Comments on: McCain, Hagee, Lieberman, Clinton, Obama: Who’s good for Israel http://southjerusalem.com/2008/03/mccain-hagee-lieberman-clinton-obama-whos-good-for-israel/ A Progressive, Skeptical Blog on Israel, Judaism, Culture, Politics, and Literature Thu, 10 May 2012 20:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Chris Dornan http://southjerusalem.com/2008/03/mccain-hagee-lieberman-clinton-obama-whos-good-for-israel/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Chris Dornan Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:13:52 +0000 http://southjerusalem.wordpress.com/?p=32#comment-45 I can't agree with Y. Ben-David. For starters, Zbigniew Brezinski seems to have provoked the Soviets to extend themselves into the colonial graveyard that is Afghanistan, correctly calculating that it would hasten the collapse of the Soviet Union. (See <a href="http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27c/467.html" rel="nofollow">this interview</a>.) Nah, I don't think the US would be harmed by a little subtlety and leadership in its foreign policy. Obama looks like the best of the bunch, even if only for his expressed willingness to talk to his enemies and push back against the rampant militarism that seems to have gripped all US foreign policy discussion. I can’t agree with Y. Ben-David. For starters, Zbigniew Brezinski seems to have provoked the Soviets to extend themselves into the colonial graveyard that is Afghanistan, correctly calculating that it would hasten the collapse of the Soviet Union. (See this interview.)

Nah, I don’t think the US would be harmed by a little subtlety and leadership in its foreign policy. Obama looks like the best of the bunch, even if only for his expressed willingness to talk to his enemies and push back against the rampant militarism that seems to have gripped all US foreign policy discussion.

]]> By: William Burns http://southjerusalem.com/2008/03/mccain-hagee-lieberman-clinton-obama-whos-good-for-israel/comment-page-1/#comment-44 William Burns Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:23:34 +0000 http://southjerusalem.wordpress.com/?p=32#comment-44 Jimmy Carter was also the greatest Middle East peacemaker among American Presidents (by "appeasing" Egypt's territorial demands), the statesman who solved the Panama Canal issue, and the resolver of the Iranian hostage crisis without war. I'll be happy if Obama finds in this president a model for emulation. Jimmy Carter was also the greatest Middle East peacemaker among American Presidents (by “appeasing” Egypt’s territorial demands), the statesman who solved the Panama Canal issue, and the resolver of the Iranian hostage crisis without war. I’ll be happy if Obama finds in this president a model for emulation.

]]> By: Y. Ben-David http://southjerusalem.com/2008/03/mccain-hagee-lieberman-clinton-obama-whos-good-for-israel/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Y. Ben-David Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:26:41 +0000 http://southjerusalem.wordpress.com/?p=32#comment-43 All Presidents of the United States support the same policies....Israel should more or less withdraw to the pre-67 lines and a Palestinian state should be set up that "will live in peace side-by-side with Israel". McCain will push for this no less than Obama and Hillary. The problem comes when it becomes apparent that NO SUCH PEACE AGREEMENT IS ATTAINABLE. So then the question is "how do we manage the current unresolvable conflict?". Will policies taken damp down or exacerbate the situation? It seems to most people that Obama intends to take a "Jimmy-Carter-like" approach to foreign affairs...i.e. military might is "embarrassing" and passe, countries that are hostile to the US are at least somewhat justified in their hostility due to supposed American obtuseness, problematic allies of the US like Israel should be continually repremanded and pushed to appease hostile aversaries like the Syrians and Iranians. History has proven that this is a formula for INCREASED tension, not a relaxation. Carter's policy of appeasement contributed to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian hostage crisis, which, in turn, directly led to Carter's ouster by the American electorate. I think if Obama is the Democratic nominee, a significant number of American Jews will vote for McCain on the basis of what I have written. There are plenty of grounds for concern. All Presidents of the United States support the same policies….Israel should more or less withdraw to the pre-67 lines and a Palestinian state should be set up that “will live in peace side-by-side with Israel”. McCain will push for this no less than Obama and Hillary. The problem comes when it becomes apparent that NO SUCH PEACE AGREEMENT IS ATTAINABLE. So then the question is “how do we manage the current unresolvable conflict?”. Will policies taken damp down or exacerbate the situation? It seems to most people that Obama intends to take a “Jimmy-Carter-like” approach to foreign affairs…i.e. military might is “embarrassing” and passe, countries that are hostile to the US are at least somewhat justified in their hostility due to supposed American obtuseness, problematic allies of the US like Israel should be continually repremanded and pushed to appease hostile aversaries like the Syrians and Iranians. History has proven that this is a formula for INCREASED tension, not a relaxation.
Carter’s policy of appeasement contributed to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Iranian hostage crisis, which, in turn, directly led to Carter’s ouster by the American electorate.
I think if Obama is the Democratic nominee, a significant number of American Jews will vote for McCain on the basis of what I have written. There are plenty of grounds for concern.

]]>