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Ear to the Ground

Brazil Recognizes Palestine

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Posted on Dec 5, 2010
seplan.am.gov.br

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is at the end of his second and ultimate term as Brazil’s president.

In a public letter addressed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday, outgoing and popular Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva formally recognized Palestine as an independent state within its 1967 borders.

Meanwhile, Israel is angry, saying Brazil’s decision is disappointing and problematic to the peace negotiations at hand. —JCL

Al-Jazeera English:

Israel has expressed disappointment at Brazil’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, saying it flew in the face of efforts to negotiate a peace deal.

In a public letter addressed to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, on Friday, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, recognised Palestine as an independent state within the 1967 borders.

The decision came in response to a personal request made by Abbas on November 24, according to the letter published on the foreign ministry’s website on Friday.

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Arabian Sinbad's avatar

By Arabian Sinbad, December 7, 2010 at 9:28 pm Link to this comment

The latest piece of news related to the American-Israeli political gimmicks is that the US has abandoned trying to convince (i.e. bribe Israel with 3 billion additional dollars) to agree to halting the building of illegal settlements in occupied Palestine for just ninety days, so both parties can buy more time to come up with another evil gimmick to further trick Mahmoud Abbas into signing a deal that will give the Palestinians the crumbs of a so-called settlement deal.

This is the laughable culmination result of the so-called American diplomatic efforts to revive the so-called peace efforts between the parties. And it reminds me of the Arabic maxim that says, “The mountain shock and roared to give birth to a tiny mouse!” This is a metaphor for a great wasted effort that produces petty or no results.

The so-called American hypocritical diplomacy, and now totally scorned by your spoiled child Israel, is a tragic tale of how low you have become in the eyes of those you’ve been feeding for many years! 

Now, I don’t have any remedy to the hopeless and tragic situation of the American dilemma. However, I have one advice to my Palestinian brethren: “Abandon your delusions for a peaceful settlement to your grievances; for what was taken by force cannot be recovered but by force in the laws of the modern day jungle. You must declare an open war of liberation by all means possible. And start by setting up fires wherever you can all over Israel, for Israel was exposed just days ago for lacking the basics of fire-fighting equipment, despite the 200 nuclear bombs it has. Be assured, they will not be able to use these nuclear weapons against your guerrilla war of liberation! And make your motto as: “Give me liberty or give me death!”

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By newyawker, December 7, 2010 at 4:49 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Fantastic!  BDS Israel.  BOYCOTT, DISINVEST, SANCTION the criminal state.

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Leefeller's avatar

By Leefeller, December 7, 2010 at 11:04 am Link to this comment

Try as I may, I cannot stay away from issues of Israel and Palestine, a glutton for punishment I must ask my therapist why do I inflict such pain on myself? Attempting to understand the impossible it seems to me.

One thing fro sure,  it will all come out in the end!

Report this
Napolean DoneHisPart's avatar

By Napolean DoneHisPart, December 7, 2010 at 9:33 am Link to this comment

Thanks She,

I was the first to comment on this particular thread / article… and made several other posts which were removed.

The article explains the diaspora of the Jewish elite from England back to what they made in 1946 to be Israel..

As for racy words or anything south of kosher…. well, I didn’t state anything dubious or hateful, simply clarifying historical points.

When I first found TD and opened an account, within two weeks my account was deleted along with all posts…

I did contact TD, received some fluffy email in response apologizing but with no good reason or excuse.

To believe that ‘open and honest debate’ occurs on this website is to believe such open and honest debate also happens on FOX during the O’Reilly Factor.

TD is NOT on the side of the “Voice of the People” but on the side which writes fiat checks.

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Shenonymous's avatar

By Shenonymous, December 7, 2010 at 9:03 am Link to this comment

So sorry Nappie you are still having posting problems.  It seems
to be a chronic problem that you have voiced on other forums. 
Anyway two of them have shown up here, so it does not look as
if you are completely banned from the forums!  Maybe it is a
mechanical problem and you are not posting correctly?  It would
seem unless sedition or anarchic violence were being promoted
most anything is allowed to be said on TD.  But since it is a private
site, they do have the legal right to censure any comment.  But I
can’t imagine what you could have said to warrant TD taking that
action.  They are broadly liberal.  Are there folks here that take
uncommon issue with your sentiments?  Seems like arguing is
the very basis of the site!  It would be pretty bland if it weren’t. 

I checkout your Bloomberg article and it was a review of a book about
the Jews in Britain and the creation of Israel, but it was very scant and
hardly much of a review.  Why would that be a censored site?  And if it
was censured and removed once, why wouldn’t TD have done it for your
Dec. 7, 5:30 a.m. comment again? Do you really think some commenter
is reporting something derogatory about your posts?  What on earth
for?  You can write to TD, see contact us at the bottom of the forum
and write to the webmaster and the editors.  They are usually
responsive to inquiries.

