‘Act of Aggression’: Palestinians Protest & Showcase Anger Over Potential U.S. Veto Threat
- Posted on October 6, 2011 at 6:59am by
Billy Hallowell
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinians have long been skeptical of America’s ability to help them win independence. But low expectations have turned into frustration and in some cases outright anger after the U.S. threatened to derail a bid for U.N. recognition of an independent state and Congress put a hold on $200 million in badly needed aid.
Protests have been small so far, from burning a few U.S. flags and pictures of President Barack Obama to editorials blasting U.S. policy and portraying Washington as beholden to Israel. On Tuesday, about 30 people accosted a U.S. diplomatic convoy in the West Bank town of Ramallah, chanting “shame on you” and hurling a shoe outside a U.S.-hosted reception at a local restaurant.
Some senior politicians and well-known opinion makers have publicly written off the United States as a credible broker, tapping into a broad sentiment among Palestinians that going to the U.N., in defiance of Washington, was the right move.
Washington’s threat to block U.N. recognition of Palestine is an “act of aggression,” said writer Hani al-Masri, who boycotted the Ramallah reception by U.S. diplomats. Other invitees said they stayed away because they feared a backlash in their community – an indicator of the combative mood in the West Bank.
U.S. officials did not comment publicly, but privately played down the problem. “One thrown shoe is not evidence of growing anti-American sentiment among the Palestinians,” one official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Al-Masri believes anger would only grow if the Obama administration goes ahead with a veto in the U.N. Security Council, the only body that can bestow full membership. The Security Council is still reviewing the Palestinian application and it’s not clear whether the Palestinians can muster the needed majority of nine of 15 members which would trigger the American veto.
A potential cut in U.S. aid to the Palestinians could further deepen the rift. In late August, members of Congress put a hold on some $200 million, or nearly one-third of the U.S. funding for the Palestinians for 2011.
The U.S. is the single largest contributor nation to the Palestinians’ annual aid of hundreds of millions of dollars – a package that is critical to development projects and the functioning of the Palestinian Authority.
In this Sept. 26, 2011 file photo, a Palestinian man holds a sign depicting caricatures of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a protest against the UN Security Council meeting, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File)
The Congressional action was meant as a warning, but it did not deter Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who submitted the request for recognition of Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem – lands captured by Israel in 1967 – to the U.N. a month later.
Since then, U.S. aid programs worth tens of millions of dollars have been suspended for lack of funding.
The Obama administration has been trying to get Congress to reconsider, arguing that such cuts only weaken those working for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. But the administration also insists that a Palestinian state can only arise from negotiations, not in the United Nations, and has lobbied Security Council members not to support the bid for recognition.
Negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel have been on hold in since 2008.
Israel says it’s willing to resume, but Abbas says he can’t do so unless Israel halts settlement-building on occupied land and recognizes the pre-1967 frontier as a baseline for border talks. International Mideast mediators have called for a quick return to negotiations and a border deal by the end of the year, but have not proposed a way out of the standoff.
After Obama was elected in 2008, some Palestinians were hopeful that he would transform U.S. foreign policy, in part because of his stirring appeal to the Arab and Muslim world to open a new chapter. Obama also said he would make a deal on the terms of Palestinian statehood a priority from the start.
Palestinians were disappointed when, several months into his term, Obama backed down from demands that Israel freeze settlement construction and, from a Palestinian perspective, lost more and more ground to Israel’s hardline government.
“I don’t think any other administration has gone so far to demonstrate loyalty to Israel,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Abbas delegation at the U.N.
“People are furious,” she said of the mood in the West Bank. “The U.S. in public opinion has plummeted. It is the worst it’s ever been, not just in Palestine, (but in) the whole Arab world … This is costing the U.S., this blind allegiance (to Israel), a great deal globally.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he’s serious about negotiating a deal and warned the Palestinians are missing an opportunity by refusing to return to the table. In a declared ideological shift, he has accepted the idea of a Palestinian state, at least in principle.
But Abbas believes he can’t extract a deal acceptable to the Palestinian public from Netanyahu, who has limited his options by stacking his coalition with nationalists.
Some Palestinians argue that rather than just being an ineffective broker, the U.S. is actively promoting Israel’s interests.
Iyad Saher, 33, a civil servant in Hamas-ruled Gaza, called for a boycott of all things American, from consumer goods to movies, echoing a call by a Facebook group with several thousand supporters. “The American people should understand that their government is working against the future of the Americans.”
