Are you F'ing kidding me? Some Israelis Insulted By Obama Picture

[wndycty]

Some Israelis Insulted By Obama Picture
Posted by Howard Arenstein


Israeli TV newscasters Tuesday night interpreted a photo taken Monday in the Oval Office of President Obama talking on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "insult" to Israel.

They saw the incident as somewhat akin to an incident last year, when the Iraqi reporter threw a shoe at President Bush in Baghdad.

It is considered an insult in the Arab world to show the sole of your shoe to someone. It is not a Jewish custom necessarily, but Israel feels enough a part of the Middle East after 60 years to be insulted too.

Was there a subliminal message intended from the White House to Netanyahu in Jerusalem, who is publicly resisting attempts by Mr. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to force Israel to stop any kind of settlement activity in occupied territories once and forever?
-snip-

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/06/09/world/worldwatch/entry5076128.shtml

[scheming daemons]

1. Oy vey...

I talk to EVERYBODY with my feet up on the desk.

Gets the blood flowing back toward the heart better. Elevating your feet when sitting is the healthy thing to do.



The Israeli people sometimes make it exceedingly hard to be on their side.

[onenote]

28. "the Israeli people"?

Some Israelis are now the Israeli people?

Think about it. If someone referred to a position taken by the repub party or by the rush limpballs audience as "the American people" would you nod your head in agreement?

[scheming daemons]

37. Good point

[Cha]

31. I was exactly thinking of the

health benefits for our Prez when I saw this pic. He's relaxed, too, and not all uptight..which they should take as a compliment.

[alsame]

2. Bibi could see the shoes via telephone?

[billyoc]

4. I know! I guess I should get dressed before I call my Senators from now on.

:rofl:

[Name removed]

Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[billyoc]

3. How do I SHOW someone my shoe while talking to them on the PHONE?

Stupid fucks.

[berni_mccoy]

5. Too bad there wasn't some dog poo on his shoe! Now THAT would have been funny!

[asjr]

7. Portuguese poo too.

[progdonkey]

6. "It is not a Jewish custom necessarily..."

but if it means they have the slightest excuse to bitch and moan, then God damn it, they'll bitch and moan!

They're so stupid, they missed the real insulting gesture: Obama is clearly in the middle of doing the "I crush you" finger gesture a la Kids in the Hall. He's telling Netanyahu he's a worthless little bug, and he will CRUSH him.

Or maybe he's telling him he has a very, very tiny penis. :rofl:

[Cha]

32. Yeah, I guess there could be more read into that pic..

:rofl:

[Beacool]

8. The whole thing is absurd.

On the other hand, please get your feet off the Resolute Desk. It is a valuable antique and should be treated as such.

:(

[dalaigh lllama]

12. I wonder if the tops of those desks are polyurethaned

If you watched the NBC special last week, they brought in those greasy bags of burgers and set them down on a wooden desk in one of the rooms. The mom in me was appalled.

I talked with one of my friends about it later and we decided surely there must be some sort of protective coating on all those desks, with all the daily use and abuse they get.

[Beacool]

15. I don't know, I hope that it's protected.

I love antiques, and this desk in particular is chock-full of history. I cringe when I see people treat old treasures disrespectfully. Although he's probably not the first president to put his feet up on that desk. I still wish they wouldn't do it, or at least take their shoes off.

x(

[Orsino]

19. It outlasted the Bush Administration.

It must be teflon-coated, too.

[CreekDog]

72. It's there to be used

:shrug:

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

90. Well look at it this way, Obama just added one more bit of history to the desk by . . .

putting his feet up, so no biggie. Unless, of course, it somehow leads to WW III starting in the Middle East, in which case, it IS a biggie. But, still historic, nonetheless.

[Hippo_Tron]

81. I think the POTUS has the prerogative to put his feet on the desk

[Beacool]

85. It's not his desk.

He's the current tenant of the WH, but it's not his personal property. That desk is a national treasure and belongs to the American people. I just wish that he wouldn't put his shoes up on it.


;)

[Hippo_Tron]

88. No it's not, but I still think he has the prerogative to do with it as he wishes

[crimsonblue]

100. jesus christ I hope you're kidding....

if you're not, thank you for officially ruining my day.

[JuniperLea]

97. Oh dear...

I thought that too... I can't even enjoy The Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy anymore because I'm always wondering who is going to clean up the freaking mess!

