Obama in Jerusalem

by Stephen Lendman

Rhetoric doesn't reflect policy. What matters most is what Obama means, not what he says. His agenda affirms one-sided Israeli support. He spurns Palestinian rights. He's done so throughout his tenure.

He's not about to change now. Palestinians have no friends in Washington. For sure they have none in high places.

Obama's their enemy. His words ring hollow. How can a warrior president be taken seriously?

He's waging multiple wars. He's ravaging humanity. He spurns rule of law principles. He prioritizes world dominance. He's beholden to monied interests. They own him. Palestinian suffering's increased on his watch. He's done nothing to alleviate it.

On March 21, he spoke in Jerusalem's Convention Center. He chose the wrong place to go. Israel claims the city as its exclusive capital. Palestinians want it for their own.

It's an international city. Obama should have gone elsewhere. Ideally he should have stayed home. He's unwanted. Palestinians protested his visit. They did so across the West Bank.

They awaited his arrival in Ramallah. A sign in English said: "USA is not a fair sponsor for any political process in the Middle East." Another said: "I want to see my father's village."

One Palestinian spoke for others, saying:

"We are here to send our clear message to American President Barack Obama that the Palestinian people are more determined to achieve the goal of building their own independent state in the Palestinian territories."

"We want to say clearly that we refuse all the pressure that the United States is putting on the Palestinians’ shoulders."

Ismail Haniyeh is Palestine's legitimate prime minister. His visit changes nothing, he said.

"We believe American policies perpetuate the Israeli occupation and settlements in Palestine under the slogan of peace."

"The PA must realize that they have to abide by national principles and reconciliation."

In early March, Haniyah called Obama's visit a "trap." It's "aimed at undermining the Arab population."

"We are convinced that Obama's visit will not produce the necessary breakthrough for our people." Abbas should be wary, he added.

Obama's up to no good. His visit "will focus on regional developments, and will only address our cause in a way to undermine Palestinian national reconciliation efforts and to relaunch the absurd so-called negotiations" with Israel.

He spent token time in Ramallah. He called Israeli politics "complicated." He urged thinking outside the box. It's needed to restart Israeli/PA talks, he claimed.

They've been stillborn from inception. They're more hypocrisy than real. Palestinians never had a legitimate partner. They don't now. Netanyahu spurns peace. So does Obama.

Forget about preconditions, he said. "There's no point in negotiating if you've decided everything in advance." He stopped short of condemning illegal settlements. He called them an "obstacle" to peace.

Abbas tried having things both ways. On the one hand, he said "Israel builds everywhere. I don't know who gave them this right."

On the other, he's willing to accept an "unannounced" settlement freeze. It's enough to restart peace talks, he says.

He knows Israeli public or private pledges aren't worth the paper they're written on. He cited talking points from an internal PLO document.

It says Netanyahu "can pledge to you secretly (to) stop settlement activities during the period of negotiations. He does not have to announce it."

Israel has its most pro-settler government in history. It's committed to build, build, build. Public or private pronouncements change nothing.

Obama knows it. So does Abbas. They pretend otherwise. Their words ring hollow.

Obama's speech reflected doublespeak duplicity. He talks peace. He's waging multiple wars to prevent it. He called Israel a "vibrant democracy." It's a rogue terror state. It's racist, repressive and belligerent. It menaces the region.

"Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their own land," he said. Their "right to self-determination, their right to justice, must also be recognized." Policies he endorses prevent it.

He stressed Israel's unconditional right to security. Israelis live in a dangerous neighborhood. He claimed terrorists threaten them. Israel's only enemies are ones it invents.

He said Israelis "have a true partner in president Abbas and prime minister Fayyad." Both serve illegitimately. They're Israeli collaborators. They enforce occupation harshness. They spurn their own people. They do so for benefits derived.

Israel rigged Abbas' 2005 election. His term expired in January 2009. Fayyad was appointed, not elected. In 2006 legislative elections, his Third Way party won two of 132 seats. It got 2.4% of Palestinian votes.

