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Ear to the Ground

U.S. Offers F-35s for Extension of Settlement Freeze

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Posted on Nov 14, 2010
AP / Sebastian Scheiner

Barbed wire rings the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit on the West Bank.

Although the U.S. never has been a neutral arbiter in the Middle East, it’s still surprising that Washington has now reportedly promised Israel a long-term security agreement—including 20 F-35 fighter jets and a pledge to veto any damaging U.N. resolution—in exchange for a 90-day extension of the Israeli freeze on constructing settlements in the West Bank.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just agreed to freeze “most construction” in the occupied West Bank for 90 days in order to break an impasse in peace talks.

One can only guess at the magnitude of collective uproar that would result if a similar deal was offered to the Palestinian Authority. Just sayin’. —JCL

The Guardian:

A US proposal offering security and diplomatic incentives to Israel in exchange for a renewal of a freeze on the building of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank drew an angry response from several senior Israeli ministers at a cabinet meeting today. Four cabinet members from the rightwing Likud party opposed Washington’s initiative to resume peace talks, in what Israeli media described as heated discussions.

The Palestinian authority also said today that it had not been informed . “We haven’t heard anything official from the Americans,” said Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator. “We are waiting for them to contact us.”

The US has reportedly offered Israel a long-term security agreement, which includes the delivery of 20 F-35 fighter jets worth $3bn (£1.9bn). Washington also vowed to veto any UN security council resolution that could be damaging for Israel.

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By diamond, November 15, 2010 at 4:53 pm Link to this comment

I don’t think, Steve E. that poor old Lewis Carroll in his cozy Victorian life could have ever imagined anything as hideous as Israel or its parasitic relationship with America. But the story of how Israel really does business would make a fantastic book, if anyone had the guts to write it and could find anyone to publish it or review it. Even Greg Palast, not openly a critic of Israel, has complained that his books are routinely not reviewed because they deal with information the mainstream media doesn’t want to talk about. Not only do the elites give false answers to questions, they decide which questions will be asked and in that way create a parallel universe of disinformation. You can see it on 9/11 and you can see it on anything to do with Israel.

As far as I’m concerned tyranny is tyranny and Israel is a tyrant and must be confronted and forced to obey international law. Selling (or giving, which is closer to the truth) them endless supplies of weapons is certainly not going to accomplish that. The fact that they’re a nuclear power makes it all the more urgent that they cease to be a rogue nation, answerable to no one.

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By Steve E, November 15, 2010 at 6:27 am Link to this comment

Dear Mr. Diamond, does that book “Through The Looking Glass” explain the
history behind how Israel was able to first obtain and or develop nukes? Thanks

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By diamond, November 15, 2010 at 3:07 am Link to this comment

Oh, yes. That’ll do it. Give the murderers more weapons and tell them you’ll beat them with a wet sock if they don’t stop stealing other people’s land and building ‘settlements’ all over it. It must be true that the Israelis have dirt files on politicians from both parties. That’s the only explanation for why they’re so shit scared of a country the size of a postage stamp currently occupied by people who originally came from Poland and other parts of Europe but who claim to be Semitic and have links to the Israelites and Abraham. ‘Through the Looking Glass’ is required reading to understand the surreal and farcical world of Amerisrael. As Bill Clinton said after one bruising run in with Bibi: ‘Who the fuck does he think he is? Who’s the fucking superpower here?’ Good question.

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By Shingo, November 14, 2010 at 8:22 pm Link to this comment

“Washington also vowed to veto any UN security council resolution that could be damaging for Israel.”

In other words, even when Israel commit war crimes, the US will be complicit and endorse those crimes.

And the US wonders why it has become a laughing stock and an object of contempt in the world!

A comment I read on another blog sums this up:

“This is like the mayor offering bigger guns to the Mafia to stop robbing the eastern part of the city for 90 days, but the banks are not included in the deal and remain fair game!”

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By rosemerry, November 14, 2010 at 7:08 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Luckily the F 35s are completely unsuitable for any military use whatsoever- huge, heavy, unmaneuverable, easily damaged and hard to repair…. Give them more or you will be stuck with them yourselves

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By ghostcommander, November 14, 2010 at 6:33 pm Link to this comment

Are we, the USA, subordinate to Israel? Netanyahu and his radical extremists are just playing games, It is well past time for the present leadership to accept the inevitable peace with the Palestinians and their rightful statehood.

The Israel/Palestine issue is a hot button issue both here in the US and in Israel. Netanyahu is no different than the radical extremist republicans in the US with their hot button emotional issues that they will never resolve. If they do, then they will lose all those voters and never win an election. In the meantime the conflict continues and lives are lost.

How about some F-35’s for homeowners in the US facing foreclosure?

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By Steve E, November 14, 2010 at 6:33 pm Link to this comment

Diplomacy at work, you gotta love it. Canada had to buy their F-35s and it is
America’s bosom buddy. Ah well, same old same, maybe Israel can try them out
on their up and coming strike on Iran. Trouble is I don’t think the planes will be
available anytime soon. Maybe thats the catch. Ya gotta hand it to Israel, they crap
on the Arabs and the Americans and keep coming up roses.

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By Richard_Ralph_Roehl, November 14, 2010 at 6:26 pm Link to this comment

Yes, ‘comrades’, every faster poo-food Amerikan consumer/citizen is obligated to blind-lie $upport the bigoted, ethno-racist Zionist wackos in the theo-crazy of Israel… at all costs! Israel first! Amerika $econd.

The tail must always wag the dog for the $ake of KKKristian/Zionism. This includes enabling the Zionist fundamentalists in Israel to commit kidnapping, torture, murder, piracy on the high seas, ethnic cleaning… and the eventual genocide of “evil Palestinian women an’ children” trapped inside the WARSAW GHETTO OF GAZA!

Also… every U.$. Marine (and other Amerikan military personnel) are mandated (by AIPAC lobbyists in $ewertown) to sacrifice their lives to defend the glories of the Israeli-Zionist theo-crazy.

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By frecklefever, November 14, 2010 at 5:38 pm Link to this comment

OBAMA TO APPROVE THIS OUTRAGE…HAS TO BE AS CLUELESS AS
BUSH..ISRAEL IS A MILLSTONE THAT IS DROWNING AMERICA…AND THE
VILLAIN OF THE MIDDLE EAST…

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By john from ojai, November 14, 2010 at 5:04 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

johnazevedo1 at 12:48 PM November 14, 2010

I wish Netanyayu were negotiating for our side. He was right when he said that it’s easy to get the US to do its bidding. Obama gives away the store for a hand full of trinkets. Could it be clearer that AIPAC and the militant right of Israel owns Obama and most US politicians? It’s sure great that we have and extra $3billion to gift Israel military with. Luckily we don’t need it for health care, unemployment, energy, and education.

Boycott, Divest, and Sanction.

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PatrickHenry's avatar

By PatrickHenry, November 14, 2010 at 3:32 pm Link to this comment

Give the Israelis something they already stole.

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/11/02/national-security-alert-f-35-stealth-fighter-spy-cover-up/

When will this country wake up to realize the Israelis are not our friends.

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