New York Times: Israel Senses Wider Siege Beyond Cairo
- Posted on September 11, 2011 at 9:58am by
Scott Baker
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The themes in The New York Times article on the problematic conundrums facing Israel will come as no surprise to readers of The Blaze. These are issues we’ve emphasized over and over. If the subject matter weren’t so serious, you would almost be inclined to wonder if parts of the article had been secretly written by Glenn Beck.
Here is the setup:
JERUSALEM — With its Cairo embassy ransacked, its ambassador to Turkey expelled and the Palestinians seeking statehood recognition at the United Nations, Israel found itself on Saturday increasingly isolated and grappling with a radically transformed Middle East where it believes its options are limited and poor.
The diplomatic crisis, in which winds unleashed by the Arab Spring are now casting a chill over the region, was crystallized by the scene of Israeli military jets sweeping into Cairo at dawn on Saturday to evacuate diplomats after the Israeli Embassy had been besieged by thousands of protesters.
It was an image that reminded some Israelis of Iran in 1979, when Israel evacuated its embassy in Tehran after the revolution there replaced an ally with an implacable foe.
The most recent trigger point, of course, was the attack on the Israeli embassy in Egypt last week. The Times article looks at the implications for Israel, Egypt and the United States:
Facing crises in relations with Egypt and Turkey, its two most important regional allies, Israel turned to the United States. Throughout the night on Friday, desperate Israeli officials called their American counterparts seeking help to pressure the Egyptians to protect the embassy.
President Obama “expressed his great concern” in a telephone call with Mr. Netanyahu, the White House said in a statement, and he called on Egypt “to honor its international obligations to safeguard the security of the Israeli Embassy.”
Washington — for whom Israel, Turkey and Egypt are all critical allies — has watched tensions along the eastern Mediterranean with growing unease and increasing alarm. And though the diplomatic breaches were not entirely unexpected, they prompted a flurry of diplomatic activity in Washington.
The mayhem in Cairo also exacted consequences for Egypt, raising questions about whether its military-led transitional government would be able to maintain law and order and meet its international obligations. The failure to prevent an invasion of a foreign embassy raised security concerns at other embassies as well.
The Egyptian government responded to those questions Saturday night, pledging a new crackdown on disruptive protests and reactivating the emergency law allowing indefinite detentions without trial, one of the most reviled measures enacted under former President Hosni Mubarak.
While addressing the situation with Turkey, the article does include the expected amount of blame for Israeli actions. But the increasing geopolitical likelihoods are becoming clear:
Potential side effects of the diplomatic disputes have already emerged.
The growing hostility from Egypt could require a radical rethinking of Israel’s defense doctrine which, for the past three decades, counted on peace on its southern border. As chaos in the Sinai has increased and anti-Israel sentiment in Egypt has grown, military strategists here are examining how to beef up protection of the south, including by the building of an anti-infiltration wall in the Sinai.
A threat by Turkey last week to challenge Israel’s plans for gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean could threaten Israel’s agreement with Cyprus on gas drilling and could worsen tensions with Lebanon on drilling rights.
Initial Israeli fears about the Arab Spring uprisings have begun to materialize in concrete ways. When the uprisings began in Tunisia and Egypt at the start of the year, little attention was directed toward Israel because so much focus was on throwing off dictatorial rule and creating a new political order.
Traditionally, many Arab leaders have used Israel as a convenient scapegoat, turning public wrath against it and blaming it for their problems. The faint hope here was that a freer Middle East might move away from such anti-Israel hostility because the overthrow of dictators would open up debate.
But as the months of Arab Spring have turned autumnal, Israel has increasingly become a target of public outrage.
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MUDFLAPS
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 12:19amtimes are terrorists.
Report Post »CaroleN
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 9:34pmI vote YES, the United States should help Israel. History is repeating itself and I for one have not forgotten what Hitler did and I don’t want to see ANYONE do it again.
