Key Obama advisor Rahm Emanuel said this about Israeli-Palestinian peace and the US role in securing it, to Charlie Rose on Wednesday night:
- You can’t want this more than they want it. They have a responsibility to their people if they want to make peace and have… a two-state solution that’s based on the principles of past Israeli governments and past American presidents regardless of party have endorsed, as have past Palestinian leaders.
They have a responsibility. We don’t have — we can’t want this more than they want it.
It’s on p.2 of the transcript there. HT: Akiva Eldar.
In terms of tired, inaccurate, and distinctly counter-productive cliches that get mouthed about Palestinian-Israeli issues, that’s not all, either. Emanuel drags out that ghastly, demeaning, and racist quote Abba Eban coined about “The Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”
To Charlie Rose’s credit, he does try to push Emanuel a little at a couple of points. But Emanuel generally gives only evasive answers. Here’s an example:
- CHARLIE ROSE: And we have influence with the Israeli government on the settlements question and they’re listening to what we say?
RAHM EMANUEL: We have a very deep relationship with the government of — not just this government of Israel, but the country of Israel as it relates to its security…
CHARLIE ROSE: Has the Netanyahu government disappointed you about what it…
RAHM EMANUEL: No. The president was clear about the issue of the settlements.
Well, if the Prez gives much of a hearing at all to Emanuel on Israeli-Palestinian issues, which I assume he does, then this is really bad news.
Earth to Rahm Emanuel: Yes, the American people can care more about Israeli-Palestinian peace than the parties themselves. And we have a strong and direct interest in this peace process succeeding. Please stop giving a complete veto over our policy to Israel’s Likud government.
Footnote: How come, in a White House that’s usually renowned for its message discipline, Rahm Emanuel even gets to speak publicly about foreign policy issues that are not his direct responsibility?
I am very glad indeed that Emanuel gave Charlie Rose this interview, as it provides us an important window into the kind of advice he is presumably giving the president on a whole range of foreign policy issues. But in international affairs, words publicly uttered words by government officials have major consequences.
These ones certainly should.
Eldar also noted that “At a meeting that Obama held with Jewish leaders in July, the president referred to Emanuel as his ‘advisor on settlements.'”
Rahm Emanuel is the White House Chief of Staff. He’s the President’s right hand man. Why wouldn’t he speak about anything that falls under the President’s responsibility – which is everything.
I watched the interview and came away with a different take: “the risks of making peace are far less than the risks of not making peace.” This is an important conceptual shift for the Israeli leadership, which has lived by the sword. It will take a while for them to internalize this.
But they have to know deep within them that the next round of conflict with Hezbollah will bring serious material damage to Israel, not just to Lebanon. And letting the Palestinian situation continue to fester with period Israeli pogroms leads nowhere. The Israeli side has to know all of this but simply cannot bring themselves to admit it.
Hopefully, Obama can accelerate a process where Israeli leaders finally realize that a sincere peace is in Israel’s own self interest.
Helena,
You claim that the statement “The Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity” is racist. If that statement is racist, the word has no meaning. By doing that, you are, in reality, employing essentialist notions: namely, the Israelis are inherently racist – something that is nonsensical.
JohnH,
You assert that the Israelis have engaged in pogroms. I suppose then that, if we go by your definition, Palestinian Arabs have also engaged in pogroms as well by shooting rockets indiscriminately into Israeli towns.
So far as wanting peace, I recall that Israelis reached peace treaties with Egypt and with Jordan. That is inconsistent with what you have written. What you might say, as it would be more truthful, is that Israel’s neighbors did not have to fight to prevent the implementation of UN 181 – a fight that violated the UN Charter – and that the Israelis took up arms to protect themselves. At least that provides a context since there is no doubt that the Arab side rejected UN resolutions by rejecting the creation of Israel. It would also be entirely consistent with the Palestinian Arab negotiating stance that, while they expect Jews to accept as legitimate a “Palestinian” state, they will not accept a “Jewish” state.