Report this

By omop, December 7, 2010 at 8:08 am Link to this comment

To Shenoni et al check out TD’s “Iran now is winning in the ME.

  Its all those donkeys that Rabbi Yossef claimed that non jews. They are
beginning tthe turn.

  But then does not the world turn once in a while?

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By omygodnotagain, December 7, 2010 at 4:57 am Link to this comment

If Israel were dissolved tomorrow the entire world would hold a party, except for a few cities in the US, breathe a sigh of relief, the nightmare, the arrogance and criminality would finally be over and done with. Maybe this is the the shot heard around the world, come on China, Russia, Africa now is your time to stand up and be counted

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Napolean DoneHisPart's avatar

By Napolean DoneHisPart, December 6, 2010 at 11:31 pm Link to this comment

The other reason why my posts may have been deleted is due to some bogus flags from some with absurd opinions which may not harmonize with mine.

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Napolean DoneHisPart's avatar

By Napolean DoneHisPart, December 6, 2010 at 11:30 pm Link to this comment

Has anyone noticed my posts have been DELETED!!!!!

What is the state of TruthDig when the words of the people who peruse said site are CENSORED AND DELETED!!!

Guess what?

The TRUTH is NOT shared here.

Bunch of Lackeys.

Yet, here is the link and the reason why I’m censored-

http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aPywqP6a1CXE

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Shenonymous's avatar

By Shenonymous, December 6, 2010 at 10:43 pm Link to this comment

I am not chagrined at all omop.  I suggest that you not try to intuit
my psychological state of mind. It is a ridiculously adolescent habit.
I am only pointing out the tenuousness and fragility of international
interactions when there are many facets at work. The Mercado trade
agreement between Israel and Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and
Paraguay may or may not suffer because of the political predicament
being created. 

What do the Latin Americans really hope to accomplish by the public
declaration? The UN will not act simply on their recognition of a
nonexistent Palestinian state.  Once the state is created is the time for
them to recognize it fruitfully.  Is Lula, et al, just full of sound and fury
signifying really nothing or could it signify a great deal of a trading
mess. The world economy is a detail to be considered.  But then
countries do go off the deep end, just look at the US in their politically
motivated financial troubles.

The meeting between Israel’s Perez and Lula da Silva, March 15 of this
year was significant for the Sao Paolo Industrialist Association and any
interruption may not make Brazilian business quarters very happy.  We
all know money talks more than political posturing.

Of course the Latin Americans might think they will get more business
from the Arab states with their premature bluster.  That is a risk they
could be taking if they break their agreements with Israel and the US.
And now that Canada has declared its support for Israel, there might
be trade repercussion there as well.  See… it really is way too complex. 
Of course, you can just have fun speculating if you wish. Main stream
media certainly does.

I would make the point though, that their declarations probably will not
help the situation between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel’s reaction
was predictable, with “sadness and disappointment” to the Brazilian’s
declaration on the issue, saying it breached a 1995 agreement it had
with the Palestinian Authority that any Palestinian state should only
come about through negotiations with it. Abbas’s attempt to skirt such
negotiations by appealing to member countries of the UN to recognize
a Palestinian state, again, most likely only exacerbates the situation and
will not be the factor that persuades Israel to yield in their position.  It
is not always a good idea to try to force pus out of a boil too early and
cause an infection or only drives more pus to show up, and that looks
like what is being attempted.  Seems like every time they get close to a
solution, one side or the other knocks things off track.  What could
really be going on?  It has been decades.  1967 was a long time ago. 
Is there such hubris to think spectators have even an inkling?  Maybe
there are some Wikileaks that would shed light on the problem?

Then there is the trade agreements between Uruguay and the United
States: On 2 October 2008, the governments of the United States and
Uruguay signed two protocols to the TIFA in the areas of trade
facilitation and public participation in trade and environment.  Since
the US supports Israel does Uruguay jeopardize its trade agreement
with the US?

Things are not as friendly in Latin America as it looks on the surface.  A
UPI.com report RIO DE JANEIRO, May 27 (UPI)—Brazil warned
Argentina it could have a little trade war on its hands if it contemplated
blocking or curtailing entry of Brazilian food exports into the country.

There is too much going on to know what really is going on.  The hope
is that the Palestinians will win their own nation.  But interfering factors
puts it off indefinitely and only impedes ending their suffering.

Report this

By Dar, December 6, 2010 at 7:40 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Once again South Americans show more back-bone in the fact of the US-Israel empire, than all those Mid-East tyrannies combined.

