Obama Suggests Netanyahu Can Stop Israeli Settlements Just As Nixon Went to China
EmailABC News' Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller report:
Yesterday in Egypt, after his speech at Cairo University, President Obama sat down for thirty minutes with seven regional reporters: one from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel, Malaysia, Indonesia and one Palestinian reporter.
Of the peace process, the president said "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu will recognize the strategic need to deal with this issue. And that in some ways he may have an opportunity that a labor or more left leader might not have."
Continued the president: "There's the famous example of Richard Nixon going to China. A Democrat couldn't have gone to China. A liberal couldn't have gone to China. But a big, anti-communist like Richard Nixon could open that door. Now, it's conceivable that Prime Minister Netanyahu can play that same role.”
Cold warrior Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China marked the beginning of a process of US-Chinese normalization. The expression launched by that visit even found its way into "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," when Mr. Spock tries to convince Captain Kirk to lead an escort of Klingons to a peace conference.
"There's an old Vulcan proverb: 'Only Nixon could go to China,'" said Spock, no doubt yet another example of the myriad Obama-Spock comparisons that have been made in recent weeks.
–Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller
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Maybe it’s time that the U.S. checks the range of Israel’s nuclear weapons.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | June 5, 2009, 8:41 am 8:41 am
Good One, I like Israel.. I root for them every time they fight with their neighbors..
My comment is about the current administration considering both sides of this conflict.. Obama isn’t drinking the Israeli kool-aid… hence, a nuclear nation.. that’s getting a little peaved at the newest of Egyptologists.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | June 5, 2009, 8:56 am 8:56 am
“Maybe it’s time that the U.S. checks the range of Israel’s nuclear weapons.”
We know it. They are largely conventional delivery for short range. Their nuclear capability is built around defense, not long range offense. Considering that their neighbors have gathered to invade them in the past, thats probably all they need to care about.
Posted by: KR | June 5, 2009, 9:53 am 9:53 am
Didn’t Obama have at least a few history classes? Maybe he missed the Nixon years. How could he compare the issues involving the China visit to Netanyahu visiting …what? The Gaza Strip?.. Obama wants Netanyahu to shed his faith and believe the Palestinians will, too. Everyone puts down their guns and live some sappy happy life in some Blissville, Obama seems to believe exists in the odd workings of his mind.
The worse part being that he pulls out the China visit of Nixon, which was far more complicated than just reaching a hand across the water. Maybe some staffer handed off the comparison to Obama before he sat down. Otherwise the comparison is an embarrassing show of ignorance on more than one level.
Posted by: Rob | June 5, 2009, 9:59 am 9:59 am
By the way, the comparison of Nixon and China is so ludicrous that it does not deserve a response. I cannot imagine the parallel he is drawing.
Perhaps the faux uber intellect Obama does not understand his history as well as he purports and somewhere in his screwed up corrupt brain HE believes there is some symmetry to the situation.
Whatever that might be will have to remain his little secret because it is incoherent in terms of history.
Posted by: MNM | June 5, 2009, 10:17 am 10:17 am
I think too many people understood Nixon’s visit. It’s been a while but I understood it was designed to strike a blow to communism, not some kind of reach accross peace thing, that was just the face of it for public consumption.
Posted by: KR | June 5, 2009, 10:30 am 10:30 am
To MNM:
“Obama’s path mirrors that of Hitler’s. Everyone loved the speeches sooooo much they turned a blind eye to the holocaust.”
Your granfalloon is all to apparent.
I know you’d like to compare Obama to Hitler [there doing it in the settlements], but you might want to refrain from sounding like a complete lunatic. It doesn’t help Israel and it doesn’t help the United States.
Posted by: Not this stuff | June 5, 2009, 11:44 am 11:44 am
“Obama’s path mirrors that of Hitler’s. Everyone loved the speeches sooooo much they turned a blind eye to the holocaust.”
I see MNM escaped from the asylum again.
Let’s hope the hospital find her soon and she gets the help she needs.
