Reid and Netanyahu at AIPAC: A Report
In essence, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech was memorable because he is Israel’s democratically elected leader and its major face to the world. Netanyahu is a powerful speechmaker, a man who can hold his own with any of the greatest orators of our time. And in a period when Israel is threatened as it never has been before, and when an international campaign of delegitimization is under way, his very appearance in the United States has great symbolic meaning. But since he was scheduled to make his important speech later before both houses of Congress, the speech to AIPAC had to be of lesser importance.
Nevertheless, tension existed as protesters from various leftist groups, most likely via MoveOverAIPAC, managed to get in and tried to interrupt Netanyahu’s presentation. Six different times in different places in the grand ballroom of the D.C. Convention Center activists unveiled red flags and began to shout obscenities. They were quickly surrounded by audience members, Israeli security, and guards, and dragged out of the room.
How did they get in? One was standing right by in the press section. He was immaculately dressed in a black suit, so no one would suspect he was part of the bedraggled group that picketed outside. He had a press pass, which he easily could have acquired from a legitimate outfit, making it easy to pass the tough security. The prime minister, undoubtedly accustomed to such interruptions, quipped: “Do they allow protests in Gaza?” We all laughed, knowing full well that anyone who tried to protest Hamas would be quickly arrested and most likely even killed.
Netanyahu’s most important line of the short speech: “It’s time to stop blaming Israel for all the region’s problems.” Peace with the Palestinians is “a vital interest” to Israel, ” … but it is not a panacea for the endemic problems of the Middle East.” (The text can be read here.)
The line that got the most attention, however:
Tomorrow in Congress, I’ll describe what a peace between a Palestinian state and the Jewish State could look like. But I want to assure you of one thing. It must leave Israel with security. And therefore, Israel cannot return to the indefensible 1967 lines.
And defining the nature of Israeli democracy, he said that democracy is the key:
Democracy — real, genuine democracy. And by democracy, I don’t just mean elections. I mean freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, the rights for women, for gays, for minorities, for everyone. What the people of Israel want is for the people of the Middle East to have what you have in America, what we have in Israel — democracy. So it’s time to recognize this basic truth. Israel is not what’s wrong with the Middle East. Israel is what’s right about the Middle East.
As I type, the prime minister just said the very same words to Congress. I will blog later about the meaning of the speech to Congress.
Update: Netanyahu’s speech to Congress
I have little to add to the comments made by many others on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, which I watched in my hotel room before driving home. Jonathan S. Tobin, I think, has put it best: “Netanyahu’s gutsy decision to refuse to take the ambush planned by the White House lying down was thought impertinent by many observers but it was the right decision. Rather than being cowed by the administration’s pressure play, Netanyahu’s assertion of Israel’s rights and security illustrated something that his country’s critics don’t seem to understand: the American people back Israel.”
You can read the entire speech yourself. The Israeli P.M. made it clear that he accepts mutual recognition of a Jewish state and a Palestinian state living side by side. The Palestinian state has to be independent and viable. But it must be, he warned, fully demilitarized, with an Israeli military presence on the banks of the Jordan River.
Netanyahu also emphasized that the settlement blocs that were large and already settled would have to be part of Israel proper, as well as other areas critical to its survival. He acknowledged, however, that some settlements will be outside of Israel’s borders. But, his main point as he said many times, is that Israel is not the nation that stands in the way of peace, but rather, the Palestinian people are. Israel is ready to recognize a Palestinian state; the Palestinians to this day have not made clear their willingness to support or recognize the Jewish state.
Finally, he made it clear that there will be no “right of return.” Israel will recognize a large Palestinian state, but that new state must be the area in which refugees will be able to return. And Jerusalem must be Israel’s united and sovereign capital.
The speech was, therefore, a complete triumph for Netanyahu. The Prime Minister gave Barack Obama a message: Both houses of Congress, recognizing the people of the United States of America, firmly support Israel and its just demands. The President, now, must back down and get in line with the people’s representatives, including the leaders of his own political party. Since the now infamous White House meeting, the President has been outfoxed and outmaneuvered by Benjamin Netanyahu.
Update : Netanyahu’s speech to Congress must be anchored on security’ at the Tatler.
he’s doing the damage control trying to save the face. How long before the Dems throw the jews under the bus? In the meantime, american jewish have already thrown israelis under the bus.
While I personally am opposed to Reid’s domestic policies, I applaud and support his passionate defense of Israel.
My gosh, it is never about what they say, or pretend to believe – that’s for the great unwashed to consume. They aren’t trustworthy – period. Israel would be under the great jihad bus in a newt’s eyelash, if they decided the time was ripe. The spiritual leader (Rules for Radicals) Saul Alinsky (Satan’s disciple)set the standards they follow; any means to an end, give cunningly deceptive speeches, lie, kill babies, sellout the Jews, it’s all the same to them.
I put this speech down to the threatened loss of American Jewish support and dollars after the messiah spoke.(it was a long-planned speech -not an “mistake” or incompetence.
