I like how Olmert is bragging about how he runs US foreign policy.  Of course, it's not like anybody's going to do anything about this rather illegal arrangement, but it's good to see just how seriously the world takes Condi Rice.

More at Zandar vs. The Stupid.

Nice when the leader of the free world (cough) is your personal lackey.

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Israel, the great democracy and ally of the late great U.S.A.

Frankly here's the current situation. In the midst of war, A divided house in Israel.

IPS

MIDEAST:  Israel at Crossroads Between Ceasefire and Occupation

JERUSALEM, Jan 11 (IPS) - Into the third week of its war on Gaza, Israeli leaders are convinced they're still calling the shots. But, without a suitable diplomatic exit soon, the military "successes" could quickly begin to unravel, some sobering Israeli voices have cautioned.

Israel is disturbed that Thursday night's UN Security Council call for an immediate ceasefire accords Hamas a degree of international legitimacy -- even though Hamas is not explicitly mentioned in the resolution -- and that "passage of the resolution," wrote David Horovitz, chief editor of The Jerusalem Post in a front-page analysis, "will be seen in the frenzied climate of international debate as legitimating unbridled criticism (of Israel)."

But, Israeli confidence is reflected in the way it has shrugged off the resolution and in Israel's readiness to bear the brunt of that international opprobrium for the desperate plight of the Gaza population. And, although Hamas rockets keep landing on southern Israel, Israeli insists it is not only tightening its military grip on Gaza but is inflicting crushing blows on the Hamas military wing.

"But now, Israel finds itself at a military and diplomatic crossroads -- should they reap the dividends of the war thus far or risk taking it further and becoming embroiled in a final showdown with Hamas in the heart of Gaza's populated areas," says political commentator Leslie Susser. "The gung-ho advocates who want to destroy totally Hamas control of Gaza are feeding on their past dreams."

The critical crossroads is starkly defined: either in the direction of speedily securing a diplomatic solution or, towards giving the Israeli army the green light to deepen the ground offensive which could last weeks, in the assessment of military sources.

Until now, conventional wisdom has been that the Israeli leadership was keen to avoid an extended operation in order to avoid a potentially embarrassing overlapping of the war with the installing of the new Obama administration in the U.S. But, says the former head of Israel's National Security Council, Major-General Giora Eiland, "the army cannot go on like this forever. We need to reach a decision -- either conclude a ceasefire in two to three days, or start a big military operation." The third option -- marking time with the same level of strikes against Hamas alongside on-off diplomatic efforts -- is simply untenable, argue other defence experts.

More

And, so we have a report in Ha'aretz:

Barak and Livni disagree with Olmert, want quick end to Gaza fighting

Sources close to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert confirmed Sunday that he continues to disagree with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni regarding the question of continuing the warfare in Gaza. The so-called troika met last evening to discuss the subject, and both Barak and Livni reportedly argued for ending Operation Cast Lead as soon as possible. This is apparently the reason Olmert wants to present the issue to the security cabinet, where the majority supports his view.

Livni contends that continuing the offensive could harm the deterrence it has achieved so far and damage Israel diplomatically. Barak objects mainly to inserting ground troops deep into densely populated areas of Gaza. For his part, Olmert told the full cabinet Sunday that stopping Operation Cast Lead now would be a missed opportunity.

More

 

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

So did Dubya interrupt a speech in PA to take a call from Olmert or is Olmert embroidering the facts to impress the Israeli electorate as the election looms?

A Progressive Christian perspective on I/P at Beyond Bethlehem

Oh no, Israel is not a racist state noooooooo!

And Zionism is not an inherently racist movement - nooooooo!

(And just for the record, most Palestinian citizens of Israel detest the term "Israeli Arab".)

its evidently a crime to be a palestinian and punishable by the death penalty with no trial so im not surprised.

Edible panties taste like crap.

If we don't prosecute ourselves the 'laws of war' will continue to be broken and rewritten against their own intent:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28615688/

'vini, vidi, excreti' - Joe the Plumber

ok has harry reid ever looked dumber than right now with his lame comments about seating burris?

Edible panties taste like crap.

You must be on the enemies list of so many muddle-headed people by now, how is one more going to hurt?

Hey, what district or state does Olmert represent that he has such influence with our president?  Oh, I forgot, the state of money, campaign money that is, and that collection of harlots called the US
Congress will do anything, I mean anything, to secure Israeli funds.  After all, how else are they going to win elections and guarantee their job security?  Ditto for our Chief Executive!

All a beaten child remembers is fear and the faces of angry parents, not why the beating was taken place. Alice Miller

End this one-sided alliance.

Don't think we are free.

http://www.bis.doc.gov/complianceandenforcement/antiboycottcompliance.htm

Antiboycott Compliance
The Bureau is charged with administering and enforcing the Antiboycott Laws under the Export Administration Act. Those laws discourage, and in some circumstances, prohibit U.S. companies from furthering or supporting the boycott of Israel sponsored by the Arab League, and certain Moslem countries, including complying with certain requests for information designed to verify compliance with the boycott. Compliance with such requests may be prohibited by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and may be reportable to the Bureau.