# Obama to Palestinians: "No short cuts" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 21, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068 "2011-09-21T14:49:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/281 "2011-11-01T10:18:24Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > UNESCO is anti-semitic organization now? Not that I’m cynical but I suspect the (R-FL) after her name may be partly responsible for her stance on the issue. Florida is known to have a _few_ elderly Jews with strong views on the subject and a willingness to vote single-issue. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/282 "2011-11-01T19:14:16Z")
As post 278 shows, some people think that most anyone that doesn’t line up four square with israel is actually antisemetic. There’s no point in continuing dialogue with these folks. ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/283 "2011-11-01T19:27:08Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > UNESCO is anti-semitic organization now? > > [http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/31/world/meast/unesco-palestinian-membership/index.html?hpt=hp\_t2](http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/31/world/meast/unesco-palestinian-membership/index.html?hpt=hp_t2) > > Could she be more dramatic?! > > Just curious, is there anyone in US politics with dissenting opinion on this topic go on record? Just one! > > I was always told that 100% unanimity is a hallmark of Soviet-style Communism. That, and of course, fake purge trials. I like the fact that Israel has condemned the vote as being unilateral. Coming from Israel, that’s rich, but an international vote being qualified as unilateral, that’s deadpan irony. Funny how the US are prepared to thoroughly burn themselves for Israel though. You dont take back your funding because you dont agree with the vote, even less so when it’s not a direct concern. Let Israel tie its own shoelaces. > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > As post 278 shows, some people think that most anyone that doesn’t line up four square with israel is actually antisemetic. There’s no point in continuing dialogue with these folks. There’s no point in continuing dialogue with brazil84 on any subject dude, not that it will keep you from doing it again. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/284 "2011-11-01T19:55:31Z")
[**Brave journalist**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vPTrB4syNys#!). Anti-Semite no doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/285 "2011-11-02T12:38:41Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Funny how the US are prepared to thoroughly burn themselves for Israel though. You dont take back your funding because you dont agree with the vote, even less so when it’s not a direct concern. Let Israel tie its own shoelaces. My understanding (and it is mentioned in the video above) is that current US law _requires_ the US to withdraw funding based on UNESCO’s “support” of the Palestinians. Anyone know any more detail of the law in question? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/286 "2011-11-02T13:48:54Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > I like the fact that Israel has condemned the vote as being unilateral. Coming from Israel, that’s rich, but an international vote being qualified as unilateral, that’s deadpan irony. > Funny how the US are prepared to thoroughly burn themselves for Israel though. You dont take back your funding because you dont agree with the vote, even less so when it’s not a direct concern. Let Israel tie its own shoelaces. > > There’s no point in continuing dialogue with brazil84 on any subject dude, not that it will keep you from doing it again. You’re probably right but I basically stopped posting to this thread when he admitted that he thinks critics of israel are mostly antisemites and that I am probably an antisemite. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/287 "2011-11-02T15:27:42Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > My understanding (and it is mentioned in the video above) is that current US law _requires_ the US to withdraw funding based on UNESCO’s “support” of the Palestinians. Anyone know any more detail of the law in question? Here’s a run down of said law: [**UNESCO, Congress, U.S. Law, and the Palestinians: The Facts**](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lara-friedman/unesco-congress-and-the-p_b_1033228.html) > [@](#): > > …Back in the earliest days of the peace process, when Congress was not entirely behind White House efforts related to Madrid (and subsequently Oslo), Congress passed a number of pieces of legislation intended to block normalization of Palestinian relations and activities in the international community. These included the following provision of law – which notably does not include authority for the president to waive the requirements of the law, even in cases where vital U.S. national security interests are at stake… – underline mine. So yes, it would appear Obama’s hands are tied on this one. The law itself: > [@](#): > > \*22 USC 287e as [amended by PL 101-246 (pdf)](http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/world/PLO-UN-legislation.pdf) > > MEMBERSHIP