The director of a Ramallah-based NGO said he was thankful for the many U.S.-funded aid projects, including schools and roads. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said he attended Tuesday’s reception, but only after the protesters had left. “If they saw me entering in they will hate me and look at me as a traitor, when I’m not,” he explained.
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Comments (71)
Dave In Arizona
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:03amIsrael. Be prepared to be thrown under the bus by Obama.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 12:15pmPersonally, I can‘t believe that we have the SLIGHTEST concern about what these low life’s think. There is no honor or integrity in the entire movement.
Report Post »Rillobymorning
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 2:23pmYou’re right. For an interesting prospective go to dalegentry.com and see what he says about American in 2013.
Report Post »Truthbeliever2
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 5:00pmOne World Order!!! so it’s considered an act of AGGRESSION to vote the way we want.
Oh yes; and it’s also an act of aggression by the US for not sending them our money.
WTF! WTF! WTF!
Next it will be considered an act of aggression to try and stop a Muslim from cutting your head off.
Report Post »What is this world we live in? Seems we are on the verge of WWIII.
Dkoonz
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:49pmI wouldn’t give these people a dime. Screw um all! Keep the money here at home and stop giving aid to these bunch of butt wipes.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:53pmTruthbeliever — it is unlawful (Shariah) for an unbeliever to defend him/herself ag muslim aggression. This is why Christians and Hindus have such a hard row to hoe in muslim majority countries.
Report Post »300 REMINGTON ULTRA MAG
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:47amWhy is it so hard to strip out this kind of spending from our sunken budget?
Report Post »Truthbeliever2
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 5:24pm@300ultramag
This is off topic, but that is an awesome gun. The first time I shot it I was in the stand and the deer was only about 80 yards away LoL. She didnt feel a thing folks. I made a neck shot and she dropped so fast I thought she disappeared. I made my way up to the kill and there was a 6 inch wide & 4 inches deep spot where the top of her neck was completely gone!
I know I was a little close but I wanted to see what the gun was capable of.
Report Post »ITS A BEAST! The only down fall is the bullets run about $100.00 for a box of 20 rounds. OUCH!!!
lynnissmart
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:26amObamie the Commie will not veto the P state because he has a deep hatred for Israel and he only agreed to veto by pressure put upon him,,,,Jewish people won’t vote for this animal.,…they see his true colors…
Report Post »schroeder123
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:17amThe U S Government thinks that MONEY solves everything. You can’t buy friendship and allies.
Report Post »You must earn your respect . Giving money to these jerks is insane.
loaded454
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:10amHow has nobody pointed out that they are organizing a boycott of American products by using an American product in Facebook? This is a great example of how stupid these people really are. They need America and they use us, but just like the blood suckers here, they still want to wine about wanting more for free. The only differnece is they want us to buy them a knife so they can stab us and our friends while we try to talk sense into them after we bought the knife.
WE DO THIS TO OURSELVES!!!!!!!!
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:02amROTFLMAO !
Poor man-child President – He refuses to support Israel, so he alienated all Jews.
He couldn’t back “palestine,” so he alienated them.
He straddled the fence, and fell on his groin.
OUCH !
NOBODY is this guy’s friend.
He has tried to play both sides on international politics, and #FAIL -ed.
He HAS no foreign policy. That is a major reason the world is in an uproar.
tsk, tsk, tsk.
Report Post »LadyLibertykicksASS
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 4:53pmHe has a hard time remembering which lie he told, to which country….he forgets to write it down.
Report Post »He can’t even keep track of his own lies !!!!!!
welloddyfriggindah
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:33amI read the book…final score is Edomites/Philistines : 0, Israel : 300 – a perfect game!
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 1:05pmYep! I read the same book!! Shame other people haven’t read it..could save them a lot of time and US a lot of money.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:32amNo aid to any middle east country that burns our flag and bad-mouths our country. It’s just insane to give countries money while they practice aggression towards the US.
Report Post »welloddyfriggindah
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:36amYep.
Report Post »bullcrapbuster
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:01amLike the commies say,“the capitalists will sell us the rope that we will hang them with”.
Report Post »Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:02amCorrection: It’s insane to give any country money.
Report Post »Poogie
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 12:09pmThat’s how I see it, too.
Report Post »shirtsbyeric
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:31amCan we send them all EBT cards?
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:45amLol
Report Post »The Divided States of America
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:29ami only have one word for this joke …NUKE !!!
Report Post »flik221
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 4:23pmbunker-busters !
