Trump doesn’t respect treaties.
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These Republican assholes aren’t concerned one bit about these women because they are members of Congress or that as Americans they have free speech rights. The only real concern they can see is that this is a bad PR thing that tRump and Netanyahu have created for themselves that will harm them politically.
And for Rubio to talk about his bullshit anti-BDS bill is another example of suppressing free speech here at home. Whether one is for it or against his bill, it is absurd to force any retaliation against anyone exercising their free speech, and he’s trying to force that on people here as well. Such hypocrites.
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What is infuriating about this argument is the intentional sloppy use of language. Example: anti-semitism is not the same as anti-zionism. Not letting them into Isreal, indirectly implying the West Bank is part of Israel instead of occupied territory.
Maybe everybody should support full annexation of the West Bank with resulting Israeli citizenship to all Palistinians.
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Under the Netenyahu Regime Israel is fast approaching “Apartheid South Africa” territory with it’s slide into Theocratic Fundamentalism and Oppression of “The Other” polices (Just like Cheatolini would love to do to the US too.)
True Democracies do not FEAR CRITICISM, they face it and rebut it, if not embrace it outright as opportunities to learn and grow.
Only COWARDS and DICTATORS refuse to let critics into their countries and try to muzzle them at every opportunity.
This is the WAY OF THEOCRATIC DICTATORSHIPS like Saudi Arabia or Iran, not the actions of a DEMOCRACY.
Shame on Israel for letting a craven moron like Trump tell them what to do, and a cynicaly exploitative political boss like Netenyahu do it.
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Agreed. That’s why I blame Netanyahu for his actions and not Israelis. Most Israelis have the good taste to dislike Netanyahu.
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Most people are, and do make a distinction, but it does get blurry. I sometimes get the feeling that some people who claim to accept Israel’s right to exist nevertheless feel that it’s a conditional right, either in the sense that there are things that Israel could do that would take away that right, or in the sense that it doesn’t REALLY have a right to exist and never has, but given that there’s no feasible way to dismantle it, might as well look the other way and mumble “Yeah sure whatever”.
Obviously, I reject both views, however much I might oppose this or that of its policies or practices.
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I don’t know about “most”. Certainly the ones that I know. But he keeps getting reelected. Yeah, I know, parliamentary system, coalitions, pluralities. But a majority of Israelis keep voting for him or the parties that ally with him. Hopefully, that won’t be the case next month. He’s a terrible leader, and not just wrt the occupation.
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Doesn’t AIPAC frequently arrange for and escort US Congressmen to Israel? Have they made a public statement regarding this? It would seem they’re in a delicate position here.
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Precisely. Why are they worried about handing Tlaib a club (or cudgel, or whatever) if they believe the underlying decision is morally correct and defensible on the merits? Please, do not suggest that conservatives have no real ideals and view every decision as purely transactional…that can’t possibly be true!
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Well, I hope we get the same benefit from other countries, and even more fervently hope we’re smart and sane enough not to re-elect our thuggish President.
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Yes, AIPAC has officially expressed its regrets over Netanyahu’s unwise action.
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Nancy Pelosi should put Omar and Tlaib on committees that oversee foreign aid…
to Isreal.
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I think there is a significant possibility that in that just world they never would have held office. Of course there is also the possibility that this is that just world and their position is a punishment for our sins.
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Thank you.
I suspected they wouldn’t be happy with this development. Makes lobbying for Israel more difficult with one entire Party.
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Texas passed a law stating that state contractors had to avow that they are not engaged in boycotts of Israel. Texas lost.
The judge makes some good arguments.
“At the heart of the First Amendment lies the principle that each person should decide for him or herself the ideas and beliefs deserving of expression, consideration, and adherence. Our political system and cultural life rest upon this ideal,” Pitman said in his opinion.
Texas is not alone in trying to pass who or what is off limits for protesting. But it does also point out that we may not like what so-and-so said but we can’t ban their speech, we can refute it, we can try and teach the history of the A1, but even free speech has it’s limits.
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Nations don’t have rights. People do. Anytime someone is talking about the rights “Nations” have, what they are really saying is that they feel that there are cases where people shouldn’t have rights.
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So, as with all things, it’s all about appearance and ensuring “good PR” for Netanyahu and not the substance behind Netanyahu’s decision or Trump’s encouragement of it before and/or after the fact?
Good. That was an awful law and quite obviously unconstitutional. And WTF are state governments even making laws about actions taken against foreign countries?!
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Eew, but grossly witty.
Israel sides with fascist.
Did not see this coming.