This superb article by Gerald Steinberg, professor of political science at Bar-Ilan University, recounts several cases in the history of US-Israel relationship when the Israeli government said "no" to the reigning POTUS for this or another reason. And the relationship survived. I would like to quote the conclusion:
The question, therefore, is not whether Netanyahu or any other Israeli leader can say no in the face of determined American pressure – there are enough precedents. Rather, the issue is whether Obama’s demands are dangerous enough to justify the costs resulting from an escalating conflict.
Regardless of the future course of this crisis, it has already highlighted the need for carefully considered priorities and policies on Jerusalem and on the wider questions of borders and settlements. These cannot continue to be based on short-term coalition politics or decisions attributed to minor bureaucrats. At least in this respect, Israelis can thank Obama for this crisis.
And two words from this conclusion require some special attention:
"Carefully": "with caution or prudence or tact". "Considered": "Regard or treat with consideration, respect, and esteem".
We are looking for the right person (and their partner) to research and test out the most romantic and ultimate wedding and honeymoon destinations all over the world and then report back with their verdict (on the place, not the partner!) to their boss, 4,000 miles away. The Role:
Involves 6 months of travel
Remuneration: €20,000.
Travel and accommodation for you and your significant other to accompany you on this ‘horrendous’ assignment.
That's really a great deal. I wish I were available. And I can show them how to halve their travel expenses too...
Well, mazel tov to Baby Assad, he is quite advanced in years to get somewhere, and finally he's done it!
Syria and Libya teamed up Sunday to pressure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to quit peace talks with Israel and return to violence, delegates to an Arab leadership summit said.
So, according to this news, Baby Assad is now a consultant. Good for him. As for you, whether you know this parable already or not, here it goes again:
This guy was receiving a lot of complaints from his neighbors, because his brassy tomcat was screaming and fighting all night, kicking over garbage cans and jumping all the female cats who happened by. The guy admired his cat , but the complaints and the threats were becoming too much for him. So one day he took the tomcat to a vet and had him neutered. Of course, the tomcat became relaxed, housebound and generally apathetic and sad.
One evening the guy sees his ex-tomcat cleaning himself, grooming his hair, whiskers and whatnot, clearly preparing for an outing.
"Where are you going", asks the man, "After all you don't have anything of import to do outside in your condition?"
"I am a consultant now", the cat proudly announces.
So, it appears that this old post was quite on the mark. Oh, and the same goes for the older one, the great colonel, he of many names...
I have recently heard anonymous, unworthy remarks in the media regarding the American administration and the American president," he said. "I would like to make it clear: I find these remarks to be unacceptable.
The rest of the quote will be interspersed by my comments, so here:
They are from nobody acting on my behalf.
Could be, but why some of these remarks are ascribed to the members of his unruly staff? A day doesn't pass without one of the blabbermouth majority in Bibi's employ pissing on Bibi's parade.
Relations between Israel and the US are those between allies and friends and reflect longstanding tradition.
Yeah, true, if by that Bibi means the tradition whereby POTUS spits copiously on Bibi and Bibi tells us that it rained. This pattern dates from the Slick Willy's times, so by now it's a tradition, I guess...
Even when there are differences of opinion, they are differences of opinion among friends and will remain so.
The speaker didn't make it clear what exactly will remain so: the differences of opinion or the friendship. And I am not sure we really want to know by now...
I would warmly recommend to watch the clip below. The University of Regina professor Garson Hunter explains why he doesn’t support a scholarship for family members of Canadian soldiers.
Leaving aside the esteemed professor mumbling, stumbling and using all his puny debating skills to avoid answering direct questions, what do you say about the moral degeneracy of his position?
What do you think about him and, I am sorry to say, many of his like-minded peers that pretend to superior knowledge and understanding and do their considerable best to clone more of themselves - using our children as raw material?
And here is the glorious letter itself. Do your best not to barf when reading the keywords used by the scions of high education.
Any human activity could be matched to an existing item in criminal code. For the exceptions there is police inventiveness. Like that new code: ROWD - Resuscitating Opossum While Drunk.
A Pennsylvania man attempted to resuscitate "a road-killed opossum," state police say. But this was one possum who wasn't playing possum -- the ugly creature remained dead. Troopers responding to the scene in Oliver Township on Thursday determined that Donald J. Wolfe, 55, of Brookville, was drunk, according to the police report.
Now try to explain to a gendarme that all you wanted is to give the poor critter a chance. Try to get some sympathy for your humane endeavor.
Wolfe will be charged with one charge of public drunkenness, police said.
And re realpolitik as it applies to USA - Israel ties: anyone who seriously considers that USA will support Israel a minute after US geopolitical interests diverge with these of Israel, should have his/her romantic head examined.
This is a headline I've slavishly copied from here. I consider it being remarkable by itself, but it's left standing by the following quote from the same post:
According to the interview, Sandra Bullock is happy to become pregnant, but that is not the only way she is thinking about becoming a mother.
This one really stumped me. Is there any other way to become a mother?
Hefez said that Netanyahu had reached a "list of understandings" on policy toward Palestinians with U.S. President Barack Obama in their talks in Washington.
And then:
Spokesman Mark Regev said that when Hefez said understandings had been reached, he was "articulating the Israeli position, he is notarticulating a joint position".
Yeah, well, let's schlep out the confusion sign:
P.S. The mere fact of Bibi reaching understanding with Bibi is also encouraging enough: so far it didn't happen.