Report Post »vdavid
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 7:58amFor all who think Obummer & State Dept. are doing a good job in Egypt, not sure what you consider Democracy. 9/11 has taught us nothing. The Arab Spring has ties to both Hezbollah and Hamas with a goal of Sharia Law to govern Egypt and the total destruction of Israel and her people. They have a shining example of religious tolerance demonstrated by the large number of Christian Churches they have burned down while the police stand by and watch and do nothing. Let’s not forget the hospitality shown to the Israeli Ambassador as they fire bombed the Embassy and forced him to flee Egypt. With the withdrawal of Egyptian troops from the southern Israeli / Egypt border the attacks have increased on Israel, killing innocent citizens by radical Muslim groups.
Report Post »Through his own words, Obummer states he is a Muslim and will act as such. Look at his first bow and kiss ass world tour. The only thing that he solidified was that he is ashamed of America and will support Muslims. This President is stabbing the USA in the back and the media white-washes all he does. We must do all we can to elect a new president because this Country can not take another 4years of his agendas!
CaroleN
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 9:30pmI could not agree more. It’s time to wake up and smell the roses people!! We need to kick butt to get people off their couch and spread the news – America will change negatively if we don’t.
Report Post »Gypsy123
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 5:33amThe president him self said you will know me by the people I surround my self with. Well just look who he is true allies with. This calling and pretending to be concerned is nothing more than a secular show just like the 9/11 events. A lulling of one into a sense these people like you well they don’t.
Report Post »As for Israel she will be going thru the fire before God steps in and pulls her out but the ones who put her into that fire will them selves be put into the eternal fire. So bad days are ahead for Israel but God himself will destroy those who would destroy her. And another warning if people who call themselves christian think they are the new Israel you better re read your bibles. You are saved by grace and the death of Jesus but the chose few that God will protect is his chosen people. And any thing else is apostasy.
Applehead
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 7:04amEvery word about the Bible is about the Eternal Israel Jesus Christ! If you believe in Jesus Christ you are chosen!!!! You better reread your Bible!!! The Jews are grafted out until they accept Jesus Christ!!!!!!! You can’t go to The Father but through the Son!!! Suppose the Jews who say they are Jews are not! They’re is a fair argument that say todays Khazar Jews which are Eastern Europe Asiatic Turk Mongols were never the OT Jews and mass converted around the year 700 AD. Maybe the Palestinians and near by Muslim communities are the Jews and Israelites! Maybe, Italy, Ireland, England and others are the Israelites and Jews! There are more of todays Jews in the United States and probablty Israelites than anywhere on the planet!!!!!!! There was much moving around after the 1st Temple and 2nd Temples were destroyed! This is a fair argument with some reasonable proof! I don‘t know for sure but i’m leaning toward there not based on what I researched! Suppose your suppressing the real Jews??? The tribe of Judah was 1 tribe out of the 12 tribes of Israel! What about the other 11? Aren’t they the tribes of Israel too? Maybe some historians know but will never get fair debate bc the Jews own the media and thats a fact!!! YOU CAN’T EVEN GET A STORY ABOUT A NASA AMERICAN JEW THAT WAS CAUGHT SELLING TOP US MILITARY SECRETS TO ISRAEL!!!!!!! ARE WE NOT AMERICANS???? IF THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE THEN WHY DOES GLENN SUPPRESS IT!!!!!!! I WAS A BIG GLENN FAN BUT T
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:46amIllinois reported last week that obama hired more obamaite ”social media writers” (trolls) to flood conservative websites to bash America and Israel and to post ‘positive’ remarks about obama and his anti-American anti-Israel agenda. .
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:44amthis is ALL on anti-ISRAEL obama and soros’ machinations.
Report Post »Harold B
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:38amIf a smart intelligent person wanted to hurt and ruin America as much as possible what would he do different than Obama? If a smart intelligent person hated all non-Muslims and white people, what would he do different than Obama? If an intelligent person hated the US Constitution and felt it was wrong what would he do different than Obama. If a Muslim was president would he respect the American Constitution or Sharia law and bow to the Saudi King?
Report Post »sentinel207
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 9:12pmBeyond some of the ridiculous hyperbole of this thread,let us look at the basic situation here.
