Jan 23rd, 2009 at 8:44 am
The Right Enemies
Shmuel Rosner slams George Mitchell in The New Republic. Another case of George Mitchell having the right enemies, and Barack Obama showing some guts and good sense.
41 Responses to “The Right Enemies”
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January 23rd, 2009 at 9:01 am
Rosner: “However, rereading his report to President Bush from eight years ago is like reading an old, outdated newspaper clip.”
A factually-focused report from eight years ago reads like something from eight years ago. Some criticism, genius!
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:32 am
My spidey sense tells me there will be a sub-rosa accusation of anti-semitism. Let’s see if I’m right.
January 23rd, 2009 at 9:36 am
Actually, that wasn’t too bad.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:00 am
Apparently, Mr. Yglesias has a reading comprehension problem. Mr. Rosners’ main point, when one gets beyond the rather banal comments about Mitchells’ previous activities, is that Irans’ support for Islamic extremists in Hamas and Hizbollah enables those terrorist organizations to block any possibility of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. I see noting at all unreasonable about this viewpoint. One way or another, Iran has to be dealt with and Mr. Rosner appears to favor negotiations. I happen to favor making a parking lot out of it.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:03 am
I wouldn’t call that much of a slam.
Is Rosner Israel’s Friedman?
Why is a Hamas-led Gaza illegitimate, but a Likud-led Israel just peachy?
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:11 am
So we have to stop Hamas from killing innocent people. . . by killing innocent people. You are one sick puppy.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:22 am
Re Notorious P.A.T.
It’s not only stopping Hamas and Hizbollah from killing innocent people. It’s removing their power to derail a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. As for the comment about killing innocent people in Iran, the US and Britain killed a lot of innocent people in Germany during the 2nd World War and, had they had nuclear weapons, would have killed a hell of a lot more.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 am
You know, it almost would be worth the United States slaughtering millions of people if it would just get SLC to stop screaming about how great it would be for the United States to slaughter millions of people.
Of course, as soon as the initial slaughter was carried out, SLC would start screaming about how we have to nuke Brazil.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:29 am
“Irans’ support for Islamic extremists in Hamas and Hizbollah enables those terrorist organizations to block any possibility of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”
Total bullshit. Iran does not control either of those organizations. And neither of those organizations is willing to accept a “peace agreement” that gives Israel everything and the Palestinians nothing.
And as for killing “innocent” people, somebody should put a bullet in SLC’s head just for being a major asshole troll.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
That really was a fairly bizarre piece. Right from the beginning with: “When he was in Israel earlier in the decade, he got along well, but not very well, with both sides. His report was adopted, but not wholeheartedly adapted, by both parties. It had something for everyone…” What was he expecting? A report with something only for one side? I think mediators tend not to do that, due to it making the other side fairly unhappy. A when you produce a report which has something for everyone, of course no one is going to adopt it wholeheartedly. It’s always going to have something for the other side, after all.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:39 am
Re Richard Steven Hack
Ah yes, the blogs resident ex-con and yellowbelly weighs in rather early this morning as it’s only 7:30 in San Francisco. I guess the computer services business must be a little slow these days.
However, to respond to Mr. Hacks claim relative to Hamas/Hizbollah/Iran, Iran is the main supporter of the two terrorist groups who would be hung out to dry if Iran withdrew that support.
By the way, I would have to take some issue with Mr. Rosners’ comment that Iran is the main prop under the Assad kleptocracy in Syria. Israel also assists in propping up that government by opposing regime change in Damascus.
Re wrw
I have nothing against Brazil.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:45 am
I have nothing against Brazil.
What’s most impressive about SLC is his utter lack of self-knowledge.
I wonder if he knows how many arms he has.
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:49 am
Re wrw
I have three arms, just like everybody else (snark).
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:52 am
You’re tedious, SLC.
How about we cut you in pieces and sew them back together in a different arrangement?
January 23rd, 2009 at 10:58 am
I have three arms, just like everybody else (snark).