Why are you giving Reid a pass? He is a professonal liar. I am not interested in what congress says, I am only interested in what congress does! Our tax dollars, that Reid and congress has been sending to Hamas and and the other muslims seems to come back in the form of rockets fired into Israel!
I very much doubt that Sen. Reid was lying in his speech last night, which no doubt went out to a worldwide audience; and if his words are ever remotely proved to be intended insincerity, would leave Reid and his party open to dangerous repercussions far in excess of the statement itself.
……”Our tax dollars, that Reid and congress has been sending to Hamas and and the other muslims seems to come back in the form of rockets fired into Israel!…..” is a strong accusation…..how do you know this? Your use of “seems” indicates only an assumption, not knowledge.
I’ve got some generalized reservations about USAID also, but I’d never accuse any Senate Majority Leader of any party of wartime actions against an ally….I’d have to question whether or not I had all of the facts.
Of course he’s lying!
“…the United States of America will not give money to terrorists bent on the destruction of the State of Israel.”
We do that every day of every week for decades, now and it is legislated to continute on into the future.
Lying sack of ######!
And Ron: Reid spoke with “ardor, passion and strength”? Our Harry???
Than limp dishrag, wimpy, wavering voice can do that?
Cut the lionizing of your country’s enemy.
…..my goodness!….you must be a very, very unhappy person to make such a sweeping statement…
…moreover….”Cut the lionizing of your country’s enemy,” as referring to the United States Senate Majority Leader, is a very dangerous allegation simply begging for confirming evidence, and should not be made in so flippant and adolescent a manner.
I wish that there could be a way that posters like you could be exempted from the ample protections to which you feel so entitled.
But you are forgwtting that Reid has never told the truth about anything.
He is a babykilling, queerloving communist; a monster by any reasonable standard.
Believe it or not, Reid does buck the Party, sometimes. There is a reason the NRA endorsed him in the last election. He really is pro-gun, and I believe he has taken this position before as regards Israel. His wife’s parents are Jewish, although he and his wife are Mormons. Wouldn’t want trouble with the in-laws, now would he? He is also pro-life (abortion only in the case of rape, incest, or life of the mother) and is against gay marriage.
So, in many ways, he is a conservative, or at least a moderate, Democrat. He just believes in government “doing good”.
In a sense Obama may have helped Israel, although I doubt such was his goal. He made a speech and immediately not only was he taken to school by Netanyahu but the speech sparked an outpouring of enthusiastic support from both houses of Congress.
Obama has truly been, as you say, ” outfoxed and outmaneuvered” by the Israeli Prime Minster, a man of high intellect and character, who has a record of military service, deserving of his office. He has also been publicly reprimanded by a leader of great influence within his own party. Obama,a man of limited intellect, weak character, immense self-esteem and thin skin, will not take these “insults” lightly, just at the time he is stepping up his 2012 campaign. He is in a highly embarrassing quandary: stick with his “1967 borders” speech and lose massive support, or back down,swallow his top Senator’s reproach and look like a total wimp. There’s going to be a terrible temper tantrum in the oval office, Who would want to be a speech-writer for the President right now?
Thank you, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Senator Reid (who knew exactly what he was doing and did it anyway). One more example of how blind arrogance combined with lack of intellect keeps him compulsively reading whatever is put up on the teleprompter without stopping to think, and he jaw-bones himself into defeat.
Reagan used to help write his own speeches. He was actively involved in the process. I do not think Obama gets involved in the process at all. He’s just too shiftless. It would be too much like real work. He just reads what is put before him. We have a President Jarrett working the ventriloquist dummy. It explains everything.
Today for the first time in many years I saw Congress act
as a nonpartisan body representing of the American people.
They gave full throated support to Israel. For once I was proud
of Congress.
I hope Obama felt a punch in the gut.
Such racist comments from Mr. Reid, disagreeing with our black President like that. Regardless, good for him.
Fakestinians will never give up “right of return” However anyone who left the British Mandate in 1948 is likley to be 80 years or older by now- so there really are NO REFUGEES. In addition many of those never lived in the mandate areas for more than 2 years.
what we have are descendants of refugees, people born in ARAB nations like Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan or Syria, keep without citizenship in the nations they were born, purposely denied rights, jobs, passports. People who have never set one foot into ISrael unless to kill and maim JEWS.
I am waiting for the USA to recognize this imaginary made-up issue for what it really is.
Have not heard the truth of this from any USA party or politician and rarely from Israeli diplomats.
There are no refugees and no such thing as Palestinians- they are Arabs denied by Arabs for political purpose of destroying Israel and util that is true to be used as diversion to stir up their citizens who live under their own opression and totalitarianism. They live under ARB apartheid.
We should never award a status, let alone territory or statehood to a group of people who are full of hate and genocidal fantasies, taught from cradle to murder JEWS is holy. Yet we do extend diplomacy and recognition.
I don’t recognize “Palestinians” It was a fabricatiion by Arafat that should not even be acknowledged.But the lie has been embraced by all now and the TRUTH of it is long dead and buried under bullSh*t and UN special status awarded to NO OTHER GROUP IN HISTORY.