Israel has been,and is,a steadfast ally of the United States–in principle and deed. All countries “spy” on each other to some degree or other,allies or not.The red-herring notion that America is wasting taxpayer dollars via foreign aid to Israel –in whatever form,defense deals,food aid,medical programs-whatever– is just absurd. Take a look at the various forms of foreign aid we have sent to: Somalia,Egypt,and even the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. How much of that can be accounted for as being expended appropriately or to the detriment of America ?
Any responsible congressperson or senator should be cringing at the appalling waste of taxpayer funds (borrowed from the Chinese at this point) in Iraq and Afghanistan,but not Israel. The leftist politicos will of course disagree,and that is their right. I hope they can smile warmly when the Iranians detonate the nuke that they aren’t working on….not to worry,its only for peaceful purposes,they’d never use it on fellow travelers.
Take a good look at what has been happening at the UN for the past 10 years,there has been a trickle of arab-bloc fomented anti-Israel (and obviously anti-USA) sentiment that has grown into a steady drumbeat recently.
Report Post »Notwithstanding this surge of anti-Israel/anti-semitism by the arab-bloc and the leftist movements worldwide, America has always backed up our allies. We must not waver if the tim
bearlyme
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 9:40pmNOT TO WORRY…
The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, (Zechariah 12:1)
“Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. (Zechariah 12:2)
“It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it. (Zechariah 12:3)
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 11:16pmWhen you look at Obama’s years in College he spent a lot of it with Palestinian Activist Rashid Kahlidi for whom he had attended a farewell Dinner with William Ayres and Bernadine Dorn (husband/wife) and kicked off his State political career with.
He spent at least a decade hanging out with Kahlidi starting in New York at Columbia University and then in Chicago University.
This president is not a friend to Israel and he feels that it is his job to get Israel to give up land for peace that will never happen since the “Palestinian Peoples” land is mostly in Jordan when you look at the maps of the area when the British administered the area then known as Palestine. It was as early as 1917 that the British wanted to create the State of Israel but other things like WWI and then WWII interfered with that work.
It was not until 1948 that they got the newly minted UN to vote for the TWO NATIONS of Palestine and Israel. But when the Jews of Europe began migrating to the area the Arabs and Jews threw out the British and then Israel was declared a State before the Arabs could annihilate the Jews and then they fled the area now known as Israel after many Conflicts but it was not until the Wars in the Sixties that you had the mass exodus of Palestinians to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Countries from which territory was to come from to create the State of Palestine. So to put it all on Israel is just not the truth or fair.
God Promised Hagar and Ishmael that they had his
Report Post »Disnylv
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 11:38pmAMEN Setinel207
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 8:53pmObama’s Arab Spring is upon US and Israel. Just lovely. Thanks Barack, another job NOT well done!
Report Post »Mrs. Bowers
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 8:36pmGod bless Isreal!
Report Post »Secessionista
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 5:42pmStay out of the middle east. If Israel is invaded, let Israel turn Mecca to glass. Make it publicly known that the capitols of each of the arab countries will also be nice and shiny. Israel can already do this, so the only hope the ragheads have is to lob small ordnance like a yapping dog…
Why should I get upset about this? I already have hostage-taking union thugs in my own country to deal with.
BRING OUR TROOPS HOME.
Report Post »the hawk
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 6:18pmObama is in bed with and or counting on votes from pro-palestinian supporters .
Report Post »HE’LL BE KNOWN FOREVER FOR THE PERSON WHO PULLED DOWN EVERYTHING THAT WAS PREVENTING A ALL OUT ARAB-ISRAELi holy war
That will probably drag every other country right into it !
Pigpen
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 7:51pmAMEN, let Israel take care of Israel. Good post, SECESSIONISTA, good post!!!
Report Post »tomloy
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 3:31pmOne things for sure, the middle east is going to run hip deep in arab blood in this soon to be coming war. It’ll be worse than all the others. Iran has nukes and will attempt to hit Israel. Israel will respond in kind and turn Iran into a sheet of glass. They‘ll probably use neutron bombs too so the US can still get Iran’s oil!
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 3:44pmWhen the SHTF will BARRY stand with the Arabs? Seems I heard that somewhere.