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:56am“The director of a Ramallah-based NGO said he was thankful for the many U.S.-funded aid projects, including schools and roads.”
Report Post »JUST SAY NO!!! Why are we doing this?
riseandshine
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:26amJust say no to Israel aid also
Report Post »John 3:16
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:55amI think we should take their shoe and stick it up…well you know. Say no to any money to the Palistinians and support our allies ISRAEL.
Report Post »bharris0
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:55amWe should eradicate the Palestinians like the **** roaches they are and put an end to their wave of terror. They serve no useful purpose to the world other than giving the camel abusers something to fight about.
Report Post »Perhaps the solution would be to nuke everything around Israel and that would solve a lot of the worlds issues.
riseandshine
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:27amAre you for real or….
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:55amLook at all those RACISTS!
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:54am“Iyad Saher, 33, a civil servant in Hamas-ruled Gaza, called for a boycott of all things American, from consumer goods to movies, echoing a call by a Facebook group with several thousand supporters.”
How about boycotting our money? I am sick and tired of these blood sucking leaches around the world, including many inside the United States itself, who spend all their time telling anyone who will listen how terrible the United States is while at the same time not only taking tons of money from us but demanding more. Enough already! Cut all money to Palestine for 1 year and tell them that if they can act civilly we will look at start giving them money again at the end of that year.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:29amAnd of course cut all aid to Israel too, right?
Report Post »JoshuaCJCohen
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:59am@Riseandshine Did I miss the part where Israel is boycotting American goods? Israel is our ally. You don’t cut off aid to your allies. Get a grip on reality please.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:26amCut all foreign aid, I say….Peace
Report Post »Steve
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 1:33amrinseandspit is at it again I see.
Report Post »riseandshine
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 2:35amHey…What a ya say, Steve…You do what you do and I do what I do, I guess.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:49amHundreds of millions of dollars in aid? What about all the stories about the Palastinians living in squalor, where does this aid money go? My guess is that it goes to Hamas and any other terrroist group dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Why are we giving them money when Lily is going hungry in the U.S.?
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:39amAsolutely, remember, Lily should come first. LOL
Report Post »Steve
Posted on October 7, 2011 at 1:39amWe send those who view us as their enemy our tax dollars. Iran our enemy sends them missiles to attack our friends.
This makes a whole lot of sense.
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:35amObama is simply a communtiy organizer/agitator…..nothing more.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:47amNo, he is a man dedicated to the destruction and transformation of the nation into a socialist nightmare under his control. Due to his actions at home and around the world, the nation and all of us will pay in blood when steel is deployed by the terrorists and the admin’s thugs against the people themselves.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 12:05pmI wish he were only a community organizer but he is so much more. He is the son of the father of lies and he is following well in his father’s footsteps. This is a very dangerous man. He may not be very smart himself but the people who give him his orders are very smart, G. Soros for example. Louis Farrikan said Brother Obama was selected not elected and I believe he was selected because he believes in the destruction of America and can follow orders well.
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:33amGive them more money so they will like us .
Report Post »NuffSaid
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:20amOn your knees, get your black a** in the air, Obama, they’re playing your tune again.
“Roll me over, roll me over….”
Report Post »Revotelution
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:17amGo ahead boycott American goods. You need us more than we need you.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:58amWith all of the chaos going on in NYC, not so sure the US will veto it…attention is being placed elsewhere. And those nuts protesting will be lovin’ it…
This is soooo messed up…when are we going to be told to rise up against this…saving cash, having weapons and long term food is fine but we sit home and let this happen? I think we need a very large, peaceful, counter protest. JIMHO Sure we will be rednecks and racists but at least they will see the numbers and they definitely know our position.
This cauldron hodgepodge goats head soup needs to be dispersed. Their picking up momentum by using words that we agree with…they are willing to throw the baby out with the bath water…amazing.
Report Post »j4diceusmc
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:08amI say cut off ALL aid to the terrorist state and Obama had Better veto the action to give them State hood. They dont want peace with Israel Palastine wants Israel GONE!!! They have already drawn up the Maps of there idea of a Palestinian State and Israel is no where to be found..
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:42amGreat idea! Build the UN in the desert, where they can’t terrorize decent people with trafic jams and law-breakers using “diplomatic immunity”.
Report Post »Carol Ingian
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:19amCongress should put that $200 million towards our needs here at home.
Report Post »God Bless Israel!
