Having a president who speaks well doesn't count for much

[JohnyCanuck]

if a country the size of Israel can still jerk him around and humiliate him. But why should he be any different than any other US politician?

Binyamin Netanyahu humiliates Barack Obama

By Uri Avnery

No point denying it: in the first round of the match between Barack Obama and Binyamin Netanyahu, Obama was beaten.

Obama had demanded a freeze of all settlement activity, including East Jerusalem, as a condition for convening a tripartite summit meeting, in the wake of which accelerated peace negotiations were to start, leading to peace between two states – Israel and Palestine.

In the words of the ancient proverb, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Netanyahu has tripped Obama on his first step. The president of the United States has stumbled.

The threefold summit did indeed take place. But instead of a shining achievement for the new American administration, we witnessed a humbling demonstration of weakness. After Obama was compelled to give up his demand for a settlement freeze, the meeting no longer had any content.

The threefold summit did indeed take place. But instead of a shining achievement for the new American administration, we witnessed a humbling demonstration of weakness. After Obama was compelled to give up his demand for a settlement freeze, the meeting no longer had any content.

True, Mahmoud Abbas did come, after all. He was dragged there against his will. The poor man was unable to refuse the invitation from Obama, his only support. But he will pay a heavy price for this flight: the Palestinians, and the entire Arab world, have seen his weakness. And Obama, who had started his term with a ringing speech to the Muslim world from Cairo, now looks like a broken reed.

http://www.redress.cc/americas/uavnery20090924

[spanone]

1. lots of spin going on there. Obama looked ol benji in the eye and told him the truth.

nothing was won or lost imo

[stray cat]

2. Do you or do you not want the US controling other countries?

should we mind our own business or should we try to manage and control the world even if it means military exchange or invasions? Do you want Bush's arrogant foreign policy but only when it suits you.

[TxRider]

4. Does defunding Isreal count as minding our own business?

[JohnyCanuck]

6. If the US is funding Israel to the tune of billions of dollars

I say the US should have some say in the way the money is being spent.

[madeline_con]

8. We should cut off all funds to Israel, and wish them well in their endeavors. n/t

[crikkett]

9. If they want to be left alone we should divert their aid dollars

to invest in US infrastructure and US businesses that create US jobs and benefit US citizens.

I support the notion that US aid gives US influence.

[BlooInBloo]

3. lol! Warmonger insists on more war, and *Obama* is humiliated?

I guess that's from the up-is-down department of journalism.

[cali]

5. basing anything on false assumptions makes the resultant conclusion

... bullshit.

Israel didn't push him around. Netanyahu tried. And no, I don't agree wtih Uri that he succeeded in it or that he humiliated Obama.

[JohnyCanuck]

7. My take on it is that the Arab world will just see it as more evidence

the President of the USA is just a sock puppet of Israel and all his fine words and mighty speeches assuring them that his administration was going to be different was just more hot air from a figurehead leader, because, as they suspected all along, Israel still calls the shots where US foreign policy and the Palestinians is concerned.