:rofl:

[Jackeens]

9. That angle isn't working for me. I think those feet belong to someone else. Hillary?

:shrug:

[NYC_SKP]

10. Did they know his pants were pulled down to his knees?

The "boys" need to breath! :P

[Jackeens]

11. ....

(Do you have a pic?)

[NYC_SKP]

30. Of him?

Or ME? :evilgrin: :P

[Beacool]

54. Bad Pooch!!!!!

:spank:

[Jackeens]

61. Beacool

(I already have naked photos of NYC_SKP - bad pooch was all I could say too)

[Beacool]

62. You do??????????

:wow:

And??????

:evilgrin:

[Jackeens]

69. ....

$10 and their yours. (Cash or PayPal)

[Beacool]

73. Hmmm, let me see how much cash I find under the sofa cushions.

}(

[NYC_SKP]

76. Hey!

I get a 10% cut!

Or else I'm cutting you off!!! :P

[Beacool]

86. I won't say what that is called, but it rhymes with oar...........

}(

[NYC_SKP]

89. Woof!

I'm a yard dog, I can't help it!

[Beacool]

94. Yard dog indeed.............

:eyes:


:hi:

[NYC_SKP]

75. BWAAHAAHAHA!

:loveya:

[CitizenLeft]

71. ROTFL!

[Fire1]

92. LoL!! Shame on you!

:spank:

[Thrill]

13. I think the WH may have been trying to send a message with the photo

Not sure thats the message though. :)

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

79. Hopefully it has nothing to do with post # 30. nt

[Buzz Clik]

14. Sensitivities are running high. They're grasping at straws.

[Jackeens]

16. It could have been worse

He could have been giving them the fingers:

[LiberalFighter]

17. They are offended because they aren't Hillary's shoes. The only way to see up her dress.

Just shows how sick the Israeli's are.
:sarcasm:

[question everything]

18. Emphasis on "some"

how would you like it if all of us were judged by that ditz on Fox - see the Jon Stewart montage - or Geraldo, or the Limpdick?

So some Israelis are insulted, so what? Is this a reason to raise your blood pressure?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

23. Totes my goats.

That's exactly right.

[Orsino]

20. Imagine how we'd feel...

...if photos of Netanyahu during the call showed the Prime Minister flipping the bird.

I think that some of us would feel offended, too.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

21. Did Obama take the picture and send it to him? Should he have a blanket around his feet during all

calls?
And this gesture isn't inappropriate in Israel per the article.

[Orsino]

22. "It is not a Jewish custom necessarily, but Israel feels enough a part of the Middle East ...

...after 60 years to be insulted too." The article says it is insulting, even to some or many in Israel.

It doesn't matter that Obama didn't send the photo. I'll ask again: wouldn't some of us feel a sting if we saw photgraphic proof of Netanyahi flipping the bird during the same call? Whether or not Netanyahu mailed Obama a print?

[SemiCharmedQuark]

24. Not if there were dozens of pictures of him doing it during call after call after call AND it wasn't

an insult in his country.

Good lord, the picture could have been taken from the back of him. Then what? No insult?

The supposed insult is showing your shoe soles to someone. Obama didn't show his shoe soles to anyone. The photographer took a picture of his shoes. It could have happened had he been sitting there crossing his legs.

[Orsino]

36. WE know that Obama has often been photographed that way...

...and wouldn't take offense, anyway. Some Israelis, I imagine, don't follow his adventures as closely as we do, and if any are actually offended, I'll forgive them. It doesn't matter one bit what the president's intentions (or lack thereof) were--it's the fact that he was photographed from that angle, and that that picture wound up being published. It's an unfortunate accident, as you say, but it was probably inevitable.

I'd suspect that some want to be offended, and might seize on any excuse to criticize the president.

[Jackeens]

26. Is he 'flipping the bird'?

I thought that meant giving the finger? :shrug:

[Politicalboi]

42. No

He didn't direct it at them, it's just a picture. They need something to cry about. BFD he showed his sole of his shoe. Israel has bigger problems than the bottom of someone's shoe.

[Orsino]

44. I don't think anyone here thinks the president meant to be photographed that way.

I doubt, too, that anyone would dispute the existence of bigger problems for Israel. "It's just a picture," however, fails as an excuse for any offense given.

If the caption says, "President Obama speaks with Prime Minister Netanyahu," or if the caption read that the two "exchange frnk views," some fraction of readers will associate Obama's pose with an attitude. We are, after all, easily swayed by imagery.