Posted by: Ryan C | June 5, 2009, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
“I think too many people understood Nixon’s visit. It’s been a while but I understood it was designed to strike a blow to communism, not some kind of reach accross peace thing, that was just the face of it for public consumption.”
It was both.
So tell us more about this fantasy history the right wing sells you.
In your world is Red Dawn a documentary?
Posted by: Ryan C | June 5, 2009, 12:05 pm 12:05 pm
Facts: New Jersey is the 5th smallest US state covering 7800 sq. miles..Israel is not much larger than New Jersey…
-Israel is the only democratic Country in the Middle-East of 21 Arab countries, the jury is still out on Iraq.
-Israel, Jewish state, is surrounded by Arab and predominantly Muslim countries.
-Israel is bounded by Lebanon on the North, Syria on the Northeast, Jordan on the East and West Bank, and Southwest by Egypt and Gaza.
-Iran has aspirations of completely wiping Israel, with so called peaceful nuclear technology, off the face of the earth.
Considering the facts stated above, the question needs to be asked, can Israel really afford to give away land to try to placate the oil rich Arab countries and further Obama’s name in history?
Would you give up your yard and your children’s play area to placate your neighbors who will not be happy until they are living in your house..I would not and I am betting you would not either..
Israel is a long standing allies of the United States. Guess Obama has a new best friend…
Posted by: Parallax View | June 5, 2009, 12:07 pm 12:07 pm
“can Israel really afford to give away land to try to placate the oil rich Arab countries and further Obama’s name in history? Would you give up your yard and your children’s play area to placate your neighbors who will not be happy until they are living in your house..I would not and I am betting you would not either.. Israel is a long standing allies of the United States. Guess Obama has a new best friend…
Posted by: Parallax View | Jun 5, 2009 12:07:21 PM
========================================
To:Parallax View- I agree 100% with your
opinion. In addition, US President Obama has asked Congress to allow continued aid to Palestinians, $840,000,000.00, even if officials linked to the militant group Hamas become part of the government, The Los Angeles Times reported Monday(Apr. 13, 2009). Obama said with his own mouth in his April 6, 2009, Obama referenced to the Turkish Parliament, “how many Americans have Muslims in their families or have lived in a Muslim majority country. I know, because I am one of them.” THIS IS NOT A SMART DIPLOMATATIC RELATIONSHIP WHO OBAMA & HILLARY’VE INSISTED ON THE CAMPAIGN, BUT TOTALLY UNFAIR AND APOLOGETIC DIPLOMAT THAT EVERYBODY CAN DO.
NO VOTE FOR OBAMA HUSSEIN/HILLARY IN 2012.
Posted by: Unhappy "Apology Tour 09" | June 5, 2009, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
I can go with “Parallax View” and “Unhappy Apology Tour 09″.
Posted by: Sharon-NY | June 5, 2009, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
“It was both.
So tell us more about this fantasy history the right wing sells you.”
Ok so Obama is encouraging Israel to undermine the Palestinians and/or Arabs?
Though I would argue that it was not both. It was a very calculated move by Nixon to undermine the communists of the Soviet Union. He essentially used the Chinese. I guess that might be a nice handshake of peace in your book.
Posted by: KR | June 5, 2009, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
“Ok so Obama is encouraging Israel to undermine the Palestinians and/or Arabs?
Though I would argue that it was not both. It was a very calculated move by Nixon to undermine the communists of the Soviet Union. He essentially used the Chinese. I guess that might be a nice handshake of peace in your book.”
Yes but only Nixon could it based on his reputation as an staunch anti-Communist as with Netanyahu and his rep as a defender of Israel.
And ultimately pulling back on the settlements does undermine elements of the Palestinians that we want undermined.
Posted by: Ryan C | June 5, 2009, 1:47 pm 1:47 pm
“Yes but only Nixon could it based on his reputation as an staunch anti-Communist as with Netanyahu and his rep as a defender of Israel.
And ultimately pulling back on the settlements does undermine elements of the Palestinians that we want undermined.”
