Don't Let It Go

Because the edited video reports that I’ve seen leave out much that is important, I am posting this video of Netanyahu’s remarks at today’s press conference with President Obama:

In particular, one report I saw carefully edited out the part about Israel being only 9 miles wide at one point, in its pre-1967 boundaries. That, of course, made it indefensible, and I think people understand this much better if they actually hear that it was only 9 miles wide. Was the editorial choice an accident?

Also important was Netanyahu’s refusal to deal with Hamas in any way, as well as his pointing out the fact that there were roughly equal numbers of Jewish refugees in 1948, but that, while a small state of Israel has accommodated the jewish refugees, none of the Arab countries has agreed to accommodate the “Palestinians.”

The only thing of significance in Netanyahu’s remarks that I didn’t like was his statement that Israel is willing to make substantial compromises for peace. I don’t see why Israel should be giving up anything. What does Israel have to gain except that her enemies cease in their attempts to destroy her?

Now I’m starting to wonder whether the only reason that Obama finally allowed Osama bin Laden to be killed was to soften us up for an attack on Israel.

Obama from today’s speech:

“We believe that the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established, for both states.”

As I understand this, it would mean that Israel is to give up whatever land it found necessary to take, in order to preserve its own security, in 1967, unless the “Palestinians” agree to “swap” Israel for land that Israel already had in 1967.

Israel fought a war in self-defense in 1967. It took land as necessary to be able to eliminate the threat to its security, and it has since established settlements on some of this land. But now, Barack Obama is telling them that they must hand all this over, that the starting point for negotiations is supposed to be the borders that left Israel vulnerable to those who would, given a chance, wipe it out of existence.

Presumably the United States would not do anything militarily to Israel to bring this about — i.e., we would not force Israel to agree to this. (Perhaps we would refuse to give them aid, or some such.) But Obama is clearly using whatever influence and moral sanction he has at his disposal to help the Palestinians and punish Israel.

Obama’s speech is particularly inexcusable today, in a context where there have been reports of groups on Facebook calling for a mass invasion of Israel on Friday. And no, the Obama administration cannot pretend it doesn’t know about these groups and what they’re calling for. We learned this week that the government is well aware of what people post on Facebook, even if they’re sharing it with only seven friends.