It's just a spineless move to hold out as long as he can without taking sides. By all rights we can expect him foolishly revoke support for Israel, but it will suck to be his chief of staff haha...

AFP is an antisemitic bunch of lunatics that blames 9/11 on the Jews. And really, what is Obama supposed to do?

It's a touchy situation and Obama's hands are basically tied until he takes office. There are many that want to discredit him and see him fail, so I can understand not wanting to forcast his intentions.

Release the hounds...

Anything less than complete condemnation of Israel's actions by Obama will do nothing to change the opinion of the US in the world. Business as usual and all that.

It's when he starts invading countries left and right, moving his country further into intolerant fundamentalism and actively working to divide and infuriate the world that the world will start to get almost as annoyed as when Bush set humanity back for generations.

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Only one sitting president at a time - it would be wrong for Obama to issue condemnations, yadda yadda bing bang.

ONLY American pressure will end this genocide, as it did in Lebanon.

If Americans think that the world is angry about Bush, just you wait and see what the world will think of America if Obama doesn't condemn this and stop funding and supporting the Israeli military machine.

This is about rolling tanks into a country and slaughtering civilians, women, kids, babies. Those tanks were bought and paid for with American dollars. It's genocide and people around the world are sickened to their stomachs and are taking to the streets in protest.

This will either be America's finest hour or it will be the beginning of an almighty holocaust in the middle east.

I think people will be able to understand that it's not Obama who's sold the tanks or ordered the bombings, especially since he's not even taken office yet. If anything, the burden of publicly condemning this act should lie with Bush, who's still the president and who was the president who held office when the attacks were carried out.

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^Exactly. He's acting like the lamest lame duck I've seen.

^I agree, everyone knows that Obama is not the man responsible.

Bush has already voiced his support for Israel's actions, this is now the official American position and the green light for genocide.

It will take an enormous amount of courage and sheer balls for Obama to condemn the attacks and begin to put pressure on Israel the second he takes office.

I hope the American protests continue and the people let Obama know their will. He works for them after all.

Aw you younglings are so cute, you think outside interference will help end this conflict! No knowledge of history is so adorable!

^The recent conflict in Lebanon was ended by American pressure.

I understand Obama isn't the President yet and should say stuff like the US condemns your actions.

But he is a Senator, and he is the "head" of the Democratic Party. And if they weren't all spineless he would have some balls at all and maybe mention the US is having economic hardships and certainly will be actively looking for ways to save 6 billion dollars... hint hint...

Hamas is not to blame for formulating a political and social campaign that managed to oust a largely inept and corrupt Fatah movement. Democracy is what the US pushed for in the Middle East and they got Hamas who they then promptly started ignoring in the the favor of reinstating Fatah into power. Instead of negotiating with Hamas, the US and Israel basically went around them to Fatah. Why? Fatah is more malleable to concessionary action. This was self fulfilling prophecy for Hamas who found more cause to use terrorism against Israel. While this is not a supportive plea for Hamas, who deep inside their ideology believe that Israel should be wiped out, it does show the lengths to which Israel and the US would go to control the terms of negotiation.

Ultimately I believe that it is Israel's wish to contain the peace issue in formaldehyde for as long as possible, their inaction to seriously consider drawing back to 1967 borders only fuels more retaliation by extremists elements, which Israel then uses to impose more security and encroach further into post-1967 lands. Which is beneficial for them, they have captured and controlled more and more land over the last 60 years that this conflict has been playing out over.

At this point Hamas, Fatah and any other formation is fighting a losing battle against an opponent who outmatches them far more on military and economic means. Concession to peace is the only solution the price of which would be a total annexation of most of Palestinian land.

Israel would dictate the terms, an example would be the complete hand over of East Jerusalem, which would mean a lose of its political, cultural and religious center. That is only a 1% adjustment over 1967 lands. I don't believe one is fair when dictating the terms, the Palestinian people would inherit a shell state, or a become a stateless people within Israel along the lines of Bedoun in Kuwait.

Tzipi Livni had to prove she was capable of action, the transition in US power cripples a credible response from the only nation able to dissuade Israel. The losers are the countless civilians caught in the crossfire, most of which will be Palestinian people.