“”The Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity” is racist. If that statement is racist, the word has no meaning. By doing that, you are, in reality, employing essentialist notions: namely, the Israelis are inherently racist – something that is nonsensical.”
N Friedman, you might want to take a logic class sometime.
—Earth to Rahm Emanuel: Yes, the American people can care more about Israeli-Palestinian peace than the parties themselves. And we have a strong and direct interest in this peace process succeeding.—
i am glad that the vast majority of jewish israelis and americans understand something totaly different under “peace in the middle east” then leftist, nazis and muslim jew-haters.
looking at your hatefull anti-jewish and anti-israeli website and your obsession against israel (nearly 80% of your stuff falls under that), noone can take you serious about a just peace….except nazis and muslims.
most jews stand behind israel and most americans stand behind the friendship with the only true and trustfull ally of the US in the region.
so, your wet dreams about a “end soultion of the israel question” will never happen, helena.
This is exactly the kind of thing I expected when I heard that Rahm Emanuel was chosen as Chief of Staff. His Zionist/Israeli credentials are impeccable, and he is acting just as expected.
JohnH, I have never seen any real indication that the Israeli government understands all that. I think they still believe that “all those Arabs understand is force”, and they have not as yet used enough force. I am convinced they still believe that if they only use the right amount of force they will finally fall on their knees, and accept permanent Israel domination. The challenge for them is to use enough force without permanently damaging their image as über moral victim-hero simply fighting for survival against an irrationally hate-filled enemy determined to annihilate them.
Donald,
Eban’s statement was not, by any logic, racist. It expressed dismay about Palestinian rejectionism and the long list of impractical and disastrous decisions by Palestinian Arabs. If that is racist, then the word racist has lost all meaning.
“N Friedman, you might want to take a logic class sometime.”
LOL! That wouldn’t hurt, but it won’t do much good as long as a knowledge of the facts and a real understanding of the issues are not there.
HELENA,
You must watch Netanyahu on Charlie Rose, a constant liar looking Charlie right in the eyes.
He is not a smart liar, he is a zealot, racist and most importantly blinded by his hatred and insecurety.
He is cornered and subdued, yet a big fat liar, no doubt!
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article23571.htm
An interview with Ahmadinajad by Katie Curic ABC TV
With clear translation
Earth to helena: if US was a democracy, then the people could have a say in policy. But as we learnt from the last midterm elections, where the now democrat majority sent and congress ignored voters calls to end the war in iraq, the power elite, be it republican or democrat, wil simply ignore the voters and listen to the wealthy lobbyists.
Your interests have no say.
Abba Eban’s ‘mot’ was, most notably,the diametrical opposite of the truth. Which was, and remains, that Israel does not want peace and has no intention of reaching an agreement with the Palestinians.
As to Emanuel’s remarks: they ought to indicate that the two-state solution, long opposed by Rahm and his likudnik pals, is dead. In Palestine there is a population which is divided into two basic categories: on the one hand there are the indigenous population, most of whom have no political or legal rights; on the other hand there are the colonists from, for the most part, Europe.
These last monopolise power and, under the thin veil of ‘law,’ are bent on monopolising ownership and control of the country’s resources.
Surrounding this unhappy place are refugee camps full of those expelled from Palestine.
The issue is a very simple one: the Colonists must be brought to surrender their power.
This will begin with the people of, critically, the United States withdrawing their unconditional support from the colonists.
Since this support takes the form, for the most part,of massive transfers of taxes to Israel and its local stooges in Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere, it is likely to happen as soon as the realisation, that US Treasury Bonds would make a much more appealing purchase if (a) the budget deficit were somwewhat smaller and (b) the world was not kept in a constant fear of war, occurs to the US government.
In the meantime: the struggle against colonialism will increase in its intensity.
You have a problem w/ reality: Emanuel is Obama’s handler. Zionists (Clinton, Ross, just to name two) control US Mideast policy.
Three questions for bevin:
1. If Zionism is simply another form of European colonialism, what then is Israel’s mother country: Tsarist Russia? Interwar Poland? Great Britain?
