Why Has Peace Eluded Us? Ask the Palestinians, Not Bibi.

Jonathan S. Tobin  "During the past few days, those cheering President Obama’s ambush of Netanyahu have repeated over and over again that Israel must make “hard choices” and must act boldly to snatch a last chance of peace. But as Netanyahu rightly asserted, Israel has already offered the Palestinians an independent state twice in the past few years. Until Palestinian leaders are prepared to accept the legitimacy of a Jewish state of Israel the way Netanyahu has accepted a Palestinian one, there can be no peace.
"Pressure on Israel like the kind being plotted by Obama and the leaders of the G-8 this week will achieve nothing since the only hope for peace is today, as it always has been, in the hands of those who refuse to live in peace with Israel."

http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/robertariail

Obama’s Diversionary Tactics: It’s Not About Israel’s Borders  "He knew full well that Netanyahu does not back the Palestinian formulation that negotiations with Israel must be based on the indefensible 1949 armistice lines, or what are wrongly referred to as the 1967 lines. In the days leading up to Obama’s speech last Thursday, Israel registered explicit, repeated requests that he not adopt the Palestinian position that negotiations should be based on those lines." Caroline Glick

Hamas victims of Israeli oppression

AIPAC Leftist Begs Politicians Not to Use Obama’s Support For Hamas-Fatah Terror Alliance as Political Football

"Now the American left is urging politicians not to use Obama’s support for the Hamas-Fatah terrorist alliance as a political football. Of course, they say this not because they fundamentally disagree with the president, they say this because they don’t want Obama to be damaged politically for supporting the Palestinian parties over Israel.
"The Politico reported:"...




Biden Does Not Applaud After Netanyahu Says Jerusalem Will Not Be Divided  (video)
""Jerusalem must never again be divided," Bibi Netanyahu said. Notably visible, Vice President Joe Biden did not applaud after Netanyahu called for an undivided Jerusalem.
""Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel," Netanyahu declared."

Obama Has Something To Apologize For

Heritage  "The U.K. is not the only place in Europe where the President has gone wrong. When he travels to Poland, he owes an apology for his 2009 decision to bow to Russia and abandon the U.S. missile defense shield in Poland, thereby reducing NATO’s security and effectively stabbing that ally in the back, after it made the difficult decision to support the United States. The President also slapped Poland in the face when he passed on paying his respects to Polish President Lech Kaczynski, the Polish First Lady and 94 senior officials who perished in a plane crash.
"And make no mistake, it is the President’s responsibility to maintain these relationships."
 "Forgive me, old friends, for I know not what I am doing!"

Cartoon:
http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/michaelramirezHow President Obama's EU Policy Undercuts U.S. Interests










Charles Krauthammer; Obama's policy of slapping allies  from April 2, 2010. "I'm not personally inclined to neuropsychiatric diagnoses, but Manning's guess is as good as anyone's. How can you explain a policy toward Britain that makes no strategic or moral sense? And even if you can, how do you explain the gratuitous slaps to the Czechs, Poles, Indians and others? Perhaps when an Obama Doctrine is finally worked out, we shall learn whether it was pique, principle or mere carelessness."

Netanyahu's Speech at the AIPAC Conference, May 2011

Council on Foreign Relations  "My friends, we want peace because we know the pain of terror and we know the agony of war. We want peace because we know the blessings peace could bring - what it could bring to us and to our Palestinian neighbors. But if we hope to advance peace with the Palestinians, then it's time that we admitted another truth. This conflict has raged for nearly a century because the Palestinians refuse to end it. They refuse to accept the Jewish state."....

 "Just imagine keeping a young soldier locked in a dark dungeon for five years without even a single visit - not a single visit of the Red Cross. I think that the entire civilized community should join Israel and the United States and all of us in a simple demand from Hamas: Release Gilad Shalit."  (More on Shalit at the bottom of this post)

Top Democrats Rebuff Obama at AIPAC  "The fact that two of the highest-ranking Democrats in Congress implicitly criticized the president’s proposals indicates two things. The first is that there is a disconnect between Obama and congressional Democrats on Israel policy. And the second is that top Democrats are now willing to disparage the president’s proposals publicly. Even if Obama wants to push anti-Israel policies (and there’s evidence to that he does), his own party won’t stand behind him on it."


