Opinion  Attila Somfalvi
Obama encouraged Israelis to rebel
Attila Somfalvi
Published: 23.03.13, 14:54
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117 Talkbacks for this article
1. you're missing the point
ali ,   anari   (03.23.13)
The USA pay million upon millions of dollars and uses its veto power and its reputation to help and protect Israel. They therefore have the right to point out these things to israelis as their leaders assume they can get away with whatever they wish. Whenever Israel starts paying millions to the US then they can do the same. Actually they already do! have you forgotten BB's medling in the US elections? have you forgotten paying millions to FOXnews to attack BO? so before you say something, think.
2. Obama is America's problem. Not Israel's.
Chaim ,   Israel   (03.23.13)
One need merely google statistics on U.S. unemployment, deficits, foreclosures, welfare, food stamp usage etc. All such negative indicators have soared since Obama was inaugurated. Obama is ruining America. Obama is America's problem. Not Israel's. Israel must not take advice from the destroyer of America. There is no evidence Obama is a friend of America. Let alone Israel.
3. Beautifully written factual account of stageplay
Adi ,   Zurich   (03.23.13)
Beautifully written factual account of stageplay
4. I love u. From an American. Means opposite. Expect nothing
Adi ,   Zurich   (03.23.13)
I love u. From an American. Means opposite. Expect nothing
5. A more apt analogy. . .
DrYattz ,   Dahlonega USA   (03.23.13)
would be Netanyahu encouraging American University students (a decade ago) to challenge President BUSH's allegations of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and his insistence to wage war unnecessarily.
6. dont b fooled by foolishness
james ,   fivepoints usa   (03.23.13)
The holy bible teaches us to beware of the wolf in sheeps clothing . Beware he tells good storys .but he want place his hands upon our bible.to b sworn into the office. He is now in.remember the speech at noterdame.where he covered the emblem. That represents our lord and saviour jesus christ.and says he doesnt want to offend.think about who and what he really .is let the lord give you knoledge.
7. Obama, Israel
Ike ,   Chicago, USA   (03.23.13)
The reason Obama's comments in Israel were not met with outrage is because he is not seen as relevant anywhere in the world except te U.S.
8. Not surprising
LK ,   San Francisco, USA   (03.23.13)
Israel is a client state to the US. I.e. Israel exists because the US wants it to exist. Therefore it is not surprising that can go to Israel and lecture the Israelis in their own country. For Bibi to do the same to Americans in in Washington would be like child telling its parents what to do.
9. Obama encouraged Israelis to rebel
Harold ,   USA   (03.23.13)
Bad description. Obama was telling young Israelis to honor the TEN COMMANDMENTS especially the Eight Commandment THOU SHALL NOT STEAL. Stealing other lands is against what God asked you to do.
10. Good analysis.
Shep ,   Memphis   (03.23.13)
I believe the fact that the Arab "spring", which was encouraged by Obama having turned the Mideast upside down was a lesson in humility for an inexperienced Obama and now he realizes that PEACE isn't a responsibility that only the Israelis can deliver with a surrender of more land. The land for peace concept is dead. Peace before land is the long-term solution and I trust the Israelis to know where the rubber hits the road.
11. And, still after this blatant affront!!!
Jake Stone ,   USA   (03.23.13)
Netanyahu kisses Obama's butt and succumbs to his pressure and apologizes to Turkey! Netanyahu is PATHETIC! He should be removed from office. And also, if Ol' Bibi thinks Obama is going to help Israel with Iran, he's a bigger fool than I take him for!
12. No, we did not fall "in love"with Mr.Obamas hate for Israel!
tom ,   tel aviv   (03.23.13)
He can return home to wreck havoc with the clueless USA. We know better than that.
13. well-being
well well well   (03.23.13)
The priority is the well-being of all ordinary Israelis and Palestinians. The leaders' opinion is unimportant. Obama failed in these areas in the past. The future may remain the same
14. Comparison invalid
Sean Liu ,   Peoria, Il, USA   (03.23.13)
The comparison of Obama's speech at Israel with the ficticious Bibi's speech at Columbia is far stretched. The health care law in the US has zero relevance to Israel or any other nation; but the Israel-Palestan peace or war is America's business. The Islamic world hatred towards US has lot to do with American unqualified support to Israel.
15. kudos
nava ,   jerusalem   (03.23.13)
excellent article...right on target. Not a lot of people understand this.
