The Lobby should shut up.

by Blue In SC and MD, Fri Feb 27, 2009 at 06:30:31 AM EST

I struggle mightily with the current humanitarian dilemma in Gaza - I understand Israel's reluctance to do anything that empowers Hamas, but share with many people the frustration of seeing innocent people suffer.

And, apparently, a frustration that Secretary of State Clinton also has.  So when a friend of Israel - as she has long been - expresses concern that Israel is dragging her feet on getting aid to those who need it most, I think it merits serious consideration.

What is does NOT merit is shreiking and finger-pointing from Israel's supporters in the US.  It's one thing to be worried that Hamas gains strength for every dollar or shekel that crosses one of the Gaza checkpoints, but it's quite another to scream invectives and cast aspersions upon someone who very clearly has Israel's well-being in her expressions and deeds.

The subject of how to deal with the Middle East broadly and the Israel-Palestine conflict more specifically has been elevated to the highest offices, and the presence of someone like Hillary Clinton smack in the middle of the discussion should be a point of comfort for the Lobby.  Don't let her concern for the plight of those who suffer distract or distort from what is an impeccable record on Israel, nor let it serve as a wedge on an issue that everyone can agree upon - needless suffering is just that: needless.  Whether Jew or Muslim, Arab or Israeli, NO ONE'S interests are served by the suffering of the innocent.

So do all of us who love and support Israel a favor - shut up.

Tags: aid, clinton, Israel (all tags)

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Re: The Lobby should shut up.

Is there a news story or something that triggered this?  What was the incident you refer to?

I agree, if they are picking on Hillary, what the hell do they want?  Dick Cheney? Bill Krisol as SOS?

Sorry, elections have consequences, they do themselves no favors by turning on folks that have spent decades supporting them, like SOS Clinton.

by WashStateBlue 2009-02-27 07:31AM | 0 recs
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This

http://wcbstv.com/national/hillary.clint on.israel.2.945238.html

by JJE 2009-02-27 07:52AM | 0 recs
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Thanks

WSB

by WashStateBlue 2009-02-27 08:03AM | 0 recs
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Sorry about that.

I tend to assume everyone already knows what I know.

Here's another (better) read on the story:

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1066821. html

by Blue In SC and MD 2009-02-27 08:08AM | 0 recs
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Better

in the sense that it provides the Israeli spin on the situation.  Not-better in the sense that it doesn't at all discuss the reaction to Clinton's statements by Israel loyalists in the United States, which is ostensibly the topic of the diary.

by JJE 2009-02-27 08:21AM | 0 recs
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I actually thought better in that

it actually talks about what Clinton said.  My beef with the CBS story is that it actualy never mentions what HRC said - which I found troubling.  That was the sense of "better" that was intended.

The reaction of Israel loyalists in the US is, frankly, embarrassing.

by Blue In SC and MD 2009-02-27 08:26AM | 0 recs
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Re: The Lobby should shut up.

Hamas and Fatah are now engaged in reconcilation talks in order to recreate a cohesive Palestinian movement once again.

The Hamas terrorist propaganda meme is faltering as Hamas is appearing to be the only resistance movement against Israel's occupation left. Hamas means Islamic Resistance Movement and resisting Israel's occupation/colonialism is the only thing it was ever about.

Calling Hamas a terrorist group because it retaliates for the killing of Palestinians belies the "state terrorism," as Jimmy Carter put it, that Israel engages in, killing 30 to 1 civilians year to year, 100 to 1 in the recent Gaza invasion, the so-called "war."

Abbas and Fatah has come to appreciate that he was just fooled by the Olmert government, the peace talks that went no where, and have gone no where since Oslo.

In the meantime, and throughout this Olmert period, settlements growth and expansion exploded. The military occupation and colonialism in the Palestinian territories has never ceased, while more and more Palestinian land was and is now being confiscated.

by MainStreet 2009-02-28 03:36AM | 0 recs

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