Opinion
Obama, Honduras and Israel
Yarden Gazit
Published: 21.09.09, 12:02
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1. Being a non-Jewish American Democrat, I tell Israel: Do not
Frank Solano ,   Boston, MA USA   (09.21.09)
trust Obama. He has turned his back on new democracies in Eastern Europe. He has done the same thing in Latin America. It is a matter of time before Taiwan is going to be given up by the American President and delivered on a silver platter to China. And he has little sympathy for Israel and its need to defend itself in the face of the entire Muslim and Arab world. I am sorry to say it, but you must watch it, Israelis! I didn't vote for this Barack Obama and today I regret my vote.
2. duh he is trying to convience the american
ghostq   (09.21.09)
that more taxes in time of recession is good for them. and he is trying to force socalism down the throuts of the americans, but I have a strong feeling they r going to spit everything out.
3. An excellent article!
Ari ,   UK   (09.21.09)
I couldn't agree more with Mr Gazit. Obama has proven to the world several times already that he is both arrogant and incompetent - a dangerous mix indeed. How dare he meddle in Israel's internal affairs in such an undemocratic way? Yet at the same time, he shies away from confronting Iran and Syria - two of the biggest criminal-states in the world, who both pose threats to American interests and security! But the most dangerous part about Obama is the media's obsessive love-affair with him (since, after all, he is young (relatively) Black and - most importantly - a liberal). This obsessive compulsion to support Obama - much like the obsessive hatred of Bush - is likely to blind the public to the consequences of this man's foolish and misguided actions until it is too late.
4. Obama Honduras and Israel
Benjamin ,   Greenville USA   (09.21.09)
Great editorial. If anyone has any doubts about Obama's love of dictators look what happened in eastern Europe. He scrapped the missile shield and received nothing of merit from the Russians. Lastly, it is telling that Obama has not visited Israel but has visited Buchenwald. Benjamin
5. Obama vs. democracy
Green Baron ,   Bethesda, MD, USA   (09.21.09)
A person may be judged by the company he keeps or has kept. If you look into Barack Obama's past, you encounter a whole roster of extreme (and sometimes violent) leftists and anti-Semites. Two examples are William Ayres and Mr. Obama's erstwhile church pastor. But I might add that in my historical view, freedom and democracy have, over the long term, been geopoplitical anomalies, and that tyranny, hard or soft, is the "normal" human condition. Obama is only going with the historical trend; if not him, then someone esle. Please see my blog, http:/./muenchhausen.blogspot.com for March 12, 2008 for more comment on that subject.
6. Gazit right for wrong reasons
David ,   Boston   (09.21.09)
Gazit may be right, but for the wrong reasons. He has done very little to oppose the COUP in Honduras and he has done nothing to press Israel on ending its illegal settlements and has criticized the Goldstone report. Defending, or standing by while pariah states violate international law and human decency, does demonstrate disregard for human rights. In the case of Honduras, new elections are coming shortly anyway, so the political costs may be low. But in the case of Israel, Obama has simply caved to the demands of the Israel lobby. The moral costs of this are quite high.
7. Thats because you can't bully a dictatorship
Danny   (09.21.09)
and your allies actually care what America thinks of them. Obama is the typical coward bully in that he picks on people who he thinks he can beat and bends over for those he thinks he cannot
8. Micheletti can't come to NY, those with "clenched fist" can
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (09.21.09)
Consider, too, that the US has granted visas to Ahmedinijad, Chavez and Ghaddafi to attend this week's UN meeting. But Honduras' constitutionally appointed leader Micheletti was denied such a visa. The Obama Doctrine, as it is evolving so far, is to embrace thugs and dictators (Libya, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia) while betraying (Honduras), pressuring (Israel) or dismissing commitments (Japan, Poland, Czech Republic) to democratic allies.
9. Obama and Democracy
John Zuka ,   Los Angeles USA   (09.21.09)
75% of the Jewish vote went to Obama, maybe next election they should learn from this huge mistake
10. "CIVIL WAR" AND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ISRAELI LEFT!
left = enemy   (09.21.09)
Secondly, for those Israelis on the Left who hope Obama will do their work for them and "save Israel from itself," be careful what you wish for. The left would cause a backlash never seen in history and its end ..........permanent!
11. Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda share a ...
