Does President Obama's Speech Signal US Shift on Israel-Palestine? Democracy Now! Roundtable: 1 of 3

DemocracyNow.org -
For analysis on President Obama's Middle East address, Democracy Now! hosts a roundtable discussion with author Norman Finkelstein, Palestinian human rights lawyer Noura Erakat and Jeremy Ben-Ami, head of the lobby group, J Street. In his speech, President Obama said a Palestinian state must be based on the 1967 borders, the first time a U.S. president has explicitly taken this position. The Israeli government immediately rejected Obama's comments, calling the 1967 borders "indefensible." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in the United States today and will meet Obama at the White House.

Watch Part 2 of 3: http://youtu.be/ZL0VoMaGpaQ

To watch the entire discussion, read the complete transcript, download the video/audio podcast, for Democracy Now!'s news archive on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, visit http://www.democracynow.org/2011/5/20/did_obamas_mideast_speech_signal_us

FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow
Twitter: @democracynow
Daily Email News Digest: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe

Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit http://www.democracynow.org/donate/YT

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• amy
• goodman

[WilhelmDrake]

Do the Palestinians have a right to defend themselves against military occupation?

[321godson]

DEMOCRACY NOW IS A TRUE SOURCE OF TRUTH..... !!!!!!!!!!!! everyone should listen for there daily insight on what is really happening around the world we live in.. BIG UP to amy goodman and her crew......

[annebeck58]

Too bad Obama didn't mean ANY of it.

[GrassPossum]

There is also no way Obama can alter the position of the USA re Israel. The Israel lobby does not allow any possibility of this. The Israel lobby will ride Israel to destruction with its inability to grasp reality or reason.

[GrassPossum]

Obama is an empty suit. He is also not the first president to assert what has always been the USA's official position.

[meeter]

@Doogibo Humour aside, I think that what Finkelstein did especially well here, was to effectively reveal what is actually behind J-Street's rhetoric which is agreement with one wing of the Israeli rulers. I wish that this happened more often, eh: tv programs where the empty verbiage and b.s. promises of political figures and their organizations are candidly exposed.

[meeter]

@Doogibo It's true, he's very genuine and not ashamed of being who he is. I too am a big fan, but he's just naturally hilarious. Look at the third clip of this program, at 2:43.

[Doogibo]

@meeter

He's shamelessly himself. And "himself" is a little awkward and off-key. He has an interesting way of speaking ... I'm a big fan haha. Easy to understand and to the point. 

[TheLangelander]

Israel will never give the Palestinians any rights. do you believe that a Palestinian state will ever be allowed to arm themselves as Israel has? not a chance, Israel will always dominate them. the only true answer is, get those racist, zionist bastards out of the mid east. send them back to Mongolia, where they came from. Nobody else wants them and I dont think that the Mongols will welcome their return. What a mess the Brits made allowing the zionists into Palestine.

[saadasim]

Date, Pres, Pop, Statement

Apr 80, Carter, 61500, Settlements are not legal

Sep 82, Reagan, 106595, Settlement activity is in no way necessary for the security of Israel

Mar 90, Bush, 227500, No new settlements in WB

Jan 01, Clinton, 387859, Settlements are inconsistent with the Oslo commitment

Apr 2002, Bush II, 414119, Israeli settlement activity in occupied territories must stop.

May 2010, Obama, 479500, Settlements have to be stopped...

We give money, Israel gives us the finger!

[meeter]

LOL! all the awkward pauses in this episode are quite funny. They catch Finkelstein drinking at 14:26 and then in the last video you can see that either Amy or Juan is trying to tell him to wrap up. I take the subject and especially Finkelstein quite seriously, but there's just something hilarious about the guy.