[Drunken Irishman]

78. Are you really trying to make that comparison?

Firstly, where is Pres. Obama flipping the bird? There is a huge difference between relaxing while talking and flipping the goddamn bird at a camera.

Secondly, if Netanyahu actually flipped the bird, I would suggest it was a planned attack and meant for the President to be see. Do you actually think Pres. Obama staged this photo? Do you actually believe Pres. Obama even knew the petty and pathetic uproar a photo like that would illicit?

Stop comparing the two, they are not the fucking same. :eyes:

[Orsino]

91. I think you just did.

The Obama Got Sole picture versus a hypothetical one of Netanyahu flipping the bird? Your response seems to indicate that you would take the latter as some deliberate insult.

Perhaps we agree, then, that the former might be taken similarly by some--even if no offense was meant in either case.

[Drunken Irishman]

93. How can someone NOT take offense to the bird?

Wow, I can't believe I'm actually having this debate with someone on DU. Seriously, your logic actually makes my head hurt.

There is a big difference between flipping the bird at someone and kicking back and resting your feet on the desk. If you can't see the difference, well then I pity you.

[Orsino]

110. It depends on the cultural significance of a gesture.

If there are places where putting one's feet up can be offensive, there are others where flipping the bird is not.

[Cha]

33. Oh please...that would be intended..

Prez Obama was resting his weary legs. Big difference.

[Orsino]

39. As I've said...

...anyone in the Gulf region who honestly takes offense at the gesture wouldn't know, from a still photo, what was really going on. Even if they don't believe that a deliberate insult was intended, the pose could still look arrogant. We can say "oh, please" all day, but that would be irrelevant where the sole of the shoe is a deadly insult.

I'm not faulting the president at all, but neither am I dismissing the possibility of genuine offense.

[Cha]

51. Yeah, sorry, I'll still have

to go with "oh please" for the ones who want to read insult into this.

[Orsino]

59. You don't have to apologize to me.

Or to anyone else. Your ill feelings, I think, are as irrelevant as Obama's lack of intent to insult.

[Cha]

65. My ill feelings? Nah, I'm quite

happy, thank you very much.

[redqueen]

41. Bad analogy. Flipping the bird is a gesture, putting your feet up on a desk is not.

This is so ridiculous it's not even funny.

[Orsino]

48. Decent analogy, I think.

That one is done with the hands and one with the feet hardly matters. Either can be executed deliberately to offend, so a few people, at least, are going to be made uncomfortable. It requires cultural sensitivity for us to acknowledge the possibility of genuine offense, and perhaps nearly as much for some Middle Easterners to realize, "Oh, he's just casually putting his feet up--it was just coincidence that the picture was taken while he was on the phone with Netanyahu."

From some perspectives this little flap is ridiculous, and less so from others.

[redqueen]

53. Did I say the difference was due to which extremity was used?

Please.

[Orsino]

57. What difference do you see, then...

...that eliminates the possibility of inadvertent offense?

[phleshdef]

47. Who gives a shit? They know we don't share their customs.

The president can put his feet up in his office anytime he damn well pleases and they can grow up and get over it.

[Orsino]

49. Go USA! n/t

[NutmegYankee]

105. WTF? We can show American culture here in the USA!

It's only rude if you don't follow another countries culture in their country.

[Orsino]

111. Yes.

Obama wasn't intending to be rude, nor was the photographer, nor were most or all of the media outlets that ran the photo.

If Middle Easterners saw the photo in their own media outlets, we can understand why it may have had other, unintended significance to them.

[NutmegYankee]

104. Exactly!

[NutmegYankee]

103. And yet, Obama isn't flipping the bird. He has his feet up on his desk.

Despite the "Arab" world take, that is perfectly normal relaxed behavior here in the USA. Seriously? Getting upset over a picture taken from one chosen angle, others of which would not show shoes, and which to the photographer and the American people looks like a relaxed pose. They MUST be right wingers getting upset over nothing...

[Orsino]

113. I don't think that either of us knows enough...

...about every single person who might have seen the photo. To some, it matters not one bit how perfectly normal that posture is in America.

I would imagine that anyone who thought for a moment that Obama was being deliberately or accidentally rude probably does lean right. In the context of our president's recent overtures to the Muslim world, whatever they thought they saw took on extra significance. It's not nothing, then. It was an unfortunate coincidence that Obama's casual pose was linked in the press with his conversation with Netanyahu, raising some hackles.

