The uniqueness of the American political system with regards to Israel/Palestine is a form of self-deception. The Republicans are clearly living on the moon, as many have yet to hear about the existence of Palestinians. But the Democratic elite is not much better, especially when elections are around the corner.
The Democrats’ post-trauma from President Obama’s early attempt at applying some feeble pressure on Israel over the issue of settlements was exposed at the Democratic National Convention last night. The party has been attacked by the Republicans for not including a recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (read: occupied and segregated) in the party platform. A correction required the support of two-thirds of the delegates, and I guess Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who chaired the convention, thought it was a no-brainer.
But look what happens next (h/t EI):
Judging from the video, it seems that the change to the platform was endorsed without actually getting the necessary majority (my favorite part is the look on Villaraigosa’s face after the 1st and 2nd vote).
I don’t know what made the delegates on the floor oppose this AIPAC-style amendment, pushed personally by Obama. I hope that they have some idea about what Jerusalem really is: A city where one third of the residents – the Palestinians – do not have full voting rights, cannot buy property, and are under constant threat of losing their legal status. But maybe they were just upset with Netanyahu.
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Avram Meitner
Can someone explain how this is supposed to work? It makes no sense to me at all.
XYZ
It seems to me that the American people, who have had pro-Zionist sentiments on the agenda for over 150 years, and who have had to mobilize to fight two world-wars, have a better understanding of how the world operates than do guilt-ridden “progressive” Jews do.
aristeides
Leaving out the American people who object to having this Zionism rammed down their throats by a bogus vote? As always, our voices are ignored by the minions of the Lobby.
aristeides
“It’s the Lobby, Stupid.”
Jack
Most ridiculous thing I have seen on this subject. Apparently the mc was waiting for the yes-side to outdo the no-side.
What kind of question is that anyway? East Jerusalem belongs to palestinians.
Lauren
Absolutely disgraceful. I am less and less proud to be an American. This is almost as nauseating as the 29 standing ovations Nutty Yahoo received from Congress.
Kate
The Democrats lost both respect and I suspect votes with this pandering move, they spit in the faces of their own delegates to assure their pocketbooks would lined with “lobby” money
Brent
So we have random shouting in an arena (where the shouting volume seemed pretty equal on both sides, if not even louder in opposition and thus more people yelling “NOOO!”) versus recognized International Law specifically United Nations Security Council Resolution 478 adopted back on August 20, 1980 which unequivocally rejected the Israeli government’s attempt to annex East Jerusalem and clearly reaffirmed (yet again, just go back to UN Security Council Resolution 242 “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war” and the equally legal French text version using the definite article in “des territories” regarding the occupied Palestinian territories: in addition to the Syrian Golan Heights, etc) that East Jerusalem (Al-Quds) in particular is occupied Palestinian territory. Anyone who desires a serious two-state solution to end the conflict (if they don’t think it is just heading the way of a one-state solution as it is, if so hopefully MINUS the apartheid) realizes an independent Palestinian state’s capital will be East Jerusalem.
Barry Rosen
Brent do you believe your lies?
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126403
Israeli on Arab TV: J’lem Was Ours When Moslems Worshipped Idols
A Bar Ilan Univ. researcher told Al Jazeera, “Jews were in Jerusalem while Muslims were drinking wine; we don’t need your permission to build.”
Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
6/4/2008
Mikesailor
Israelis are kidding themselves if they think the US will go to war on their behalf against Iran. As Israel kvetches and whines, the blind support it once enjoyed is rapidly eroding. Of course it would erode much faster if the mainstream media would cover the conflict and events in Israel as diligently as events in Syria or Egypt, but the word is getting out nonetheless.
Engelbert Luitsz
Every election in the US means bad news for the Palestinians. There is always a small gap that can be filled with bloodshed without punishment. I expect the next Obama speech to start with: I have a drone.
Barry Rosen
Arabs CANNOT make peace with Israel. Without Israel to blame for all the death, poverty, destruction, misery and oppression across Islam, who will the Islamic people blame?
Wait, they’ll blame the Mossad Shark, Mossad Vulture, the 4000 Jews who didn’t show up at the World Trade Center, and the new crazy Arab theory that Bugs Bunny doesn’t like Muslims.
If only the Arab could put himself in the 21st century.
Even the 19th century would be an improvement.
JG
Just like those people who claim the Westbank is their holy land, relying on ancient books that are more than 21 centuries old.
Even 18. century would be an improvement for them…
Bluegrass Picker of Afula
hello MikeSailor. I guess you haven’t been at Naval Support Activity in Bahrain recently. I was. Very recently. Please believe me, the ruling circles in Bahrain will authorize, for your brains to be splattered on the sidewalks of Juffair, if you should be so foolish as to stand in the way of their police’s batons when US Fifth Fleet moves to assure the stability of the Gulf Cooperation Council members. PS: dust off your Ilokano accent when you place your order at a restaurant in Juffair…. you’ll mysteriously get an generously large helping of fries with your fried chicken. Gosh, just like at Takhanat Merkazit in TelAviv!!!
hello Engelbert. Perhaps you imagine that the CIA drones patrolling Waziristan are there against the wishes of the Pakistan Rangers and the Pakistan Air Force? Perhaps you imagine that the two Pakistan Navy frigates patrolling in the Gulf right now, don’t get EVERY DROP of their potable water from 2-inch hoses out the side of American ships?
the other joe
Hahaha. Funniest thing I’ve seen in ages. I *think* they needed a two-thirds majority. There was no way any of those votes was a two-thirds majority..
Jessica
Can one be trained to audibly detect exactly 2/3 a majority in the room? Can we not, I don’t know come up with some modern way of voting that actually records individual votes…. like counting?
Barry Rosen
Jerusalem was Israel’s capitol 15 centuries before Mohammad was born.
Jerusalem has had a Jewish population majority since the late 1850s – that’s 130 years already, before ‘Palestinianism’ was invented:
Jews were expelled from East-Jerusalem by the Jordanian occupation at 1948. They lived in East-Jerusalem for thousands of years. They returned to their homes after Jordan defeat at 1967.
Engelbert Luitsz is upset that the Arabs can no longer ethnic cleanse the Jews from their historic capitol.
ISRAEL which is defending itself against Pan-Arabism, Arab imperialism and Arabization of the Middle East – that is the “problem you dont like.
The real problem is global Arab/Moslem insistence to spread hate, violence, wars, terrorism, lies, false accusations against Jews and reducing Jews to subhumans or second class citizens – slaves or servants – without any human rights.
When you have Palestinian leaders teaching their people, If their are 10 Jews and you kill 6 of them, how many Jews are Left?
When you have these same wicked leaders telling their people that Jews are the sons of Pigs and Apes.
JG
If only the jew righwingers could put himself in the 21st century……