Contrast this with his insistence that Israel surrender crucial areas of their own country that allow them to defend themselves. Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist groups that share a mission of the annihilation of Israel. Yet, Obama the most over exposed human on the planet, wishes to deny Israel the right to defend territories that are a necessity if Israel is to exist.
The question is this: Do our Allies have the same right to defend themselves against terrorism as we grant ourselves?
Obama's speeches on Friday and to AIPAC on Sunday, once again reflected his lack of understanding of defense of one’s boarders. Netanyahu is entirely correct. To retreat back to the pre-1967 boarder would put Israel in weakened defensive posture. No national leader should agree to such terms and our president has once again revealed his foolish naivety.
The Israelis aren't the impediment to achieving peace here. They need a negotiating partner that will negotiate in good faith and they don't have one. They gave the Palestinians 97% of what they wanted in the Oslo talks and the Palestinians gave them the Intifada.
My point is that it certainly hasn't gotten any better since Oslo with respect to negotiating partners. The Palestinians, no matter who currently represents them, have never negotiated in good faith. I don't see that changing any time soon and to blame Israel for that state of affairs when they've demonstrated again and again that they will meet the other side more than half way is as unjust as it is unrealistic.
Alas, history tells us that every time Israel makes a concession, it gets more war, more terrorism, and demands for more concessions. I want someone to name me ONE concession that Palestinians have made, or have said they are willing to make, either then or now. You won't be able to.
When Israel makes concessions, its enemies perceive it as weak. That's why they demand more concessions with out conceding anything in return.
Israel's existence depends on its strength, not on conceding more land unilaterally.
Historical Israel always included Judea and Samaria--what is now called the "West Bank"--and Israelis have an existential challenge in conceding them to a Palestinian state.
The reasons we support Israel, the reasons we should support Israel, have more to do with who we are as a nation than what Israel is. We support freedom and democracy; the right to self-determination; freedom of religion and expression; and the right to better one's self through hard work.
Very few entities in the Arab or Muslim worlds adhere to those same values. Instead, they hew to strong man rule; rigid social and economic hierarchies; repression, murder, and expulsion of religious and ethnic minorities; restrictions on speech; and victory through violence. Why would we ever want to do anything to support any of this?
It's painful watching Obama trying to be the statesman. He's a rank amateur, in way over his head, and it would be almost comical if the stakes weren't so high and the potential consequences of his actions so dire.
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