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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

What's Your Point, Josef Federman?

Nadene Goldfoot
Josef Federman of Associated Press couldn't bring himself to view Israel as Netanyahu does so has done his best to attack Netanyahu's speech to the USA Congress

While our Congress was proud of him and gave him about 30 standup-clapping recognitions and was in agreement with him, Josef found nothing but reason to assail him. 

Netanyahu mentioned that the USA hasn't had to send any troops to Israel and they haven't.  That's a truth.  Josef has to remind readers of foreign aid including military financial assistance they have received but didn't mention that Israel has paid back loans or that Israel spends the money they receive in the USA as per agreement therefore saving many a community of their financial loss.  Gee, Josef, I just saw that on TV where the people of the community were more than happy with the deal. (You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.) 

Netanyahu explained that in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) Israel is not a foreign occupier like the British were in India or the Belgians in the Congo.  Josef sides with the international community (mostly people who never have liked Jews in the first place and the reason we need to have our own Israel) who considers the West Bank occupied territory because after winning the 67 War wound up capturing it but had never annexed it.  Can you imagine the screaming that would have happened if Israel annexed it?  Because they were terrorists of Fatah led by Arafat Israel has had to keep soldiers there who protect the Jewish settlements and control Palestinian residents in their movements as many times they have raided into Israel proper and have killed people.  The old saying which Oprah repeated tonight on her last show was for every action there is a reaction.  She reminded her audience of this physics law and then repeated the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you.  Well, when the Palestinians are the ones who have wanted to kill off the Jews, this is Israel's reaction.  Abbas hasn't tried being nice yet nor have the Hamas in Gaza who just keep shelling Israel. 

Netanyahu stated a big truth which was that Israel is a democracy.  Then Josef had to comment very unwisely that Israeli Arabs suffer from discrimination in housing and the workplace.  I've seen Israel work on the housing problems a few have had.  Some Israeli home owners haven't wanted to sell to Arabs.  It's against the law and the law has come down on them.  Is this really surprising when Arabs have continually attacked Jews for the past 63 years?  Our own country had the same problem for over 200 years and are just getting around to following a non-discrimination law.  As for work, the major thing on a resume is that they belong to the IDF (Israel Defense Force).  Being a soldier is everything.  It shapes their ability to be creative thinkers.  Read the book: START UP NATION.  Even the orthodox Jews who have not served have the same problem.  Josef didn't dare mention that Israel hasn't forced Arabs to serve as soldiers defending Israel for obvious reasons, which weren't so obvious to my Democratic cousin who thought that it was being discriminating.  Israel is sensitive to feelings and emotions.  Now some Arabs do want to serve in the IDF.  I've met some Beduins who have been serving for some time and are leaders and men that are greatly admired.  Josef actually complains that the 2 million Palestinians living in Judea and Samaria aren't citizens and cannot vote in Israeli elections.  Really?  Does he think they want to be Israeli citizens?  I don't think so.  You can only vote if you are a citizen and the one million 4 hundred thousand Arabs that do live in Israel do vote and they are there because their forefathers did not leave their homes when others ran to be able to come back and take over Jewish property. 

Then Josef complained about the 650,000 Israelis living beyond the 67 lines in Jerusalem and greater Tel Aviv.  He's got his numbers wrong.  There are 300,000 living in Judea and Samaria dn 200,000 in East Jerusalem.  This adds up to 500,000.  After all the times Israel has tried to get Abbas to sit down and talk of peace, nothing has happened.  If it were me, I'd open up more land for more settlers every single time this happened.   There's no use in letting this land that Israel rightly inherited after being attacked by all these countries for no reason other than hatred sit idle just waiting for the Arabs to show up someday.  They were offered their half of Palestine in 1948 and have refused it ever since.  Arafat was great in doing that.  I don't think they really want a country at all.  They just don't want us to have our country.

Netanyahu is proud of the fact that the Palestinian economy is booming, growing by 10% plus each year, but Josef throws in his pugnacious words of wisdom that it comes after years of contraction during fighting and has been fueled by huge amounts of foreign aid and that Israel has to do more to encourage the Palestinian private sector.  He neglects to say that the Palestinians have been on the dole with the UN for about 63 years and when Israelis left Gaza they left businesses that the Arabs promptly tore apart.  Considering all that, I think it's a miracle that they're starting to work. 

Of course Netanyahu said that "Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government backed by their version of al-Qaida, meaning Hamas who just recently united with Fatah.  Now we have two terrorist organizations, one moderate and one pure evil connection again.  Josef, the Pollyanna it looks like, climbed  all over semantics  saying that Hamas and al-Qaida have no connection. ( Has Josef forgotten that Netanyahu speaks Hebrew all day every day unless speaking here or to some English speaker?)  He admits they have both killed hundreds of people in religious holy wars, though.  He thinks that Hamas has been criticized for being too moderate.  I suppose that there are even worse groups in Gaza today.  His difference is that Al-Qaida preaches global jihad and Hamas is only against Israel.  To Netanyahu I think they are the same; both wanting to destroy Israel.

Why all the negativity, Josef.  You're not commenting on Josef Stalin, you know.  There were reasons why Netanyahu could say what he said.  Luckily Congress had a better background and understood him as he spoke elequently.  I and many Americans find his speech most admirable.  I'm proud of him and his speech.  It wasn't empty words like some I've heard from others.  Israel isn't made up of angels.  It is made up of a group of people who have been trying very hard to be extremely fair and just to their enemies because that's part of their religion.  They are the people who have undergone more discrimination and hatred in the world than anyone has and are still under the gun.  They really believe in doing to others as they would have done unto you and they do their utmost to practice what they believe.  You know, I know who Josepheus wrote for; the Roman army.  That was his audience.  Who are you writing for?   

Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/201105424/ap_on_re_mii_ea/ml_israel_us_fact_check/print  5/25/2011
http://honestreporting.com/bibi-coverage-one-speech-multiple-stories/
Camera
Book: Letters From Israel by Nadene Goldfoot
http://blog.camera.org/archives/2011/05/abbas_declares_netanyahus_cong.html-showing effect of Federman's writing. 5/29/11

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