Obama's Jewish backers on edge over his Mideast peace plan

[King_David]

By Peter Nicholas

Washington Bureau

May 25, 2011, 5:44 a.m.
Reporting from Washington— President Obama's Jewish fund-raising network is trying to calm uneasy donors who fear that his blueprint for Middle East peace would jeopardize Israel’s security.

Although Obama's core fund-raising volunteers aren’t panicking, they say his outline for a peace deal has created unexpected obstacles that make it more difficult to meet short-term fund-raising targets.

Obama laid out his vision of a Middle East peace accord in two addresses over the last week: a major speech Thursday and then a kind of do-over before the powerful pro-Israel lobby AIPAC on Sunday.

Obama's basic proposition is this: A peace deal should take as its starting point the boundary lines in place before Israel made territorial gains in the Six Day War in 1967, coupled with mutually agreeable land swaps.

Obama seems to have placated critics somewhat with his AIPAC speech, providing explicit reassurance that he is not advocating a return to the pre-war lines that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called “indefensible.’’ Land swaps mean the new map would look different from the old.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-israel-fundraising-20110525,0,3949541.story

[aquart]

1. "President Obama's Jewish fund-raising network"

Wow. So Christians never gave the poor guy a cent.

[here_is_to_hope]

2. "Aggressive safety" will save the day!

Fuck aipac, deport the bastards.

[King_David]

4. How do you deport Americans from America?

Sounds like a very right wing idea.

[here_is_to_hope]

5. Hmmm, sounds like...

You would know.




Have to run back to prosemite.com, bbr!

[King_David]

8. That the oppossite of antisemite.com ? nt

[LeftishBrit]

6. Deport them where? They are Americans, not foreigners.

[here_is_to_hope]

12. Doubtful they are all Americans...

aipac is nothing but a cover for filthy spies.
But you know that.
Most "rabid Zionists" (self described) here would be much happier
In Israel, no?

[cali]

15. oh for pity's sake.

[Tx4obama]

3. Lawrence O’Donnell To Pro-Israel ‘Hysterics’: Obama’s & Netanyahu’s Stances Are ‘Identical’ - VIDEO

Watch the VIDEO on the link below and send it to everyone you know

Lawrence O’Donnell To Pro-Israel ‘Hysterics’: Obama’s And Netanyahu’s Stances Are ‘Identical’
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/lawrence-odonnell-to-pro-israel-hysterics-obamas-and-netanyahus-stances-are-identical/

[azurnoir]

9. No O'Donnell is wrong he does not mention 2 points wherethere are grave differences

between Obama and Netanyahu

Right of Return and Jerusalem as the capital of Palestinians State or both Israel and Palestine, Obama left those items open to negotiations and Netanyahu simply said no to both

[oberliner]

10. You are wrong on both counts

There are no "grave differences" between Obama and Netanyahu on those two points.

They both have the same position.

Obama's plan: Palestinian state, without right of return

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4059562,00.html

[azurnoir]

11. an article from April 21? from Obama's speech May 19 which you do not quote

These principles provide a foundation for negotiations. Palestinians should know the territorial outlines of their state; Israelis should know that their basic security concerns will be met. I'm aware that these steps alone will not resolve the conflict, because two wrenching and emotional issues will remain: the future of Jerusalem, and the fate of Palestinian refugees. But moving forward now on the basis of territory and security provides a foundation to resolve those two issues in a way that is just and fair, and that respects the rights and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/world/middleeast/20prexy-text.html?pagewanted=7&_r=2

and from Netanyahu's speech

We recognize that a Palestinian state must be big enough to be viable, to be independent, to be prosperous. All of you -- and the president too -- have referred to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, just as you've been talking about a future Palestinian state as the homeland of the Palestinian people. Well, Jews from around the world have a right to immigrate to the one and only Jewish state, and Palestinians from around the world should have a right to immigrate, if they so choose, to a Palestinian state.

And here is what this means. It means that the Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside the borders of Israel. (Applause.)

You know, everybody knows this. It's time to say it. It's important.

And as for Jerusalem, only a democratic Israel has protected the freedom of worship for all faiths in the city. (Applause.) Throughout the millennial history of the Jewish capital, the only time that Jews, Christians and Moslems could worship freely, could have unfettered access to their holy sites has been during Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem.

Jerusalem must never again be divided. (Applause.) Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel. (Applause.)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/transcript-of-prime-minister-netanyahus-address-to-us-congress/article2032842/

[oberliner]

13. No change from one article to the next

He has been entirely consistent with respect to the two issues you listed with a possible hiccup in regard to Jerusalem during his first AIPAC speech several years ago.

[azurnoir]

17. Obama's speech left bothJerusalem and RoR open in the linked text from his speech

where as Netanyahu said a flat no to both in the text from his

[oberliner]

18. He did not say anything about leaving Right of Return open in the speech

There is no reason to believe that he has changed the position he has articulated in his past remarks, which is that he is opposed to it.

[azurnoir]

19. Obama said "fate of Palestinian refugees." which I would believe

refers to right of return

[oberliner]

20. Good point

I concede the argument to you.

[aranthus]

16. Does the Ynet article quote Obama?

I did not see that it did. I understand what they reported, but it didn't seem to me to be exactly offical. The "no Palestinian state" part was maybe someone's wishful thinking? In contrast, the President's speech sounded as if right of return and Jerusalem were negotiable.

[aranthus]

22. Agreed. there's a third point also.

Israel wants to keep the Jordan Valley, and Obama's position is clearly against that.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Well, most would agree that the status quo can't go on forever..

Both the Israelis and Palestinians will need to make sacrifices for peace. I think President Obama makes a lot of sense.

[oberliner]

14. Article title doesnt really reflect the content

To wit:

"I'm not worried in the least about the impact on the reelection or fund-raising."

[shira]

21. Looks like many are confused WRT Jewish support for Obama...

While most Jews in America support Obama generally, they disagree with him on the I/P issue, a lot like Anthony Wiener for example.

In Israel it appears worse as his support there is abysmal.

Most liberal Jews think Obama is very naive, the rightwingers think he's out to get Israel.

[aranthus]

23. Like other ethnic communities, Jews have many things on their minds. n/t