Fayyad's unwanted for good reason. He's Israel's man in Palestine. He's a former World Bank/IMF official. He supports neoliberal harshness. He enforces militarized occupation.

Hamas is Palestine's legitimate government. Coup d'etat authority replaced it. Washington and Israel collaborated to install it. Obama supports it. He's no friend of Palestine.

He said "Palestinians must recognize Israel (as) a Jewish state." Around 20% of its population is Arab. He ignored them. They're treated like fifth column threats. They're persecuted. They're denied equal rights. Obama left inconvenient facts unexplained.

Media scoundrels praised his address. A Jerusalem Post editorial said it reflected "shared dreams." It was a "showpiece address."

Haaretz said his "goal in coming to Israel has been achieved."

"He penetrated the hearts of the Israeli people. (His message was) moving and compelling."

"Let us hope (his) call falls on attentive ears."

The New York Times said he  "la(id) out his case for a future Israel at peace with the Palestinians."

He "delivered an enthusiastically welcomed speech…." It was "the centerpiece of his first trip to Israel as president. (He) spoke in lofty terms. (He said America) remains unquestionably committed to Israel's security."

The Washington Post said his address "signaled a shift away from the balance he has sought to maintain between Israeli and Palestinian leaders since taking office."

He offered Palestinian leaders "moral support for an independent state."

He rejects Palestinian statehood. He left what's most important unmentioned.

The State of Palestine exists. It was proclaimed in Algiers on November 15, 1988. At the time, the PLO adopted the Palestinian Declaration of Independence.

PLO legal advisor Francis Boyle drafted it. He included safeguards to assure all sovereign state rights. His document left no wiggle room loopholes. He made sure UN membership won't comprise them.

Palestine satisfies all essential criteria for sovereign independence and full de jure UN membership. Obama refuses to recognize what already exists. So do Abbas and Fayyad. They're collaborationist traitors.

The Los Angeles Times called Obama's address "soaring." It was "rousing" and "well-received." It "focused on shared dreams rather than thorny details."

He "announced no new conditions or demands. He tried "to nudge the peace process ahead." He "assure(d) Israelis of US support."

He paid lip service alone to Palestinians. His policies reveal callousness. He one-sidedly supports Israel.

An Anti-Defamation League press release called his address a "Truly Historic Affirmation of the Bond between the United States and Israel."

"We applaud President Obama’s powerful address and the warmth, respect and admiration it expressed for all that Israel represents for the Jewish people and the world."

The Onion got it right. It called Obama's trip "pointless." It'll "accomplish nothing."

"He traveled 5,000 miles for a meaningless photo op. (It's) a waste of everyone's time…."

Private talks with Netanyahu discussed war. Mossad-connected DEBKAfile (DF) said both leaders agreed. Israel won't attack Iran without Washington's consent.

Tehran has "another three months' grace….After June….resolving the Iranian nuclear issue will be judged to have run its course."

Netanyahu stressed "the clock is ticking." Obama said all options are on the table. "We will do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran from getting the world's worst weapons."

DF also said Obama and Netanyahu "agreed on when to intervene against Syria." An unnamed Western diplomat claims another war with Hezbollah is "inevitable." When remains uncertain.

Obama's a warrior president. His agenda rejects peace. He and Netanyahu prioritize war. Palestinian rights got lip service. They're on their own like always. Conflict could erupt anytime. Forewarned is forearmed.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.

It airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour

The CIA, Israel, Obushma The Drone Ranger, and Nutanyahu getting together in Jerusalem to threaten All The People of The World and World Peace, and Plotting The Escalation of The CIA's Post 9-11 War on Islam Targeted Killings of Civilians to Escalate to a CIA and NatOil Backed No Fly Zone Over Syria, followed by a CIA and NatOil Backed Targeted Carpet Bombings and Killings of Civilians in Syria, which is of course a Prelude to a CIA and NatOil Backed Airstrike and Missile Strike on Iran's Nuclear Power Plants and Military Facilities, and of course Iran will launch all their Missiles at Designated Targeted in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Jordan, Turkey, and US Military Bases in The Region, which in turn will Escalate to a Wider Regional Conflict, which in turn will spill over the Borders to India, Pakistan, Russia, and China, which in turn will begin WW III, with The CIA and Israel Menacing Everyone Everywhere Non Stop to Globalthermo Nuclear War, and of course Palestine is just Warmup Target Practice for Israel on their way to Syria and Iran.

