Kenneth P. Vogel reports this sad unpresidential spectacle. Chris Christie apologizes for the ‘occupied territories’ remark, demonstrating his qualifications to be the GOP nominee to be President of the United States of America by kissing Sheldon Adelsons ass before the entire world.
Sheldon Adelson, and the Greater Israel Zionists prefer to call the occupied territories the"disputed territories." After being informed of this Governor Christie apologized to Sheldon Adelson saying he misspoke and Adelson "accepted his explanation." This article did not report if Christie had to get down on one knee and kiss Sheldon's .... ring, or only his ass. Whichever it was, both American Republicans and Israeli's will be pleased to see Chris Christie knows what they think is the proper posture for a President of the United States of America right from the start.
LAS VEGAS – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie apologized to Sheldon Adelson in a meeting Saturday for stepping on a fault line in Middle East politics during a speech he gave earlier in the day, according to a source familiar with the conversation.
Invoking a 2012 trip he and his family took to Israel, Christie recalled in the speech: “I took a helicopter ride from the occupied territories across and just felt personally how extraordinary that was to understand, the military risk that Israel faces every day.”
While the story was intended to forge common cause with Adelson and the several hundred donors to the Republican Jewish Coalition to which Christie was speaking, his use of the term “occupied territories” set off murmurs in the crowd. The term refers to lands in which Palestinians live where Israel maintains a military presence, including the West Bank.
In Israel, some conservative Zionists and groups believe the Bible gives Israel the right to own all the land from the Mediterranean to Jordan and from the Sinai to Lebanon. So, in this view, to say the"occupied territories" falsely implies there is some possibility that Israel may ever give up this land. And, these same people also bristle just as much at any idea that a President of the United States should dare to imagine that he could have independent foreign policy thoughts about their land that God gave them, or any other Middle Eastern foreign policy matters that may represent "existential threats to Israel's existence." So this ritual of kissing of the... ring is symbolically far more important than many realize.
Sheldon Adelson, and many in this crowd, seem to believe Jordan is already the Palestine of the two-state solution, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem will be annexed with the ongoing settlements, (aka "facts on the ground), while PM Netanyahu infinitely stalls negotiations, while pretending with the Americans, we are trying to broker peace. The Greater Israel Zionists, like Adelson, appear to assume this is what the Republicans want too, and also assume that we Democrats are too worried about losing Jewish support in elections in elections to do anything about it.
Prior to Governor Christie - Sheldon Adelson meeting, the president of the Zionist Organization of America, Morton Klein tried to warn Christie to call the West Bank "disputed territories."
A different article reports Morton Klein was angry because Christie brushed him off and even "scowled" at him, and I laughed imaging how well Christie's style is going to go over in Israel. Klein said afterwards "“either doesn’t understand the issue at all, or he’s hostile to Israel.” Notice Klein doesn't actual come out and call Christie an antisemite, but this sounds like it could be a warmup warning. And, based on the alarmed reaction, Christie's staff must have recognized this and pulled the alarm because, Christie's gruff brush off suddenly reverses and he is like a puppy dog with his tail between his legs. (I hate that expression, it is "hostile to dogs, anti-dog, if not outright, doggist, don't you think?")
Here's where the funny parts start.
Christie immediately told Politico, "in the strongest possible terms," folks:"
POLITICO that Christie “clarified in the strongest terms possible that his remarks today were not meant to be a statement of policy.”
Que theme music: "Panic in Detroit."
This same anonymous source "made clear:"
Christie made clear “that he misspoke when he referred to the ‘occupied territories.’ And he conveyed that he is an unwavering friend and committed supporter of Israel, and was sorry for any confusion that came across as a result of the misstatement.”
Ha! These GOP presidential candidate are in so far over their heads when it comes to foreign policy and international relations it is laughable. Whatever else you might say about Hillary Clinton, if she should turn out to be our candidate, she is about 35 or 40 years and 20 IQ points ahead of any and all of the GOP candidates in these areas. And, yes I know that takes her back into college years. That's part of my point. She was interested in these topic when some of these clown's personal libraries didn't even exist, or were kept under their matresses. (And, in Rick Perry's case that still may be true.)
(And, no this is not an endorsement, I said "If she is the nominee...I still have a migraine and am not in the mood for a bunch of .... hassle about Hillary...)
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I'm sorry I have to double label this last paragraph as snark, but I don't want to cause any confusion here. Imagine how much funnier this article would be if this warning were not here. Someone help me find some new outlets for snarky humor. We will all be happier.
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Some of Christie's advisors who wish to remain anonymous were believed to be relieved Sheldon Adelson allowed Christie to maintain the dignity of the N.J. Governor's office by not requiring him to promise that if we were to become President he would change U.S. policy to refer to the "occupied territories," not just as "disputed territories," but as "Zionist vacation real estate opportunities." (snark alert!)