Why won't President Obama condemn Israel?

[Hopeless Romantic]

His silence is deafening.

What do they have to do to get America to stop supporting them?

[non sociopath skin]

1. Kill Americans?

The Skin

[enlightenment]

2. I honestly do not believe even that would be

sufficient.

It's like a doting parent, watching their sociopathic kid performing vivisection on the neighbour's cat with a benign smile; occasionally twittering, 'now, now, darling - it isn't nice to treat poor pussy that way.'

Disgusting.

[Nihil]

4. They've already done that a few times ...

... with no official reaction (just bitterness from the survivors).

:shrug:

[LeftishBrit]

3. Stop supporting American foreign policy. That's the usual way countries can lose American support.

Any serious dissent and America will cut off the aid, and change Jerusalem Artichokes to Freedom Artichokes.

Continue to support American policy and America will continue its support, essentially whatever they do in other respects. As with other American allies.

Not as true under Obama as Bush, however. I suspect that there is some behind-the-scenes arm-twisting going on, even if it's not being made public.

[non sociopath skin]

5. Well goldang me and gee whillikers ... what a surprise ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/01/israel-investigation-attack-gaza-flotilla-us

Obama and Clinton should be up there in the dock at the Hague with Netanyahu and Leiberman.

The Skin

[craigmatic]

6. The US will keep supporting Israel because... you know I can't think of 1 logical reason why we keep

supporting them no matter what. I'm guessing it's because of the large Jewish lobbying effort in Washington or because of the substantial Jewish voting bloc in both parties. The crazy rightwing christian evangelicals see them as having something to do with the end times and there's just alot of Jewish democrats who help out in NY and FL. Honestly Israel is more of a liability in foreign policy than a benefit. We can't even use them in a war in the middle east without uniting most of the Arabs in opposition. I guess it's the same reason why the UK keeps northern Ireland in its sphere of influence eventhough they're a threat to peace in Ireland if not peace in Britan as a whole (or at least they were).

[LeftishBrit]

7. Disagree about reasons for both America /Israel and the UK/NI here

(Talk about a post title with a potential for controversy everywhere, but still!)

America mainly supports Israel because they're an ally against the Enemies (once the Soviet Union, now mainly Iran) and because America has deals going with Israel that are very good for the military industrial complex. American Jews don't have that sort of power - they are only 2% of the population and not all of them support the Israeli government anyway; e.g. see www.jstreet.org.

As regards NI, it has been kept because it has been part of the UK for a very long time because many of its citizens (the Protestants) want to remain part of the UK, and in the past because many Brits were reluctant to give up their Empire, let alone a place that is technically part of Britain. Fortunately, the people in NI are treating each other a bit better than they used to.

[LeftishBrit]

8. Got this from Peace Now

'This morning Israel marked a new low point in the way it chose to contend with its domestic and external policy dissidents, Israeli society as a whole is responsible for the grim results of the IDF takeover of the protest ships, this radicalization of Israeli society is yielding its fruit.

Together we must change this - we, the silent majority, watch with despair as Israel with its own actions justifies the brutal and violent image it acquired in the last years if the miserable naval clash had any winners, they are in Tehran, in the bunkers of Beirut and in the Hamas headquarters in Gaza. The Hamas government succeeded with the Israeli government's active support to be seen as a hero standing up to Israel.

Together we must change the direction of the Israeli government, without a loud voice of protest by a patriotic Israeli public calling on its leaders to change course, we will all find ourselves in a morally and politically decadent country, slowly sinking into the depths.

You can protest the latest actions by the Israeli government:

* 1) Write a letter to Ehud Barak Defense Minister and let him know your protest - [e-mail]
* 2) Resend this message to your mailing list and post messages of support for the Israeli peace camp on our Facebook page
* 3) Directly sponsor our demonstration to be held TONIGHT opposite the Defense Ministry, by making a secured internet donation to Peace Now today.

We must all respond to today's actions - this is the time to stand up and make your voice heard - not every person who opposes Israel's policies are terrorists and deserves to be treated as such.

Contact us with your messages and opinions: [e-mail]'

[non sociopath skin]

9. The Op-Eds in yesterday's Haaretz had a similar tone.

Sad that the best the Israeli left can come up with is that government actions give aid and comfort to the muslim enemy, but I suppose we have to be content, at least in the short term, with doing the right thing for the wrong reason ...

The Skin

[LeftishBrit]

10. They're using any argument that may work...

the Israeli left are even more marginalized now than the American left were under Bush.

But they're saying in that message more than that it may aid the enemy - 'we will all find ourselves in a morally and politically decadent country, slowly sinking into the depths'.

Avaaz.org has a petition for demanding a full investigation of the action.

[non sociopath skin]

11. Bet I know which argument carries the greatest resonance though ...

An encouraging piece from Amos Oz in today's NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/opinion/02oz.html?th&emc=th

The NYT Editorial was very disappointing but, like Anthony Weiner, I guess they feel they have to pander to their readership ...

The Skin

[fedsron2us]

12. The Israelis kill people boarding ships in violation of International Law

The US and the UK do the same invading entire countries.

Maybe Obama thinks the US is not in the position to give moral lectures on this subject

[non sociopath skin]

13. It would be almost reassuring to think that ...

... but I suspect it has more to do with nasty, dirty, self-serving power politics.

The Skin

[fedsron2us]

14. Israel has become a liability for the US government

Not helped by the fact that Netanhayu and Olmert before him are deeply corrupt as well as being war mongers.

The Israeli people really ought to start electing people who have read Dale Carnegie's How To Win Friends And Influence People.

[non sociopath skin]

15. Or perhaps they just need to start electing people who can read.

:evilgrin:

The Skin

[dipsydoodle]

16. What do they have to do ?

to get America to stop supporting them ?

Become Muslim - maybe even muslin.