Obama should (but probably will not) make the peace process a central piece of foreign policy, as injustices carried still ring true through Arab people and their leaders. Formulation of peace on which all Palestinians can agree on would allow for normalization of relations between the US, Israel and the Arab world. But that won't happen as Palestinians differ on the terms of peace, Israel is too willing to continue this decade long process of wholly swallowing the Palestinian lands and the US is too afraid to take actionable stances on terms.

Although the US says it's pushing for democracy, history suggests otherwise.

BTW, did anyone notice that gas prices jumped 10 cents (in Canada - 65 cents to 75) since this latest phase in the war started? Wonder if the effect has been similar around the world?

What I want to know is if there was some speculation on oil futures to cash in on the latest conflict?

No.. It's more simple than that. Israel is like a spoiled rich kid living off a trust fund and acting like an ass.

If the US cut off the purse string and even gave aid to Gaza at the same time.. I guarantee it will change the dynamic. Israel has used this Iraq mess as an excuse to do whatever they want because US is too much a hypocrite to complain (same for Russia). Lebanon stuff, everyone looked the other way. Formal military occupation of Gaza.. they get a pass.

Time to cut off all economic and military aid.

I guarantee when US quits sending F16 munitions and parts they will eventually stop dropping bombs.

America must stop funding the Israeli military, condemn its actions and put pressure on Israel to end its occupation.

Obama made many statements reacting to the Georgian conflict but has still remained silent on this.

-250,000 people in Gaza are now without access to water.

-Food Aid say that they need 400 trucks a day into Gaza to meet minimum basic requirements, only 100 per day are getting through as the Israelis have blocked off all access.

-International aid workers have been unable to get into Gaza since November 8th.

This is the beginning of a mass genocide in Gaza and is a reminder to the entire world of just how dangerous American foreign policies have become.

>> ^Irishman:
[snip]
If Americans think that the world is angry about Bush, just you wait and see what the world will think of America if Obama doesn't condemn this and stop funding and supporting the Israeli military machine.
[snip]

Hmm, that sounds familiar. Oh yeah, sounds like this:

>> ^Irishman:
What is wrong with people's heads who can't see this. It's plain daylight stuff folks, the stuff Obama has been saying should really be scaring the shit out of people.
Wrong president America, wrong president. Europe and the rest of the world will NEVER forgive America for electing this man.


Funny, you were wrong then, and you're wrong now.

Stop claiming to speak for the whole world.

Count me as one of the people not impressed by Obama's silence. However, I don't think he'd be silent if he was in complete agreement with Bush's stance on these events. Right now, Bush is saying "Isreal, you're justified, but do try not to kill too many innocent people, it'd reflect badly on my reputation."

I doubt he'll take a stance that satisfies you, since you want the US to write off Israel, and I think we know Obama won't do that. We'll see what he does, but I doubt he'll be completely supportive of only one side; he'll probably make a speech that's long, complex, nuanced, and says negative things about both parties.

I'm not smart enough to predict what he'll say or do exactly, but I can predict your response: to claim to speak for the WHOLE WORLD in condemning Obama, regardless of his choice, and have it turn out that you're not even representative of your own country, much less the world at large.

I'm with ya on how much this situation sucks, and how there are horrors being committed by Israel right now, but I can't really see how focusing on trying to smear Obama for being predisposed to be on Israel's side is really helping anyone further a peace effort. Seems more like a political agenda for governance in the US than a peace agenda for the world, but maybe that's just me.

Alarmist much?

>> ^Irishman:
ONLY American pressure will end this genocide, as it did in Lebanon.
If Americans think that the world is angry about Bush, just you wait and see what the world will think of America if Obama doesn't condemn this and stop funding and supporting the Israeli military machine.
This is about rolling tanks into a country and slaughtering civilians, women, kids, babies. Those tanks were bought and paid for with American dollars. It's genocide and people around the world are sickened to their stomachs and are taking to the streets in protest.
This will either be America's finest hour or it will be the beginning of an almighty holocaust in the middle east.

Yes, alarmist. Very much so. Are the millions of people taking to the streets also being alarmist? I think they are, and I also think there's good reason.

