Opinion
Just another state
Asaf Gefen
Published: 06.11.09, 14:48
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1. Doesn't Understand Why he isn't Popular?
David P. ,   Central Coast, USA   (11.06.09)
2. Some of his best 'friends' are Jewish
David P. ,   Central Coast, USA   (11.06.09)
3. Is there even a single Ynet opinion writer who "gets it"?
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (11.06.09)
I don't know how Gefen can suggest the feeling that Israel is 342nd on Obama's priority list. A week it seems doesn't go by without one US envoy or another arriving to soften Israel's stand so the "peace process" can be revived. As to that "hard evidence" you seek, it's in things big and small. It's the rapid appointment of Mitchell and the obsession with "settlements". It's the repudiation of the Bush-Sharon understandings. It's the Cairo speech rife with "moral equivalence" and ignoring the Jews' historic ties to their land. It's holding up Israel's request for Apache helicopters for "review". It's the meeting with Jewish organizations in the Oval Office from which Zionist critics were not invited. It's the selection of one "cold to Israel" adviser after another (Hagel being the latest). It's the immediate "clarification" of any positive statement toward Israel that offends the Arabs. What troubles Israel is the feeling that Israel's concerns are given second shrift in Obama's grand scheme - most evident in the apparent obsession with a "Palestinian state in two years, no matter what" while Israel is most concerned about Iran.
4. The circus must be in town
Ken Besig ,   Israel   (11.06.09)
Because the clowns like Assaf Gefen are appearing on YNet.
5. Your Opinion
James ,   Herzeliya   (11.06.09)
"Asaf Gefen says that Israelis are insulted by President Obama’s indifference." Maybe you are Mr gefen be we are not. Your opinion is irrelevent and does not apply to all Israelis. It's not a matter of "him" being one of us. Its about him being against us.
6. Comment
Mohammad ,   Jordan   (11.06.09)
Actually this is an interesting article. The author admits that most Israelis have a problem with people who are not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas. Israel have a problem with liberal humanists who decided simply to be neutral. This is what bigotry is, sir!
7. We would prefer indifference
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (11.06.09)
Leave us alone already.
8. Actually ...
Sarah B ,   New York / Saviyon   (11.06.09)
The people of the Untied States have made it abundantly plain to the Obama administration that they do not wish closer ties to the Islamofascist world; are not interested in reaching out to Iran (we haven't forgotten the invasion of the United States Embassy in Tehran and the taking of American hostages, even if Obama clearly has forgotten it); nor have Americans forgotten how the Iranin mullahs kicked and otherwise defiled the corpses of the American servicemen who lost their lives in the Carter/Brzezinski spectacular failed attempt to free the hostages in Iran. The American people are well aware that Moslems and Arabs were responsible for (i) the hijacking of American planes and torment of their passengers; (ii) blowing up the United States Embassy and Marine Barracks in Beirut; (ii) bombing of the United States Embassies in Kinshasa and Nairobi; (iv) suicide bombing of the USS COLE while berthed in Aden; (v) bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia, killing hundreds of sleeping U.S. servicemen; and (vi) the events of September 11, 2001, not the least of which involved watching the news reports as thousands of solemn Israelis lined up for hours to donate blood while Gazans and West Bank Arabs rejoiced in the streets, handed out candies and kissed pictures of Osama bin Laden. The ham-handed photo op the following day showing Yasir Arafat (may his name be cursed for all eternity) donating blood fooled no one, and I have it on excellent authority that his donated pint ended up in the trash. Beyond that, there are serious economic and social issues in the United States that President Obama, in his absolute zeal to make nice with Arabs and Moslems who hate the United States, has ignored. A huge number of Americans are unemployed, with their eligibility to receive unemployment benefits about to run out. Banks have foreclosed on homes at a level unparalleled since the Great Depression in 1929. A shocking number of so-called "working poor" in the United States have no medical insurance, but earn too much to make them eligible for Medicaid benefits. There is a huge problem with illegal aliens draining American resources while contributing nothing to the revenue base of the United States. Americans are becoming increasingly resentful that Obama has not effected a withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and, in fact, has increased the numbers deployed there. Americans are not all that prepared to die in a futile attempt to bring democracy to an area of the world that has no history of it, no understanding of it and no desire for it. Obam is not a popular president. Both his approval rating and popularity rating have plummeted in the past year; he has yet to produce on any of his campaign promises and has far exceeded his mandate with respect to his overtures to the Islamic world and his tough stance with respect to Israel. This is not why he was voted into office. He is a one-term wonder, and Israel need not fear.
