"Netanyahu to US: 'Don't ever second-guess me again'" Ynet news

"According to the Associated Press, the two spoke on the phone Friday amid growing tensions between the US and Israel over the Gaza conflict, that has in the meantime further detirorated after a UN and US backed ceasefire collapsed Friday morning. 

Obama and other US officials did not directly blame Hamas for the abduction of 2nd Lt. Hadar Goldin, but they made clear they hold Hamas responsible for the actions of all factions in the Gaza Strip. The language was a distinct change from Thursday when Washington was focused on the deaths of Palestinian civilians. 

Netanyahu told Shapiro the Obama administration was “not to ever second-guess me again” and that Washington should trust his judgment on how to deal with Hamas, according to people familiar with the conversation."   Ynet News

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IMO Dan Shapiro is a fervent Zionist and should not be US Ambassador in Israel. His religion is not the issue.  His political philosophy should be the focus.   pl  

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4553575,00.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Shapiro

 

 

Comments

[Nightsticker]

Col Lang,

A few thoughts more or less on topic.

1. I cringe when I think that Shapiro has
access to US crypto and intel. I am certain that
I could not keep my current clearances, accesses or employment if I had the kind of foreign entanglements that he does.
2. I wonder if Lt Golden appreciates the
irony that now it is Hamas armed wing who want to protect
him as he has strategic value alive; and the Izzies who must see him as a national liability alive and more useful as a dead "hero".
3. I am very impressed that after 26 days of fighting,
the Resistance civilian political leadership and the military command and control system seems to be functioning. The logistics system apparently keeps the soldiers supplied well enough to keep shooting back. Offensive ground operations and rocket barrages are continuing indicating good morale and small unit leadership.
4. This is beginning to look like a mixture of Hizbollah
against the IDF; the Warsaw Ghetto against the Germans; the
Finns against the Soviets; Stalingrad against the Germans;
the Alamo against the Mexicans; etc. Think Moral and Mental levels of War. Who has History been kind to?
5. Hamas has the Strategic high ground. They will win if they get the blockade lifted. This is a reasonable and likely outcome.

Nightsticker
USMC 65-72
FBI 72-96

[David Habakkuk]

All,

We have the same problem with our ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould. From the blog of his former Foreign Office colleague Craig Murray:

'Where is the British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould, who has put so much effort into promoting himself as a self-proclaimed ''Jewish Zionist'' What has he to say while the people in Gaza are being massacred even as they shelter in UN facilities?

'Well two days ago he was attending the swearing in of new Israeli President Rivlin, together with a British delegation of weird right wing folk, including Baroness Pauline Neville Jones, favourite ''security expert'' of the BBC, Stuart Polak of Conservative Friends of Israel, and New Labour public school and Oxford right winger Paul Spellar.

'But surely the British Ambassador to Israel has spoken out in public about the terrible carnage in Gaza?

'He most certainly has. Gould has reflected the massive indignation of the British people by stating that:

'''This was a conflict triggered by Hamas raining down on Israel hundreds and hundreds of rockets fired indiscriminately at Israeli towns and cities. Israel has a right and even an obligation to defend it citizens.”

'Gould paid a pro-Israeli propaganda visit to Sderot, the Israeli chosen destination for media reports about Hamas rocket attacks, and the place where Israelis hold parties to watch people being blown apart in Gaza. Gould spoke of having to take his own family into the bomb shelter in Tel Aviv when sirens sounded from Hamas attacks.'

(See http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/07/werritys-chum-gould-cheers-on-gaza-genocide/#comments )

Unfortunately, Murray goes on to talk about Israeli policy as 'genocide', which in my view is BS. The term 'genocide' is used much too lightly – it should be reserved for cases where what is intended is the literal extermination of a people.

Current Israeli policy is managing to convey the impression that they are dreaming of 'genocide' – some of them, quite patently, are, but mainstream Israeli thinking appears to be animated by the old delusions of the 'Iron Wall' approach: bash the Arabs just one more time, and they will finally and irrevocably give in.

In fact, 'genocide' and 'ethnic cleansing' in relation to Gaza are objectives which are patently unachievable. In attempting to achieve them, Netanyahu and his fellow brutal thugs are not only failing to protect Israelis – they risk a revival of anti-Semitism in the West.

[Tigershark]

An interesting timeline of events.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n16/nathan-thrall/hamass-chances

[Haralambos]

Col. Lang and others.
The news here in Greece from yesterday and today has focused on the Greek frigate picking up foreigners off Libya and bringing them to Greece: http://newgreektv.com/index.php/greece/item/9659-hellenic-navy-tripoli-rescue-succeeds

The images are moving, as I watched Greek sailors holding infants and helping folks into inflatable boats and off the frigate in Piraeus: http://newgreektv.com/index.php/greece/item/9659-hellenic-navy-tripoli-rescue-succeeds

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/greek-authorities-rescue-140-migrants-sea

The reports also showed the destruction of the past several days in Gaza that were also moving in regard to the asymmetric suffering . In that regard, my initial response to many of the sites I go to was to recall the admonition reputedly to be that of Cato the Elder: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthago_delenda_est

At the risk of being off-topic, I will post a link to a Greek song from the post-junta period here when I first came to Greece in 1978 that cites Cato the Elder's words. It is entitled Ερηνούλα μου--my peace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K3cZAuJfiI

For some with ancient Greek some of this might be accessible. NB--this references the Crusaders of 1204, who were often unsparing of the local Byzantine populations and attacked anything of value from monasteries with Greek Orthodox treasures in Mount Athos to anything else in their path: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades. Despite my handle, I am not Greek, but I have lived here for the better part of 36 years.