I don't think I'm wrong on Obama but I hope I am.

Obama's speech last June in AIPAC has a scary relevance right now doesn't it? Remember, it was the one were he gave his unequivocal support for Israel's right to defend itself. Now we know how Israel likes to defend itself.

That's why I think he was the wrong president and Ron Paul was the right one.

I didn't think I was speaking *for* the WHOLE WORLD, I think it's pretty clear what the WHOLE WORLD thinks of Bush, and in time it'll be pretty clear what the WHOLE WORLD thinks of Obama.

So check back with me in a few years and we'll see if I was right or wrong.

I'll be very satisfied to be wrong about Obama on Israel.

Disclaimer-
"WHOLE WORLD" meaning pretty much a general gist of what you can glean from the news and the net, travelling around a bit and meeting lots of nice people.

Why can't we all just get along?

.................................................................................. ^ ^ ^ ^
>> ^That1Swede:
Why can't we all just get along?


Are you threatening us with those pistols/shotguns as you ask us to get along?

farhad i tried to read what you wrote but it was all just bla bla bla

can you reduce it to a three word slogan that i can feel in my gut?

@UsesProzac... If my house was on fire and i was asleep, i would appreciate a couple of alarmists slapping me in the face.

but you go ahead and sleep.

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>> ^MINK:
farhad i tried to read what you wrote but it was all just bla bla bla
can you reduce it to a three word slogan that i can feel in my gut?


Hamas: sexual frustration

This may sound over the top, but there needs to be less war, less burqas and hajibs, less gender segregated buses and synagogues in Israel and a whole lot more fucking all around.

At the heart of mideast violence is sexual repression and frustration.

...

GET ALONG, MUTHAFUCKAAS!

Three words, all Obama needs to say.

>> ^Irishman:
That's why I think he was the wrong president and Ron Paul was the right one.

Ron Paul would never in a million years give aid to the Palestinians.

He'd basically tell both of them to fuck off, and let them fight it out amongst themselves. Which would result in the destruction of not only Gaza, but the West Bank as well.

Ron Paul would basically allow Israel to eliminate Palestine.

Senator Obama is incapable of taking just one side of any issue except for raising taxes and spending OPM; he's smart keep it zipped and stick to his 90-minute workouts and body waxins'.

Cut off aid to Israel? Kill the only civilized and sane country in the Middle East?

Palestinians aren't even a real people, nation or unique culture, they're Arab immigrants.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=28222

Israel wants peace. Too bad most of the rest of the Mideast (and UN turd world thugs) doesn't.

When I think through the situation in my mind, I see the destruction of just about the entire middle east if America cuts off aid to Israel. Is it really that hard to imagine how it would happen?

Irishman: What can be read on the internet or seen in the news does not constitute an accurate sampling representative of the "whole world". Also, millions of people taking to the streets is a good reason to encourage discussion and rethinking of held beliefs, but it does not mean that those millions of people are "right".

Terrorism in Judea is symptom not a disease, when paths for peaceful resistance is shut down only violent resistance remains, remember that Hamas did not exist 50 years ago.

The UN passed resolution 242 that requires Israel to withdraw back to the borders of 4th June 1967. Palestine accepted the 1967 border agreement in 1988 as a concession to end hostilities between both nations.

Israel's approach is however to claim that any lands occupied by Isreali citizens should be cede backed into Israel, however lands occupied by Palestinians is up for debate. The University of Tel Aviv was actually built on Palestinian land (this was in the http://www.haaretz.com/).

Encroaching Israeli settlements mean that Israel captures more land, there is documented evidence of how Israel demolishes Palestinian homes and brings over Israeli settlers, when the Palestinian people revolt against this it's presented as Israel defending itself against terrorism, the fact that it was Palestinian land never makes the media reports.

Thus Israel cannot accept the full 1967 border zone because settlements within West Bank divide Palestinian land into a cadre of small islands surrounded by barbed wired, IDF and armed Israeli settlers.

The Zionists believe that all of Judea is rightfully theirs at any cost.

Ironic that what Israel is doing is the same thing Nazi Germany did when it captured Czechoslovakia, when it claimed there was a native German population at the border that needed to be joined back to Greater Germany.