9. IF I WAS A BLACK MAN ! I WOULD NEVER SUPPORT ISRAEL ...
ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU   (11.06.09)
WHY, ATİLLA ? because I would think of my roots from africa to the states. because I would think of my roots in africa from past to today. WHAT HAPPENED, ATİLLA ? well I just say what I heard, long long ago, some jewish people, made a plan, to take africans as slave to america. IS OBAMA BLACK, ATİLLA ? yes. he looks like. ATİLLA ! ISRAEL HATES BLACKS ? no. I didnt say that exactly. THERE ARE ALSO BLACK JEWS ATİLLA ! DO YOU KNOW ? yes. I heard from you. but ! its hard me to believe that. ATİLLA ! DO YOU KNOW JESUS WAS ALSO A BLACK JEW ? yes. a jewish lady told me. DID YOU BELIEVE HER ? yes. ATİLLA ! WHY OBAMA ? maybe to take black tension down in america. maybe just to seem nice to ıslam. you know Islam loves blacks as others. ATİLLA ! DO YOU TRUST OBAMA IS A NEW BREATH THAT TO HELP WORLD FOR BETTER TOMORROWS ?, no.
10. "presdent" o-BUM-a is there to support his muslum brothers,
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (11.06.09)
be they violent terrorists or simply supporters of muslum terrorists. He fooled a lot of Jews into voting for him. Remember the old carnage about a Jew selling the rope used to hang him? Well that is exactly what happened in the o-BUM-a election. His arab father came from Kenya, and he wants people to think he is a descendant of black slaves. However, it was the arab slave traders who captured the natives in Africa. It was black arabs capturing and selling non-arab blacks. His ancestors sold human beings into slavery and you expect him to behave like a human being? I don't think that is rational.
11. It is not the indifference, but the meddling that upsets us
Genuine Tosefta ,   Tveria   (11.06.09)
into our internal domestic affairs, while B. Hussein completely ignores the sorry state of internal affairs in Muslim countries. Iranian opposition screaming for American support is of no interest to B. Hussein. Kurds plight in Turkey is of no interest to B. Hussein. Arb massacring Blacks in Darfur is of no interest to B. Hussein. Hizboullah wreaking havoc in Lebanon is of no interest to B. Hussein. Discrimination of Copts in Egypt and denial of their human and religious rights is of no interest to B. Hussein. The brutal Dictatorship in Syria is of no interest to B. Hussein. The gradual transformation of Turkey from a secular democracy to an Islamist Theocracy ala Iran is of no interest to B. Hussein. F. Arbia illegal usurpers of the country naming it after their family and forbidding of all other religions except Wahabi Islam is of no interest to B. Hussein. The many thousands of horrific honor killings every year and trampling of women rights in all 22 Arb countries is of no interest to B. Hussein. This is what upsets us while B. Hussein objects to Jews building their country that was neglected for centuries under Arb control
12. You are a Greek woman #9
Genuine Tosefta ,   Tveria   (11.06.09)
Atlas Liman converted by the threat of death to Islam two generations ago Go ask your parents, grandparents and uncles now, as a Greek woman, do you support Islam?
13. Buy yourselves a mirror
Dave Heidenfeld Nwe Mexico USA   (11.06.09)
The constant thread going through all the "Israeli Opinions" is that it's always some one else who is doing you in.The lack of accountability was always an Israeli problem and has gotten out of hand.Its one thing to build castles in the sky,but moving in to them is insane.For myself,as one who was raised in Israel it is becoming hard to find a difference between you and the other middle east countries that surround you.Is it something in the water? Do you not have mirrors ?Wake up !
