Buttigieg: Americans 'Should Not Foot the Bill' if Israel Were to Annex West Bank

[crazytown]

Americans 'Should Not Foot the Bill' if Israel Were to Annex West Bank, Buttigieg Says

2020 Democratic presidential candidate said the U.S. should limit aid to Israel if Netanyahu goes ahead with his election-eve promise

WASHINGTON – Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg said on Tuesday that if Israel will unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank, the United States should limit its financial backing to Israel.

During a speech at Indiana University, Buttigieg said that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will go forward with his pre-election promise to annex settlements in the West Bank, "he should know that a President Buttigieg would take steps to make sure that American taxpayers won’t help foot the bill."

Buttigieg added that he supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that the leadership on both sides is at fault for the current stalemate. He warned that Netanyahu is "turning away from peace" and added that "a supporter of Israel may also oppose the policies of the right-wing Israeli government”.

The comments follow an interview published Saturday in the New York Times, in which U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said Israel has the right to annex parts of the West Bank

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-buttigieg-americans-should-not-foot-the-bill-if-israel-were-to-annex-west-bank-1.7359762

[stopbush]

1. I agree with Mayor Pete on this one.

[mtnsnake]

2. I agree with Mayor Pete on almost everything

[saidsimplesimon]

3. He warned that Netanyahu is "turning away from peace"

and added that "a supporter of Israel may also oppose the policies of the right-wing Israeli government”.

I think Mayor Buttigieg would be an excellent candidate for President. I still favor Senators Warren and Harris. The primary election is still many months away with many excellent candidates.

[comradebillyboy]

4. He's absolutly right.

[loyalsister]

5. Saying stuff that needs to be said

Too few candidates and office holders have had the guts to take a position that might displease Israel.
I really admire what I have heard of Pete's foreign policy.

[Indygram]

6. Well, he had a nice little run...now the media will turn on him

Already seeing twitter comments calling him anti-Israel.

[marylandblue]

7. He's not such an easy mark

This is from two months ago

"Democrats are increasingly critical of Israel. Not Pete Buttigieg: Buttigieg’s staunch support of Israel bucks the Democratic party’s trend."

https://www.vox.com/2019/4/3/18293545/pete-buttigieg-democrats-president-israel-omar-palestine



"Pete Buttigieg may be a rising star in the 2020 Democratic field, but his strong pro-Israel views may put him at odds with the increasingly pro-Palestinian left flank in his own party.

The 37-year-old openly gay mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has in the past described Israel as a model for the US in how to deal with security threats. He’s blamed most of the suffering in Gaza on Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist political organization and militant group that has run the territory since 2007. And he’s strongly rejected condemnations of Israel — and US support for it — made by progressive lawmakers."

[Indygram]

9. Just a few tweets I'm seeing...

FYI...the press started negative reporting on Beto immediately after he criticized Netanyahu. Don't be surprised if Pete starts getting the cold shoulder.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[crazytown]

10. Mayor Pete can defend himself ... very effectively.

This should be interesting.

[Indygram]

11. Any criticism of anything related to Israel regardless of how minor

Brings blowback. No one should be surprised if there is backlash is all I'm saying.

[crazytown]

12. Agreed

Any Dem nominee is going to face the full force of RW fury. What I meant is this could be an interesting dress rehearsal.

[GulfCoast66]

8. I agree. I support Israel strongly.

I think the face as many threats to their existence as they always have. Bad government there or not.

But, right now our policy is being driven by the 20% of Americans who only like the Jews as pawns in their superstition that some Jews must suffer and convert to bring about their sick end times prophecy leading to the return of a victorious Jesus!

Think about that for a minute. I grew up with these people. Individually they are pretty anti Semitic. But truly believe Israel is the key to bringing Jesus back.

[not_the_one]

13. I am with Pete

and I would take it further.

Israel should be forced back into its boundaries that were set when the state of Israel was established. (I am reluctantly giving them that, since I am an atheist and there is no god to give anyone anything, no matter if it is called Canaan, The Promised Land, the land of milk and honey, blah blah.... that whole "argument" is bullshit.)

Israel has security concerns because that land was taken from the Palestinian people living there at the time (in the Palestinians' eyes, STOLEN). I'd be damned angry too.

Both sides need to accept that the nations of the world agreed to establish Israel for the Jewish people, but it can only be as originally established.

If the Palestinians must accept the existence of Israel, realizing that Israel would NEVER be allowed to take any additional lands, then they would get their own, recognized, state of Palestine.

There must be a two state solution, otherwise it will NEVER work.

If Israel returned to its original boundaries, and the nation of Palestine was established, and BOTH knew that each would be safe in its own boundaries, and no security threats would be tolerated from either side, I think it would be an acceptable solution.

We have already financed too much of the stealing of the additional lands, causing even more security concerns, and it MUST STOP.

At least Pete is willing to NOT support further expansions by Israel.