Some may well be lying about being offended.

[rocktivity]

25. Well, the article DOES say "SOME Israelis..."

:boring:
rocktivity

[Captain Hilts]

27. Then they don't have to accept our aid any more. Easy. nt

[Catherine Vincent]

29. One wonders what they would say if he was naked. LOL.

[invictus]

34. Faux outrage. They just love playing the victim.

nt

[Robeson]

35. Much a shoe about nothing.

[Jackeens]

38. You should be brought to heel for that comment

:rofl:

[onenote]

40. leather alone

[Jackeens]

43. Sole mates?

:-)

[onenote]

46. nah, just a pair of loafers

[Jackeens]

52. Seriously, people have got the boot from DU for less.

[onenote]

55. then i better sneaker away

[Jackeens]

58. You better - all you've done so far is flip-flop.

[onenote]

63. are you moccasining me?

[Jackeens]

64. Huh - stiletto wit!

[ItNerd4life]

66. Ok, you two, stop it! I've had enough laughing for the day. nt

[Jackeens]

68. Oi ItNerd4life, are you trying to clog up this thread?

[onenote]

87. damn - I was planning on using the clogging line but had to go into a meeting. It was so on pointe.

[Jackeens]

95. I had to pop out too, just a little check-up - but, phew, Dr Marten said I'm fine.

:shrug:

[onenote]

98. you must be prada yourself. well, got to slipper out for a bit. adidas amigo

[Jackeens]

99. ROFL....game set & match to onenote! I was going to use 'Puma', but maybe not a wise choice on DU?

:-)

[onenote]

101. I'm so pumped!! (but not puma'd)

[Jackeens]

102. Ugg!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

80. Oh you three SHOE, get out of here!!!! Sorry ya'll didn't leave me much to work with. nt

[Jackeens]

82. Hey Guy Whitey Corngood, you need to slingback outta here - right now.

:blush:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

83. Well done ma'm well done indeed. nt

[Ganja Ninja]

45. They spy on us repeatedly, shoot up one of our ships, sell us out to the russians ...

run over an American protester with a bulldozer and they're mad because Obama has his feet on his desk! Fuck them! They can kiss my fat American ass!

[Dappleganger]

96. +1

[Bonobo]

50. So the fact that SOME people felt insulted...what about it?

You feel that entitles you to making some deeper implication about Israel in general? About Jews? What?

Fucking mountain out of molehills and the fact that CBS reported it means nothing. You picked it up and ran with it.

It is called media manipulation. You should think about it, even a little.

[marshall]

56. The bottom of the shoe has a very negative conotation in middle eastern culture

Equivalent to our culture's view of mooning each other, or pointing our rears in somebody's face. The kids where I used to teach called it "taking somebody's picture" when you bent over with your rear end stuck in the air. They considered it the height of incivility.

[leftynyc]

60. Read the article

Not one person quoted and yet here we are with people who would normally look skeptically at an unsourced story swallowing it whole because it involves Israel. Typical and pathetic.

[masuki bance]

67. That's nothing, check this-

Feeling the Hate In Jerusalem on Eve of Obama's Cairo Address

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxt9HwfPwPo

[Jackeens]

70. F**king hell

Particularly striking was the lady who didn't know who Benjamin Netanyahu was.

What a bunch of racist scum.

[Bonobo]

74. Those are Americans, not Israelis and...

this thread is ugly as fuck.

[jillan]

77. Just like here in the US and every other country - there are nutjobs all over the world.

[Hutzpa]

84. Ok, now we have a shoegate

is that poo I can see on that sole, it should have been poo, that little spec.

[Reterr]

106. Why can't people like this find something that actually matters to have a fit about

:eyes:

Too many fucking morons on this planet...

[cagesoulman]

107. Hey, at least he was dressed.

And not in the bathroom.

[Stellabella]

108. Yeah. THAT'S what's important.

God, can they be any more sensitive and petty?

[Norrin Radd]

109. I am insulted by the lack of reasoning of those who were insulted.

Willful stupidity and unjustified outrage is insulting to humanity.

[HamdenRice]

112. More importantly: Dag Barak! You're the president! You better get yourself to the shoestore!

Notice there is an **ahem** barespot in the shoeleather of the right shoe?

As we used to say growing up, "Bro, those shoes are talkin' to ya."

Either that, or he stepped in gum.