I think thats pure opinion. Just in the last few years, Israeli’s pulled out of the Gaza stripped and warned Hamas not to launch any attacks out of Gaza. Within what, 6 months? Not sure the exact timeframe, Hamas launched attacks out of Gaza, breaking the deal. So Israel controls it again and somehow they are at fault? What are the consequences for Hamas attacking Israel?
Fact is Israel is the only one who can control the violence it inflicts on Palestinians. The palestinians cannot control the violence they inflict on Israel, yet Israel is the one who must be the one that steps out on this?
I disagree.
Posted by: KR | June 5, 2009, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
Israel gave up southern Lebanon, and within months attacks were launched from those outposts. Israel withdrew from Gaza, and within months attacks were launched from across Gaza.
Giving up Judea and Samaria will not create peace, any more than Gaza did. It will just bring more attacks. What’s next then? Tel Aviv?
It’s Sudetenland all over again.
Posted by: ulno | June 5, 2009, 2:40 pm 2:40 pm
Obama wants to destroy both America and Israel as they are now. His sympathies are with the Muslim community and voters who voted for him are the naive in America.
Posted by: Wally | June 5, 2009, 2:58 pm 2:58 pm
How many of the worlds problems does he feel he can solve? Just getting ridiculous or maybe just PR for his run for reelection in 2012. Did you know he made the Forbes list of the top 100 celebrities in the world? He is number 49 just in the middle were we thought he would be on all political issues. I guess we were fooled.
Posted by: William | June 5, 2009, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
Obama is an enemy of the United States.
Let that sink in, even though it hurts.
He hates America and everything it stands for.
He is a liar. You’ve heard his lies yourself, many of them in the last four days. He knows Muslims had no role in the founding of this country. He knows they didn’t do the things he said they did in his Cairo speech.
Obama is our enemy.
Do your part to protect us, please.
Posted by: tanarg | June 6, 2009, 1:00 am 1:00 am
Nixon, regardless of his intentions, did make a contribution to world peace by the action of visiting China in 1972. This act and the result can be duplicated in defiance of all skepticism.
Posted by: Lyla | June 6, 2009, 1:27 am 1:27 am
How America has a silly President who has trusted in Palestinian including part of terror group, Hamas rather than
our 60 years Ally, Israel? How dare Obama and Hillary believe it’s good deal that the peace will come to the Middle East, if Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu give up their Lands at which Jewish DECENDANTS have lived in there for few thousands years more? NO WAY, PALESTINIAN, TERRORISTS AND SOME MUSLIM COUNTRIES NEVER NEVER NEVER ARE SATISFIED WITH THE LAND BECAUSE THEIR DEMENDS ARE ENDLESS…….. Obama and Hillary have not still understood their
substance.
Posted by: Byne-NY | June 7, 2009, 12:05 am 12:05 am
Nixon impressed the Chinese. He exuded personal confidence and they liked his bearing. Also, he had Kissinger on his team.
Barry’s got…uh, Hillary, Joe and teleprompters. Geithner’s already a joke to the Chinese.
Posted by: Dugan | June 7, 2009, 12:07 am 12:07 am
It all boils down to
Whatever O said on his speech of D Day the truth and the matter is that, quote ” he began his trip by appeasing fascism in the middle East and ended “honoring” thousands of american who died as result of appeasseament of fascism in Europe.” Go read The Patriots Post ” Obama “Peace for our Time” piece. I just read it and thoght it’s very compelling.
Do listen to both parties views watch various channels instead of only Obama’s channels, you really need to. It is imperative!
Posted by: ariaeye | June 7, 2009, 9:19 am 9:19 am
For the first time in many years we have a President intelligent enough and honest enough to state the facts about a two state solution.
It is the only way for peace to have a chance in this area.
How sad it is that the Jew has treated the Palestinian so appallingly After the treatment the Jew received during WWII you would think they would that would have learnt something.
If they do not accept this arrangement Israel will be wiped off the map.
No question
Posted by: Ross | June 9, 2009, 7:52 am 7:52 am