Israel’s goal since it occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 has been to empty it of its original inhabitants, that is its non-Jewish residents. The Israelis have been bulldozing Palestinian homes with the dubious reason of them being illegally built or expanded without permits – permits that are never issued to Palestinians – while simultaneously constructing houses for Jews only. The only reason why the Obama administration made a bigger deal out of this was that Vice President Biden was embarrassed by the pie-to-his-face Israeli housing announcement. Otherwise, it probably would have been a business-as-usual response issued by the State Department that “it is not helping” on the Israeli land theft which has continued unabated.

So Secretary Clinton defended the Obama administration’s criticism of the latest Israeli actions and yet in the same breath, she vowed “unwavering” and “enduring” support for Israel. In order to change an undesirable behavior, a verbal rebuke has to have some teeth. There should be a threat that follows the rebuke, for example, threatening to withhold the $3 billion dollars a year aid to Israel, for it to be effective. By proclaiming unwavering and enduring support for Israel, why should the Israelis be doing anything different from what they have been doing, since they are fully aware of the “rock solid” and “forever” support? This is like telling your child that he should not be bullying his playmates but then immediately give him a lollipop and tell him no matter what he does, he will always be rewarded with candies. It is this unwavering and enduring support we have provided Israel for so long that have directly resulted in the stalemate we have today.

The only way for us to make Israel change its destructive policies, which are not only detrimental to the Israelis but are also endangering the lives of our servicemen and women serving in the Middle East, is to threaten to withhold $3 billion dollars aid. Or better still, threaten to be fair. Secretary Clinton stated that “our credibility in this process depends in part on our willingness to praise both sides when they are courageous, and when we don’t agree, to say so, and say so unequivocally,” but to say and not act on it is like a toothless tiger. Being fair to both sides will go a long way to restoring whatever that is left of our credibility and removing the anything but perceived favoritism for Israel.

Update 2.

Update 3.

Take a good look at them. These are the Israel-first American organizations and politicians who place Israel’s interests above America’s.

AIPAC (America Israel Public Affairs Committee):

The Obama Administration’s recent statements regarding the U.S. relationship with Israel are a matter of serious concern. AIPAC calls on the Administration to take immediate steps to defuse the tension with the Jewish State.

Instead calling Israel to stop obstructing efforts by the Obama administration in its attempt to resolve the conflict, AIPAC, which apparently has sworn allegiance to Israel, has the chutzpah to tell the administration to take immediate steps to defuse the tension.

ADL (Anti Defamation League):

We are shocked and stunned at the Administration’s tone and public dressing down of Israel on the issue of future building in Jerusalem. We cannot remember an instance when such harsh language was directed at a friend and ally of the United States. One can only wonder how far the U.S. is prepared to go in distancing itself from Israel in order to placate the Palestinians in the hope they see it is in their interest to return to the negotiating table.

A true friend and ally does not endanger the lives of the citizens of his friend. A true friend and ally does not throw up road blocks in every attempt by his friend in finding a resolution for the conflicts he is currently involved with.

Elliott Abrams, former Special Assistant to President GW Bush:

The current friction in U.S.-Israel relations has one source: the mishandling of those relations by the Obama administration.

Yes, blame it on the Obama administration. Why couldn’t the Obama administration just keep its mouth shut when Israel decided to steal more land from the Palestinians to build more houses for Jews in Jerusalem?

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT):

“Let’s cut the family fighting, the family feud,” Lieberman said. “It’s unnecessary; it’s destructive of our shared national interest. It’s time to lower voices, to get over the family feud between the U.S. and Israel. It just doesn’t serve anybody’s interests but our enemies.”

Israel and the United States DO NOT have a shared national interest. This so-called shared national interest myth is conned by Israel-firster like Joe Lieberman, whom when it comes to Israel has never thought of America’s interest first. We certainly do not share the same enemies. If Israel wishes to continue the antagonistic policies with its neighbors, it should be dealing with the consequences of its policies alone, and not drag us into the pile of shit it created.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS):

“It’s hard to see how spending a weekend condemning Israel for a zoning decision in its capital city amounts to a positive step towards peace,” said Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. He complained that the administration was attacking a “staunch ally and friend” when it should be focusing on the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear problem.

No matter how hard it tries empty Jerusalem of its original inhabitants by populating with its Jewish citizens and making lives as difficult as possible for Palestinians, the occupied and illegally annexed East Jerusalem IS NOT Israel’s capital city. But that fact is probably too difficult for a Christian Zionist like Sen. Brownback to comprehend.

Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev):

It was an “irresponsible overreaction”.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, how much money are you getting from pro-Israel organizations?

Rep. Christopher Carney (D-PA) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL):

“We urge your Administration to refrain from further public criticism of Israel and to focus on more pressing issues affecting this vital relationship, such as signing and enforcing the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act when it comes to your desk.”

