Archive for the ‘Obama’ Category
by James M. Wall Many political progressives have harshly criticized President Obama’s recent trip to Israel and Palestine. They claim he was too warm toward Israel and too lukewarm toward Palestine. Did these critics pay close attention to what the President actually said and saw on this trip? I don’t think so. The president declined to […]
Filed under: Media, Middle East, Middle East Politics, Netanyahu, Obama | 12 Comments
“We Have No 3G in Palestine”
by James M. Wall Unless security forces have torn it down, the poster (shown here) was one of the sights President Obama would see if his motorcade made its way to Ramallah, Palestine on a West Bank highway. The poster was posted on a corner after the road passes through the Qalandia checkpoint separating the West Bank […]
Filed under: Middle East, Middle East Politics, Movies, Netanyahu, Obama | 3 Comments
by James M. Wall The New York Times performed a valuable service for its readers on Wednesday, March 13, exactly one week before President Obama is scheduled to arrive on his first-ever presidential visit to Palestine and Israel. The Times contrasted the major media voice of the liberal Zionism of the American ruling classes, with that […]
Filed under: Middle East Politics, Netanyahu, Obama | 17 Comments
by James M. Wall The agreement Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid (NV) thought he had reached with Republican leader Mitch McConnell (KY), died a slow, angry and ugly death Thursday. When this new Senate held its first session in January, younger and more progressive Democratic members of the Senate wanted Harry Reid to take advantage […]
Filed under: Middle East Politics, Obama, Politics and Elections, US govermemt | 11 Comments
by James M.Wall UPDATE Friday, 6 p.m. CST: The Daily Beast and the Los Angeles Times are reporting that President Obama will name Chuck Hagel as his next Defense Secretary. Sources in Washington say that the nomination will be announced Monday or possibly Tuesday, of next week. Al Jazeera has purchased the struggling U.S. network, Current, which […]
Filed under: Media, Middle East Politics, Obama | 16 Comments
by James M. Wall Former Nebraska Senator Charles (Chuck) Hagel (above right) may be nominated by President Barack Obama to be secretary of defense. The President is known to like his old Senate colleague, a Republican who, like Obama, considered running for president in 2008. Unlike Obama, Hagel decided not to run. Hagel, a Vietnam […]
Filed under: Media, Middle East Politics, Obama, Politics and Elections | 19 Comments
by James M. Wall Writing for both Newsweek and The Daily Beast, Peter Beinart used a surprising phrase to describe how President Obama plans to deal with the Israel/Palestine issue during his second term. Beinart took his clue from the “pro forma and bland” response the White House made after Israel’s defiant announcement that it […]
Filed under: Middle East Politics, Obama, Politics and Elections, The Human Condition | 10 Comments
by James M. Wall Israel’s response to the United Nations’ overwhelming vote to admit Palestine to the UN was easily predictable. Israel had been waiting for just this moment to announce it would build a settlement in Area E1 (East One). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was harshly rejected at the UN General Assembly, a stinging […]
Filed under: -Movies and politics, -Movies and Religion, Middle East Politics, Movies, Netanyahu, Obama | 15 Comments
by James M. Wall UPDATE POSTED 3:20 PM CST WEDNESDAY The Guardian reported at 15:57 EST that Israel and Hamas have agreed to end eight days of conflict between the two groups in the Gaza Strip. The conflict has claimed more than 160 lives, three of whom were Israelis. For further details on the ceasefire, click here. […]
Filed under: Hillary Clinton, Middle East Politics, Netanyahu, Obama | 18 Comments
by James M. Wall The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) selected two names for Israel’s current military assault against an imprisoned Gaza population. This is a military that thinks seriously about naming its military assaults. The first name given the second Gaza invasion in four years is “Pillar of Cloud” (Amud Anan in Hebrew). It was […]
Filed under: Middle East Politics, Netanyahu, Obama, Politics and Elections | 12 Comments
