U.S. NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE PALESTINE AS MEMBER OF UNITED NATIONS

Here's what I want Pres. Barach Obama to do during his new term.  Support the Palestinians in their just desire to achieve informal membership at the United Nations.

Perhaps the latest flare-up of fighting is a result of Bib Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, determined to stop the desire of the Palestinians to be recognized by the U.N.  Perhaps he is afraid that the U.N. will then condemn Israel for its harsh and cruel treatment of Palestinians.  Or for its use of collective punishment against civilians in Gaza for the acts of a few.

NETANYAHU SEEMS INTENT ON STARTING ANOTHER FOOLISH WAR

Israeli prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu, seems intent on starting another conflagration in the Middle East.  He ordered a targeted assassination of Hamas leader, Ahmad Jabari, last night.  Now he is calling up 30,000 Israeli reservists.  Can anyone be in doubt that he intends that Israel invade Gaza?

I say, stop this foolishness!  Nothing  permanent as to peace can be attained through Israeli guns and bombs.

NETANYAHU CLAIMS PALESTINIAN CHARGE OF ETHNIC CLEANSING IS WITHOUT BASIS, YET AT THE SAME TIME ACCUSES IRANIANS OF TRYING TO BUILD NUCLEAR BOMBS

For sheer exaggeration and hyperbole, Bibi Netanyahu has outdone Ahmadinejad of Iran and Morsi of Egypt.  Bibi claims the end is near.  Any nuclear bombs made by Iran will be equivalent to nuclear weapons in the hands of Al Qaeda.

Forget for a minute that Al Qaeda and the Shiites of Iran have nothing in common.  Al Qaeda is Sunni, Iranians are Shia.  Even more importantly, the Arabs of Al Qaeda despise the Iranians for being Persian, not Arabic.

Bibi's statements are inflammatory and wild.

Tom Clancy reports on Netanyahu's speech today in The Guardian online.  Writes Clancy:

"Netanyahu's bomb drawing was like a crude, almost a spoof, version of Colin Powell's notorious presentation of Iraqi WMD in 2003, but for all its crudity and questionable assumptions, it without doubt succeeded in distracting almost all attention from Mahmoud Abbas's plaintive description of 'ethnic cleansing' in occupied Palestinian territories. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has for decades been centre stage at the UN General Assembly, but not this year, in the febrile atmosphere around the Iranian nuclear programme."

Note that, as Tom Clancy reports, Mahmoud Abbas charges Israel and Netanyahu with "ethnic cleansing," and Bibi facilely dismisses the objection, according to The Daily Beast, "We won't solve our conflict with libelous speeches."  The irony is thick.  Bibi accuses Iran of making nuclear weapons, contrary to the evidence and the protestations of the Iranians.  Yet he tries to avoid the charge by the Palestinians by claiming that the objection is without basis.

NETANYAHU TRIES TO PRESSURE OBAMA ON WAR WITH IRAN

Bibi Netanyahu, Israel's warmongering prime minister, now appeals to the American public after being rebuffed by Pres. Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on "setting a red line" in the case of Iran's nuclear development.

Harriet Sherwood reports for The Guardian:

"The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has renewed his demand that the US set out clear "red lines" for Iran over its nuclear programme, in remarks likely to put further strain on his relationship with Barack Obama in the runup to the presidential election.

"In interviews on American television networks to mark the Jewish New Year, Netanyahu repeated his call for the US to clarify the point at which it would take military action rather than allow the Iranian nuclear programme to advance."


Netanyahu is a bully who would like nothing better than to drag the United States into a disastrous war with Iran.

ISRAEL IS BIGGEST THREAT TO WORLD PEACE

The government of Canada, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, has terminated all diplomatic relations with Iran.  But something here is strange.

Why did the Canadian foreign minister repeat the mantra of Israeli PM Netanyahu that Iran is the greatest exporter and threat of terrorism in the whole wide world?  I suspect that Netanyahu and Harper are buddies, and this was a favor to Bibi on some account or for some unknown reason.

I would argue that the biggest threat to world peace is Israel.  Under Netanyahu, it is clear that the Israeli government is looking to start a war against Iran.

NETANYAHU BLAIMES IRAN FOR BULGARIA BOMBING. WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE?

Israel's prime minister Netanyahu says that Iran is behind the bombing of a bus of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria.  How he knows this is a mystery;  he has not produced any evidence.


It is unfair to blame Iran unless there is clear and convincing evidence.  So far, there is none.


Perhaps Bibi just wants to take the spotlight off his approval of more settlements in the occupied West Bank.  Under international law, if one country, Israel, seizes land from another, Palestine, through a military conflict, the victor, Israel, must give it back.  The war occurred in 1967.  So far Israel refuses to give it back.


Israel is flouting this principle of international law, figuring that it can get away with it.  Iran happens to be an easy diversion.

DON'T CAVE TO NETANYAHU ON BOMBING IRAN!

Pres. Barack Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday in Washington.  Netanyahu wants the U.S. government to commit itself to join in an attack against Iran.

Obama, don't cave in to that war monger Netanyahu.

Any attack against Iran will have terrible consequences for relations between the U.S. and Iranian people for the next 500 years and maybe more.  War has never solved any political disagreements between countries.

Rather, the U.S. government should look on Iran with respect and with a sincere desire to foster amicable relations.  American bombs will only kill Iranians and incite hatred and desire for revenge.

Stand up, Pres. Obama, for what is right.  Don't cave to Bibi Netanyahu.

NETANYAHU UNBELIEVABLY CLAIMS SETTLEMENTS DO NOT "HARM" PALESTINIANS

Israel's prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu, claims that building 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem would in no way "harm Palestinians," Matthew Weaver and Daniel Nasaw report for The Guardian today.