Report Post »georgiavietvet
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 3:20pmiran is the lead terrorist country in the region now. sooner or later we will have to deal with them. are we going to wait until they have a nuke? i hope not. i say bomb them back to the stone age……………………………
Report Post »SandyfromChesterfield
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 2:38pmIf obama thinks that Turkey is one of our important regional allies in the Middle East we are really in trouble.
Report Post »paulusmaximus
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 2:35pmIsrael is a sovereign nation with it’s right to exist! If the right to protect was good for Libya it is great for Israel.The U.S. has a obligation to help defend it’s allies, Israel is a true friend.
Report Post »Applehead
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 6:40pmUSA should only worry about the USA!!! Americans should only die protecting America!!! American tax dollars should be only spent on America!!! Cut off all foreign aid to all countries!!! If Israel can’t make it on its own financially or militarily it should exist!!! Let all rich Jews around the world support Israel!!! Jews are less than 1% of USA military!!! They send their kids to IVY Leauge schools and save all their money while American Christians die for Israel and Billions of American tax dollars are given to Israel which is a socialistic country ever year!!! They want to take Jesus Christ out of America!!! They spy on America and NOT ONE STORY OF AMERICAN JEW WHO WAS CAUGHT SELLING OUR TOP MILITARY SECRETS TO ISRAEL FOR $2MILLION!!!!!!!!! MOST OF THE SPYS SELLING OUR SECRETS OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS WERE AMERICAN JEWS SELLING THEM TO RUSSIA AND ISRAEL!!!!! WHY NO STORY ABOUT THAT GLENN???????????? I LOVE AMERICA!!!! ITS THE ONLY COUNTRY I’M LOYAL TOO!!! THE HECK WITH EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!
Report Post »Mil Mom
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 10:32pmre : They spy on America and NOT ONE STORY OF AMERICAN JEW WHO WAS CAUGHT SELLING OUR TOP MILITARY SECRETS TO ISRAEL FOR $2MILLION!!!!!!!!! MOST OF THE SPYS SELLING OUR SECRETS OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS WERE AMERICAN JEWS SELLING THEM TO RUSSIA AND ISRAEL!!!!! WHY NO STORY ABOUT THAT GLENN???????????? I LOVE AMERICA!!!! ITS THE ONLY COUNTRY I’M LOYAL TOO!!! THE HECK WITH EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!
Report Post »***
Run a quick web search of “spying for China” “Selling secrets to China” “Chinese Spies” “Americans caught selling illegal technology to China” or anything along that line, You’ll never believe it! While we buy most of their goods, and many of our businesses go there, while we beg to borrow more money, China daily provokes our military near Taiwan and now farther out to open sea. NOW WHAT WERE YOU SAYING ABOUT JEWS AND RUSSIANS?
don young
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 2:22pmAs soon as we elect a good president israel will be protected.
Report Post »YepImaConservative
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 2:33pmDitto that statement.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 1:59pmSo Mr Obama is now “showing great concern” in this matter?
Okay, should I just:
A. Die in hysterical fit of laughter after Mr Obama has thrown the nation of Israel to the wolves in the area, especially the Muslum Brotherhood.
B. Congradulate someone at the NY Times for finally seeing some of the mess arising in no small part due to Obama and his lunatic matters with Egypt and Libya.
I am already doing this one:
C: Supporting Israel and calling on the leadership of DC to publically declare their support as well, and in the case of Mr Obama resign immediatly. DC may have abandoned Israel, the people of the US have not.
Report Post »YepImaConservative
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 2:14pmSo, are you in support of the United States helping Israel Militarily if needed?
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 3:46pmSo we should help Iran or Egypt??
Report Post »Gary S
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 5:54pm@yepima— You bet your A** with plexiglass!!!!!
Report Post »Mil Mom
Posted on September 11, 2011 at 10:41pmd. Pray for Israel, Obama isn’t likely to resign until they pry his fingers from his golf club. (Sorry I meant to say Oval Office key, but I remember a picture where he couldn’t find it when returning an hr early from Brazil.) The US may not be relied on BUT if Israel truly quits bowing to the UN & the US, and begins to turn to her God for help! Wow! What an Ally!!!
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