BIGJAYINPA
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:53amThere is no such thing as Palestine. Therefore, there are no Palestinians. The areas in question are the regions of Judea and Samaria, historicaly regions of Israel. Israel MUST control the west bank of the Jordan River and the Golan Heights to be able to effectively defend themselves from the Arab Agressors who have publicly called for the destruction of Israel. Anything less would be suicide, an act forbidden by God…….Just sayin’
Report Post »carbonyes
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:54amAs inferred by Stuck-in-CA, Grover Norquist is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He is neither conservative, nor American and he is a shill for the Palestinians. Take time to view the WorldNetDaily article by Joseph Farah. If the Palestinians want a state, and the Arab nationalists in their various nations and their lackeys in the UN are so “concerned” for them, let them come together and put a Palestinian state together from their own territorial states – Jordan, Syria, Egypt, whatever.
Leave Israel alone unless the Muslims want to deal with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If God should send Michael the Arch Angel to deal with the Palestinian intruders, they will instantaneously be dispatched.
Report Post »carbonyes
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:16amSuggestion: Fold up the United Nations. Boot them out of New York city and send them to Saudi Arabia, who can build them a palace in the desert, if they so choose, using their opec dollars from their treasury and any other Middle East countries who wish to contribute. The General Assembly, which is made up of 90 percent America haters with their pea brained minds can fight among themselves.
Save us a lot of money and hassle, and we can be about our own business, taking care of our own needs and concerns, develop our own energy resources, of which we have more than enough. for those in the world that care to get along with us, we can be friends. The rest can go to He[[ in a hand basket. For the liberals who don’t want to buy into the program, they are free to join their “friends” in Saudi Arabia. Then we can have peace on earth and good will towards men – or at least a semblance of peace.
God bless!
Report Post »WILLIAM E.
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:21amAgree !
Report Post »PzV
Posted on October 9, 2011 at 3:04amCarbonyes…your post at 8:16 rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Report Post »arfarb55
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:18am“The U.S. is the single largest contributor nation to the Palestinians’ annual aid of hundreds of millions of dollars – a package that is critical to development projects and the functioning of the Palestinian Authority.” And these people are BURNING AMERICAN FLAGS?!? Why do we continue to send money to countries that HATE us? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Use the money we send to America hating countries to solve the problems here, improve our military, and secure our border.
Report Post »carbonyes
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 8:45amSounds like a great idea! wont be able to convince the bleeding heart liberals who like to spend everyone else’s but their own. However, who cares whether they want to go along with the program. it is time to quit trying to appease or get along with the liberal left. We need to bounce a few more – okay, more than a few – senators from their seats in 2012. then we can begin to turn this country around. Unfortunately, we are going to have to dip a bit lower, maybe substantially lower economically, before we can begin to significantly turn things around, but can not afford to wait on the bumpkins on the left to get their heads out of their hind ends and see the light, and that is being complementary, as I am not sure they could see the light if it was shining brightly in their face. Sad, but true.
As part of our reformation, there is one other extremely important qualification – getting back to God. Not a suggestion, an imperative, for without that change of direction and transformation, we will just be spinning our wheels. Not opinion, fact.
II Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Report Post »louise
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:59amARFARB55
They have been doing it this way forever. Central banks do it. Governments do it. Our own country funds both sides…..both our allies, and our enemies. Washington and the world banking system are “hedging their bets” to see who comes out on top.
Just one example is Saudi Arabia. The country where most of the 9/11 terrorists are from. We have always aided the Saudis via buying their oil. Then they in turn funnel our money to terrorists who want to destroy us. And still we consider the Saudis our ally? Still we buy their oil so more and more money goes to terrorist groups? Is that crazy thinking or what?
Another example is we give lots of aid to Israel and also to the enemies of Israel. Israel is our MOST important ally. Why would we give aid to her enemies?
IMHO, it is this kind of duplicitous double dealing that weakens the Untied States of America.
Report Post »Would you trust a government that did such things…. to honor its allegiance towards you?
It is so sick and evil.
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:15am.
Report Post »Uneducated masses over there just like over here. Wanting something for free. Well here you go I’ll be serving Free Lunch tommrow……….
Steve
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:10amRut Roo……more truth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU9CauJP4Pg&feature=related
Report Post »carbonyes
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:38amExcellent Video!
Report Post »Steve
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 7:09amLets keep things in perspective before rose-ellen, techengineer II and the other Jew haters start posting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ByJb7QQ9U&feature=share
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:38amThey knew the veto would be coming. What, are they stupid? Wait. Don’t bother answering that.
Report Post »