Rick Perry's Deeply Clownish Pro-Israel Press Conference Posted by Michael Cohen

Nothing defines a modern presidential campaign like deep and pathetic genuflection to America's staunch and unyielding defenders of Israel; and apparently yesterday was Rick Perry's turn to prostrate himself. I have to say in an era of deeply clownish campaign performances this performance was really quite something. Andrew Exum has done a nice job of annotating the presser here, but there are a few things jumped out to me as well . . . like Perry's opening sentence: 

I am joined today by a diverse group of Jewish leaders from here and abroad who share my concern that the United Nations could take action this week to legitimize the Palestinian gambit to establish statehood in violation of the spirit of the 1993 Oslo Accords.

I guess no one told Rick Perry that Israeli settlement expansion (which has tripled since Oslo was signed) is also a "violation of the spirit of the 1993 Oslo Accords." Of course if someone had told Perry this is would have likely bounced right off him: after all as Christiane Amanpour reported Perry told her he has no problem with Israeli settlement growth, "Israel should be allowed to keep building (settlements)," said the Texas Governor.

This position is in opposition to 30-years of US policy - and contradicts the view held by a trio of GOP presidents. But hey, nakedly pandering to domestic constituencies is hard work. 

Speaking of pandering and appeasement Perry also said this, "It is time to change our policy of appeasement toward the Palestinians to strengthen our ties to the nation of Israel."

Honestly, this is one of the craziest things I've heard come out of the mouth of a American politician in quite some time. The United States is currently preparing to veto a UN Security Council Resolution creating a Palestinian state; it has been lobbying members of the Security Council and the General Assembly to vote against said resolution - in what alternate Texas-universe is this appeasement? Perhaps its the same Texas universe where scientists believe climate change is not real? If the United States was appeasing the Palestinians or even the Arab street (another charge by Perry) wouldn't the Obama Administration be supporting Palestinian statehood?*

It's almost as if Rick Perry believes that to prove America's fealty to Israel we have to veto resolutions that negatively affect Israel . . . and also have our diplomats tape kick me signs to the back of Mahmoud Abbas.

If Rick Perry truly believes that the Obama Administration is "appeasing the Palestinians" he either has no idea what is happening in the Middle East or he doesn't know what the word appeasement actually means. 

But then again the number of rank misstatements in Perry's remarks is something to truly behold:

"This administration encouraged the Palestinians to shun direct talks." - Actually that's why the Palestinians are going to the UN; there are no direct talks taking place.

"By injecting the issue of 1967 borders in addition to a construction freeze in East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements, the Obama Administration has put Israel in a position of weakness and taken away their flexibility to offer concessions as part of the negotiation process." - and yet in the same remarks Perry demands that "Palestinian leaders must publicly affirm Israel’s right to exist, and to exist as a Jewish state" AND "Abbas must persuade all factions including Hamas to renounce acts of terrorism and release kidnapped Israeli Gilad Shalit."

So Israel must have complete flexibility in negotiations . . . Palestinians must surrender in advance. Of course, considering that Perry believes "moral equivalency" between the Israeli desire to live in peace and Palestinians to have a state is a "dangerous insult" this contradictory position sort of makes sense.

Perry even makes nutty statements about countries in the region, "Who knows what the leadership of Iran would look like today if America had done everything in its power to provide diplomatic and moral support to encourage the growing movement of dissidents who sought freedom."

Ooh call on me - I know the answer! "Iran would look exactly the same." What do I win?

Of course, part of Perry's confusion might stem from the fact that he is blinded . . . by religious devotion.  According to Perry, “As a Christian I have a clear directive to support Israel . . . But that’s easy for me. Both as an American and as a Christian, I am going to stand with Israel.”

I don't even know what to make of this. It really isn't everyday that a politician seeking the White House would boast of the fact that they are basing foreign policy decision-making on religious faith. I'm not even sure Jews would make an argument like this. Someone really needs to update Rick Perry on this whole-separation-of-church-and-state thing.

Of course, it's fun to joke about this stuff, but in reality it's serous business - and indicative of how twisted debates about Israel have become in modern American politics. The assumption among Republican politicians - and a bevy of Democrats - is that the United States must unwaveringly support whatever the current Israeli government deems to be in its national interests . . . with little actual consideration of what US interests in the region might be.

That the support we are providing is emboldening the worst impulses of Israel's government is only turning political farce into national tragedy.

 

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Rick Perry can reply for himself tho I doubt he reads the gibberish you write. I adhere to the Gordis doctrine, i.e., unless you start from the premise that Israel is a legitimate State worthy of a free and peaceful existence like any other nation-state, and a Jewish State yet protective of its minorities' rights and freedoms, we have nothing talk about. Suffice to say, Israel imposed numerous stop-building policies in the hopes the PA would show up for coffee and negotiations all to no avail. Instead, Israel got suicide bombs and rocket fire into her schools, hospitals, retail stores, even a school bus. Your attempts at sarcasm are pathetic, and your one-sided attacks on Israel are disgusting. Moreover, your facts are all wrong.

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