OF THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION IN UNITED NATIONS > AGENCIES. > > ``` > (a) PROHIBITION- No funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or any other Act shall be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof which accords the Palestine Liberation Organization the same standing as member states. > > (b) TRANSFER OR REPROGRAMMING- Funds subject to the prohibition contained in subsection (a) which would be available for the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof (but for that prohibition) are authorized to remain available until expended and may be reprogrammed or transferred to any other account of the Department of State or the Agency for International Development to carry out the general purposes for which such funds were authorized.* > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/288 "2011-11-02T19:27:09Z")
Thanks, **RF**. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/289 "2011-11-02T20:37:37Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > UNESCO is anti-semitic organization now? I would say probably yes, based on their attempt to falsely claim that Rachel’s Tomb is the " historic Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque" But here’s a question for you: Has UNESCO offered membership to Transnistria? to Nepal? to Northern Cyprus? To any wannabe state which is not recognized by the UN? > [@](#): > > I was always told that 100% unanimity is a hallmark of Soviet-style Communism. Does this apply to measures endorsed unanimously by the Arab League? ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/290 "2011-11-02T20:38:46Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > As post 278 shows, some people think that most anyone that doesn’t line up four square with israel is actually antisemetic. Lol, nice strawman. > [@](#): > > There’s no point in continuing dialogue with these folks. Agree, if you aren’t interested in responding to peoples’ actual points but instead prefer to respond to strawman positions you invent. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/291 "2011-11-02T20:47:59Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > I like the fact that Israel has condemned the vote as being unilateral. Coming from Israel, that’s rich, but an international vote being qualified as unilateral, that’s deadpan irony. Well did “Palestine” apply for membership in UNESCO before reaching an agreement with Israel on the issue? If so, it’s completely reasonable to characterize the move as unilateral. > [@](#): > > There’s no point in continuing dialogue with brazil84 on any subject dude Sure, there’s no point if you want to mischaracterize facts without being called on it. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/292 "2012-02-15T02:06:41Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > I don’t see that the result of the Arab spring is “friendly, secular, democratic regimes”. > > It will be in Libya, almost certainly. . . . . 6 months later: > [@](#): > > Libya Tells UN Rights Council: “Gays threaten continuation of human race” > [@](#): > > Gays threaten the continuation of the human race, Libya’s delegate told a planning meeting of the UN Human Rights Council today, reported the Geneva-based UN Watch monitoring group. It was the first appearance in the 47-nation body by the post-Gaddafi government, whose membership was restored in November following Libya’s suspension in March. > **[Libya Tells UN Rights Council: “Gays threaten continuation of human race” -...](https://unwatch.org/libya-tells-un-rights-council-gays-threaten-continuation-of-human-race/)** > > Libya’s post-suspension return marked by Islamist policy on gays GENEVA, Feb. 13 – Gays threaten the continuation of the human race, Libya’s delegate told a planning meeting of the UN Human Rights Council today, reported the Geneva-based UN Watch... ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/293 "2012-02-15T02:38:42Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > . . . . 6 months later: > > [Libya Tells UN Rights Council: “Gays threaten continuation of human race” - UN Watch](http://blog.unwatch.org/index.php/2012/02/13/libya-tells-un-rights-council-gays-threaten-continuation-of-human-race/) Wow, that Libyan dude said something that is literally no worse than any number of national Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/294 "2012-02-15T02:42:54Z")
Has an official United States delegate to the U.N. ever made a comparable statement about gays, addressing the other nations of the world, as an official representative of his country? Do you really not see the difference, or do you see it but think that everyone else is so dumb that they’ll think you’re making a good comparison? ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/295 "2012-02-15T02:50:46Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Has an official United States delegate to the U.N. ever made a comparable statement about gays, addressing the other nations of the world, as an official representative of his country? > > Do you really not see the difference, or do you see it but think that everyone else is so dumb that they’ll think you’re making a good comparison? I’m not talking about the American UN delegates. I’m saying that this dude is as crazy as 30% of our country. I don’t think it’s cause for alarm yet that a religious person in the middle east hates gay people. If the government of Lybia is as enlightened as America of the 1950s I’ll call that a positive thing. Gay people should have rights of course, but because of the stupidity of the Abrahamic religions anti-gay sentiment is ground pretty deep in there. As to whether everyone is dumb, I don’t know. I guess we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/296 "2012-02-15T03:27:14Z")