16. Obama addresses Israeli youth
gary ,   miami, fl usa   (03.23.13)
The analogy you give isn't fair. The US does not ask or expect Israel to come to our defense and risk Israeli servicemen or economy nor does Israel provide economic aid to the US. If the US is to be a defender of Israel, the President has a duty to the US to promote our values to those whose Israel's future lies. The US is correct to expect more compromise from both sides to achieve peace. If Israel wants to go it alone in terms of military and political aggression, then they can expect the US to stay away from speeches like this but as long as the US is a supporter, Obama gave an appropriate speech as Israel's policy towards peace has yet to yield results under any administration. The solution lies with a new agenda which obviously can only happen from the Israeli youth as they are the future. Frankly, if left to them Israel would have achieved peace a long time ago. The same is true for the Palestine side as well. The future rests in the hands of the upcoming generations and their willingness to move beyond the stalemate that never ends.
17. WAY TO GO OBAMA!!!!
American ,   USA   (03.23.13)
AWesome- its about time someone starting to stick it to that crappy rACIST burden to the world!!!!!
18. The annual carpet bagging tour
Arie   (03.23.13)
Every comment by obama is hollywood staged and prepared. to describe him as anything other then a carpetbagger on tour is disingenuous at best. Fact is that his handlers hand selected the audience hence the fealty. But even then, 2 items cannot be overlooked: during the brief times the obama controlled cameras panned the student audience, the applause was at a minimum by a handful and polite at best. And let's remember the handlers hand picked 2000 students to attend. Had the "adoring audience" truly loved the carpet bagger, all 2000 would have attended. In fact, 600 showed up. Proving that Israelis - Jew, Muslim or Christian - know the carpet bagger to be what he is and what he cares for. And what he cares to accomplish is the PA goal of the evntual demise of the Jewish State removing the last State in the MidEast built on universal democratic values.
19. #17 Yet another troll.
Isabella1709 ,   Tampa USA   (03.23.13)
There seems to be something about the influx of Israel haters to online news these days. Probably the Obama charm tour hoping to convince someone else that he is something he is not. Never have I seen a more incompetent president than Obama. That he was reelected shows how far America has fallen since the Reagan administration. That has occured because of leftist being insinuated into our media and education systems, dumbing down and propaganda is responsible for so much of it. Lax immigration policies compound the problem with illegals flooding the country. We are in trouble Israel, do not follow in our footsteps.
20. Actually, Isabella,
ASTRONAUT ,   SC, USA   (03.23.13)
we in SC were hoping Israel would want to KEEP Obama as a "hole-y" relic!
21. Obama "Im familiar with the Threats, Disappointments and
BigIzz ,   USA/ Israel   (03.23.13)
Frustrations over the years." Obama continues to say " I can recite a list of threats disappointments and frustrations Which is an excuse and not a Plan." President Obama with all due respect. The list of Threats, disappointments and frustrations are not to be taken lightly. and in no way should be labeled as "Excuses." "Excuses are not a plan." Threats, Disappointments and Fustrations are the problem and not an excuse. The simple Fundemental problems must be worked out first. 1.) Acceptance of Israel's Right to Exist. 2.) Honor agreements made. 3.) Don't breach contracts made. Obama calles Israel issues "Excuses not a plan." To move forward. And claims he can recite a list of threats which he calls as excuses does not bring anything new to the table to resolve the list he can recite and Israeli concerns which he calls "excuses." Don't be fooled by his speech as he askes the Israeli people to bend over forget the issues which are Threats and our politicians thats protect Israel and continue to try and make peace with Arabs who demise you. No words of what Arabs should do to try and make peace. Only Israel has a State and Arabs need one as well and they can't because of Israeli occupation. Israel has a good history of making concessions to Arabs and then Arabs breach their agreement. Obama understanding of "Disappointments & Frustrations" Perfect example Israel again makes a move toward peace by giving Turkey an apology for the Marinara Flotila. An act to make peace. Where Turkey Flotila was waned and breached and entered a military blockade. Nine Turks were killed as Israeli commandos defended themselves. Israel made a call and appoligized at the end of the ordeal. Additionally, Obama must brush up on his histroy as Israel is not an occupying any Land. The Land has been Jewish for thousands of years. the Land is the Land of Israel. Obama speech down played the Israeli issues which are threats and acutally tryed to persuading Israeli people to think Israeli State issues are just excusess and Israeli politicians are using the issues as excuses. Obama Israel went through 8 wars. PLO charter calls for the demise of Israel. Arafat breached the Oslo Accords because he didn't want to recognize the Jewish State of Israel. I would of liked to hear a speech on what Obama feels the Arabs should do to create peace with Israel.