Gilad Shalit

 Gilad Shalit:  The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity "In June 2010, the Human Rights Watch described Hamas’ treatment of Shalit as “cruel and inhumane” in violation of international human rights law by prohibiting from having contact with his family or visits from the Red Cross."




 

Late-night Osama Bin Laden jokes

Blackfive  "As President Obama spins up his new media watch dog (that you're paying for), I thought I'd share some of the OBL jokes that have been on the late night shows:"
....
"And my favorite about the SEALS and the President:"

"Thanking Obama for killing Osama bin Laden is like going into McDonald’s and thanking Clown Ronald McDonald for the hamburger. The person cooking the burger should get the credit, not the Clown." Emphasis gleefully added.

Ba-dump-bump

powerwall.msnbc.msn.com

Another Christian Adoption Agency Burdened by State-Sponsored Intolerance

The Foundry "According to a story published earlier this month, a Catholic adoption agency in the United Kingdom has been told that if it wishes to provide adoption services, it must be willing to facilitate adoptions involving homosexual couples, even though doing so would violate Catholic teachings."....

"The Christian adoption agency cases provide a prime example of government itself imposing a burden on religious and moral conscience. Therefore, the case for protecting the freedom of religious charities to serve society without violating commitments to faith and morality is compelling. The failure of public officials in certain jurisdictions to provide these protections is both regrettable and blameworthy."

Christian and Jewish Leaders Respond to Obama's Attack on Israel

Atlas Shrugs  "I just got back from a press conference earlier today at the National Press Club, of Christian and Jewish leaders responding to Obama's attack on Israel. This coalition of leadership, representing millions of Americans, is kicking off a media campaign across the country to proudly stand with Israel. I will write it up and post snaps later, but clearly Obama has galvanized the right, the righteous and the non-Muslim world.
"Christian and Jewish leaders have gone on the offense and announced an ad campaign. Obama has no idea of the unified movement he just created."

The television commercial responding to the attack on Israel:

VO: "THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IN ISRAEL WHEN THEY GIVE AWAY LAND FOR "PEACE."
The video shows children running for shelter as the rockets explode around them.
"DON'T LET HAMAS MOVE THEIR ROCKETS ANY CLOSER TO INNOCENT ISRAELI FAMILIES."

ISRAEL: YOU'RE NOT ALONE CAMPAIGN"

An innocent Arab victim of the Israelis speaks of when Arabs and Jews lived together
She recalls with fondness how good it used to be for the Arabs. (This link is from an earlier post ).

Former Palin Aide Writes Tell-All Book — Is There An AP Fact Checker in the House? ::crickets::

Look out, Sarah! He's behind you!

Doug Powers   "Brace for hard-hitting revelations like this:

The book describes cameras rolling as Palin strode through the door at an Anchorage hotel “over and over and over,” for an RGA ad.”

"Hey, if staging is good enough for Obama it should be good enough for Palin.
"Another of Bailey’s revelations: Palin hates meetings. If he’s trying to make me like her even more, he just did."

Path of the Joplin Tornado

Tripline map   "JOPLIN, Missouri -- On Sunday, May 22, a powerful tornado ravaged parts of Joplin, Missouri, killing at least 89 people as the powerful storm took out hundreds of homes and businesses.
"The destructive Joplin tornado first touched down at about 5:35 p.m. CDT (2235 UTC) and tracked eastward across the city and then across Interstate 44 into rural portions of Newton and Lawrence counties. It was reported to have been at least 1 mile (1.6 km) in width and possibly wider. Many houses and businesses were flattened and some even were blown away in Joplin, particularly in the section between 13th and 32nd Streets across the southern part of the city. (Wikipedia)"

An apology to Israelis (Updated) Related: Bosch Fawstin artwork and bio

American Thinker  "I hate to say such things about an American president, but, as the old saying goes, if you can't be kind, be honest. We who criticize him for his words and deeds are called racists and other bad things, mostly by the people who side with the self-loathing Jews. So, you see the pattern. These people seem to ignore realities for their ideologies.

