On Thursday, President Obama said that Israel's 1967 borders had to be the basis of any deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Many observers thought he meant that Israel's 1967 borders had to be the basis of any deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Today, speaking to American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the President expressed surprise that anyone thought that he meant that Israel's 1967 borders had to be the basis of any deal between Israel and the Palestinians. At least he cleared that up.
The President is right to be exasperated. Only some kind of pernicious partisanship would lead conservatives to think that, in announcing a shift in American policy that goes back to LBJ, the President really meant what he said. Only an invincible ignorance would lead someone to think that the President had even thought about what he said or had any idea what he was really saying.
"Afterward, AIPAC issued a statement saying, 'We appreciate his [Obama's] statement that the U.S. does not expect Israel to withdraw to the boundaries that existed between Israel and Jordan in 1967 before the Six-Day War.'"
That's great, because Israel will never do it, no matter what anybody here in America might say.
Now that we've cleared up that little misunderstanding, how about a statement like this: "This President will regard any military invasion of Israel as the equivalent of a military invation of the United States."
Posted by: Stan Gibilisco | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 12:56 AM
Please. It might help to quote what Obama said in his speech.
"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," said Obama.
This has long been the position of the United States. The right tried to gin this up as some new extreme tilt in position, and to fabricate a controversy. There's no controversy here. The key is the phrases here are "secure and recognized borders" and "mutually agreed swaps." Move on.
Posted by: Donald Pay | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 07:02 AM
Carney stated that Obama never said any of it.
Posted by: George Mason | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 08:02 AM
I'm glad you cleared that up for your readers Ken. Too many conservatives continue to jump the gun and misread our President out of jealousy, anger, and unrational thinking. In the fog of sensationalist and rabid judgement calls, conservatives continue to underestimate President Obama.
Posted by: Guard | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 08:46 AM
I had been expecting you to chime in with the conservative noise machine on this, but am surprised it took so long.
Posted by: A.I. | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 10:43 AM
I'm laughing at you A.I. Most of the time, one must wisely choose their battles one at a time. Lately, I have chosen 3 battles on 3 different blogs until I get tired and then drop off the radar again for awhile.
Posted by: Guard | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 02:11 PM
Ken and A.I., by the way I forgot to mention that I am supporting the President again and will vote to reelect him. I just thought you might want to know that.
Posted by: Guard | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 02:13 PM
"I am supporting the President again and will vote to reelect him."
Oh Thank God....I can get a decent nights sleep now knowing that. I almost thought that people like you would wise up and get a clue, but good thing for the rest of us....you haven't!
Posted by: Jimi | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 02:56 PM
Jimi,
I'm glad I could help you get a decent nights sleep for a change. We all need our rest including our President.
Posted by: Guard | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 07:25 PM
3 thoughts, in ascending order of importance:
1. What Obama said will not affect what Israel does in the least.
2. Netanyehu politely made mincemeat out of Obama.
3. Obama's words, while meaningless to the Israelis, will be ammunition for Hamas and other militant Palestinians. He has made compromise much more difficult.
Posted by: Mike | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 07:49 PM
Netanyehu is an extremist, who will never negotiate in any meaningful way. Obama's words were meant for the more rational Israelis, who liked what he had to say, partly because it bit Netanyehu in the ass. Clearly, Netanyehu took offense at a rational negotiating stance and had his little tantrum. He pointed up just why he's an impediment to peace.
Posted by: Donald Pay | Monday, May 23, 2011 at 10:54 PM
Donald: Yeah, Netanyahu is the obstacle to peace. If only he would be as reasonable as Obama, those reasonable Palestinians would be more than willing to make a deal. Ask Bill Clinton how that worked out for him when he had a more reasonable PM to work with.
Posted by: Ken Blanchard | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 01:15 AM
I hear those extremist Israelis strap bombs to their own children just so they can kill a number of Palestinians. Or - wait - maybe it was the other way around.
(I agree with Stan.)
Posted by: Miranda | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 06:36 AM
Donald: When Netanyahu begins employing the same tactics, then maybe it will become fair to call him an extremist. At this point, his reactions seem rational, at least when you consider what it is he's up against.
Posted by: Miranda | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 06:39 AM
Donald is correct on this one. You should have heard the applause the President received at AIPAC immediately after he stated that the borders should go back to 1967 lines. The President still retains a huge majority of Jewish support in this nation and it does not matter what that Prime Minister in Israel thinks. Besides, he's got his own personal problems.
Posted by: Guard | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 10:56 AM
Ken,
Read this comment slowely and out loud to yourself:
"Donald is correct on this one. You should have heard the applause the President received at AIPAC immediately after he stated that the borders should go back to 1967 lines. The President still retains a huge majority of Jewish support in this nation and it does not matter what that Prime Minister in Israel thinks. Besides, he's got his own personal problems."
This has to be "Poopy Brains" Kurtz? There are only so many people that have the flexibility to view the world with these Brown Diarrhea flavored lenses!
Posted by: Jimi | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Kurtz doesn't post under assumed names at Ken's house. Israel is illegal and should be moved to New Jersey or Utah; Fuckinyahu is a Zionist.
Posted by: larry kurtz | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 02:37 PM
LOL...I laugh and laugh and laugh some more. Jimi thinks I'm Larry that Kurtz guy...lol and so I laugh again. You all continue to underestimate our President and maybe that's not such a bad thing after all. I know Ken and most you will probably think I'm crazy for what I'm about to say, but, part of your underestimation stems from a total lack of reading between the lines. Our President is actualy on the same page as the Israeli Prime Minister is on...ok, now you can all laugh! LOL (But, take note I am really being serious when I say that the Barry and Benny are together on this one. All the rest is a side show for circus freaks folks).
Posted by: Guard | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 06:12 PM
Hmmm, Barry and Benny, Benny and Barry, Ben and Barry, Ben and Barry's....ahhh huh! A new ice cream company is born! lol
Posted by: Guard | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 06:19 PM
Our policy here is to call any commenter what he or she wants to be called. Guard's posts are not near ugly enough to be Kurtz. I actually kinda like the idea of Ben and Barry's Ice Cream.
On the other hand, what the President was emphatically NOT saying to AIPAC was that "the borders should go back to 1967 lines," so the audience could scarcely have applauded the remark.
Posted by: Ken Blanchard | Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 11:29 PM