panetta’s remarks were a disgrace. Clearly, in his world outlook, the Palestinians have been forthcoming and it is Israeli intransigence that is to blame for the lack of a “peace” process. His foolhardiness only encourages Palestinian obstinacy.
The Obama administration has pressed for an Israeli return to the ’49 armistice lines, badgering Israel for each and every housing unit that is built outside those lines. That policy unfortunately includes east Jerusalem. PM Netanyahu has thwarted Obama’s warped policy, but it has left scars, which leaves the Israeli-U.S. relationship a bit tenuous. Hopefully, Netanyahu’s desire to maintain Jerusalem as Israel’s unified capital will be victorious over Obama’s efforts to undermine Jewish control of Jerusalem.
“It is clear that Obama will neither learn nor change and if he is given a second term, the whirlwind will be reaped.”
The whirlwind will be reaped by the United States of America, being as it has been BHO’s policy of isolating the U.S. from its historical allies if not in fact severing our nations customary relationships with arab regimes. Look at what he and Hillary have already done to spark a conflagration throughout the middle east: BHO and the State Dept. armed the arabs who call themselves “palestinians” and set them on Israel’s doorstep. (This is a bold Muslim at the helm of the US Ship of State.) This should teach Americans to ignore the MSM poodles and pay attention to what BHO does and ignore what he says. Unfortunately, much of what BHO does is veiled in secrecy or displayed indirectly, through his “czars.” (Czars! Can you imagine that a supposedly-educated American would select such terminology?)
But before BHO can collect his prize, he must first destroy Israel, the only ally the U.S. has in the entire middle east. (Saudi Arabia is NOT an ally, it is a vendor.) Same goes for Pakistan, to whom the US pays over 2 billion a year. The media-fogies who slavishly describe Pakistan as a US ally are not fools, they are BHO’s barking poodles. The Saudis spent millions if not billions rewarding its minions, making them rich, in order to oblige them to help Saudi Arabia destroy Israel. BHO knows very well how cold and patient is his master to whom he bowed low to show his spiritual leader that he, little BHO of Kenyan parentage and Muslim upbringing, will use his guile and wily skills to bring our once great nation to its knees.
In regards to Egypt’s post election “Arab Spring/Awakening” moment, it didn’t take long for the NYT to begin its pro-Obama damage control by portraying the Muslim Brotherhood as the “moderate” Islamists
[Egypt’s Vote Puts Emphasis on Split Over Religious Rule The Muslim Brotherhood’s new clout is plunging it into an Islamist-against-Islamist debate over religion’s role in a promised democracy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/world/middleeast/egypts-vote-propels-islamic-law-into-spotlight.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha22
Great Analysis … amazing that so many American Jews still support Pres. Obama…
A man can be Jew or Christian, or he can be an Obama supporter, but he can’t legally be Jew or Christian, and be an Obama supporter … … except in the usual way: one of the two with the mouth, the other with the heart. The spirit of Judaism and Christianity proclaim the survival of Israel and the meaning of that has no longer been left to guesswork, but made tremendously definite … the Jew and the Christian must fight all who would commit or enable another genocide or enslavement of the Jews. That is the spirit and the law of Judaism and Christianity. Well, Obama has his beliefs and actions and it is a perfectly definite set, there is no vaguenesses about it. He commands that the Jew bow to the Muslim at every turn they do him hurt or threaten him and his children with death. Word it as softly as you please, the spirit of Obama is the spirit of the evil shadowed specter of the Beast of Austria insidiously billowing in and building and building to ever more horrific heights. The moment there is a question about a boundary line or a building or some Muslim somewhere complaining about any matter, see Obama rise, and see him spit at the Jew from the corner of his twisted mouth. The spirit of Obama being in its nature narcissistic and selfish — it is in the man’s line, it comes natural to him — he can live up to all of Jeremiah Wright’s teachings to the letter; but the spirit of Judaism and Christianity is entirely impossible to him.
I think it’s about time the LA Times unlocked its vault and let us watch the forbidden “Rashid Khalidi Farewell Dinner” that they have on tape–that they’ve had on tape since before the 2008 election, but decided we didn’t need to see.
I think all of us Jewish voters would like to hear Obama’s deep love for Israel right from his very own mouth…don’t you?
c’mon, isn’t there anyone at the Times who can open that safe for us? where’s the Mossad when you need them?