"Please, therefore, don't hold it against us that we elected him. We're better than that. We're coming around, though."...

http://terrellaftermath.com/

Obama clarifies remarks on borders at AIPAC  "Rarely has a US president caused such a stink with no prospect whatsoever that anything could possibly come of it. He has needlessly angered an ally at a time when we need them the most. His plan has no chance of starting peace talks again and all he has done is angered both sides and levied unrealistic expectations on Israel."

Do you know what a “sovereign and contiguous” palestinian state means?  President Obama "continued his attack on the Jewish state today at AIPAC, calling AGAIN not only for the 1967 borders but for a sovereign and contiguous state which would cut Israel in half."

This map visualizes what contiguous Palestinian territories could look like. It takes Obama's words as declared policy because words spoken by a national leader have great import.

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid  : Israel and the new Arab reality "Without any doubt, the Palestinian cause will not die or fall into oblivion just because Netanyahu said no, or because Obama is preoccupied with mobilizing voter support for his presidential election. The cause will return strongly to the forefront, and the Palestinian people's demands for liberating their soil and establishing their country will by no means be ignored. "  Saudi Research and Publishing company

Moscow: Hamas must recognize Israel  "In a bid to outmaneuver Washington's role as sponsor of the peace process, Abbas turned to Russia in deference to its veto power at the UN Security Council. He offered to transfer negotiations on the next phase of Fatah-Hamas reconciliation to Moscow."  More effects of a leftist, liberal administration.

Who Made the “Hard Choices” on Peace?  "Just that—“Obama Presses Israel to Make Hard Choices.” Not his lengthy description of U.S.-Israel security cooperation. Not his pledge to preserve the security of the Jewish state. Not his vow to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. What the world heard and what the world understood—even if many Jewish Democrats prefer to remain in denial—is that Obama believes Israel must be pressured hard if there is to be peace. His condescending manner at AIPAC made it clear that he considers Israel to be the primary obstacle to peace." Jonathan S. Tobin

Barry Rubin:  Obama at AIPAC: Beneath the Flattery, He Revealed His Indifference to Israel’s Needs and His Tilt Against It   "I expected President Barack Obama’s AIPAC speech would be a bunch of feel-good clichés to persuade the audience that he is Israel’s best friend. Thus there would be nothing worth analyzing in it. But as I read the speech carefully I was astonished at how thoroughly Obama reveals his underlying miscomprehension, indifference, and even hostility toward Israel.
"Examine this speech and you see everything wrong — far more than in his Cairo or State Department speeches on the Middle East — with Obama’s view of Israel and why he cannot be trusted on this issue."


newsrealblog.com

 Who is Bosch Fawstin?
The creator of cartoons such as the one on the left and the oft-used one below, "Against the World".  Read this man's fascinating story to see what inspires his artwork.

Update: Obama shouldn’t go to Israel   "In other words, with each utterance Obama convinces more Israelis that he is not their friend. And Obama knows this, so he certainly wouldn’t risk going there. And therefore Jewish leaders should stop asking. It merely confirms the suspicion that these “leaders” are clueless and hold very little sway with this president.  Jennifer Rubin 

Ryan Challenges Democrats to Propose Alternative to His Budget (Updated)

Fox News    "The architect of the House Republican plan for overhauling Medicare says it's time to move beyond petty politics and focus on dealing with the nation's fiscal problems, and he's challenging Democrats to show leadership on budget cuts...."

"But Ryan said that Democrats "haven't even proposed or passed a budget for 753 days." He added that while he's willing to negotiate on his plan, he's not going to talk about alternatives with people who don't offer concrete solutions and only want to score political points.

""We have nothing, nothing from the president or from the Senate Democrats that come anywhere close to averting a debt crisis and fixing our problem," he said. "If you want to be a serious leader, you've got to deal with this.""  Emphasis added.