14. Not to worry,most Americans are insulted by obaamas indiffer
ence to reality & ,   real leadership too.   (11.06.09)
15. Indeed, until his speech in Cairo matters were unknown, but
Eitan ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (11.06.09)
in that speech and in subsequent acts and statements Obama illustrated to us, Israeli Jews, his attitude towards Israel and the Jews who reside in Zion. Examples: Having pronounced Israel's right to exist based on events that took place in Europe in the middle of the 20th century erased several thousand years of Jewish civilization based in Eretz Israel and the non-stop affinity of the Hebrew/Israeli/Jewish people towards Zion/Jerusalem and the Land of Israel. Having demanded that Jews, only because they are Jewish, may not reside in certain villages, towns and even neighborhoods of Israel's capital city - a pure expression of anti-Jewish racism - is yet another example. I don't think Israeli Jews feel towards Obama particularly positively or negatively. He was elected democratically by the US public and if the American public likes him, that's good enough for us. But when he attempts to deal with us here, in Israel, from a position of either lack of knowledge and experience and a degree of naivete, and possibly coupled with an amount of malice (note, he was after all Rev. Wright's follower and Min. Farakhan's friend...) and in so doing placing Israel and its population at harms way, that can't pass. We can't be nice to this person within the context of our existence here. Let us hope things will change for the better and instead of 4% approval he will receive much more. But he would have to demonstrate it to us that he deserves it.
16. Why we do not trust Obama.
Ron B. ,   Lod   (11.06.09)
Obama reaffirmed a UN-style moral equivalence between Palestinian terrorists who systematically and intentionally abuse their civilians as human-shield and target Israeli civilians on one hand, and the Israel Defense Force which is confronted by such terrorism on the other hand. President Obama also reinforced UN-style moral equivalence between Palestinian terrorism and hate education on one hand, and Jewish communities in Judea & Samaria on the other hand. Once again, there was the implicit message that Jewish communities in Judea & Samaria trigger Palestinian terrorism and constitute an obstacle to peace. Can we trust Obama ? http://xrl.us/bfq9c8
17. We are in good company
R ,   Israel   (11.06.09)
Obama displayed indifference to the Dali Lama, so as not to offend China, bastion of human rights.
18. Obama can't even win in resoundingly Democrat New Jersey.
Chaim ,   Israel   (11.06.09)
Obama is indifferent to Israel. More accurately, he hates Israel. Most Americans don't even see him as particularly friendly towards America. He tours the world denigrating America. He inflicts historically unprecedented deficits on America. Incredibly, America faces a real danger of bankrupcy under Obama. He makes America an international laughing stock. Recent elections prove Obama can't even win in resoundingly Democrat New Jersey. This would be equivalent to George Bush losing in Texas. America has begun the countdown to replace Obama already.
19. ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU #9 just a fact
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (11.06.09)
'WHAT HAPPENED, ATİLLA ? well I just say what I heard, long long ago, some jewish people, made a plan, to take africans as slave to america.' The fact is that not a single Jew was involved in the slave trade. Most of the slave traders were lo and behold MUSLIMS.
20. This Just In: Writer down well, missing the horizon!
Mea   (11.06.09)
Talk about not having your finger on the pulse, where has this writer been. He's about as in tune to the feelings toward Obama in the USA and in Israel as...as...as a certain Swede was about organ donation procedures. In other words, in his attempt to exercise his self loathing, he tries to turn the table on Oabama's obvious assertive negative actions against Israel and make them into some high school level equivilant to a spat. Thsi artocle isn't just wrong--it is ridiculously sophmoric.
21. No. 9 Atilla
NYC Girl   (11.06.09)
Perhaps you might want to consider reading a history book...unless you're afraid your heart won't be able to withstand the shock of finding out the truth that it was often Arabs, and sometimes even other Africans who sold blacks into slavery. And that business about Jesus being a black Jew. Wrong again. Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew... just like a large percentage of Israel's population is today. And Barak Obama is bi-racial. So, technically, he's actually no more black than he is white. And as far as Islam loving blacks. I'm sure that would come as quite a surprise to the black Christians and animists in the Sudan who are still being savaged by the Arab Muslim despots who control that hell hole of a country. And if you don't believe there are black Jews...go to Israel and just open your eyes, goddamn it.
