IT’S REALLY difficult to comprehend what an amateur view of the world the Republican nominee has on the Middle East. Once again from David Corn of Mother Jones we get the mother load on Mitt, as he opines to the $50,000/plate audience on the Middle East and other foreign policy ruminations.
However, we now find out the research assistant credited in Corn’s piece and who uncovered the videos, which have been on the web for months, was former Pres. Carter’s grandson, James Carter IV. He was looking for a job and just kept at it, with New York magazine speaking with Carter after his involvement became public.
I’ve written for a long time about “equilibrium” in the Mideast, after innumerable talks where I heard experts on the Middle East explain the issues of Israelis and the Palestinians, with Steve Clemons the coiner of this reality. However, hearing Mitt Romney say that the issue will remain “unsolved” is so stupendously ignorant it’s dangerous. I can’t help but hear Jordan’s King Abdullah on that one, because he’s someone who’s been warning about the dire consequences of a solution not being found and implemented. Romney’s ideas on foreign policy are just so amateur as to be mind boggling.
Transcript of the video above, which directly refutes the Republican Party platform, as well as what Romney’s website states his views are on the Israeli – Palestinian issue.
I’m torn by two perspectives in this regard. One is the one which I’ve had for some time, which is that the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace, and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish. Now why do I say that? Some might say, well, let’s let the Palestinians have the West Bank, and have security, and set up a separate nation for the Palestinians. And then come a couple of thorny questions. And I don’t have a map here to look at the geography, but the border between Israel and the West Bank is obviously right there, right next to Tel Aviv, which is the financial capital, the industrial capital of Israel, the center of Israel. It’s—what the border would be? Maybe seven miles from Tel Aviv to what would be the West Bank…The other side of the West Bank, the other side of what would be this new Palestinian state would either be Syria at one point, or Jordan. And of course the Iranians would want to do through the West Bank exactly what they did through Lebanon, what they did near Gaza. Which is that the Iranians would want to bring missiles and armament into the West Bank and potentially threaten Israel. So Israel of course would have to say, “That can’t happen. We’ve got to keep the Iranians from bringing weaponry into the West Bank.” Well, that means that—who? The Israelis are going to patrol the border between Jordan, Syria, and this new Palestinian nation? Well, the Palestinians would say, “Uh, no way! We’re an independent country. You can’t, you know, guard our border with other Arab nations.” And now how about the airport? How about flying into this Palestinian nation? Are we gonna allow military aircraft to come in and weaponry to come in? And if not, who’s going to keep it from coming in? Well, the Israelis. Well, the Palestinians are gonna say, “We’re not an independent nation if Israel is able to come in and tell us what can land in our airport.” These are problems—these are very hard to solve, all right? And I look at the Palestinians not wanting to see peace anyway, for political purposes, committed to the destruction and elimination of Israel, and these thorny issues, and I say, “There’s just no way.” And so what you do is you say, “You move things along the best way you can.” You hope for some degree of stability, but you recognize that this is going to remain an unsolved problem. We live with that in China and Taiwan. All right, we have a potentially volatile situation but we sort of live with it, and we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve it. We don’t go to war to try and resolve it imminently. On the other hand, I got a call from a former secretary of state. I won’t mention which one it was, but this individual said to me, you know, I think there’s a prospect for a settlement between the Palestinians and the Israelis after the Palestinian elections. I said, “Really?” And, you know, his answer was, “Yes, I think there’s some prospect.” And I didn’t delve into it.
For people who follow this region, care about the outcome of policy there, as well as know Israel’s fate is tied to the Palestinians’ independence, starting with economics, and no matter your politics, this is a real line in the sand.
Me is Mittens hear him…roar?
Romney’s viewpoint on the Middle East actually frightens me.
His ignorance of the situation is dangerous. I can’t believe that he would utter this rhetoric.
For people who follow this region, care about the outcome of policy there, as well as know Israel’s fate is tied to the Palestinians’ independence, starting with economics, and no matter your politics, this is a real line in the sand.
I agree. Romney’s comments about the Middle East are not only scary, they display an ignorance on his part that is about as close to Palin’s ignorance as I’ve seen except that he’s running for top dog with all the executive powers at his beck and call.
Open Quote:
On the other hand, I got a call from a former secretary of state. I won’t mention which one it was, but this individual said to me, you know, I think there’s a prospect for a settlement between the Palestinians and the Israelis after the Palestinian elections. I said, “Really?” And, you know, his answer was, “Yes, I think there’s some prospect.” And I didn’t delve into it.
Close Quote
That last sentence says it all about Romney. After this former SOS said to him that there is a prospect for a settlement, Romney didn’t delve into it. That’s because he has no real interest or curiosity in these things. How many other people running for POTUS who were serious about this most demanding and difficult job would have not delved into what that prospect for a peace settlement between the Palestinians and Israelis when solving that seemingly never-ending problem in the Middle East would go a long way to solving so much of the “unrest” there. And, also because it’s in our national security interest to solving it.
These along with that stunning and shocking comment he made during one of the primary debates regarding Netanyahu “I would ask Netanyahu what he wants me to say and do” ups the ignorant & scorched earth factors to a unacceptable degree.
What had Obama done for the Palestinians? His own party insulted him by gushing over Netanyahu. For Romney to say “the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace” is absurd. He should say “the ISRAELIS have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace” . The2 State solutions is dead. Israel will lose its Jewish identity as a result.
And the hits just keep on coming. What eles has Jimmy the forth got? Sweet Baby Jesus On A Pogo Stick, no wonder Mitt won’t let the press in on his grip-and-grins with Republican donors.
And I have to agree on the Mitt being profoundly ignorant and incurious on the Middle East point that Taylor and others have made.
That gurgling you hear is the Good Ship Romney continuing to take on water. I hope the lifeboats are in working order, the Republican Party may need them.
how long have they been fighting?
my aunt says forever and it will never end.
they don’t want peace.
this is kind of off the subject, but just how BAD is the Obama economy that the grandson of a former President can’t even get a job?