2. How many of Jews who went to Eretz Israel from Europe in the period before 1939 do you think would still have been alive in 1945 if there had been no Zionist movement?
3. Are Israelis who have emigrated from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, and other Muslim countries also colonists?
Here goes Helena’s obsession with Israel and Jewish officials. It is so transparent that it is embarrassing, and I can only explain it like Dershowitz explains Carter’s obsession….
[Dershowitz’s libellous rant against Jimmy Carter, as pasted in here by Titus, has been cut. Majorly off-topic… Titus, you and all others are asked to deal with the topic of the main post and not go off on tangents. Or, indeed, to engage in ad-feminams of the above type. If you can’t deal with the topic of the post, then getting personal about me or anyone else here is NOT acceptable as a fall-back strategy. ~HC]
Appropriate spot to clip Titus’ quote, Helena. Says it all, really, the inability to defend apartheid Israel in a rational and cilvil discussion, with constant reliance on ad-hominem attacks.
It was the same from the Afrikaners in South Africa. How else does one attempt to defend racism and injustice?
Yes this is bad news, Helena, but to be honest what did you expect? Like very many people, I was cynical about Obama (at least in terms of his being remotely sympathetic to Palestine) the moment he rushed to Washington to prostrate himself before AIPAC – literally the day after he secured the Democrat nomination. Then, when within days of winning the Presidency, he appointed Emanuel to high office, it simply confirmed what I already suspected – Obama was not going to veer one inch from the pro_Israel line held by all US presidents. There was really never any indication to the contrary.
sorry helen but i can’t get as worked up by these anodyne quotes as you do. he didn’t really shed new light on the US negotiating posture. it was pretty much boilerplate. dunno but it’s tiresome to hear the same old critiques paraded out each time this guy doesn’t meet the left’s expectations (how long before someone in this forum drags out an outrageous quote by his father?). the guy’s a hardball player who was brought in to kick asses and take names. seems that’s what obama needs now – especially since he’s been played by a patsy by the rightwingers on the healthcare debate.
the paradox is that you should want emannuel to be in the position he is. when push comes to shove, he’s going to be the guy who twists bibi’s arms until the israelis say “uncle.” all the rest is so much stuff & nonsense
@ N. Friedman
Yes, it was racist. A statement like…
” always/never ”
…is probably the most common expression of racism there is. Lemme give you a few examples:
“The Japanese always have something to hide.”
“The Italians never really commit to something.”
“The Jews always try to trick you.”
Abba Eban referred not to the Palestinians, but to the “Arabs” never failing to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. He was specifically referring to the Arab governments that had repeatedly rejected opportunities to make peace with Israel. Back then the conflict was appropriately considered not between Israel and the Arab residents of the territories, but the governments of the region whose repeated warmongering have led to the current situation. I’m surprised that Helena, who fashions herself an expert in this area, got this wrong.
I’m not quite as surprised that Helena finds a need to delete comments by pro-Israel supporters, but allows outright racist comments such as the Zionists controlling the U.S. government. Her hypocrisy once again takes center stage.
@Joshua:
the reason for this anti-jewish cencorship is that:
the helenas, chavez, ahmadinejads…of this world live in their own little fantasy world, where islam is peace, jews control everything and the west is guilty of anything.
FYI joshua,
“Arab residents of the territories” these occupied Arab residents are called PALESTINIANS !!
Three ANSWERS for bevin:
1. If Zionism is simply another form of European colonialism, what then is Israel’s mother country: Tsarist Russia? Interwar Poland? Great Britain?
THE ZIONISTS HAVE BRITISH COLONIALISM AND EUROPEAN ANTI-SEMITISM TO THANK FOR THE CREATION OF ISRAEL. THE BRITISH WANTED TO DIVERT JEWISH IMMIGRATION FROM EASTERN EUROPE FROM BRITAIN TO PALESTINE — THE REAL REASON FOR THE BALFOUR DECLARATION. AND NOW AMERICAN IMPERIALISM SUSTAINS THE ZIONIST REGIME (NOT FOR LONG).
