BREAKING NEWS: President Obama sees ‘historic opportunity’ to restart Mideast peace talks

[Roon]

Source: MSNBC

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Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

[babylonsister]

1. Bibi won't like that, I'm thinking. nt

[Psychic Consortium]

3. Bibi will have no choice. There will be peace in the mideast. nt

[babylonsister]

5. I hope there will be! nt

[Psychic Consortium]

6. Obama will pull it off..... he makes an offer to Bibi that cannot be refused. nt

[goclark]

7. When I saw them sitting together, my jaw dropped open

Please let it be!

[Ozymanithrax]

10. Don't think Bibi couldn't stop this.

He could claim to stop new settlements while expanding existing settlements at twice the rate they are doing now. He could continue shooting Hamas leaders with missiles and bulldozing houses to irritate the Palestinians into retaliating, making peace impossible.

He could launch that attack on Iran's nuclear sites. We would then have to see if Iran actually does what they said they would do when Bush was Tyrant in Chief of the US of A, attack us. The only real route Israeli Jets could fly without going through US controlled Air Space is Turkey. That is how they attacked the possible nuclear site in Syria. I doubt the Turks would go along with a air strike on a minimum of eight nuclear sites in Iran. Flying over Syria and Iraq, puts Israel in conflict with the Syrian Air Force. Syria do not let Israel fly over their territory without a challenge and they have brand new fighters just bought from Russia. So if Israelis flew down the Red Sea, over the Indian Ocean, and attacked Iran from the Persian Gulf, we control that airspace, but shooting down an Israeli Jet over international waters would be an act of war against Israel and a political nightmare here in the US. I don't think Obama will do that.

Once we see them, we could send up interceptors to fly close and bump into Israeli bombers. We did that during the cold war when Soviet bombers tried to fly over US Naval aircraft. It damages both aircraft with only a small chance of blowing everybody to pieces. Short of a very dicey confrontation, Bibi will do what Bibi wants. Other than cutting of Israel's support, another disastrous political move that would be overruled by both parties in the House and Senate, there is not much he can do.

You can not force people to make peace. You have to have a carrot, a stick, and a willingness by both sides to make peace. The US can not take away the carrot because both American parties would refuse. We can't hit Israel with the stick, because the majority of Americans would oppose that. And neither Bibi nor Hamas want peace, though a majority of the Palestinians and Israelis would back a two state solution form what I've seen. It is the leadership in power that won't make peace.

[Psychic Consortium]

15. He could, but that would be very foolish.

Obama will prevail.

[Ozymanithrax]

17. Why, from his Point of view, would it be foolish.

Bibi and the extreme right in Israel have their own goals. What would make it foolish for him to act in ways that the US doesn't like? How will it hurt his power base? A war with Iran would be foolish, in my opinion. But what would convince Bibi that it wold be foolish?

Further, why will Obama prevail. If Obama were the only one that matters, I would agree. But to bring peace he has to bring others along. I'll have to wait and see how his policy unfolds before I have much confidence that it can be done.

[Psychic Consortium]

18. Obama will make offers that cannot be refused. nt

[Ozymanithrax]

20. So your saying Obama will play Godfather and put a ...

horses head in Bibi's bed? An offer that can't be refused is one tha implies the ultimate consequence for refusal.

What would that threat be? Cut of Israel's funding. Good luck on that. Neither Democrats or the Republican's would back that. What does Obama hold over Israel that requires they submit to their American masters?

I'm really interested in your answer because I've seen the Godfather reference used elsewhere in reference here at DU, and short of war, assassination, or cutting off all support for the state of Israel, I don't see what it could be. Obama is not going to go to war with Israel. Obama is not going to assassinate Bibi and his government. Obama is not going to force Congress to cut off all funding and support for Israel.

[Psychic Consortium]

22. Obama is a genius at motivating others to do the right thing.

He does not use threats or coercion. And he is not Israel's master.

He points out to others the advantages of peace.
And the dangers of continued war. It is believed that Obama
has direct knowledge of some danger to Israel that would
be lessened if peace were pursued. There are also some carrots being offered. And yes Obama would cut funding.

[Doctor_J]

2. I'm trying to think...

if I've ever heard this before. Maybe once or twice.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. Bibi will be talking with his allies in the religious right...

here in the US to short circuit anything that looks like peace. He never recovered from his brother's death. Look for even more buzz that the US is abandoning Israel. I get 4 or 5 such emails a week from concerned toll friends.

[Wizard777]

9. They have become marginalized and irrelevant. So I guess Bush did a lil good.

Just a lil. Very lil.

[Wizard777]

8. This is excellent news! He should seize the opportunity.

[Ozymanithrax]

12. Republicans are desperate to find an issue to pull their...

party together. Israel appeals to the religious right who salivate over the idea of 18 million Jews being tortured to death so 180000 can become Jews for Jesus and fight the antichrist at Armageddon. The National Security Establishment (that thing Eisenhower warned us against) can be held by continued sales of arms and equipment to Israel, paid for by US money. Big business will follow the pull that Republicans have on their nose rings, if the Repubs can get their stuff together.

Peace would be a great achievement, but it hasn't been done because it is very difficult. It is difficult because people in the region prefer the status quo, not because good men haven't tried. There are a lot of people who rely on conflict for their livlihood because the US has created an economy based on a gigantic National Security establishment. Why do you think we have he biggest most expensive military in the world?

[lamp_shade]

11. I like the way he chose that word.... "historic".

[Coyote_Bandit]

13. Ummmm......

Good luck with that. Really, I would like to think this might be successful. But I suspect any "success" will be only temporary.....and that is unfortunate.

[AngryAmish]

14. I am a cynic on mideast peace

Just like nuclear fusion...just a few more years...

[Psychic Consortium]

16. It will happen, and sooner than you think...... nt

[shadowknows69]

19. Probably not until we remove half our Army from the ME

And stop paying for Israel's

[Psychic Consortium]

21. Those two things will happen as well. nt