Old news, I know, but due to my just concluded secret mission, I was not able to comment before now.
What seems perfectly obvious to me is that Obama did not call for Israel to return to the '67 borders. I say this because I paid attention to what the man actually said.
Here is the relevant quote:
"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states."
This is not, by any stretch, a call for Israel to go back to the '67 border. As everyone has already said, such a demand is unacceptable and Obama never made such a demand.
What he said was this: "The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states."
Again: "based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps..."
Again: "based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps..."
Obama is not saying that he wants Israel to be as vulnerable or as insecure as it was before the 6 Day War, nor is he asking Israel to disown or destroy Jewish communities that have been built on the Arab side of the Green Line. He is simply saying that Israel must give up some land for every piece of land it annexes. This is a concept that every president since Bush Sr. has embraced, and a concept that was the premise of Bush Jr's famous 2004 letter to Ariel Sharon. Calling for mutually agreed swaps is neither new, nor radical, nor shocking, nor anti-Israel. Rather, land swaps are a way of ensuring that Israel remains both a Jewish and democratic state. When the president calls for mutually agreed swaps he is making a real --_ and realistic --- expression of concern for the security of Israeli citizens.
I find it difficult to accept that even the most disingenuous, and biased Obama-hater might misconstrue the plain meaning of these words; unfortunately the commentary of the last few days suggests that disingenuous, and biased Obama-haters are without shame or limits to their mendacity.
What seems perfectly obvious to me is that Obama did not call for Israel to return to the '67 borders. I say this because I paid attention to what the man actually said.
Here is the relevant quote:
"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states."
This is not, by any stretch, a call for Israel to go back to the '67 border. As everyone has already said, such a demand is unacceptable and Obama never made such a demand.
What he said was this: "The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states."
Again: "based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps..."
Again: "based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps..."
Obama is not saying that he wants Israel to be as vulnerable or as insecure as it was before the 6 Day War, nor is he asking Israel to disown or destroy Jewish communities that have been built on the Arab side of the Green Line. He is simply saying that Israel must give up some land for every piece of land it annexes. This is a concept that every president since Bush Sr. has embraced, and a concept that was the premise of Bush Jr's famous 2004 letter to Ariel Sharon. Calling for mutually agreed swaps is neither new, nor radical, nor shocking, nor anti-Israel. Rather, land swaps are a way of ensuring that Israel remains both a Jewish and democratic state. When the president calls for mutually agreed swaps he is making a real --_ and realistic --- expression of concern for the security of Israeli citizens.
I find it difficult to accept that even the most disingenuous, and biased Obama-hater might misconstrue the plain meaning of these words; unfortunately the commentary of the last few days suggests that disingenuous, and biased Obama-haters are without shame or limits to their mendacity.
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