You make my point more effectively than I did. According to your claims, only actions that will obviously not happen will make any difference. The logical conclusion of your argument is that it's useless to try to do anything. Therefore, your argument is an argument on behalf of inactivism. I rest my case.<div>
<br></div><div><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 6:20 PM, Laurie Solomon <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ls1000@live.com">ls1000@live.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div style="padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px;padding-top:15px" name="Compose message area">
<div><font face="Calibri">Well Bob, I personally just do not think that
Israel really gives a damn what the international community says or passes
unless it is backed up with significant actions and has the support of the
US. If UN could and would place a quarantine on Israel and establish a
blockade of its air service and ports, that might have some effect on Israeli
actions; but the Us would not let such UN action happen. If the nations in
the international community would break their diplomatic relations with Israel,
that might get their ear; but we know that none of them have the balls to do
that since it would alienate the US.</font></div>
<div><font face="Calibri"></font> </div>
<div><font face="Calibri">Israel released the detainees for a number of reasons;
but I doubt that international pressure and condemnation are among the
reasons. Bad press - except possibly in the US - has never really
influenced Israel. We can cite all kinds of instances where the
international community and world press have criticized and condemned Israel for
its actions and policies to no avail. The siege of Gaza as well as the
invasion is but one example; the continued development of settlements on Arab
land and the eviction of Arabs from their houses so that Jewish Israelis
can have and use those properties is another. Israel took the
detainees because they knew they could and would not suffer any retaliation from
other countries - except the hurling of words and declarations; they released
them because they had proven their point that they could detain them without any
punitive response by the outside world and they were no longer needed as
hostages against any possible retaliation for the actions that Israel had taken
in international waters by other countries. Their detention was a symbolic
act at best and not one that was intended to implement any national security
measures or anti-terrorism investigations.</font></div>
<div style="font:10pt Tahoma">
<div><font size="3" face="Calibri"></font><br></div>
<div style="background:#f5f5f5">
<div><b>From:</b> <a title="mailto:naiman.uiuc@gmail.com
CTRL + Click to follow link" href="mailto:naiman.uiuc@gmail.com" target="_blank">Robert Naiman</a> </div>
<div><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, June 01, 2010 3:45 PM</div>
<div><b>To:</b> <a title="jencart13@yahoo.com" href="mailto:jencart13@yahoo.com" target="_blank">Jenifer Cartwright</a> </div>
<div><b>Cc:</b> <a title="peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net" href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net" target="_blank">Peace-discuss List</a> </div>
<div><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Peace-discuss] Rachel Corrie Continues Towards Gaza:
WillObama Let Israel Attack?</div></div></div><div><div></div><div class="h5">
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>I empathize with your frustration, Jenifer, but it just isn't so,
and from an activist point of view, it's important for people to understand that
it isn't so.
<div><br></div>
<div>Actions of the Israeli government are not impervious to external
criticism.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Exercise: compare UN Security Council resolutions supported by the United
States which are critical of Israeli government actions and subsequent actions
by the Israeli government. </div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Example: This morning, the UN Security Council passed a resolution which,
among other things, called on Israel to release the detainees.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Now - later the same day - it is being reported that the Israeli government
has decided to release the prisoners. </div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Is that significant? Well, first of all, of course, the prisoners have the
right to go free. But secondly, the moment they are free they get to tell their
story - surely a motivation for their previous continued detention. Already,
lots of stories are coming out with headlines saying, "released activists
dispute Israeli government account," etc. <br><br></div>
<div><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jun 1, 2010 at 4:09 PM, Jenifer Cartwright <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:jencart13@yahoo.com" target="_blank">jencart13@yahoo.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="border-left:#ccc 1px solid;margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex" class="gmail_quote">
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top">I'd like to think the US has that kind of power over
Israel, and that Obama would turn this around if he could. I once
believed it did (or must have had, considering the amt of US $upport),
but I'm beginning to think that Israel, under Netanyahu most especially,
is marching unstoppably to its own mad drummer, willfully oblivious to
anything or anyone... as crazy and as hell-bent on its agenda as decades
ago Germany, current N Korea, and (it could be argued in some instances)
the US since its inception...
<div> --Jenifer </div>
<div><br>--- On <b>Tue, 6/1/10, Robert Naiman <i><<a href="mailto:naiman.uiuc@gmail.com" target="_blank">naiman.uiuc@gmail.com</a>></i></b> wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="border-left:rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid;padding-left:5px;margin-left:5px"><br>From:
Robert Naiman <<a href="mailto:naiman.uiuc@gmail.com" target="_blank">naiman.uiuc@gmail.com</a>><br>Subject:
[Peace-discuss] Rachel Corrie Continues Towards Gaza: Will Obama Let
Israel Attack?<br>To: "Peace-discuss List" <<a href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net" target="_blank">peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</a>><br>Date:
Tuesday, June 1, 2010, 12:04 PM<br><br>
<div>
<div>
<div></div>
<div>The Irish Times reports that the Rachel Corrie is
"ploughing ahead<br>with its attempt to deliver aid to Gaza despite
yesterday's attack by<br>the Israeli navy on Gaza-bound ship the Mavi
Marmara." Would the Obama<br>Administration permit an Israeli attack
on the Rachel Corrie, as the<br>Obama Administration permitted the
Israeli attack on the Mavi Marmara?<br><br><br>Rachel Corrie Continues
Towards Gaza: Will Obama Let Israel Attack?<br><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/rachel-corrie-continues-t_b_596014.html" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/rachel-corrie-continues-t_b_596014.html</a><br>
<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/6/1/111035/2833" target="_blank">http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/6/1/111035/2833</a><br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/596" target="_blank">http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/596</a><br>
<br>--<br>Robert
Naiman<br>Policy Director<br>Just Foreign Policy<br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">www.justforeignpolicy.org</a><br><a href="http://mc/compose?to=naiman@justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">naiman@justforeignpolicy.org</a><br>
<br>Urge Congress to
Support a Timetable for Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan<br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/feingold-mcgovern" target="_blank">http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/feingold-mcgovern</a><br><br>
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</div></blockquote></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Robert Naiman<br>Policy Director<br>Just Foreign
Policy<br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">www.justforeignpolicy.org</a><br><a href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">naiman@justforeignpolicy.org</a><br><br>Urge
Congress to Support a Timetable for Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan<br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/feingold-mcgovern" target="_blank">http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/feingold-mcgovern</a><br><br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Robert Naiman<br>Policy Director<br>Just Foreign Policy<br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org">www.justforeignpolicy.org</a><br><a href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org">naiman@justforeignpolicy.org</a><br>
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