One thing I’ve noticed about hate-filled psychotics is they usually fail when they attempt to be funny.
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:19 am
His report was adopted,
excuse me? what part of “freeze all settlement activities” was ever adopted, much less evenly taken seriously, by the colonial regime. As long as the colonies continue to exist on the West Bank there can be no peace. Unless, and until, the financial backers (US taxpayers) of this colonial regime own up to that all we will get is more shell games, more war crimes, more terrorism from the IDF.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Re Mrs. ibrahim al jafaari
Settlements today, settlements tomorrow, settlements to the far horizon.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Re pseudonymous in nc
I see that the blogs resident peckerwood is up this morning.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
SLC, go masturbate somewhere else.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
The only way they have the power to derail things is because one of the conditions that is Israeli conditions give them that power. The second you require a 100% end to all violence, then you have given anyone willing to commit violence the ability to stop a deal.
This is not saying that violence against Israel is OK, or that Israel should be OK with the various forms of terrorism committed against them, but they have stated requirements that make it very easy for Hamas to effectively veto negotiations even taking place. Depending on the government in power, this is either a feature of a bug.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Re strasmangelo jones
Mr. strasmangelo jones is cordially invited to shove his comment where the sun don’t shine.
Re daveNYC
Mr. daveNYC seems to be operating under a misapprehension. If the Government of Israel dropped the no violence requirement, it would not have the slightest effect on Hamas or Hizbollah. They are totally opposed to any settlement with the Government of Israel which does not result in that government going out of business.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
“Iran is the main supporter of the two terrorist groups who would be hung out to dry if Iran withdrew that support.”
More bullshit. Iran being a supporter does NOT mean Iran CONTROLS those organizations, which was the point under discussion.
Furthermore, both Hamas and Hizballah could continue to function quite well if Iran withdrew, which is probably one reason why Iran offered to withdraw support in their grand bargain offer to the US in 2003 which Bush refused, i.e., it really wouldn’t change much.
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Not to mention that the government of Israel SHOULD go out of business – and will, one way or the other in due time – because it is an illegal, rogue, terrorist state.
If there is any government in the Middle East that deserves to be invaded and overthrown by the US military, it’s Israel. Whic is not necessarily to say I approve of such an approach.
And SLC can shove Israel up his ass, too.
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Re Richard Steven Hack
Mr. Hack knows all about having thing shoved up his ass as he spent his 9 years in Leavenworth getting cocks shoved up his.
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:15 pm
You’re missing my point. It’s not whether or not a deal could be made with either of those groups. It’s that Israel’s demand that all violence stop means that those elements who oppose a deal are given the ability to stop one from happening. Israel should expect the violence to stop, but this is definitely a case where the perfect is the enemy of the good.
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Re daveNYC
The evidence is that every time there is even a hint of a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hizbollah, etc. go into high gear to scuttle the deal.
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Then why do we let them? I don’t mean that in the way of letting them blow things up, but why do we allow the fact that they’re blowing things up stop any progress? You could spin a West Bank only deal in such a way that it is being done despite, not because of, the efforts of Hamas/IJ. Imagine the PR for Fatah if they were able to announce a 20 year settlement freeze (as in no increase in footprint, and no new construction of buildings in existing land), a token chunk of East Jerusalem, and full control over the temple mount (with some carveout for the Wall). The West Bank has been pretty quiet for the last few years, yet they’ve got buggerall to show for it (other than doing better than Gaza, but that doesn’t really count for much these days).
I’m leaving Hiz out since ATM they’re appearing to focus on the whole ‘running Lebanon’ thing.
January 23rd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Settlements today, settlements tomorrow, settlements to the far horizon.
There are the words of someone who hates Arabs a lot more than he cares about Israelis.
They really should ban this person from the blog.
January 23rd, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Re joe from Lowell
I assume that Mr. joe is from Lowell, Ma. I have a friend who teaches civil engineering at U. Mass Lowell.
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