22. Obama calls for rebellion
Dave Ferguson ,   USA   (03.23.13)
I trust and hope the Israelis are smarter than the Americans when it comes to Obama. Our Celebrident has never lead anything in his life including the US. Unfortunately, many in the US are taken in by his telpromptic charm. I'm sure you will look at his substance.
23. Obama Needed to Appear That He Cares About Palestinians
Chaim Ben Kahan ,   Efrat, Israel   (03.23.13)
We all saw the theater, but no one in Israel took it seriously. We know the rhetoric about "occupation" and so called "settlements", but we also know the truth that the PLO does not want peace and has goals to destroy Israel. Obama did his song and dance and we were entertained and it was moving. Yes, blah blah Palestinians are not free, but we know this is a lie. It was good for TV though.
24. Ah! Obama’s new strategy is crystal clear.
Harry Wright ,   UK   (03.23.13)
(1) Entice the youth and seek to create division between them and older generations; (2) Promise that HIS policies can give them a better future, not their leaders’ / elders’ policies; (3) Encourage the youth to “march with him” and therefore against their leaders ie. he encouraged the young people to rise up and rebel (be his army of dissidents) when he renews the battle with Israel for a new peace deal; (4) Attempt to groom the minds of the young (and old). His speech was well prepared for his target audience – the young, impressionable, gullible and inexperienced, whom he could easily get to eat out of his hands; (5) Confirmed to the Fakestinians that he stood behind them in their position that they were under “occupation”, stateless and facing injustices daily. They must be patient…and Abbas is very satisfied. Obama’s plan will be to fight their cause through subtlety, deceit and by undermining Israel from within because bullying failed. Obama is encouraged by the composition of the new government – the presence of his darling Livni and the leftist Lapid whom he hopes he can manipulate. Both will do anything to weaken Bibi and both are supremely conceited and arrogant and will respond well to flattery. This is Obama’s last chance to get into the history books as the president who achieved peace in the ME and create yet another muslim state. His plans guarantee entrapment of Israel. His ammunition in this first round include sweet words to win the hearts and minds of the young, assurances of support from the US (a failing state), acknowledgment that his stand with Israel is based on its historical background and GUARANTEE OF SECURITY – all the things that matter the most to Israelis. The people who crafted this new plan / strategy are masters of deception and truly clever and diabolical. Step I, the visit, dished out the honey. The bitter gall will come in Step II and onward.
25. Not sheep
Bobby ,   Canada   (03.23.13)
Obama has to remember than the Israeli's aren't the gullible Americans..They have brains ,thoughts & idea's....
26. #16, the majority of Americans do not support Obama's view
Sidney ,   USA   (03.23.13)
Read the polls, they do not trust the Palestinians.
27. Don't reference a bible you never read
אהרון ,   ישראל   (03.23.13)
Because had you actually read it, you would know what G-d commanded Jews to do to acquire the land.
28. Great speech, great article
Avramele   (03.23.13)
Obama performed an intervention on a beloved family member bent on self destruction. Israelis now know their future is in their hands and America is there to support them as they confront a harsh reality. Choose wisely.
29. Obama's Incitement to Protest
Extropico ,   Sarasota, FL USA   (03.23.13)
The Jews are correct to view as minatory a foreigner demanding essentially that the Jews become a minority in Israel. Unfortunately, this is exactly what so many Jews have done to the White majority in Amerika. Leftist Jews have fought for decades to destroy the White majority in America. Perhaps more Jews should respect a nation's democratic majority as having a moral right to survive and to determine their future.
30. to #9 and all others
Apartheidista ,   OH LA LA   (03.23.13)
Who is stealing whose land? This is the Jews' land since the exodus from Egypt. who and when granted this land to the Arabs. Was it the Ottomans? The Brits? The league of nations? The Arab League? The UN? Oh it was the UN? When? There was no PA before the declaration of Israel's statehood. The UN did not create Israel, the UN created a partition between Arabs and Jews ion Palestine. The Arabs rejected it. The Palestinian state was not created nor was a boundary delineated. after losing it all in 1967 the barab League decided to create an Arab country IN the territory that Israel had conquered from the Arabs. By what right can this putrid league of murdering assassins claim legality under the UN, and by what right can the UN create an stae in someone elses country. I repeat, the state of Israel was not created by the UN. It was declared by the Jews themselves and subsequently recognized by some UN members. The Arabs who call themselves Palestinians are trying to do the same, but they can't because they do not control their territory. they might as well declare a state inside Turkey, maybe the UN will recognize that too.
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