If the US had any cojones, we *would* put the consulate in the West Bank. Very well defended. And invite the worst of their worst to try to bomb us. Putting it in Jerusalem is somewhat objectionable.

Far worse than this, of course, is the way the Obama administration submits, surrenders, kisses up to, toadies to, and makes friends with, every objectionable and rotten political entity on the face of this earth. And treats every civilized, reasonable political entity with dismissive arrogance and an iron fist. In that manner, the Obama administration makes me hurl until I am curled up on the floor dry-heaving the bitter dregs of bile from the depths of my stomach.

I cannot tell you any further how bitterly I feel about that.

(Perhaps the manner in which Obama kisses the Palestinians’ asses, while treating Israel with such dismissive brutality, is why the consulate’s being in Jerusalem actually seems so objectionable.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090731/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_reviving_fatah

I don’t have a problem with trying to counter the influence of the “Death/Suicide Cult” that is so ever present in the West bank and the Gaza Strip.

Since all Palestinians are within spitting distance (yes, I intentionally used that expression) they have had years of seeing the difference between living/dying in a Death-Suicide cult since Israel is the antithesis.

It is a Consulate because there is no official state of Palestine.

And we all know why, but there is an official State of Israel and Israel declared Jerusalem as it’s capital and we all know why neither the U.S. nor any other entity has acknowledged same (dhmini approach). The consulate in Jerusalem is to assuage the direct insult for lack of acknowledging reality. It’s like sending the VP to do the work that the President believes his below his pay grade.
Mind you, this is not just Obama’s albatross since previous presidents failed to recognize Jerusalem as the capital. It is more of a sore point with Obama since he believes he can dictate to Israel as to where she can build and breed. It’s his version of ‘red-lining’.

I understand that in a nice world, we would set by example, but in an Islamic world, there is little interest in absorbing anything that is non-Islamic. Quite the opposite, it is a direct threat and must be obliterated. I am not suggesting that every muslim subscribes to this, but enough so that making changes other than radical ones, seems pretty much out of reach. There well may be a silent majority (in spite of whatever polls I have ever read) who would prefer a different path, but as long as they allow the imams to dictate, I do not foresee any change in political patterns.

To further press the point, just take the case of the 20 Somalis. Raised in the USA in a healthy non violent political arena and … lo and behold off they went to study Jihad 101. Were they oppressed. Hell NO. The oppression began in their mosque and their travels were an extension of it all.

Yes, I know where the U.S. Embassy is situated – I lived 6 blocks from it.

So they have to put it in Israel. It may have nothing to do with diplomacy to Israel, if that is the case.

“This home page that you have linked to is about Palestinians because it is meant to be about US-Palestinian affairs.”.

BTW – While I haven’t read every article there; most of the articles do NOT seem to be focused entirely on Palestinians. The ones that I briefly perused seem to be about US-Palestinians affairs.

As far as there being a link going to what appears to be the same articles in Arabic (I’m not sure if they are all the same since I don’t read Arabic; but the pictures seem to suggest that they are the same); I don’t understand what is wrong with that? I don’t have a problem with trying to counter the influence of the “Death/Suicide Cult” that is so everpresent in the West bank and the Gaza Strip. Is that a bad thing? Trying to reach out to them in a language that they understand? Exposing them to our values?

It is a Consulate because there is no official state of Palestine. It is a very common practice for governments (and the US is no different) to have an “unofficial” or a less than formal “Embassy” presence in areas of the world where there are “powers-to-be.” In my opinion, that is just common sense. Try to have a positive influence from the start.

I will say that Powerline is wrong on their take on this “issue.” The US Embassy (the highest level of diplomatic relations with another country) is in Tel Aviv. It is there for both historical and political reasons (despite all the talk of a “Complete and United” Jerusalem – its status is not totally settled). If one wishes to see/read something about US-Israel affairs then one should be looking at the Embassy (not Consulate) homepage. See this link:

http://usembassy-israel.org.il/

Powerline seems to be trying to make a issue out of the “fact” that the Obama Administration and the current State Department is trying to “not recognize” Israel by pointing to the web page at a US Consulate Office (a level lower than an Embassy), sadly, I feel that this puts them in the same category as the BushMcChimpyHitler paranoid moonbats.

I apologize as I mean no offense, But this makes me even more puzzled that Bookworm would link to such nonsense.

I am sure I do not understand the above sentence at all.
Where exactly is Palestine? What Embassy?

There is the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and
the U.S.Consulate Office in Jerusalem.

You contradicted yourself, if the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem is “first and foremost about US Citizens and US interests” so why on earth would the home page focus entirely on Palestinians and have a link in Arabic unless the sole purpose was not to represent American-Israeli interests or Americans living/working in Israel.

The US Consulate in Jerusalem is first and foremost about US Citizens and US interests. It also handles issues relating to foreign (i.e., non-US citizens) nationals in that area. This home page that you have linked to is about Palestinians because it is meant to be about Palestinians. For security reasons, it would not be wise to put a US consulate in the West Bank or Gaza; so Jerusalem will have to do. Also, I’m not sure that it would go over well to call the office that you have linked to the US Embassy to Palestine.

As far as the US Embassy to Israel, that is in Tel Aviv. It has been there for decades. Is that the link where you really meant to look for US interests in Israel?

http://usembassy-israel.org.il/

Actually, one wonders if another was billed and sold as the ‘One’.

A very strange web page indeed Book.
Even stranger that you can click on the Arabic for additional information, photo of our leader and what not.