Lendman says that "Jerusalem" is an international city.

Wrong.

What Lendman call's "Jerusalem" is Zionist occupied Al Quds. Al Quds is a Palestinian city which is presently occupied by murderous thieving Zionist invaders.

Palestinian lands are not YOUR property to be giving to Zionist invaders. And Al Quds is not YOUR property to be giving to any international ideals that you may come up with.

Why do so many people around the world consider Palestinian lands as being any of their business? It is a sickness. A vile offensive psychosis.

...Jerusalem has been called Jerusalem continually since it was founded over 3000 years ago.....

The rat israeli state which was created in 1947?
come on...
Free occupied Palestine. Tear down your walls.

In 1980, Israel officially annexed East Jerusalem. The annexation was condemned internationally and declared "null and void" by the United Nations Security Council.

Israeli sovereignty [over East Jerusalem], however, has not been recognized by any country, since unilateral annexation of territory conquered during war contravenes the Fourth Geneva Convention.


Seven UNSC resolutions, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 declared it "null and void" and required that it be rescinded, stating that it was a violation of international law (the 4th Geneva Convention). The United Nations never explicitly recognized Jerusalem as part of either Israel or Palestine, as Resolution 181 (1947) was never revoked. In Resolution 181, Jerusalem was intended to become a corpus separatum under international regime. Nevertheless, most countries, including the US, implicitly recognize West Jerusalem as part of Israel, but do not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

East Jerusalem is generally recognized as part of the Palestinian Territories. In UN resolutions concerning Israel, East Jerusalem is routinely referred to as part of the West Bank or as part of the Palestinian Territories.

...did your Hamas friends draw that map?...they must have since you don't bother to source it or cite its origin....well how about this one?....

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/lgcolor/ilcolor.htm

....when you're man enough not to wear your pink panties any more,maybe you can cite or source and authentic map as well

- and the above map reflects international law.

what are you quoting - your rap sheet ?

...if you were really quoting "international law" you would source your so called quote instead of just pulling it out of your ass...and that little map you posted is a joke....there hasn't been a "Transjordan" since 1951 when that territory was officially recognized as the "Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan"...so your little map is over 60 yrs out of date,hex...now go wash out your pink panties...you just shit them again

Palestinian territories

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_territories

The Palestinian territories or occupied Palestinian territories (OPT or oPt) comprise the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

- quoting INTERNATIONAL LAW

having inaccurate 'wish maps' doesn't legitimize occupation or apartheid, international law is what counts.

according to international law the map I posted IS ACCURATE regarding Jerusalem, which is why I posted it..

wish maps and insults pale compared to international law

.,.you're citing Wikipedia?....geez,hex I gave you more credit than that...guess I overestimated you entirely...and that map of yours showing "Transjordan"?:....show me where in "international law" there is any such entity today...since it hasn't existed since 1951....

3000 years ago, Hebrew invaders slaughtered and enslaved the Canaanite nations, including the Jebuzites. The Hebrew invaders then renamed a Jebuzite city Jerusalem. Over 1900 years ago, Roman invaders destroyed "Jerusalem", and 40 years after that, built a new city called Aelia Capitolina. Aelia Capitolina was the name of the new Roman city for 600 years until the Arab Muslims drove the Romans out. Soon after that the locals renamed Aelia Capitolina Al Quds.

Christian Crusaders called Aelia Capitolina "Jerusalem", and many brainwashed tools called it "Jerusalem. But that is just prejudiced interlopers showcasing their own prejudices, and doesn't make Aelia Capitolina (aka, Al Quds) a Jewish city. Only delusional Zionist crusaders and their enablers could believe that renaming the city "Jerusalem" would make the Palestinian city a Jewish city.