Republicans and Mediscare    "Paul Ryan's GOP critics are ObamaCare's best friends."....
 "Mr. Gingrich has done great harm to his party and the cause of reform with his reckless criticism of Mr. Ryan, forfeiting any serious claim to be the GOP nominee. But equally as culpable are the self-styled conservative pundits who derided Republicans for dropping the reform mantle during the Bush years but now tremble that Mr. Ryan has gone too far."

Krauthammer: Criticisms of Ryan plan are pure demagoguery  (April 13, 2011) "That depends on whether (a) President Barack Obama counters with a deficit-reduction plan of equal seriousness, rather than just demagoguing the Ryan plan till next Election Day, (b) there are any Republicans beyond super-wonky Ryan who can explain and defend a plan of such daunting scope and complexity, and (c) Americans are serious people.
"My guesses: No. Not really. And I hope so (we will find out definitively in November 2012)."

Obama's Running Mate "Mr. Romney's refusal to appreciate this, then and now, reveals a troubling failure of political understanding and principle. The raucous national debate over health care isn't about this or that technocratic detail, but about basic differences over the role of government. In the current debate over Medicare, Paul Ryan wants to reduce costs by encouraging private competition while Mr. Obama wants the cost-cutting done by a body of unelected experts like the one emerging in Massachusetts."

Paul Ryan on Medicare Reform: 'Leaders Are Elected to Lead'  “If people are describing this accurately in polls, it is far more popular. More importantly, leaders are elected to lead. I don’t consult polls to tell me what my principles are or what our policies should be…. We are not seeing this kind of leadership from the President of the United States.” (video)

Update: Sen. Scott Brown attacks Ryan plan, but did he read it?  "Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) is apparently so nervous about his reelection prospects that he has taken to Politico to write an opinion piece announcing he’d opposed to Rep. Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan. After all, savaging Ryan and undermining the House Democrats worked out so well for Newt Gingrich. Unfortunately, Brown’s objections don’t suggest he understands the problem of rising medical costs or Ryan’s plan."  Jennifer Rubin 

Obama praises CIA for bin Laden Kill by Saying 'I' 35 times

Conservative Blogs Central   ..."On my first visit, just months after taking office, I stood here and I said that this agency and our entire intelligence community is fundamental to America’s national security. I said that I believed that your best days were still to come and I pledged that you would have my full support to carry out your critical work.
"Soon after that visit, I called Leon into the Oval Office and I directed him to make the killing or capture of Osama bin Laden the top priority in our war to defeat al Qaeda."....

When finished, go back and count the me's, mine's and any other first-person references. When did Democrats last come up with a president who was a serious leader with international respect instead of a self-absorbed autobiographer and celebrity favorite of talk shows?

Obama: Israel's borders to differ from 1967 lines. Withdrawal against security

DEBKAfile  "At the same time, he offered Israel some important commitments:
"The US will maintain Israel's qualitative military edge and has an unbreakable commitment to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. He vowed to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and oppose any effort to "chip away at Israel's legitimacy."
"Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with a party dedicated to its destruction, namely Hamas, he said. The US will stand up against any attempt to single out Israel at the UN or any international forum."
And, taking a page from Newt Gingrich's book, Obama said anyone using clips from his previous address will be lying.

Obama's Embarrassing Try For A Walk Back At AIPAC 
"Next, note the phrase, 'Israel must be able to defend itself – by itself - against any threat.
"I mentioned this before. Since Israel has never demanded a single US soldier to fight its battles, what President Obama appears to be saying is that in the event of hostilities, the US will be neutral, will not supply Israel with arms or supplies, and that Israel is on its own as far as he's concerned."

Hoyer bucks Obama on Israeli borders  "Pushing back against President Obama, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) suggested Sunday that Israel should not be required to shrink its borders as a precondition of peace talks with the Palestinians."

Obama’s Three Lies to AIPAC  "Add to these three lies Obama’s rosy portrayal of his appeasement of Iran, his failure to explain why he broke his 2008 promise to AIPAC to insist on an “undivided Jerusalem,” and the fact that his latest fight with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is only the latest of many Obama has picked, and Obama’s speech to AIPAC is revealed as nothing more a resort to spin and sentiment to save an unsafe policy."

politicalhumor.about.com