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Arabian Sinbad's avatar

By Arabian Sinbad, December 6, 2010 at 7:21 pm Link to this comment

Bravo Lula da Silva for teaching the cowards, hypocrites and tyrants of the world a lesson in courage and justice.

May your courageous stand be contagious and bring about a domino effect!

And may terrorist, colonial Israel drink the salty water of the seas till it chocks to death in its anger over your courageous stand!

Report this
PatrickHenry's avatar

By PatrickHenry, December 6, 2010 at 6:33 pm Link to this comment

Yes Omop, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a real turd.

She wouldn’t know the right thing to do if it bit her on her large ass.

As far as Recognition of a Palestinian state, I hope for the domino effect and that the tidal wave of world opinion takes us where Israel refuses to go

Report this

By omop, December 6, 2010 at 6:03 pm Link to this comment

PatrickHenry.

A European website reports that (much to Shenonymouse chagrin) Argentina and
Uruguay have also recognised The Palestenian state.

The UN too if they had any scruples would have to do the same since it is the
entity that created BOTH an Israeli and a Palestinian state.

The Israeli firster congresswoman Cuban/American from Florida will now
condemn them too as she did Brazil.

  Who loves you baby hey?

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Shenonymous's avatar

By Shenonymous, December 6, 2010 at 1:07 pm Link to this comment

Yes, Palestine recognized by Brazil is a good thing, but what Palestine?
There is no nation yet.  And Canada supports Israel.  So nothing is
changed except lip service to sides lining up.  It looks like posturing. 
How many more decades before anything redefines.  Is Brazil going to
do anything except recognize?  Doesn’t Brazil trade with Israel?  Check
out their March 2010 Free Trade Agreement!  Sounds very much like
Democrats and Republicans.  The ordinary people of the world are so
naive.  That means us!

Report this

By ElkoJohn, December 6, 2010 at 12:15 pm Link to this comment

How long oh Lord, how long?

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By Chris Herz, December 6, 2010 at 8:42 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Interesting.  Even Venezuela has not seen fit to go so far.

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By ardee, December 6, 2010 at 6:06 am Link to this comment

Bravo, Lula. One single step on a long journey, yet an important and courageous one.

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By InLustforReal Revolution, December 6, 2010 at 4:50 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

No way!

Someone in the world isn’t afraid to take the first step of honest diplomacy- supporting historical facts over political preferences. So different than what we do here in the U.S…unwilling to dish out the “tough love” to our allies which we know we ought to, yet which we always seem to pride ourselves on giving out in overwhelming quantities to our adversaries or clients.

Good job, President Lula da Silva

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By bEHOLD_tHE_mATRIX, December 5, 2010 at 11:26 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

This ol’ rock has had enough of Northern Hemisphere
white war-making and hegemony.  The Southern
Hemisphere has been the Europeans’ and their
descendants sandbox and supply resource for flesh and
raw materials for half a millennium.

It is patiently obvious that the collective status
quo of the power and wealth centers of the Northern
half of the globe care little for a sub set of human
beings impoverished and imprisoned by an occupying
totalitarian regime perceived to be ‘the chosen
people’ of Jehovah.

It could be entirely possible that the hope for
mankind could come from these Southern Hemisphere
peoples who have witnessed the cruelty of systems
operated for and by a privileged few only to emerge
as vibrant democracies embracing both socialism and
free market agendas.

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By FRTothus, December 5, 2010 at 8:06 pm Link to this comment

The first step in any real Mid-East peace is full
recognition of a contiguous, sovereign Palestinian
state.  A concomitant step would be to hold Israel and
the US accountable for war crimes and multiple
violations of international law.  Bravo to Brazil for
showing the “civilized world” what real civilized
behavior looks like.

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moonraven's avatar

By moonraven, December 5, 2010 at 7:25 pm Link to this comment

An excellent almost-parting shot by Lula!

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EJH's avatar

By EJH, December 5, 2010 at 7:22 pm Link to this comment

I, too, recognize Palestine as an independent state
within the 1967 borders.

http://theunpeople.blogspot.com/

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By NZDoug, December 5, 2010 at 5:48 pm Link to this comment

WOW! An emerging super power showing honesty and leadership in this ugly
mess. May the rest of the world join in chorus, until there is justice in Palestine.
Enough “Operation Enduring Occupation” and that goes for Afghanistan too.
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!!
Leave world domination to Kang and Kodos.

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PatrickHenry's avatar

By PatrickHenry, December 5, 2010 at 4:03 pm Link to this comment

Hats off to Brazil, the first of which I hope is many.

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