And again with the "international law" bs. It doesn't matter what ANY interlopers around the world say. Palestine is NOT their property to be giving to Zionist invaders or to be denying Palestinian lands to the Palestinian locals.

Zionists are nothing but murderous thieves who have no business being in ANY portion of Palestine no matter how many a hole interlopers choose to appease the Zionist's chosen war of conquest for Palestinian lands.

Ohh, interlopers have appeased the Zionist's murderous theft of some Palestinian lands but not those other Palestinian lands. So that other murderous theft of Palestinian lands by Zionist invaders isn't legal under "international law". What a load of dung. Can you not see how vapid both of you are being?

Have you even seen a movie called "Aminstad" about African slaves who were enslaved "illegally". Was their enslavement any more offensive than the so called legal enslavement of other Africans just because it was "illegal"? Hell no!!! Legal enslavement is every bit as offensive as illegal enslavement.

The Zionist's murderous theft of some Palestinian lands with the blessings of interloper devil worshipers is every bit as offensive as the Zionist's murderous theft of other Palestinian lands without the blessings of interloper devil worshipers.

Palestine is NOT your property to be giving to anybody. And to attribute to yourselves the authority of Satan is to be a devil worshiper. Repent you sick scumbags.

The correct name of that movie is "Amistad",prion....do your homework,...google is your friend....people have been conquering other peoples and taking their land for millenia...the Israelites are hardly unique in that respect....you just flame them because you hate Jews....there is no "Palestine",..the name itself was given to that area by the Romans to deliberately poke the Jews in that area in the eye by naming if for their mortal enemies the "Philistines"...which you seem to be doing a splendid job of emulating

the map shows Jerusalem as a corpus separatum, and the links [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] point directly to the UN and other international bodies where the actual resolutions and laws reside.

- playing stupid, and changing the subject notwithstanding

I didn't cite Wikipedia, the links provided there [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] are my citations

you've cited nothing relating to international law



and PrionPartyy you've taken my rebuttal out of context - I'm not implying international law is the be-all and end-all of the matter, I consider it an illegal occupation and apartheid regardless of what international law says, (I added apartheid myself above for example) and in fact am in agreement with your point of view (though not as emotional about it), but citing international law _does_ refute the wishful thinking of zionists and their puppets.

on the air I use quite crude language when talking about this issue, which rotates dozens of times a day :

/Boycott Israel

Roger Waters BDS speaks against Israeli anti-boycott - Song for Gaza.wv
EXPOSED This is how Israel controls your media.wv
Did You Know_ Boycott Israeli apartheid.wv
Boycott Israeli Goods Sheffield 2.wv
Palestine celebrates UN vote recognition.wv

there aren't many stations in the US that will air such material, and you're insulting one of the very few that does. I doubt this is your intention, context tends to get blurred and misunderstood with the written word..

...is a strawman,hex....if you had a valid argument about Jerusalem,you wouldn't have to use a map that has been invalid for over 60 years ..Jerusalem is the capital of Israel now...and it isn't going to be divided just so that a handful of so called "Palestinians" can use half of it to destroy the other half...deal with it

the map I posted reflects international law

your bleatings mean nothing, and you're overestimating my concern on this subject

I 'deal with it' by airing anti-israHELL clips, including attacking ANY business or corporation that deals with israHELL

local or otherwise, including effectively cussing them out repeatedly in heavy rotation

most people don't support israHELL, you teabaggers are a small minority (8% at last polling)

it's technically illegal to call for boycotting them, but I don't give a fuck

you can deal with it by making more threatening phone calls and going back to prison


something else I've done is made a list of all the artists that have performed in israHELL and removed them from my playlist - I've boycotted them as well.