Ron B. ,   Lod   (09.21.09)
Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda share a religious hatred of the United States. "Official" as well as unofficial Palestinian groups remain sworn enemies of the United States. All Palestinian terror groups, including the American-supported Fatah "government" of the Palestinian Authority, are quietly but very determinably expanding ties to al-Qaeda. There is no doubt about this. Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Qaeda all share a deep ideological and religious hatred of the United States. Operationalizing this common antipathy, these kindred foes have now gone beyond a mere conceptual affinity to active field cooperation. Indeed, with growing commitments to shared weaponry and information as well as to the joint establishment of safe houses and crucial tactical resources, such ties could soon produce nuclear and/or biological mass-destruction attacks against major American cities. More at : http://xrl.us/bjfox
12. flawed inaccurate analysis... and gazit knows it
Smith ,   TA, Israel   (09.21.09)
To the remainder TBer's and future posters the reason this article appeared in the op-ed section and not in the "news" section is because of the entirely flawed analysis of what has happened in Honduras. The USA is appropriately acting against a government installed at the point of a barrel of a gun and retroactively "legitimized" by the Honduran supreme court. The USA has no love for Zelya but would rather Latin American countries learn to respect the rule of law than go for strong-men like Chavez. If any of you could be bothered to do your research you will see the author reversed the chronology of events and tried to make (he even admitted) a completely bogus analogy to Israel. That Obama would pursue a Realist foreign policy over a neo-conservative one should come as no surprise since that's what he promised to do when running for office. If none of you know the damn difference then look it up on Wikipedia since I doubt any of you read books
13. I remember when ...
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (09.21.09)
the leftists hated dictatorships. That time has no disappeared.
14. jerusalem
danaos ,   thessaloniki,Greece   (09.21.09)
do you remember his statement during his visit to Israel that Jerusalem should be the undivided capital of Israel ?
15. #9: They did not learn from Carter, why learn from Obama?
Jack ,   San Diego, USA   (09.21.09)
16. how many muslims do you know that give up that religion ?
obama raised muslim ,   from childhood   (09.21.09)
he might eat pork and drink booze but such things are thought permissible while on a jhad which is growing in intensity as onlookers grow sleepy trying to ignore his rants. soon he'll convince netanyahu that he will guarantee israels peace with american soldiers if we all surrender our homes to the freeloaders. big mistake-america is no longer our friend -better wake up quick-they are already talking about shooting down our aircraft if we try to take out irans nuke installations with them.
17. # 1 I agree.
Ruth   (09.21.09)
18. Leftists and dictators
Oscar ,   Guatemala   (09.21.09)
Lefties have always supported dictators, just look how aroused they get when they see Fidel Castro in Cuba. Hussein Obama is no exception.
19. relativist in boston
ben Ish   (09.21.09)
"Caved in to Israel" is the most patently duplicitous venom I've heard yet. Explain this, Viper: Your Messiah, Lord Obama's - FIRST signature: Seal all records. - FIRST phone call: Mahmoud Abbas. - FIRST interview: Al-Arabiya. - He bowed, with bent knee to the King of Saudi Arabia. - He demands a halt to Israelis building homes even on their own land; paid for and with deed in hand, not even a room addition. - He backed down on Poland & C.R., exposing US allies which only strengths Russia's empowerment of Iran. - He is pulling troops from Iraq, which DIRECTLY strengthens Iran. - Did you hear any condemnation of Ahmadini-tard by Lord Obama? No. He wants Israel to stand idly by while being shelled on all sides, and pretend nothing bad will happen if continue to talk and listen to the UN for 30 years, until Hamas has nukes too, it would seem. My guess is he offered to talk things over a beer with Ahmadinislob in NY this week. How much time has Obama spent in Sderot or Ashkelon? As a "Christian" does he care about Bethlehem? NO. He can claim opposition to Iran and suicidal terrorists all day long, but when his ACTIONS do the exact opposite, I'm just going to call him a liar. A simple disapproval of the report last week is pathetic AT BEST, and you want to call that "caving in"? A better response would be serving the UN with a 3-day notice to quit. Personally, I would have cut power to the whole building and organized an Air Supply concert for them. Like I said, it's the most patently duplicitous venom I've heard yet from the vile dregs of Obama/CNN/MSNBC/HBO's servants and minions. Western culture cannot distinguish between feelings and facts. Thanks for the reminder.
20. I am very surprised
Ronit ,   Harvard, Mass   (09.21.09)
Obama doing exactly, EXACTLY, what he promissed. In our syudent newspaper Obama suporter said whay he would vote for him in 2008: Because is muslem, his best friends are Farakhan and Wright, and he will help his people. Why it takes for old folks to understand this?