[Lee]

Seems...ironic (I am looking for the right word here), that a country we give billions to is telling us not to second guess them.

[oofda]

The readers' comments to the YNET article are instructive in providing insight into how Israelis and their supporters feel about the Palestinians. Ugly

[James Doleman (@jamesdoleman)]

Looks like the IDF is preparing to declare victory and get out of Dodge. There are unconfirmed reports of problems of indiscipline amongst reservists being sent in the Gaza Kessel.

[Peter Brownlee]

For anyone who has not seen it (the late and lamented) Tony Judt's piece, "The country that wouldn't grow up", in Haaretz (which to their great credit is still there) may be apposite:

http://www.haaretz.com/general/the-country-that-wouldn-t-grow-up-1.186721

"Seen from the outside, Israel still comports itself like an adolescent: consumed by a brittle confidence in its own uniqueness; certain that no one "understands" it and everyone is "against" it; full of wounded self-esteem, quick to take offense and quick to give it. Like many adolescents Israel is convinced - and makes a point of aggressively and repeatedly asserting - that it can do as it wishes, that its actions carry no consequences and that it is immortal."

The conduct of the Israeli PM during the 2012 US elections should have been enough to demonstrate (if needed) reckless lack of judgement and a cast of mind that is now defining decent, civilized people as "backing Israel".

What would LBJ have done? Or Nixon? Or, um, so it seems anyone other than BMO (though W calling Sharon a "man of peace" took some swallowing).

[Jose]

Folks, why would anybody take BSHO seriously? Bibi, Vald, borders, IRS, Bengazi, executive powers, Obama(Does_Not)Care, etc. Everything his administration is a mess or an unfunny joke.

[Anon1]

Shapiro's bio reads like the schoolbook CI primer on an Israeli mole.

[Stephanie]

One recalls Bibi's visit to Washington a few years ago, Ehud Barak in tow, swanning about the city like a Roman proconsul receiving homage from a recent addition to the Empire. It's awfully hard to watch American leaders being treated this way and responding with the equivalent of "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

[Anna-Marina]

"they risk a revival of anti-Semitism in the West."

The Knesset behaves as if Israel wants the revival of anti-Semitism in the West so that Zionists can continue squeaking about special victimhood, which would allow them any and all kinds of behavior.

[Anna-Marina]

It seems that there are changes in the air and that the toadying to AIPAC and Israel is going to be questioned by the US electorate. Soon the whaling about antisemitism could to be met with rather indifference.

[Lee A. Arnold]

The NYTimes is reporting that the IDF soldier who was reported to have been abducted by Hamas, was really killed in a battle, perhaps before the ceasefire. If this is true, then who broke the ceasefire?

[jr786]

Surely this is high tide for Netanyahu, poncing around as his Most Terrible Puissant Majesty, "We will fight them on the beaches, in the tunnels..." Press photos of him huddling over maps with bomber command: "Let's hit that sheesha joint again, maybe". Cometh the hour, etc.

In the meantime, we have the most cringe inducing excuse for a President in my lifetime. Things have to get better.

[turcopolier]

jr786

Exquisite. pl

[samuelburke]

Col Lang, over at Richardsilverstein.com there is a story on the Israeli soldier and the Hannibal directive. It appears as if the most moral army ever in the annals of human kind is living up to its reputation.

http://www.richardsilverstein.com

[robt willmann]

An interesting thought. Another person who could be thought about is Michael Chertoff.

[Charles Dekle]

jr786,
Thank you. "cringe inducing" perfectly describes my feelings and I voted for him twice.
Regards,

[turcopolier]

Robert Willman

What is it that you think Chertoff is a good choice for? What I see in him is someone who gave up his place on the bench as a lifetime federal appeals court judge to take a political job in the Bush Administration. A great many bad things occurred during his tenure at DHS. pl

[PirateLaddie]

Seems like every piss-ant (or is that piss-poor in this case?) jack-leg messiah is proficient at only one tune -- "Give me the money and get out of my way." One really good whack at the thugs of the IDF thugs by Hamas (or the formal entry of Hizbullah) might be enough to drive ykw off the deep end. One can dream, right?

[oofda]

I think that Robert is referring to considering Chertoff as another Israeli mole in the USG. He certainly appears to be an Israel-firster.

[Castellio]

Other than Turkey showing up with a boat of aid accompanied by naval vessels, how is that to happen?

The UN has been defeated by the US, and the US has been defeated by Israel.

A few symbolic words will be spoken, but an even tighter siege will continue, with an ever higher mortality rate happening "off screen".

Is it time for massive civil disobedience?

[Castellio]

I'm hoping someone somewhere has recorded or is recording those many bad things....

It's important to develop a real history of our times, not the Bibi version.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Israelis welcome the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe for 2 reasons: it gives them another lever to pull to extract money, technology, and political support out of Europeans - playing on their "War Guilt".

The other attraction of increased anti-Semitism in Europe for Israelis is the potential increased immigration of rich European Jews into Israel with their money - which the Israeli state quickly confiscates through her socialistic confiscatory taxation schemes.