I put them in a folder called /israhell where they never get played

Well,if what you call "international law" still supposes that there is still such a place as "Transjordan",then your so called "international law" is an ass....just as Mr Bumble said in "Oliver Twist"...not even the UN has such a place on its membership roll...nor does any other international organization of any repute....I could be wrong of course....care to cite an example?...actually most valid public opinion polls show that most Americans DO support Israel....overwhelmingly....they aren't Jew hating lefty bigots like you......so you go right on tilting at your little windmills...I doubt seriously that anyone will notice other than here on LA Indymedia...sure as hell nobody Israel is going to give a big rat's ass what you do...you're sort of like a mouse crawling up an elephant's hind leg with rape on its mind

Jerusalem as a corpus separatum ^

....but that was 60 years ago......or can you not comprehend that?..Jerusalem is not in that status any more ...as anybody who has been paying attention since the 60's knows...it is now fully incorporated into the state of Israel. and it serves as the capitol...and nothing you can say or do is going to change that....your obsolete maps notwithstanding

is

1.) not really give a damn about this issue

2.) call for the boycott of everything and everyone connected to israHELL

3.) watch while israHELL fades away demographicly, and runs out of water as the global drought continues, their sugardaddy (us) goes broke, and they lose our foreign aid that they absolutely depend on, and the enemies they made that surround them, eat them alive

time and truth are on our side

I don't have to do anything but wait, but I choose to air anti-israHELL clips to hasten the process.

the billions of people against them ensure their demise

and what we've done to the earth ensures ours


your petty distractions are meaningless in the big picture

your words reach no one, while my words reach tens of thousands of people

everytime I run a clip, I reach more people than your entire lifetime of posts do

your biggest audience was in prison, but even there you were just a common crank

a crank who's inability to control himself, his emotions and thoughts, was so lacking it landed him there

it's takes a pretty big fuckup to manage to go to prison for running one's mouth

a fuckup who learned little to nothing from the experience, who does nothing, is nothing, and will never be anything worth a damn - just another deranged teabagger with anger issues - another angry white man who's world, like israHELL's is slipping away

people are desperate to feel special, but it's a quality that comes from the inside, from what we do for others, based on those internal values

specialness isn't a title or bloodline - the only fools that think so, do, because they have nothing to offer, they're hollow, so they seek status symbols like 'lord'

calling yourself lord screams to the world you're nothing special and have nothing to offer, except
desperation driven anger, hostility, willful ignorance, delusions and other emotional baggage

everytime you post you put it on display, and your nic is a cry to want to feel special

'I have nothing to offer, but I want to feel special anyway, so I call myself lord'

'aren't I pathetic'

. ...I had no idea you hated my guts so viscerally...that's pretty strong stuff for somebody you've never even met....but if it makes it easier for you to pretend you are morally superior to hate me knowing that I support Israel,then by all means let your guts churn at full throttle...by the way,lsrael is now pumping natural gas from it's offshore play as of last week...it will be energy self sufficient soon and will begin exporting natgas as well..so their economic outlook is bright indeed....your wishing and hoping for their demise is of very little consequence

everything is an extreme


if you explain why a person's OWN CHOICE of latching on to external status symbols is a _paler shade of grey_ than simply doing stuff for people for free with no strings attached as an outflow of internal values

this becomes 'oooh you HATE me'

- not a chance to self-reflect and accept constructive criticism, because when you're never wrong, any criticism must therefore be wrong.



and projection plays into it - assigning emotions like hate to mere dialogue, israHELL fisters do this all the time.

- any criticism of israHELL means you hate israHELL.

this is partially why this hasbara is appealing, it has the same emotional maturity as the people who latch on to it in their personal lives.


team israHELL

you hate my team so you hate me



And facts don't matter - the fact that demographicly israHELL is dying, just as the white population in the US is, doesn't register.

Let me re-phrase that so even israHELL fisters can understand it. The other races are _out-breeding_ the white race, and the birth-to-death ratio figures show -

israHELL is dying


IsraHELL and teabaggers are dying, because they ARE death. They represent death, they support death, they worship death, their whole worldview is about how many people they can kill to steal their land and resources.


The white race's legacy is constant expansion by invading and stealing.


- without this they can't cope.


Well the limits of land, energy, and abuse of the environment mean there's no future for that kind of culture.

the first step in dealing with a problem is to admit there IS one.

Denial IS a river in Egypt..