2. How many of Jews who went to Eretz Israel from Europe in the period before 1939 do you think would still have been alive in 1945 if there had been no Zionist movement?
SO … PALESTINIAN LIVES ARE WORTH LESS THAN JEWS’? GOOD THING PALESTINIANS WERE MASSACRED AND DISPLACED SO JEWISH LIVES COULD BE SAVED?? WHY SHOULD PALESTINIANS PAY FOR EUROPEAN ANTISEMITISM WITH THEIR LIVES AND LAND?? BECAUSE THEY’RE “BROWN”?
3. Are Israelis who have emigrated from Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt, Morocco, and other Muslim countries also colonists?
MANY JEWS WERE EXPELLED FROM THOSE COUNTRIES AS THE ARAB NATIONS’ RETALIATION AGAINST THE ZIONISTS FOR DRIVING 750,000 PALESTINIAN REFUGEES INTO THEIR LANDS. SO MUCH FOR ZIONISM BEING A PANACEA FOR ANTISEMITISM.
“MANY JEWS WERE EXPELLED FROM THOSE COUNTRIES AS THE ARAB NATIONS’ RETALIATION AGAINST THE ZIONISTS FOR DRIVING 750,000 PALESTINIAN REFUGEES INTO THEIR LANDS.”
Very few Arab governments expelled their Jewish citizens. No Arab government expelled Jews in retaliation against Israel for driving the Palestinian refugees into their country. In the cases in which Jews suffered abuses in or were expelled from Arab countries it had nothing to do with retaliation for Israel driving Palestinian refugees into the country.
You might find it enlightening, for starters, to research what led to the expulsion of Egypt’s Jews.
‘Truth’, can you please stop screaming (in all-caps) and can you please keep your arguments based on substantiable– and most preferably, well substantiated, with hyperlinks– facts rather than allegations.
Shirin’s suggestion that you do a bit of research into, for example, the Lavon affair in Egypt, is a good one.
“…outright racist comments such as the Zionists controlling the U.S. government…”
Zionists come in all shapes and sizes, religions and otherwise; anti-semitic and fiercely Judaist. They certainly cannot be said to constitute a race and, therefore, it is hard to see how the influence that this party exercises, is a racial issue.
As to the three questions, as has been noted, they are not serious, involving questions of historical knowledge, but propagandistic and designed to impress idiots.
Zionists do indeed come in all shapes and sizes. I, for one, am of the secular Gentile variety. So do Trotskyists, neoconservatives, and international bankers. Nonetheless, it is worth remembering that while there are many people who may be fairly described as Zionists, Trotskyists, neoconservatives, or international bankers, all of these terms have been used at one time or another by paranoid anti-Semites as code words for “the Jews.” See, for example, the ravings of certain American racists regarding “ZOG,” the “Zionist Occupied Government.”
I regret that bevin finds my questions “not serious” and “propagandistic,” unlike the posting that prompted them, with its historically-informed reference to Rahm Emanuel’s “likudnik pals,” description of the entire Jewish Israeli population as “colonists,” and insightful characterization of the Egyptian and Jordanian regimes as “local stooges” of Israel.
hey Mehdrad”the most trustful ally in the region”
What rubbish an ally for what?
To Joshua and Bevin, please what do you mean that Palistinians are brown?Does that imply that Jews are white? Come on make up your mind are you guys white as in european white? or are you just play-white.That would be the crux of the matter, one claiming to be white and superior and the other treated as second class and no, not brown, but black.Amazing, to the rest of the world why we get dragged in to witness Israeli,s display the “extra special” status that they have bestowed on themselves with the careful planning of suckering the greater American public.
It is this perceived whiteness that enables Israel to get away with murder?and the unconditional backing of the USA.If you do not look white you will be treated with that “special treatment”especialy reserved for black people.
You can call me that tired old thing called anti -semitic or jew- hater ,but you will get told the truth as the rest of the world sees it.America is not the rest of the world, see.