"Speaking to Israel's parliament, Netanyahu said the construction of homes for Jews in the city's eastern sector "in no way" hurts Palestinians. His comments came after an admission by the Israeli ambassador to Washington that Israel's relations with the US are at their worst for 35 years."

I guess Netanyahu means that building settlements on someone else's land is not as destructive as exploding white phosphorous in the streets or shooting missiles at someone's roof.

But if you were Palestinian and you had your land seized during the 1967 War, and then you saw Israelis building settlements on your land and moving in, I think that you would feel the pain.

NETANYAHU ORDERS BARRIER TO STOP "ILLEGAL ALIENS"

The BBC reports that Israeli premier Netanyahu is ordering the building of a wall along the Israeli/Egyptian border to stop "illegal aliens" from changing Israel's identity as a Jewish democracy. How can a modern liberal state define itself in religious terms? And how can Netanyahu think that a wall will stop immigration of those wishing to better their economic lives?

The BBC reports:

"On Sunday, Mr Netanyahu said he had approved the construction of sections of barrier that would block the main infiltration routes along the 266 km (166-mile) frontier, and the installation of advanced surveillance equipment.

"The project is set to cost $270m and take several years to complete.

""I took the decision to close Israel's southern border to infiltrators and terrorists. This is a strategic decision to secure Israel's Jewish and democratic character," the prime ministers (sic) said in a statement.

"Mr Netanyahu said Israel would "remain open to refugees" from conflict zones, but added: "We cannot let tens of thousands of illegal workers infiltrate into Israel through the southern border and inundate our country with illegal aliens.""

NO SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN

Stop the rush to apply U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Politico reports in a story by David S. Cloud that there is a move among some Democrats in Congress to press Obama to quickly apply sanctions on Iran.

I say that the Democrats who call for more Iran sanctions are acting on behalf of Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman as well as for AIPAC, and are not acting in the interest of the United States or of world peace.

I voted for Obama to put an end to the U.S. policy of mounting a military attack against any country or any one who disagrees with any U.S. policy. Apparently there are also Democrats who agree with war mongering Republicans that the best way to take care of Iran is with U.S. war planes, bombs and tanks. I call upon Obama to resist these militaristic calls to punish Iran and the Iranian people.

Obama needs to sit down with president Ahmadinejad in a dialog of respect and negotiation. And he forcefully needs to confront the war makers in both Israel and the U.S. who want nothing else than to kill anyone who says that Israel is cruel and racist, its inhumane and criminal military campaign against the Palestinians in Gaza notwithstanding.

NETANYAHU THREATENS TO BOMB IRAN

Yesterday I wrote how prospects for world peace had improved in the flash of an eye by the "cordial" meeting of Richard Holbrooke with the undersecretary for foreign affairs from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Today, however, the mood changes darkly. Reports are flying about the Internet that Israel's new prime minister, Bibi Netanyahu, is threatening to attack and bomb Iran.

Jeffrey Goldbert reports in The Atlantic:

"In unusually blunt language, Netanyahu said of the Iranian leadership, “You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs. When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the entire world should start worrying, and that is what is happening in Iran.” . . .

"But Netanyahu also said that Iran threatens many other countries apart from Israel, and so his mission over the next several months is to convince the world of the broad danger posed by Iran. One of his chief security advisers, Moshe Ya’alon, told me that a nuclear Iran could mean the end of American influence in the Middle East. “This is an existential threat for Israel, but it will be a blow for American interests, especially on the energy front. Who will dominate the oil in the region—Washington or Tehran?”"

Note the intemperate and demonizing language of Bibi. Iranian leadership is a "messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs." Each of the adjectives is without basis. Messianic? In what way? Name one person in Iran who thinks he or she is the new Messiah? Apocalyptic? Oh, really! Do Iranians really want to commit suicide like some in the uneducated Arab street? And how is Shiism, with millions of adherents throughout the world, a "cult?"

What Bibi says is nonsense, but it is designed to make Iranians bogeymen to such an extent that people in the U.S. and Israel will feel no compunction in annihilating them or, to use Hillary Clinton's word during the debate, "obliterating" them.

Obviously Bibi Netanyahu is one dangerous loose canyon now ensconced as prime minister of Israel. The world cannot afford to allow him to attack Iran.

WE CANNOT ALLOW ISRAEL'S NEW LEADERS TO ATTACK IRAN

Tomorrow is a fateful day for the Israeli/Palestinian relations. It is election day for parliament in Israel. It appears that Likud's war monger Bibi Netanyahu might win the most seats over Kadima's Tzipi Livni. And the ultra conservative and Arab expelling party of war monger par excellence Arigdor Lieberman is posed to pick up influential seats.

Both Netanyahu and Lieberman would think nothing of restarting Israel's attack on Palestinians in Gaza, wanting to eradicate and eliminate any vestige of Hamas. But because Hamas really represents the people in Gaza, this means elimination of the Palestinians themselves, including all men, women and children.

Furthermore, Lieberman and Netanyahu are constantly accusing Iran of aiding terrorists because Iran sends monies into Gaza for charitable purposes, and Iran also does the same thing for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah's adherents are Shia Muslims, as is the majority of Iranians. It is natural that Iran would want to come to the financial aid of its co-religionists in Lebanon who have seen their infrastructure, roads, bridges, apartment buildings and private homes, destroyed by Israeli war planes several years ago. But the Israeli hardliners try to portray Iran as aiding terrorists, a charge that in these guys' minds, justifies starting a war by attacking Iranian cities and people.

We need Obama to make it clear that U.S. foreign policy opposes such disastrous and catastrophic ideas and plans. Obama should also lay down the law that the U.S. will totally oppose any Israeli scheme to start another world war by initiating an attack against Iran.