Politics | 02/27/2009 9:20 am

Clinton's Gaza Insistence Angers Pro-Israel Jewish Leaders

By The Staff at wowOwow.com

Hillary Clinton hasn’t been on the job as the nation’s top diplomat for long, but she’s already taking some flack for her job performance. And by a longtime ally: Jewish groups.

New York Jewish leaders like New York Daily News publisher Mort Zuckerman aren’t too happy about the pressure the secretary of state has been putting on Israel and say she shouldn’t be too quick to help Hamas.

"I liked her a lot more as a senator from New York," Assemblyman Dov Hikind, D-Brooklyn, told CBS News. "Now, I wonder as I used to wonder who the real Hillary Clinton is."

So, what are they so upset about? Well, not only will Clinton soon announce that the States will give the Palestinians $900 million in aid, but this week she has reportedly been chiding Israel for not getting humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip fast enough. Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that senior Clinton aides say the issue will be highly contested on the secretary’s trip to Israel next Tuesday.

Atlantic Monthly’s Jeffrey Goldberg, meanwhile, has a message to those Hillary naysayers: chill out.

Do I have to point out that this doesn’t make her George Galloway? I understand Israel’s hesitations here — it has a kidnapped soldier, Gilad Shalit, in Gaza … I have not a single doubt that Hillary Clinton is working assiduously to free Shalit, and working assiduously to marginalize Hamas in other ways.

On a related note, rival Palestinian political parties Hamas and Fatah announced today that, after 20 months of fighting, they’re going to form committees to establish a unity government.

21 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Yo Hils, tell to write out a TS slip and go see the Rabbi! It’s about time we started recognizing the Palestinians as human beings instead of target practice for the Israeli army.

By f p on 02/27/2009 9:29 am

e-mail alert

Amen to that Beau!

By DeBúrca obj on 02/27/2009 9:29 am

e-mail alert

Amen merrell g.

By Catherine Kaiman on 02/28/2009 12:05 pm

e-mail alert

I hope the government Hamas stops using their people as meat shields too.

What a world full of suck when a goverment not only fails to protect it’s citizens after inciting war upon their neighbors, but then they use them as disposable meat shields on top of it.The people of Gaza do not deserve this, even if they did elect Hamas to represent them. Those poor people!

By Tegan Fahey on 02/27/2009 1:38 pm

e-mail alert

I seriously hope Clinton also tells the Palestinians that a condition of the 900million, is that the rocket attacks on Israel must stop as well.

By Catherine Kaiman on 02/27/2009 9:37 am

e-mail alert

And also that blockading of Gaza by the Israelis must stop also if the Israelis want more cash from us let alone army playthings.

By f p on 02/27/2009 9:46 am

e-mail alert

And they sure know how to milk it to merrell g!

By Catherine Kaiman on 02/28/2009 12:20 pm

e-mail alert

I’m sure they’ll quiet down once Israel stops the blockade that it was supposed to stop doing as part of the CONDITIONS FOR THE CEASEFIRE.

By Sarah N. on 02/27/2009 9:55 am

e-mail alert

I wonder with the alleged merger between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, how much of the 900 million, will be diverted from rebuilding to the purchase of more rockets to launch into Israel?

Are there going to be "overseers" to make sure this doesn’t happen? Or is terrorism only wrong when it’s directed at the United States?

By Catherine Kaiman on 02/27/2009 12:32 pm

e-mail alert

If Hamas hadn’t fired two rockets after the Ceasefire was called, maybe Israel would’ve opened the blockade.

By Catherine Kaiman on 02/28/2009 12:07 pm

e-mail alert

Good for you Hillary and about time too, we have given Israel way too much power time for them to take a back seat. Peace has to be achieved by both parties and not just one calling the shots as has been the case for years. So I’m sure she is catching flack no one has stood up to them before and I’m so proud of her for doing the right thing.

By caj p on 02/27/2009 9:46 am

e-mail alert

This makes me like Hillary Clinton more.

By Sarah N. on 02/27/2009 9:56 am

e-mail alert

Hillary was destined for this..and I have no fear or doubt that she will achieve what is good for all. She will do the right thing!!

By Mary Beth . on 02/27/2009 12:53 pm

e-mail alert

I’m begining to think some of the Republicans on here were right about Obama and Clinton’s "real" agenda when it came to Israel/Palestine relations.

By Catherine Kaiman on 02/27/2009 12:54 pm

e-mail alert

Right on Hillary! If there will ever be a truce or even the separate states of existence for them, someone will have to tell them both to straighten up. We need to help the citizens of Gaza rebuilt etc but the rocket fire has to stop. Israel needs to do its share of helping the process by opening the strip. Come On Guys! Hate never healed anything or makes any progress. To get into the 21st century progress is the key. Staying with old same ole stuff will never stop this stupidity. And that goes for all nations and peoples who can’t grow and change.

By Denise L on 02/27/2009 6:17 pm