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Would you believe I was IMing with Hussein Ibish, senior fellow with the American Task Force on Palestine and a wise observer of all matters Arab-Israeli, about music and movies, and then suddenly we started talking about the Obama/Netanyahu meeting? I asked Hussein if I could print his thoughts, and so here they are. He starts out saying he was impressed by Obama’s performance at the presser.
Spencer Ackerman
5:54
i thought so too — disagreed without being disputatious, made it very clear that this is not a relationship of equals but still respectfulHussein Ibish
5:54
yes
all of that
and he hit all the notes I was looking for with precision
I was looking for 4 points
two-state commitment
settlements must stop
humanitarian needs in gaza
iran dimension, but not the way Netanyahu puts it – as an excuse – but as a reason for a deal
1-4, done!
and really with aplomb
I was delighted
4 Comments
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great to read this.
The problem is getting Bibi to make a deal. Does anyone see Bibi as a Nixon goes to China kind of figure? Or is he too much in love with creeps like Glenn Beck to actually do it?
Nelson: no, the problem is keeping Bibi from doing too much damage until he can be eased out of office. For better or worse it’s a tactic that our current Secretary of State has some direct experience with.
All the Israeli leaders want to make an historic deal, but it’s not easy politically. Right now there seems to be an idea of a regional deal, but it’s a huge step. Could it really be true that *now* Iran is the issue and not a Palestinian state? Seems like a diversion after all these years we’ve been told it was Israel-Palestinians and now when we can do that there’s suddenly another thing.
Hey, if they don’t want peace they can continue to kill each other. No biggie for us.
Of course, the nuclear issue is one we hate and they know that, so they go after the bomb(s).
Seems they mostly want us there to coddle and feed them money. Pakistan too.
If Rush Limbaugh doesn’t qualify as a toxic asset, er sorry, a troubled asset, then maybe we oughtn’t to worry so much about Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Iran and about 50 other places where they desperately need our “help” (oh and bring large bags full of money).
America is in debt and nobody seems to notice.
Americans exhibit good will and people exploit it.
There will be a time when Americans will say “piss on it, we’re outta here”
They should grab the moment ‘over there’ or watch us walk away.