The vast majority — vast majority — of questions being submitted to Obama’s Change.gov web site right now are by thinking people. They want to know what he’s going to do about Israel’s current slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.
“We are in the midst of a brutal attack by Israel to the Palestinian population of Gaza. The US vetoed once again an UN resolution asking for an immediate cease fire. Does Obama have any plans to bring justice to Palestians?”
Titina, Marquette, MI
“Do you foresee a time when American foreign policy will reflect the belief that a Palestinian life counts as much as an Israeli life?”
SV, San Francisco
“President-elect Obama,Are you going to remain silent on the unhumane war Israel is launching on the Palestinians and what will you do differently than George Bush?”
omakan, new york,NY
“With the current turmoil in Israel and Palestine how will President-elect Obama bring back dignity to the Palestinian people and stop the current holocaust ?Will the USA still back Israel indirectly in thier attempt to take over new territory ?”
Elaine, Punta Gorda.FLA
“Will you continue the current administration’s do nothing approach with respect to the Israel – Palestine conflict or will you actually make an attempt to bring a real resolution?”
Nathan, St. Paul, MN
“Mr. Obama, will you give Israel the same blank check and “nod and a wink’ to initiate whatever military action they please, or will you insist on contingencies to military aid, including an end to the shameful slaughter of Palestinian civilians?”
James, California
“President-elect Obama has said he understands Israel’s need to protect itself in light of Hamas rocket fire into Israel. When will he say he understands the need of the Palestinians to react to the stranglehold Israel has on their existence?”
Mick, Richmond, KY
“When will you stand up and condemn Israel’s attack on Gaza, point out that it is illegal to use US aid and weapons to conduct this violent massive attack and move to end the $3 billion/year in US aid to Israel that comes from tax dollars? Thank you.”
Arla, San Francisco, CA
“As a Jew I wish to know why we consider the State of Israel an “ally” although are no treaties signed between the countries and as an ethnocracy where rights are granted on the basis of ethnic identity, Israel doesn’t represent the values of the USA?”
Dovie, New York
“President-elect Obama The attacks by the State of Israel are an affront to our notion of human rights and fairness. If this were perpetrated by any other regime we would rightly condemn it. When will you condemn the actions of the State of Israel?”
Hedley
“Will you challenge the viewpoint on Israel in the US or be held hostage by AIPAC? Will you ensure aid to Israel is contingent on evacuation of settlements and a halt to aggressive human rights violations?”
HH, Washington, DC
“How can the United States stand by and see so much suffering caused to the Palestinians whose internationally guaranteed rights have been systematically violated without any international intervention for 60 years?”
Dovie, New York
“Will the Obama/Biden administration please add balance to our policy with Israel?”
mstfd, Columbus, Ohio
“President Elect Obama – Why are we spending $15 million dollars a day supporting Israel’s military siege against the Palestinians which can only fan the flames of violence- will your administration redirect this money towards peace?”
njkids, monmouth county, NJ
“Dear President Obama, How might you propose to hold the Israel accountable for their awful record of human rights abuses? My personal sense is that Israeli abuse of non-Jewish residents in Middle East is our #1 problem. Thank you”
newbruce, Wilmington, DE
There are countless others. Please make your way over there, click on “Foreign Policy”, and pummel him with your shoes questions.
[Tarboush Tip: Lenin's Tomb, "Why or why won't Barack Obama 'speak out'?"]
Related posts:
- President Obama
- Obama for President of Israel?
- Sarah Silverman: If Barack Obama doesn’t become the next president of the United States I’m gonna blame the Jews
- ADC: Rahm and Barack Should Answer for Abu Rahm’s Statements
- Club-Hoppers for Obama
Obama asked us to participate, and chiming in about this (and any other) issue is just that. So, yes, let’s hold his feet to the fire.
But don’t stop there – it’s really important to contact your congressman and both senators, either by email or phone. They hear constantly from more organized and better funded groups so we must make an effort to be heard.
http://ssl.capwiz.com/congressorg/dbq/media/
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Posted by alfannaan | January 4, 2009, 8:12 pmblessed are the forgetful for they get the better even of their blunders.
ya habibi
akhi needs strength
wa salam
Posted by Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind | January 4, 2009, 8:48 pmFrom the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free!
Posted by Anonymous | January 4, 2009, 8:09 pmPalestinians have what they deserve, they kill innocents and nobody cares so why do we care about them?
Posted by Dan | January 5, 2009, 5:02 amthe unhumane war
Heh. As opposed to what? The Rockets of Peace from Hamas?
War is ugly. Hamas makes it as ugly as possible for the Palestinian people.
Posted by Roy | January 5, 2009, 10:00 amI love how Roy can compare “bottle rockets” to F-16′s/Apache Helicopters/Modern Artillery/and a well trained Army.
Calling this a war is a farce Roy. This is a massacre, you only need to look at the numbers to determine that.
Israel declared war on an impoverished crowded refugee population, that has been suffering under dispossession for 60 years, occupation for 40 years, and a crippling siege for the last few years. All of which was implemented by yours truly: Israel =P
Blaming the Palestinians for this catastrophe is akin to blaming the rape victim for scratching the rapist. I know you know this Roy.
Posted by Super Sayyin | January 5, 2009, 12:25 pmI love how Roy can compare “bottle rockets” to F-16′s/Apache Helicopters/Modern Artillery/and a well trained Army.
No, if Hamas is launching “bottle rockets”, then Israel is retaliating with a lot of M-60s and several burly guys wielding slingshots.
