Haaretz poll: Netanyahu approval rating leaps after policy speech

[shira]

U.S. President Barack Obama has reservations, the Arabs are protesting and the Europeans are doubtful, but for the Israeli public, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Sunday evening was a big success. Right and left, Kadima and Likud, new immigrants and old-timers all found something they liked in the address at Bar-Ilan University.

Public support for Netanyahu's speech is sky-high, even though Israelis do not have illusions about the prime minister's motives, which they generally attribute to American pressure. But it turns out that Israelis prefer a prime minister who does the right thing even if he does it for the wrong reasons.

And most of the public thinks the right thing is the combination found in Netanyahu's address: right-wing rhetoric mixed with the desire for peace, an undivided Jerusalem, opposition to the return of Palestinian refugees, a demand for defensible borders, and the words that made the big headline - a demilitarized Palestinian state.

cont'd...

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093234.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. Bush soared in US polls after our tanks entered Baghdad

Same old shit that we have seen before. Lotsa Kool-Aid and gullible drinkers!

[Indenturedebtor]

2. Much like people dancing in the streets on 9/11

What would your proposal look like exactly?

No Israel?

[Violet_Crumble]

3. That's got nothing to do with polls...

Try again...

[ShadesOfGrey]

5. Those dancing Israelis who cheered while watching 9/11?

I never heard what happened to them. Does anyone know?

[LeftishBrit]

9. Is there any evidence that they ever existed in the first place?

Outside of hate-sites, that is.

[ShadesOfGrey]

4. What an ass...

Pulease, ALLOWING the Palistinians to have a country without an army and all the other things that Israel enjoys (that was STOLEN from them) THEIR water, land, crops, and other resources. Will you give back to them Bibi? Bibi should NOT be commended for this statement. In the face of international scorn, he just threw out a couple of breadcrumbs. Selfish and greedy as ever!

[Violet_Crumble]

6. His speech was targetted mainly at an Israeli audience...

I think Obama was second on the intended target list, and the Palestinians weren't on it at all.

While the article said Nutty was doing the right things for the wrong reasons, the speech is very sparse on the right thing front, and it's not a good sign for me that the Obama administration praised the speech..

[Sezu]

7. Well the people like him so maybe

Obama should follow his own advice about Iran and stop meddling.

[Violet_Crumble]

8. So anything but blind agreement with Israel is 'meddling'?

I guess Obama should be more like Bushco who was in lockstep with the Israeli govt even to the point of having secret verbal agreements with them approving the construction of settlements. Anything else is clearly meddling and that meddlesome Obama should learn that even though the US gives Israel billions in aid, that doesn't give them the right to want to be fair when it comes to trying to resolve the I/P conflict...

[LeftishBrit]

10. You think Obama should not try to get involved in peace negotiations?

No one here is suggesting that he should invade Israel - or Iran - and try to impose 'regime change'. But diplomatic efforts in the direction of peace are very different. I think those would be a good idea with Israel and Palestine, *and* with Iran.

[Sezu]

11. I just find it odd that ultimatums to Israel re

settlements is ok but it becomes meddling when talking about Iran. It screams pussyfooting with Iranian right wing extremists while ordering another right wing government (Bibi's) around. Seems hypocritical and I can guarantee it will become a talking point for anti-Obama folk of which I am NOT one. A bad faux pas at a bad time.

[Violet_Crumble]

12. There's been no ultimatem made...

So far it's just diplomatic talk from an administration that wants a fair resolution to the conflict. Also, the US isn't giving billions of dollars in aid to Iran, and I'm not exactly sure what you think Obama should be doing in regard to Iran...

[Sezu]

13. I don't really care what Obama does

about Iran. He is the president and I'm not. It's the use of that word "meddling," that I am criticizing. He has given ammo to his critics where none was needed at a time many of them feel he is meddling in Israeli affairs re the settlements. And just to be straight, he is welcome to meddle if he wants to even if I personally think he goes too far with wanting no growth in settlements that even Carter realizes will stay in the end.

I support Obama in most ways and don't think he is a hater when it comes to Israel but I also don't think he has all the answers.

[Violet_Crumble]

14. If yr criticising the use of the word "meddling"....

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you said in yr post, but yr the only person here who accused him of meddling. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=278260&mesg_id=278322

If yr talking about the settlers, then who cares what they think? Of course those who accuse Obama of meddling are just sore because they're looking at a US administration that isn't prepared to turn a blind eye to Israel doing the opposite of things it's agreed to in written agreements.

[Sezu]

16. Who cares what they think? I can't believe you can

expect anyone here to ever take you seriously when you can so easily dismiss an entire class of people.

Move along now.

:thumbsdown:

[azurnoir]

18. The settlers have an issue with their government

because they signed the agreements, unless of course your saying that they never intended to keep them in the first place

[Thrill]

20. Are you really trying to compare dealings with Iran to those with Israel?

[shira]

15. Obama will have a tough time strong-arming Israel to accept a militarized Palestinian state

after Intifada 2 and Hamas' rocket party following Gaza 2005. It will take a helluva sales and marketing job to get everyone on board with an armed Palestinian state (which Gaza currently is).

Recognition of a Jewish state could be something that results when a peace deal is finally cut. That's a tough one for Obama to rationally shoot down too.

I think Netanyahu should have offered a 3 or 6 month renewable settlement freeze tied to US and Palestinian actions in the same time period. He can't expect Obama to cave in on the 'freeze' requirement.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

17. The South African electorate supported apartheid

Netanyahu is liked by only one of the two peoples he governs.

There is no hope for peace coming from within Israel - you and your ilk are in complete control. The only hope for the ME is American "meddling".

[shira]

22. same Arab rejection today as in 1948....Netanyahu is calling their bluff

From March 2009:

“They say that Fatah has asked them to recognize Israel’s right to exist, and this is a big deception,” Dahlan said. “For the 1,000th time, I want to reaffirm that we are not asking Hamas to recognize Israel’s right to exist. Rather we are asking Hamas not to do so, because Fatah never recognized Israel’s right to exist.”

Same as in 1948. And that's "MODERATE" Fatah vs. "HARDLINE" Netanyahu for you. :)

Once the Palestinians get something close to full Israeli withdrawal to 1949 armistice lines and right of return, they want to have a military and they don't want to recognize the Jewish homeland, let alone Israel.

yeah, sounds like a great plan for Israel considering Intifada II and the Hamas reaction to Gaza 2005. Sounds like the PA wants peace and their own homeland just as they did in 1948.

Israel is definitely to blame here.

:eyes:

yeah, let's give Palestinians every opportunity to attack Israel again. Who could possibly be against that?

Question for you:
If you know that ending the occupation and settlements will result in a pretty big war with many casualties, would you be all for it - if only to see Israel GTF out of the territories?

[Thrill]

19. This prick wants a Palestinian state that defends itself with spit balls.

Whats the point in National Sovereignty?

Should we be surprised that they love his speech?

[shira]

21. yep, kassams and katyushas are for defensive purposes......brilliant.