Comments on: Middle East Analysis: What Has Happened to the Israeli “Left”? http://enduringamerica.com/2009/11/24/middle-east-analysis-what-has-happened-to-the-israeli-left/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:40:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Peter http://enduringamerica.com/2009/11/24/middle-east-analysis-what-has-happened-to-the-israeli-left/comment-page-1/#comment-14843 Peter Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:56:36 +0000 http://enduringamerica.com/?p=21999#comment-14843 @Dave: Obama isn't hostile towards Israel. What he has done is criticize Israel's continued settlement building on illegally seized land, even as he continues to veto anti-Israeli resolutions in the UN security council, even as he shares sensitive weapons technology with Israel, and even as the US supplies Israel with nearly 3 billion dollars worth of weapons each year. Just because he disagrees with a right-wing Israeli government on a single issue doesn't make him "hostile to Israel". As far as the Israeli left is concerned, it's been in retreat ever since Ariel Sharon's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza resulted in a triumphant Hamas raining missiles on Sderot. Sharon's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, the center of Hamas's power, combined with his open disdain for negotiations with Palestinian President Abbas played into Hamas's hands. Hamas's argument that peace talks lead nowhere but that armed resistance forced Israel to retreat from Gaza rang true to Palestinian ears. Hamas then played into the Israeli right-wing's hands with all of its rocket attacks causing Israelis to become far less comfortable with the idea of making further withdrawals. Withdraw from "Judaea & Samaria" and there will be rocket attacks from there too the right-wing warns Israelis. And that's why the situation is where it is today. It has nothing to do with Obama. @Dave: Obama isn’t hostile towards Israel. What he has done is criticize Israel’s continued settlement building on illegally seized land, even as he continues to veto anti-Israeli resolutions in the UN security council, even as he shares sensitive weapons technology with Israel, and even as the US supplies Israel with nearly 3 billion dollars worth of weapons each year. Just because he disagrees with a right-wing Israeli government on a single issue doesn’t make him “hostile to Israel”.

As far as the Israeli left is concerned, it’s been in retreat ever since Ariel Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza resulted in a triumphant Hamas raining missiles on Sderot. Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, the center of Hamas’s power, combined with his open disdain for negotiations with Palestinian President Abbas played into Hamas’s hands. Hamas’s argument that peace talks lead nowhere but that armed resistance forced Israel to retreat from Gaza rang true to Palestinian ears. Hamas then played into the Israeli right-wing’s hands with all of its rocket attacks causing Israelis to become far less comfortable with the idea of making further withdrawals. Withdraw from “Judaea & Samaria” and there will be rocket attacks from there too the right-wing warns Israelis. And that’s why the situation is where it is today. It has nothing to do with Obama.

]]> By: Dave http://enduringamerica.com/2009/11/24/middle-east-analysis-what-has-happened-to-the-israeli-left/comment-page-1/#comment-14799 Dave Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:54:53 +0000 http://enduringamerica.com/?p=21999#comment-14799 Obama's hostility toward Israel has driven the left away. Obama’s hostility toward Israel has driven the left away.

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