Now tell me what is so fucking important about the “bottle rockets”. Why can’t they stop? Knowing that Israel will stop the invasion, stop killing Palestinians (particularly Hamas) if they stop, why can’t they?
Are the “bottle rockets” war crimes or not?
Are the “bottle rockets” terrorism or not?
What are they hoping to achieve?
Are they moving in the right direction?
The questions are still here. You still can’t answer them. Hamas’ behavior is unjustifiable, no matter how much you play it down.
Posted by Roy | January 5, 2009, 2:18 pmIsrael declared war on an impoverished crowded refugee population
That is another lie. Israel did not declare war on a population, they are targeting Hamas, who have been bombarding civilians with rockets, and recently escalated their bombardment both in terms of range and frequency.
Just because you say things doesn’t make them true. And judging from past experience, it’s a pretty good indicator that they’re not true. You’re a lying sack.
Posted by Roy | January 5, 2009, 2:20 pm“That is another lie. Israel did not declare war on a population, they are targeting Hamas, who have been bombarding civilians with rockets, and recently escalated their bombardment both in terms of range and frequency.”
Mosques, hospitals, wells, water treatment facilities, sewage treatment facilities, orphanages, schools, the university, peoples homes, police stations etc. These are the people of Gaza Roy.
Israel could end the rocket fire. All it had to do was lift the inhuman brutal blockade. Israel can end this conflict. All it has to do is end the occupation.
“Just because you say things doesn’t make them true. And judging from past experience, it’s a pretty good indicator that they’re not true. You’re a lying sack.”
Exactly, you have no argument left, so you resort to name calling. I’ve been to Israel Roy, I’ve seen this bullshit with my own eyes.
Stop blaming the victim.
Posted by Super Sayyin | January 5, 2009, 2:49 pmThese are the people of Gaza Roy.
And yet remarkably few of them are being killed. You can’t explain that, can you? It’s mystifying. Must be the hand of Allah.
Israel could end the rocket fire. All it had to do was lift the inhuman brutal blockade.
Israel is willing to end the rocket attacks on their own terms, seeing as how they’re dealing with the kind of people who would engage in such attacks.
The little slap-on-the-wrist blockade is a security issue. It stems from Hamas’ perpetual importing and launching of rockets.
Stop the militancy, then you have an argument that Israel should lift the blockade.
There is no argument to be made that the rockets are directly related to the blockade. It can be argued, in fact, that the rocket attacks are Hamas’ way of ensuring that Israel does not lift the blockade, thus keeping the Palestinian people in misery, which is where Hamas needs them, so they can continue what they do.
What are the rockets accomplishing?
Is it helping the people of Palestine?
Why don’t you care whether Hamas makes things worse?
Posted by Roy | January 5, 2009, 3:36 pm80% of the Palestinians in Gaza are refugees and the descendants of refugees, ethnically cleansed from Israel, with the right to return guaranteed to them by the USA in 1952, trapped in the world’s largest concentration camp. These people have suffered an ongoing blockade and continuous theft of the little income they are due from VAT and custom duties by Israel since Hamas, an organization Israel helped to establish in order to split the secular PLO, was elected to represent Palestinians in elections certified as free and fair.
The initial ethnic cleansing, exacerbated by many further illegal acts by Israel, most notably in 1967, was and is a monstrous war crime and an embarrassment to the world. As are the many UN resolutions on these matters in which Israel is still in breach.
In addition, a blockade is an illegal act of war just as community punishment is an illegal act of war and occupation.
The pretense that these “Palestans” are Independent” is given the lie by Israels continuous armed interventions, kidnapping and murder of the occupants, including the political leadership, and American and Israeli sponsorship of the partially successful coup by Fatah, under the Quisling leadership of Abbas, against the legitimately elected Hamas government; even if the members of Hamas have been labeled “terrorists” the better to justify killing them.
The only valid conclusion is that Apartheid Israel illegally instigated this war and occupation, has never had a true ceasefire and is merely continuing it as illegally as it was begun.
The unguided fertilizer fueled fireworks of the Palestinians, which killed approximately 15 Israelis in the previous 7 years, while Israeli murdered over 5,000 Palestinians, are far more dangerous to those lighting the fuse than to anyone else, and arguably would not have been invented if Israel had sought a just peace. These are not an argument against seeking peace any more than limpet mines in churches and restaurants, or the murder of teachers and schoolchildren provided grounds to support South Africa’s apartheid government against ANC “terrorists.” After all, the attacks by the ANC were regarded as being merely a reaction to oppression and far more murderously effective than the rockets too.
We need to ask whether a Palestinian is worth less than a Jew, any more than a Black was worth less than a White in South Africa. If we can’t justify apartheid there, if we saw the bantustans as fake countries, then surely Israel’s apartheid with added murderous violence and the starvation camps for Palestinians cannot be justified either. At this point, unless we choose to be hypocrites, we need to recognize that Israel’s half-century of manifest prejudice, murderous oppression and ongoing land theft has guaranteed that there is no possibility of ever transforming the “Palestans” into viable independent states, and the world must demand, at pain of sanctions, as we did for South Africa, the full integration of Gaza and the West Bank into Israel with equal rights, opportunities and representation for all, including a constitution granting all or no religions equal standing. Only then will Israel find peace. Only then will we have atoned for our part in enabling the repetition of ethnic cleansing.
Anything less leaves our hands as bloody as those of the Israelis we are facilitating in the ongoing shoa of the Palestinians.
Posted by Hermit | January 6, 2009, 1:37 pmthank you hermit (though how this came about is far from the concerns of some)
Posted by alfannaan | January 6, 2009, 4:54 pm