Rep. Carney and Rep. Kirk, i urge you to stop putting interests of a foreign state above America’s. You are after all elected officials in the United States of America, not Israel.

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY):

“We should not have a disproportionate response to Israel. We need to be careful and measured in our response, and I think we all have to take a step back.”

Telling a so-called friend like Israel to stop sabotaging every effort made so far by this administration is considered “disproportionate response”? Seriously, Rep. Engel, are you sure you are not a member of the Knesset?

Eric Cantor (R-VA):

To say that I am deeply concerned with the irresponsible comments that the White House, Vice President, and the Secretary of State have made against Israel is an understatement. In an effort to ingratiate our country with the Arab world, this Administration has shown a troubling eagerness to undercut our allies and friends. Israel has always been committed to the peace process, including advocating for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians, in effort to bring this conflict to an end. Unfortunately, the Palestinian Government continues to insist on indirect talks and slowing down the process.

Israel has always been “committed” to the peace process by stealing more land from the Palestinians and settling them with Jews only. In fact, in the years that followed the signing of Oslo peace accords in 1993, the number of Jewish settlers in the occupied territories (excluding East Jerusalem) grew from 116,000 to more than 300,000. Good people of Virginia should probably be concerned that their representative not only has a propensity to lie and misconstrue but also the obvious demonstrative behavior of not putting America’s interests first.

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY):

“The Administration, to the extent that it has disagreements with Israel on policy matters, should find way to do so in private and do what they can to defuse this situation.”

Again, blame the Obama administration for being stabbed in the back by the Israeli government. Oh yes, the administration should do what they can to defuse this situation, just like a rape victim should probably not wear that rape-inducing dress in order to defuse the situation with her rapist. For Rep. Israel, America always come first when it comes to choosing who to blame between her and Israel.

Update 2:
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), at the annual AIPAC policy conference:

On the risk of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, “the State of Israel can’t run even a 5 percent chance of that happening and neither can we,” Bayh added.

Bayh … earned the first standing ovation of the conference when he commented on the U.N.’s Goldstone report on the Gaza conflict. “The truth of the matter is that the Israeli Defense Forces risked their lives to avoid civilian casualties,” he said.

“I think the timing of the housing announcement was unfortunate and some of the rhetoric on our side was probably too aggressive, but the main thing is the relationship is strong and unshakable and we should now move forward and build on that,” Bayh said.

The state of Israel may not be able to risk a 5 percent chance of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons capability, but what the fuck has that got to do with us? Once again, Mr. Israel-First is trying to bamboozled us into thinking that Israel and us share the exact same interests.

“The truth of the matter is that the Israeli Defense Forces risked their lives to avoid civilian casualties” ? So had IDF not “risked their lives to avoid civilian casualties”, are we talking about tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza massacred instead of just 1400?

“Some of the rhetoric on our side was probably too aggressive” ? Are you fucking kidding me? Is telling Israel to stop doing things that endanger the lives of our servicemen and women in Middle East too aggressive? Once again, it is undeniably clear whose interest Sen. Bayh has in his mind when it comes to Israel and us.

Update 3.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), 3/23/2010:

“We in Congress stand by Israel,” the leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, assured Netanyahu at an all-smiles appearance before the cameras. “In Congress we speak with one voice on the subject of Israel.”

For your information, in Congress, only you and your likes of Israel-firsters speak with one voice on the subject of Israel. True patriot like Rep. Ron Paul does not blindly stand by Israel.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), 3/23/2010:

“I never thought I’d live to see the day that an American administration would denounce the state of Israel for rebuilding Jerusalem,” Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana said on the House floor Tuesday after meeting Netanyahu. “I urge the president to stop all this talk about settlements in Jerusalem and start focusing on isolating a threatening and menacing and rising nuclear Iran,” he said.

So illegally tearing down Palestinian homes while building Jews-only homes is now considered “rebuilding” ? May be i should just head over to Rep. Pence’s house to tear it down and build myself a swimming pool, since this is all about “rebuilding” right?

Olmert boasting about embarrassing Rice was not the worst part of the story.  The astounding part of the article was how Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert managed to get her to abstain:

“I said: ‘Get me President Bush on the phone,’” Olmert said in a speech in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. “They said he was in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn’t care: ‘I need to talk to him now.’ He got off the podium and spoke to me.”

Olmert said he argued that the United States should not vote in favor, and the president then called Rice and told her not to do so.

I wonder how much of this was exaggeration by Olmert and how much of it was as happened.  

Regardless of the side you are on, if any of this is true, does it not concern you tax-paying Americans the fact the head of state of a foreign country having so much clout over a departing lame duck President of this country, who does not even have to worry about being re-elected?  

The Prime Minister of a sovereign state that receives more than $3 billion of aid from us annually, bragging in public how he was able to get our President right off the podium in the middle of his speech, and was able to redirect our foreign policy at his whim.  

Amazing.  Simply Amazing.