Jerusalem, July 2008
Jerusalem Post: Opposition leader Tzipi Livni slammed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday for “harming the relationship” between Israel and the US.
“Netanyahu spoke about consensus,” Livni said, “and if there is a consensus in Israel, it’s that the relationship with the US is essential to Israel, and a prime minister that harms the relationship with the US over something unsubstantial is harming Israel’s security and deterrence.” Livni added that such a prime minister should resign. “I am saying this loud and clear.”
“Israel’s deterrence and legitimacy in the world is directly connected to our relationship with the greatest power in the world, the US,” Livni said.
She explained that Obama’s speech on Thursday “is not reason enough” to challenge the US, and said that Netanyahu’s statements were political and meant to maintain the coalition.
“An American president that supports the two-state vision is representing Israeli interests and is not anti-Israel,” Livni said. The only way to stop the Palestinians from unilaterally declaring statehood, Livni explained, is to have the US “convince states that plan to support the decision not to do so, but to support negotiations.”
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President Obama will deliver his AIPAC address at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Sunday, at 10:35 a.m
The Obama Diary 
One thing I love about our president is that he says what he means and means what he says … Bibi cannot harm our relationship with Israel, we have an unbreakable bond with the people of Israel. The sad fact for Bibi is that he is harming himself… let’s hope he does not end up pulling innocent people down with him.
Too bad she didn’t become prime minister–I really hate that. Her and our president would’ve worked so well together. It’s a shame that Israel let this point in history slip away. However, I never lose hope. Who knows how Israel will evolve/change over time (they would best be smart to kick Bibi/Likud out next term and not be consumed by fear ala U.S. circa 2004). I do give President Obama and his administration much credit though for doing all they could to attain peace in the region; they certainly gave it their best shot but we can’t want it more than they do. And, maybe he’s laid a good foundation for a future democratic president and administration to get it done if his administration is unable to due to the Israeli government’s stubborness. He does always take the long view; let’s remember that 😉 In addition, we don’t yet know how new emerging democracies will end up in the other Arab countries. If the U.S. is able to deal with other democracies in the region, it puts even more pressure on Israel/Palestine to come to some kind of acceptable terms.
I’m still lurking here in California. Less than half an hour left to know if rush hour traffic will be lighter on Monday….
Ms Livni, please keep speaking “loud and clear.” Perhaps Bibi will be forced to resign!
sanity, thy name is woman.
YES…AND ITS TIME FOR BIBI TO GO…HE IS OUT DATED FOR SURE!!!
BOOYAH! Score one for common sense in its human form: Tzipi Livni.
OT: Don Lemon on CNN is acting all shocked that the ‘rapture’ did not occur. He’s actually interviewing Stephen Baldwin (the nuttiest of the Baldwin brothers: He’s a conservative Evangelical christian who thinks that everything that’s wrong in America is Pres. Obama’s fault) about the fact that it was all a hoopla and wondering if the media also contributed to the hoopla and made much ado about nothing…. hmmm.. let me think about that…DUH!!!!!
Oh well back to my watching of Confessions of a Shopaholic on TBS. 🙂
That Stephen Baldwin is the nuttiest of the Baldwin brothers, you are so right when you say that.It is not because he says he is a christian, because all christians are not foolish like that guy is. I will not watch or listen to anything that Baldwin guy has to say.
OMG!!!! Me tooo! I was about to do something else and saw it, so am watching. HILARIOUS! I love it so far. Too cute 🙂
I mean Confessions of a Shopaholic 🙂
It is SUPER CUTE. This is my second time watching it and I ADORE Isla Fisher who plays the main character Rebecca Bloomwood. The part was MADE for her. The books are also great too. I looved Isla Fisher in Wedding Crashers as the sex obsessed girl who so badly wanted to be Vince Vaughn’s true love. 🙂
I really hate these “why can’t I stop hitting myself?” moments from the media.
It’s about damn time someone spoke out againt this bully Netanyahu, the Jewish people should not accept this so called prime minister to embarrass them on the world stage and it is going to happen in September whether he likes it or not when the UN holds a vote to declare a Palestine state. The world is tired of his BS. He denied Clinton Peace and he wants to do the same to Obama. He is the worst prime minister ever.
President Obama just sat there and let Bibi dig his own hole. He is so cool. Never underestimate our President.
Bullseye. Bibi got worked.
http://www.yankeesdaily.com/post/22740
great article and photo – thanks for posting woody.
“I never thought Obama was a smart president until this episode….”
That’s a quote from the article. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, and no slight against Woody for sharing…I think that that’s laughable and ridiculous -it makes me takes everything else the author says with a grain of salt. How intuitive and intelligent can a person be who cannot discern that the president is brilliant?
It’s good to see that someone with some dam sense is speaking up and against Netanyahu behavior. All the President ask was for them to come to the table and start talking. But it’s Netanyahu’s way or no way.
President Obama wasn’t speaking to the deadenders on both sides of the Israel/Palestinian issue – he was talking to the Israeli’s on the street who understand that the two state solution is the only reasonable way to any hope of peace. He was talking to the Palestinian who realizes that Israel has the right to exist and be secure. It’s unfortunate that the deadenders are in leadership on both sides.
That may not be for too much longer. If Hamas wants that vote in September to go their way then they better do some serious reconfiguring i.e recognizing Israel’s right to exist. Obama gave them the opening to do just that. As for Bibi he may have just signed his own resignation papers without even knowing it.
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS A GREAT DIPLOMAT…HE CAN HANDLE THE RESULTS OF THAT CONVERSATION…I STILL HAVE MY OBAMA BUTTON THAT SAYS…
‘I DON’T QUIT!’
Do I sense another Golda Meir on the horizon? Livni speaks sense, and calling for Netanyahoo’s resignation is the first step in his loss of power.
Ms Livni is a wise person. As I’ve noted before, Bibi and Likud are so brittle as it is and for him to behave toward President Obama the way he did is beyond stupid.
While it would take some courage on their part, the Palestinians could catapult themselves to not just the ‘moral high ground,’ but the top of the ‘mountain’ by declaring “The Palestinian State recognizes the right of Israel to exist and defend itself from aggression, just as the Palestinian State has such right.’
Bibi was very foolish to taunt the President of the United States because all President Obama has to do is to give the green light to President Abbas to seek UN recognition and Israel will have no support, as in zero, for its occupation of Gaza and the West Bank and will face enormous pressure regarding boarders, refugees and Jerusalem.
The commitment President Abbas would likely have to make to President Obama and the UN is to state unequivocally that the Palestinian government recognizes Israel as a rightful sovereign Nation and also request UN presence in the West Bank and Gaza to hold both Israel and Palestine accountable for any acts of violence.
Yes.We.Can. … DO.More.Together!
Is there ANY likelihood of that happening? It sounds pretty enticing.
Bobfr,
I like most of what you said. However,I think that you underestimate the political power of the Israel lobby. Already, there are senators lined up to introduce legislation opposing the President’s position. Believe me if the President backs U.N. recognition of the State of Palestine, even with Palestinians’ explicit recognition of Israel, all hell will break loose. The President will need all his political skills to navigate a very dicy situation.
Then let Hell break loose. I have my champagne and cavier chillin’
Enough of this in family feuding.
It will be nice to finally know which Senators support a Foreign Country over The President and America!!
I’ve always liked Livni.
President Obama should make note of those Democratic Senators who back a foreign leader over him so that he sits out fundraising for them.Enough already!