SandBoxBlogs: Right Scoop "Israeli ambassador reprimands New York Times: Netanyahu does not interfere in U.S. elections"

Barak Ravid:
"The duel between the New York Times and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his advisers continues. Israeli ambassador to Washington Michael Oren submitted a letter to the editor to the New York Times' editorial board, with a complaint regarding an article which was published several days ago about the close ties between Netanyahu and the likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

In the letter, which was published on Thursday, Oren rejected the allegations that Netanyahu is intervening in the presidential race in the United States....."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Legal Insurrection "What if you threw a Two Million Man Global March on Jerusalem, and almost no one showed up?"

(See alternate coverage here)

William A. Jacobson:
"The Global March on Jersusalem has been promoted for months as a means by which up to two million people would crash Israel’s borders.

Israel geared up, and issued warnings.

And waited.

And waited.

And all that showed up were a few thousand people at the Gaza border (forced back with one shot and killed).  In Lebanon, as expected, the Hezbollah-run protest took place at Beaufort Castle, away from the border.  On the West Bank, a few hundred rock throwers attacked security checkpoints, but were driven back with non-lethal methods:

Clashes broke out at Qalandia checkpoint, where demonstrators burned tires and threw stones as they advanced towards the Israeli side. Israeli soldiers fired tear-gas and stun grenades and used a wide arsenal of riot-dispersal systems, including the foul-smelling “Skunk” and “Scream,” a system that unleashes a high-frequency blast of sound.

There were modest sized protests in neighboring countries, but no March on Jerusalem.
All in all, the hype did not live up to the hype.

But the Israelis are and should remain on guard...."(Read original post?  Click title)

  

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
 

SandBoxBlogs: Hot Air Blog "Obama to Medvedev: I’ll totally cave on missile defense in my second term if Putin will give me “space”"

Ed Morrissey:
"Ah, open microphones at photo ops.  Is there anything they can’t expose?  And is there any lesson about them that Barack Obama can learn?  Five months after reporters picked up a conversation in which Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy disparaged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamim Netanyahu, Obama forgot to check the microphones yet again in a conversation with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.  This time, however, the microphones picked up the sound of Obama begging for some political help from Vladimir Putin — in order to gain the “flexibility” to cave on missile defense..."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "Melanie Sturm - What if Iran means it?"

Melanie Sturm:
"With options dwindling to curtail Iran and time running out, there are no good remedies. Nevertheless, we have overwhelming bipartisan agreement in both the House and the Senate that it is a vital U.S. interest to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear-capable — a threshold far closer than possession of such weapons and one Iran has nearly crossed.

Unfortunately, differing timetables are a source of tension between America and Israel. Because the U.S. Air Force is comparatively better equipped — with an advanced fleet of aircraft and bunker busting bombs — its capability and moment of decision is beyond Israel's. However, given election-year politics and the likelihood a military strike would cause further escalation in already high oil prices, it's hard for Israel to trust that America will act in time.

While the prospect of $10-per-gallon gasoline might be a price too high for American politicians to stomach, it's a tradeoff Israel will accept to prevent a second Holocaust. “As Prime Minister of Israel,” Benjamin Netanyahu said last week, “I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation.”

So when Israel strikes Iran's nuclear facilities, as it struck Iraq's in 1981 and Syria's in 2007, Think Again before complaining of temporarily high gas prices. Not only will Israel have saved America and the world from the specter of a nuclear-capable Iran, it will give the Iranian people their best chance since 2009 of overthrowing their tyrannical oppressors...."  (Read more? Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Right Scoop "Netanyahu: Israel will protect itself even if America objects"

Scoop:
"Sounds like Netanyahu is making the case for military action against Iran and is prepared to give Obama the finger should he object:

JERUSALEM POST – Saying publicly in the Knesset what he only said privately to Congressional leaders in Washington last week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday stressed Israel would act to defend itself even if the US objected.

“Israel has never left its fate in the hands of others, not even in the hands of our best friends,” he said in a speech that focused on the Iranian threat and drew a direct line from Tehran to the events earlier this week in Gaza. He also blamed the 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip for leading to Iran’s establishment of a “forward” terrorist base there.

Netanyahu cited legendary US Secretary of State George Marshall as telling David Ben-Gurion in 1948 not to declare a state, and reminded the Knesset that US President Lyndon Johnson not only advised Israel against preemptive military action in 1967, but warned that “if you act alone, you will be alone.” Likewise, he said Prime Minister Menachem Begin knew when he decided to attack the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 that he was going against US wishes and would come under sharp international criticism. “But he fulfilled his obligation and acted,” said Netanyahu, possibly preparing the public for the prospect of Israeli military action even over US objections.

Netanyahu said that a nuclear Iran would pose an “existential threat” to Israel, and that while he preferred if Iran would voluntarily abandon its nuclear ambitions, he had an “obligation” to retain Israel’s “independent ability” to defend itself...."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBoxBlogs: Right Scoop "Bibi Netanyahu’s Full Speech at AIPAC"

SandBoxBlogs: Pueblo Chieftain "Analysis: US, Israel agree to disagree on Iran"

One of the best news aggregators in the West is the Pueblo Chieftain.  They round up the very best suited for Coloradans news stories  and are not afraid to post them.

With the  Netanyahu and Obama story, SandBox chose this  article via the Chieftain.

A picture really does say a thousand words, doesn't it?

Does the face of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu look like he really believes a word President Obama is saying?

Click title for article.

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Commentary Magazine/Contentions "Obama’s Claim About His Presidency and Israel: Delusional or Cynically Misleading?"

Peter Wehner:

"President Obama’s claim that “this administration has done more in terms of the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration” is not simply wrong; it is fantastically wrong. It isn’t simply that many presidents – including Truman, Reagan, and George W. Bush – were rightly considered to be far greater friends of Israel than the current occupant of the White House. It is that few presidents, and perhaps no president, has been as instinctively and operationally hostile to Israel as Obama (for more, see Jonathan’s comprehensive post here:)..."

Every American that stands with Israel should be outraged at Barack Obama's claims about his presidency and relationship with Israel. 

Lots of good op-eds on the subject but Wehner rises above today.

(Read more?  Click title. Comment to discuss)

"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Newsmax "Condi Rice: 'I Have No Doubt Israel Will Defend Itself Against Iran'"

What a wonderful interview with former Secretary of State Condi Rice.  Be sure to watch all the way through.

“...I don’t have any doubt that the Israelis will defend themselves if the Iranians look as if they really are about to cross that nuclear threshold.

“There is some not bad news — it looks as if there are problems in the Iranian nuclear program. But pressure on the Iranian regime is an absolute must, because the unintended consequences of an attack by Israel on Iran, the very fact that we talk about something like that, shows how extremely crucial this issue is....”
(Newsmax)

(Read more?  Click title.  Comment to start discussion)

"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: The Right Scoop "Full Speech: Benjamin Netanyahu speech to United Nations "

Netanyahu's speech to United Nations in its entirety.

The BBC cut it off mid-way, but a number of outlets, including The Right Scoop have posted.

A widely praised speech that is notably of a higher caliber than the speech given by President Obama. 

Not just that Netanyahu speaks of specific solutions, the man has an inherent ability to command his audience.  His strength as a leader and the confidence that seems to come from his battlefield experience inspire trust.

Truly a brilliant speech.

(Learn more?  Click title or comment to start discussion)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."