Hard not to be cynical about this, especially considering this:
According to Peace Now’s count, since the end of the [settlement] freeze in October 26th, the settlers managed to start to build 1,629 housing units, and even to dig the foundations for 1,116 of them. The works started in 63 settlements, 46 of them east the Separation Barrier and 17 on the western side of it.
In all of year 2009, according to the Israeli CBS data, the works on 1,888 new housing units have started. Had the construction continued at the same speed without the Freeze, there would have been started 1,574 units during the 10 months of the freeze. In the 6 weeks since the end of the freeze, the settlers managed to start a similar number of units.
Back to the Obama-Netanyahu deal for a second, for what (I think) is the second time in 20 years, the U.S. has agreed not to recognize declared preliminary Palestinian statehood. NYT:
Under the current offer, on day 91 the Obama administration would still actively oppose efforts by the Palestinians to gain international recognition of statehood rather than continue negotiating with Israel. That would limit Palestinian options and perhaps persuade them not to walk out. Israeli officials also said they hoped that enough substantive bargaining would transpire in those 90 days to keep the Palestinians at the table.
Josh Rogin has a lot of backstory here. Laura Rozen has the state of play.



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It would be almost funny if it wasnt so sad. According to Jpost the Israelis are considering accepting this desperate cry for help on the condition that Obama swear in writing never to call for a settlement-freeze again, and promises to veto any hostile UN resolution next two years. Meanwhile, Eric Cantor has publicly declared Nethanyahu his liegelord, promising to defend him at all costs against the president.Oh, and its still anti-semitic to say that the Israeli lobby has any power over the US political process. In fact, it doesnt exist.
Just weird. Bibi assrapes Obama in public, and Obama is left trying to give his rapists gift for at least a little cuddling in between the rapes.
As I read the 90 days freeze for a squadron of F-35s story to Ms ET yesterday evening and showed her the picture of HRC with Bibi after their marathon meet-up, she noted “such a deal, since afterward we’ll discover that they didn’t freeze any building, and Hillary will just smile about it.”
Was Obama’s gift cleared first with Cantor?
Good thread, Spencer.
Keeping track of Obama’s fuckups is worth doing, even if you guys are as busy as a cat covering shit on a tin roof, doing. Pray, continue, so that we have less chance of his putting us through another political meat-grinder in two years.
Fnord: “Bibi assrapes Obama in public…cuddling between rapes.”
I believe you nailed it.
Actually, I’m not as worried about the republicans as I am about the democrats who want us to believe that Obama’s farts smell like perfume.
That’s also a good shot at Hillary. The notion being peddled by some of her diehard supporters that if we’d only picked a candidate who ran well to the right of Obama, everything would have A-OK, is patent nonsense.
We need some real democrats. Just as with Bush’s “success” with the conservative worldview, we now have the jury in on “centrist” dems.
NEXT!
Kucinich ’12.
Just think about that US agreement to veto any UN SC resolutions against Israel over the next two years. Think about what that means.
Imagine telling a country who has a horrendous human rights record, who has intentionally targeted and massacred the civilian populations in Lebanon and in Gaza, and who is engaged in ethnic cleansing and constructing an apartheid system around refugees of the wrong religion that you will promise to block international condemnation on anything they might do over the next two years in advance.
Once again, the Obama Administration proves they have no regard for the rule of law — neither their own country’s, nor international law.
A fair amount of genocide can occur within a two year window, ya think?
But see this way the administration can pretend it’s not simply giving Israel gifts to start shiny new wars with, but instead are helping the Palestinians, who will no doubt be bombed into gratitude.
Oh yeah, buddy?
So after 10 months of freeze, in 6 weeks according to Peace Now’s count, the settlers managed to start to build 1,629 housing units, and even to dig the foundations for 1,116 of them.
Let’s hope this 3 month freeze isn’t squandered.
That’s a very good point. Israel has the fourth most powerful military in the world, and the US has just given them $3 billion in planes that will ultimately probably be used to bomb Iran.
If the US were to just beef up Israel’s defenses without having some pathetic excuse — such as a potential need to defend themselves against Palestinian rocks — then the world might believe the US has green lighted a forthcoming Israeli attack on Iran.
This way the US can build up Israel’s forces, under the guise of this peace deal charade, and then when Israel eventually bombs Iran, the US can feign ignorance that it knew Israel was going to do it.
Nailed it, well said. We’re buying them off to create the illusion that they’re doing what international law obligates them to do. Never mind that every penny of aid is against our own laws prohibiting weapons sales to rogue nuclear states.
Come to think of it, that’s the pivot of all this crap. Real MOTU don’t recognize obligations, duties, etc., they only recognize prerogatives.
And of course, when they bomb Iran, in violation of international law, creating a huge civilian morgue, and the whole world condemns them, well ‘dang it’ the US just so happens to be obligated to veto all UN Security Council Resolutions against Israel — not because they want to, mind you :) — but because they just so happened to promise the Israelis they would do this during those “serious” peace discussions that were going on last year.
One big sham. And they’re already working out how they’ll help Israel evade international law and condemnation, while trying to give the US cover from the outright hostility this bombing would provoke from the rest of the world. “We otherwise wouldn’t veto these UN Security Council Resolutions for Israel’s attacking another country without cause, but we’re bound to by our previous agreement with them.”
Obomber can’t help himself.
He bends over for every right winger that tells him to.
American right winger? Yemeni right winger? Israeli right winger? Obama’s first response is to drop trou and bend over.
Yep, the only ‘Change’ that’s going on over at the White House, is (hopefully) Obama’s underwear.
Breaking news: Obama gave those away to Bibi.
Obama made a non binding non pledge to walk on stage on all fours like a dog, kiss bibi’s boot in exchange for a non maybe semi not promise to maybe sort of not really ask the other people in charge of israel to maybe not blow kids up if they feel like sleeping on it or not.
Obama promised that it would be completely non binding.
You’ll probably be deeding whatever property you might own to the Indian tribe that hunted on it in the past, won’t you?
That’s a bad analogy.
A better analogy is refusing to call the police a few days after you find out a gang chased a family that you don’t get along with that lives a block away from your home out of their home at gunpoint.
Community Organizer!
As others have said, this has little to do with peace but is simply cover for giving Israel another $3B of America’s most advanced weaponry, to be used in the upcoming Israeli-U.S. attack on Iran.
Prepare for another illegal and immoral war and claim credit for advancing peace – now that’s chutzpah.
And even the cover story is essentially a groveling billion-dollar-a-month plea to momentarily stop committing war crimes and violating U.N. resolutions.
Hmm, wasn’t there another country in the area who we bombed back into the stone age because we claimed they were in “material breach” of U.N. resolutions? Oh, but they don’t worship the chosen God.
Remember, “kill ‘em all” is a “peace process.”