MyDD :: Palestine: Obama to visit West Bank

Palestine: Obama to visit West Bank

by shergald, Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 12:07:21 PM EST

Obama, Michelle, and the late Palestinian-American professor, Edward Said. How can you engage grassroots activism and forget Edward Said?

AMY TEIBEL of the Associated Press filed this report a day ago, on July 14, 2008, informing of Obama's intent to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories, namely, the West Bank, during his Middle East trip.

PARIS - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will visit the West Bank next week as part of a swing through the Middle East, a Palestinian official said Monday, giving an important diplomatic boost to the Palestinians at a sensitive time in peace talks.

The Palestinians expressed satisfaction over the planned meeting with the presumed Democratic nominee, which comes months after Obama's likely Republican opponent, John McCain, passed on meeting with the Palestinians during a brief visit to Israel. Obama is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his July 23 stop in Ramallah, said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who was in Paris for a Mediterranean summit.

"We welcome this meeting," Erekat said. If Obama is elected, he added, "we hope he will stay the course between Israel and the Palestinians in reaching peace and a two-state solution." During the same visit, Obama is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Israeli officials. The Obama campaign declined to comment.

Declined to comment? Well, if you have to play Israel's game, then you might as well deny that you have any intentions of engaging the representatives of a people living under Israeli domination for 41 years, and more: military occupation, lands that are continually being confiscated, the illegal presence of an occupying army, and daily killings of resisters.

Because the U.S. is the key broker in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, it is reported that officials on both sides are still trying to get a feel on whether Obama will change U.S. policy in the region. President Bush and Condi Rice just tried to broker a peace agreement, but failed miserably.

In Paris on Sunday, Olmert said the sides are closer than ever to achieving peace, but we have been hearing that for years. There is always some issue that Israel brings up, which prevents going forward.

Few details about Obama's trip have been released. Obama's campaign reported that he will travel to Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain.

Photos that Obama might want to take with him on his trip:

Loretta and MLK, as exploited civil rights activists, will not rest in peace until there is a fair and just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Screw AIPAC: here are the true representatives of Judaic thinking on Palestine.

The unheard majority in America supports a just peace for the Palestinians.

The occupation must stop; the ethnic cleansing must stop; the colonization of Palestinian land must stop; the killing must stop.

Tags: Israel, Palestine, Obama, Edward Said (all tags)

Permalink :: 11 Comments :: Post a Comment

ABBAS SAID IT TOO (none / 0)

You dismiss Olmert's statement even though Abbas made exactly the same statement.

...and Hassidic jews don't recognize the modern state of Israel because they belief the messiah must return first. They are also exempt from military service. Instead they do emergency services like cleaning up the body parts after a suicide bombing.

Draft College Republicans

by demwords on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 12:28:27 PM EST

Re: ABBAS SAID IT TOO (none / 0)

Yeshiva students are exempted from military service. This is something of a scandal in Israel, because they're full of the children of West Bank settlers, who are the reason Israel needs an army.

And "Hassidic jews" believe no such thing. There's a sect of ultra-orthodox Jews who do not believe in Israel, but they're mostly in New York.

We should be able to deliver bottled hot water to dehydrated babies.

by Jess81 on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 01:43:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I stand corrected...however... (none / 0)

...aren't groups like lubavichers, who are in both in NY and Israel, exempt from military service, and don't also question the status of Israel's statehood?

Draft College Republicans

by demwords on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 03:02:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

All ultra-Orthodox are exempt. (none / 0)

But the vast majority of ultra-Orthodox in Israel support Israeli statehood. They are, in fact, the most right wing, nationalist faction of the Israeli population.

You are right that Hassidism was originally staunchly opposed to the creation of Israel, but the vast majority of them came around to supporting Israel within the first five years of statehood. The only holdouts of any significance are Neturai Karta (the rabbis pictured in the diary), who do indeed believe that Israel as a modern state is a violation of Jewish law.

I must point out to shergald, though, that Neturai Karta is opposed to the existence of Israel rather than to the oppression of the Palestinians, whom they consider to be evil and doomed to destruction by God. They are also, thankfully, about as far from mainstream Jewish (Orthodox and Reform alike) views on Israel/Palestine as it is possible to get. Thus, your caption is disingenuous. Either change the caption to reflect the truth, or, even better, remove the picture entirely--it doesn't fit your message.

Wouldn't it be nice if there were no rhetorical questions?

by Elsinora on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 05:34:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: My message.... (none / 0)

And what you and others have always known and been against is this:

The occupation must stop; the ethnic cleansing must stop; the colonization of Palestinian land must stop; the killing must stop.

And if these rabbis are for that, so be it.

Click on Peace, Propaganda, & The Promised Land and learn the truth about the I/P conflict.

by shergald on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 07:20:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Shergald, not every enemy... (none / 0)

of your enemy is your friend.

Neturai Karta does not oppose ethnic cleansing--their view is that the Palestinians (and all Arabs) are descendants of Amelek and thus it is a God-given duty to kill them off. They just think that the Messiah should be helping in the extermination rather than letting the Israelis hog all the "glory."

They are opposed to the existence of Israel because they consider its secularism to be blasphemous, not because the occupation bothers them in the slightest. Anti-Israel is not automatically pro-Palestinian or anti-occupation, and this is a prime example.

This is a friendly warning from one anti-occupationist to another: do not hold up Neturai Karta as an example to be followed, nor as an example of mainstream Jewish feeling or belief. You do both the Jews and the Palestinian cause a grave disservice if you do.

Wouldn't it be nice if there were no rhetorical questions?

by Elsinora on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 09:49:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Not in the same paragraph! (none / 0)

You used "shergald" and "truth" in the same paragraph...that can be dangerous.

Thanks for the specificity on the Chassidic status and the photo.

Draft College Republicans

by demwords on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 07:49:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: All ultra-Orthodox are exempt. (none / 0)

...I'm from Georgia. We don't have Jews here. All of this confuses the hell out of me. :-)

Well, we DO, I should say, but not many. I think there was one synagogue where I lived, but we were a relatively upscale small town. It is still the nearest one around within about 30 miles. It amazes me how much I don't know about such a diverse culture.

If you're being chased by an angry bull and then you notice you're also being chased by a swarm of bees, it doesn't really change things. Just keep on running.

by vcalzone on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 11:03:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: All ultra-Orthodox are exempt. (2.00 / 1)

Head to Atlanta...there has been a Jewish community there for 200 years. Now it is quite large. To find it look for good Chinese restaurants. ( you might have to be Jewish to get that )

Draft College Republicans

by demwords on Wed Jul 16, 2008 at 12:27:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Palestine: Obama to visit West Bank (none / 0)

What a surprising coincidence: let's again begin acting like Americans.

Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,

Click on Peace, Propaganda, & The Promised Land and learn the truth about the I/P conflict.

by shergald on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 12:28:31 PM EST

Thanks to MS01Indie for the Langston poem. (none / 0)

Let America be America Again - Poem by Langston Hughes

by MS01 Indie, Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 12:23:22 PM EST

That's today. Take a look and read.

Click on Peace, Propaganda, & The Promised Land and learn the truth about the I/P conflict.

by shergald on Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 12:40:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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