21. obaama will go down as the WORST prez ever,knocking Carter
out and that ain't ,   no easy task!!!!   (09.21.09)
22. Honduras/Israel
tony F. ,   Ft. lauderdale, USA   (09.21.09)
Great artical! Obama is a fraud! He may very well be the greatest orator of all time but he is NO DEMOCRAT. It is obvious that he is a socialist through to the bone, something he never preached about on the route to becomming the president. His action toward Honduras and his treatment of Israel are perfect evidence of his total desire to tranform the U.S. into a socialist state. We will lose our identity with this guy so Israel do not wait for his approval for anything. Also his horse holder (h. clinton) does not have the guts to provide a different opinion so we all better watch out!!
23. Obama,Honduras, Isreal
KENT BURNES ,   Roatan, Honduras   (09.21.09)
In response to Smith, TA, in Isreal. With all due respect you are flawed in your assessment of what happened in Honduras. I live here, I am living through it. Zelaya did infact violate the constitution, broke into a locked military base, and was arrested at the behest of the supreme court. Today the congressional research department in Washington DC a research arm of the US congress and keepers of fact for the congressional library just concluded after a LENGTHY legal review that this was NOT a coup but the legal removal of a rogue wanna be dictator. You may know Israel but my friend every constitutional scholar of note has sided with Honduras, so you do not know Honduras.
24. #12 Realism versus pacifism
David ,   TA   (09.21.09)
You should read the right books or think a few seconds by yourself. Obama promised during his campaign that he will act against the genocide in Darfur.He did not fulfill his promise.He even said that he would consider invading Pakistan before the election. You are implying that there are two kinds of foreign policies : The Realist one and the neoconservative one. The Realist one was followed by George Bush senior , Clinton. Reagan and George Bush Jr followed the neoconservative one to a certain extent. George Bush Jr applied the Realist one in the last 2 years of his second mandate. Obama is following a pacifist kind of foreign policy where the words democracy and human rights are totally absent from his vocabulary.
25. For the accurate and timely information
Robert Haymond ,   Ashdod, Israel   (09.21.09)
provided about the current situation in Honduras, Mr. Burnes, I thank you. "Smith" from Tel Aviv (probably a pseudonym), whose opinion you countered, sounds like an arrogant joke much as Ezra Pound, the poet, sounded after having written The Cantos when asked if he would provide a reference for all the foreign words and phrases he utilized. Pound said, "Let them learn a few of the languages". By that time, Pound had lost all merit as a poet anyway and later on, during WWII, he became a traitor to his country of birth, the USA. But I digress. Talkbacker "Smith" is more interested in taking out his hostility by putting down Talkbackers than in providing information, posing a point of view and in educating. What's gone wrong in your life, "Smith", that you refuse to join in our common struggle to facilitate and learn from one another?
26. Zelaya returned to Honduras today
Sue ,   Los Angeles   (09.22.09)
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/09/ousted_leader_returns_to_hondu.html
27. Great and accurate article, Gazit and Smith are nuts
Jorge ,   Tegucigalpa   (09.22.09)
In Honduras we love Israel and understand its strugle, we love to live in freedom, we ousted a corrupt man, drug trafficker, gun runner, ally of Chavez and supporter of Iran and Hezbollah, he was handing its terrorists, Honduran passports, as for Mr. Obama he is foolish enough to beleive that by siding with Latin leftists they will love the US, wrong, they will always hate them, and by doing so, he is losing the few friends he still has here, he is bullying Honduras becausse it is a small and poor country, he is not an ally, he is a traitor to democracy and freedom
28. #13, when was that?
Danny   (09.22.09)
29. honduras-israel
moron ,   galut   (09.22.09)
bho has allied with castro chavez and ortega -usa now more hostile to its friends than its enemies--it has sold out poland and czech republic on anniversary of russian invasion of poland and now 'zbig' threatens to shoot down israeli jets-chaotic foreign policy means weakness which in turn invites more war
30. Obama
Brad ,   USA   (09.22.09)
These things are no surprise to those who were paying attention to Obama's words, associations, and record. Look at the nut-jobs, and domestic terrorists that Obama swaps spit with. Bill Ayers, Hugo Chavez, etc. Look how he grovels at the feet of Islam. Look how he tries to "spread the wealth" around. And, as always, with liberals it's someone else's wealth. Look how he spends millions of dollars to avoid having to show us his birth certificate. I guess people just thought that instead of a white president, it would be "cool" to have a half-white president. This guy is so over his head, it's ridiculous. And, we in the U.S. as well as those in Israel, are in grave danger as a result.
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