Abandoning the Gaza Strip, was about the dumbest thing a now geographically "divided" Israel could have done! Given it was in truth the most Ideal place for all her new illegal settlements!

And allowed a less contentious border to be drawn between the two states?

I believe everyone including the moderators have abandoned any/all hope that the present wiggling and miss-speaking Israeli administration, will actually honor any so called peace talks or agreement, just as long as the illegal settlement program is all that keeps it in power!
Alan B.

I recall that early in the current US election campaign Bernie Sanders, apparently the only candidate with a Jewish family background has been the one who grovelled least to the powerful pro Israel Zionist lobby in the US. Seems that despite it having strong influence on mainstream media, awareness is increasing that the US should be supporting Israel less, not more. For US residents, it is basically a very costly parasite state. Note there are several time the number of federal Congress members who are Jewish compared with their proportion in the general population. Including some who are dual citizens -also of Israel. First loyalty of them seems not be to American people they are paid to represent. Including supporting US sponsored wars in Middle East with aim of weakening Muslim challenges to Israel as well as trying to maintain US military, political and economic influence in the area.

Also, remember that over many years there have been many resolutions condemning Israel put up at the United Nations Security Council condemning Israel. Largely regarding dirty things they have done against Palestinians. The US, one of the five members with veto power has apparently blocked all of them.

#Alan B

Whacky comment.

Israel unilaterally disengaged from Gaza to give the Bush Roadmap a chance of happening. This involved the removal of all 8000 Jews living there.

It was a waste of time and Gaza showed its appreciation by firing 12000 rockets indiscriminately into Israeli population centers.

The two Palestinian Arab entities presently existing - Gaza and Areas A and B in Judea and Samaria - could have been easily connected by a tunnel like the tunnel under Sydney Harbour or the one connecting Hong Kong Island to Kowloon.

The border cannot even be dicussed whilst:
1. the PLO and Hamas are at each other's throat for political control of the Palestinian Arabs and
2. those poor coots have been denied to have any say on who they want to govern them since 2006.

#mox

You state:
"Note there are several time the number of federal Congress members who are Jewish compared with their proportion in the general population. Including some who are dual citizens -also of Israel. First loyalty of them seems not be to American people they are paid to represent."

Could you please give me the sources you rely on to back up the above claims.

Foreign policy critics are domestic politics easy go no where distractions that go on forever.
If any person bothered to watch Monday 24 4 Corners, which gladly wasn't reported by ABC 4 Corners Journalists and produced by 4 corners.

Negro persecution civil rights violations, will be heard and ignored by most people.

American serious media by constantly bringing up Israel and middle east politics, the channel is quickly turn other channels. Soon by bringing up negro no improvement political fixes. Do we all quickly turn to other channels?

Posters can easily criticise... can posters come up with ideal solutions?

Why in hell does Obama have to endorse anything bush said or did?
They are from opposite sides of politics and Bush has been out of office for eight years now.
The same as I get sick of the liars in the lying liars party constantly bleating on about Labor did this and its all Labors fault a full term after Labor lost power. Its the same thing.
Obama, and shortly Clinton, make their own decisions on things irrespective of what their predecessors did or said. As it should be.

Stop ya whining singer I think trump and Clinton have got a bit more to worry about at the moment than your silly little so called country.

#mikk

Guess you don't believe in America honouring its obligations and commitments.

Bush and the Congress by 502 votes to 12 made specific commitments to Israel in return for Israel unilaterally disengaging from Gaza. Israel honoured its side of the bargain. America needs to stick to its commitments.

Obama tried to wheedle out of his predecessor's commitments. To a large degree in doing so he has created America's foreign policy being in the parlous state it finds itself now.

Clinton supported those Bush commitments when she was then a Senator and the Senate voted 95-3 in favour.

As Secretary for State she was Obama's attack dog in trying to reject the Bush/Senate commitments that she herself had voted in favour of. She could plead she had no option but to do what her boss wanted.

Now that she might be America's next President she needs to tell the voters whether she will continue to follow Obama's policy or affirm that she will uphold what she voted for - the Bush Congress commitments.

By the way "the silly little so called country" ranks 22 out of 34 OECD countries based on GDP per capita.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OECD_countries_by_GDP_per_capita

The same "silly little so called country" - Israel - has the highest concentration of startups outside of Silicon Valley. Regarded as “Start up Nation”, this "silly little so called country" also boasts the most companies listed on the NASDAQ of any foreign nation. Fewer than 1% of startups in the United States manage to scale and expand, compared to 4% of new businesses in this "silly little so-called country".
http://www.forbes.com/sites/julianmitchell/2016/07/11/startup-nation-this-israeli-company-uses-military-principles-to-build-scalable-businesses/#1091f2384c81

You can view 12 of Israel's most amazing medical advances at:
http://www.israel21c.org/the-top-12-most-amazing-israeli-medical-advances/

Little - yes - but silly - certainly not.

Yours is the kind osf unsubstantiated statement designed to denigrate Israel. It only shows you up as crass and ignorant.