And…so what if **BrainGlutton** – or President Obama – were too optimistic? We still did the right thing, by standing up for self-determination for the Libyan People. If they use that self-determination in evil ways, well, that sucks. Would it really be better, philosophically, if they had an unelected tyrant who, by use of the army, compelled everyone to show respect for gays? (One is reminded of Eisenhower sending troops to Mississippi to compel obedience to the Supreme Court’s ruling on desegregation… But at least he was an elected leader…) That’s the trouble with freedom: people are likely to do what they want to do, not what we want them to do. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/297 "2012-02-15T12:06:21Z")
Doing a quick Google on John Bolton, it turns out he was for the repeal of DADT and thinks legal gay marriage is inevitable. Color me stunned. I still think he’s an asshole for other reasons though. > [@Trinopus](#): > > That’s the trouble with freedom: people are likely to do what they want to do, not what we want them to do. _For might makes right, And till they’ve seen the light, They’ve got to be protected, All their rights respected, 'Till somebody we like can be elected._ I think we have to consider the long game on the Arab Spring revolutions. Democracy doesn’t mean instant utopia or even instant America-clone. All we can do is give them the chance to have free and fair elections and trust in the slow march of inevitability to improve things there. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/298 "2012-02-15T15:45:01Z")
Sorry I missed this earlier: > [@brazil84](#): > > Lol, nice strawman. [Quote=brazil84] > [@Damuri Ajashi](#): > > Anyone that criticizes israel is an antis-semite (or even most people that criticize Israel is an anti-semite)? Most people, yes. [Quote=Damuri Ajashi] So you must think I am an anti-semite or I support anti-semites? [/quote] Probably yes. [/quote] > [@](#): > > Agree, if you aren’t interested in responding to peoples’ actual points but instead prefer to respond to strawman positions you invent. So did you not mean what you said? I mean, didn’t you specifically say taht most people that criticize israel are anti-semites? How am I strawmanning you? You simply aren’t worth engaging. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/299 "2012-02-15T15:49:35Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Sorry I missed this earlier: > > So did you not mean what you said? No, I meant exactly what I said. But I did not mean what you (apparently) would like to pretend that I said. > [@](#): > > I mean, didn’t you specifically say taht most people that criticize israel are anti-semites? Yes, as far as I recall. > [@](#): > > How am I strawmanning you? There’s a difference between criticizing Israel and “not lining up four square with Israel.” Duh. > [@](#): > > You simply aren’t worth engaging. Agree, if you prefer not to debate the actual points I make. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068/300 "2012-02-15T15:51:04Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Has an official United States delegate to the U.N. ever made a comparable statement about gays, addressing the other nations of the world, as an official representative of his country? > > Do you really not see the difference, or do you see it but think that everyone else is so dumb that they’ll think you’re making a good comparison? Do YOU really not see the analogy? When you have half the politicians in our country sayingn this sort of shit about homosexuals why is it so much more outrageous when a diplomat from another country does it? We have a FEDERAL LAW that permits states to disregard gay marriages of other states, we ONLY RECENTLY removed a ban on homosexuals serving in our military. I’m not apologizing for the homopphobia of fundamentalist muslims but fundamentlist Christians seem to have the same fucking problem except that we have rule of law here and a basic respect for human rights that makes it harder for these crazies to drag the faggots out in the streets and drag them from chains behind their pickup trucks. If you want more tolerance for homosexuality in the middle east, democracy and rule of law is the only way (short of eternal military occupation) that we are going to get there. So, even if democracy is scary for Israel, it seems a bit odd that we would discourage democracy in the middle east because we want to support another democracy in the middle east. Or are we supporting them because of something else? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-to-palestinians-no-short-cuts/597068.md?page=16)