22. #13 it is good that you moved to New Mexico stolen
Genuine Tosefta ,   Tveria   (11.06.09)
from Old Mexico and that your conscious doesn't bother you in your chosen place of residence we do not need another "Peacenik" devoid of morality and blind to justice in Israel
23. b.o stinks!
OZ   (11.06.09)
yes this president is certainly not one of us... he is surrounded by bunch of anti- israel, anti-zionism(a few of them are jews mind you) "advisers " who thought they can bend israel to their will..... well, they had to think again-- with b.o.'s popularity eroding ,his political clout diminshing, and most people in america beleiving now that last novemeber was a mistake, this administration is in no place to strong- arm israel.
24. Talkbacks in Jordan, Mohammad.
Basil Rathbone ,   Beit Shean, Israel   (11.06.09)
By the way Mohammad do you have free talkbacks in Jordan, or are things "controlled" by the powers that be. Who are the more liberal ?
25. # 3, Raymond -- Escellenct smaple list of reasons, and this
Eitan ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (11.06.09)
is only during the first year. I wonder what he has in store for us for the rest of his administration. Thank you!
26. he is busy drawing
Mohammad , ,   Jerusalem ,palestine   (11.06.09)
the borders of the new palestinian state .folowing the 1967 line . what madam secretary clinton did last week was throwing you a bone to get fuzzy and feel special then they won't deliver the map for you in person ,they will fax it or scans it in a dial up PC .. that is how much President Obama has respect for you . the gentelman plays like a quarte back ..takes few steps back first ,then he ll give it to you . be patient .
27. He's a pathological borderline
Mahalia   (11.07.09)
Everyone could see it yesterday in his fake reaction to the Muslim massacre in Texas - he has no feelings (except alternating hatred and inadequacy)
28. Squabbling Cousins
P ,   Philadelphia   (11.06.09)
Manipulating Israel and their Arab cousins into peace will not take the shape of an alliance with one and conquest of the other. Not all Israelis are the same, and not all Arabs are the same - the sidelining of hawks and sacrifice of the most jingoist elements of each ("all of this is mine and if you're not with me all the way you're anti-me") must happen. We should not hate Arabs or Israelis, but we should reject and marginalise those who stand in the way of peace (or substitute "I win it all" for peace). Sometimes it's a terrible injustice to stand beside someone no matter what they do. What kind of a world is it where some Jewish or Palestinian leaders can say "restore greater Israel" or "give us all of Palestine back", dooming future generations to continued tension and violence with their approval of every sneaky tactic towards that end (endless expansion of settlements and destruction of crops, continued violence and threats of invasion)?
29. #8 - Sarah
Cameron ,   USA   (11.07.09)
Ah Sarah, I knew you'd come swooping down from the skies to fasten your claws onto this YNET posting. Yes, Obama is indeed a one-shot, "flash in the pan" Presidency. He and his lackey's dithering & screwing around, combined with the simple passage of time over 3 more years, ensure it. At this rate, in 4 years, the populace will be worked up enough to storm the White House, in a manner of speaking. You inquired earlier whether I might be from a state like Colorado, or Montana? Yes, from that whole, general geographic area in the Northwest, without being more specific as to which state. Yes also in matters of pizza - Gotham rules, it cannot be denied, and Chicago-style is a hardship upon the patrons of pizza. Carry on.
30. So Bunnie...
Matt ,   US   (11.06.09)
according to your logic, any African American with either roots in Kenya or Islamic parts of Africa are not human and do not act like humans? Your ignorance and prejudice is on full display today. Do us all a favor and keep the racist crap to yourself and limit your non-sense comments to how much you dislike Obama on a political level (which is fine with me, since no one takes you serious anyway.), not his race or heritage (which i am sure you heard about through the Birther movement) You are a racistist and disgusting human being! There is no place for people like you in the modern world, much less America.
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