"Suddenly, Hebrew can be heard throughout the markets, malls and beaches of a destination that was strictly off-limits until the two countries achieved a diplomatic breakthrough in August and established normal relations.
More than 50,000 Israelis have brushed aside covid-19 concerns, a terrorism warning and decades of tension to make the three-hour flight across the Arab Peninsula.... The first Israelis to arrive described a congenial culture clash unlike anything they have experienced in the region.
'This is much warmer than what we felt in Jordan or Egypt,' said Arieh Engel... ... Engel had just had 'Happy Birthday; sung to him in Arabic, English and finally a halting Hebrew by the staff of the Arabia Tea House in Dubai’s Old City.... 'They are so rich here,' marveled Reem Iluz, a Tel Aviv construction engineer loaded down with bags in the palatial Dubai Mall, somewhere between the 2.6-million-gallon aquarium tank and the 19,000-square-foot ice rink. 'They have a lot to lose if there is no peace.'... For Dubai’s first public Hanukkah, the JCC is holding a nightly extravaganza at the base of the 163-story Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Hundreds of Israelis dance, while the music of singers and a DJ flown in from Israel echo off the surrounding towers. 'I really think this is the best place to be a Jew,” [said Rabbi Mendel] Duchman..."
From the WaPo comments — this has a lot of likes:
I didn't vote for him. In more than 50 years of voting, I've never voted for a Republican. Never.
But as more and more Arab states forge stable interaction agreements, and even peace agreements with Israel, it is the Trump administration who deserves credit for this remarkable achievement. The Democratic party, with its Jihad Squad and its own growing brand of anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel, could never have accomplished this.
Thank you Mr. Trump for Warp Speed as well.
Now, Mr. Trump, you can leave and we can set about repairing the massive amount of despicable damage you have caused our country and the world.
Posts
80 comments:
One hopes that this will continue, despite the efforts of the incoming administration.
Isn't it AMAZING what the Biden/Harris administration has been able to accomplish and they have not even been sworn in yet!
That buffoon Trump could never have done something as historic as this!
Thank you for peace in the Middle East and saving millions of lives around the world. Now go away- Kamala’s got this!
That WP comment has lots of flim flam regarding Trump.Always on non policy. Always on the personality.Flim Flam.
"repairing the massive amount of despicable damage you have caused our country and the world"
\sarc?
If not, the damage should be easy to see all around.
Looking, looking . . .
OK. I see damage to the polity from the Russia collusion hoax: that's on the deep state and the left. I see virus: that's on Xi. I see economies tanking: that's on Dems, mostly. And I see riots: that's on the left. I see some dead Iranian and ISIS officials: good. Any other "damage"?
Shorter WaPo commenter: "What have you done for me? Lately? Like in the last five minutes?"
What damage is that, specifically?
Thank you President Trump for helping bring Peace to the Middle East. Now the Biden administration can fuck it all up, and give Iran their Nuclear deal back, and bring back the Middle East wars. It was a wonderful start, which I fear is over now....
What damage is that, specifically?
It's never specified. You have to denounce Trump to stay out of the basket of deplorables.
I will remain forever mystified on what the terrible damage has been...no new wars, peace accords in the Middle East, record economic stats for the US before the pandemic, preemptive closing of borders at the start of the pandemic, a successful Operation Warp Speed, the building of some new border wall in spite of constant opposition. The damage has been the lying done by mainstream news organizations and illegal maneuvers against Trump and his administration by members of gov't agencies. And No One better bring up Charlottesville as proof of his racism. Our hostess has thoroughly debunked that lie for her readership.
Remember well that Althouse's main sources of blog fable stories say Trump has no major successes.
Your lying eyes should not be believed.
If the Biden administration returns to Obama’s old ways of favoring Iran, that should bring the Israelis and the Gulf Arabs even closer together.
This is a huge win for Abu Dhabi, because they want to diversify their economy. If it becomes a tourist hit for Israelis, then Americans and others will follow..
...until the two countries achieved a diplomatic breakthrough in August and established normal relations.
Entirely on their own. Trump had nothing to do with it.
Well BIDEN will soon fix this! Can't have Jews and Arabs getting along.
Think of all the things that Biden and Harris (after Biden biffs it and either quits or mysteriously dies) will be able to "fix".
Thank God I'm old and live in a forgotten, unimportant area of the country.
Sadly, many 'historians' use news articles as principal sources for their writings. I once read a biography of Huey Long [one of several] that relied entirely on biased newspaper stories. While Huey Long certainly had his faults, their main objection was that he didn't play the game by their rules. A populist, like Trump, he was loved by the people.
Yeah, but what about the Palestinians?
I saw the photo of the menorah lit in front of the Burj Khalifa and thought to myself, it will take years before people look back and see all that Trump got done in less than 4 years, with the entire media, government apparatus, and the tech monopolies armed and working against him 24/7.
I thought of the perpetual dolt, John Kerry, who assured all of the bobbing heads in world government that there would never be peace between Israel and Arabs without Palestine. I think of the Lightbringer, Obama, and his crazy sidekick, Joe Biden, working on cornering Israel into bad situations, while waving off ISIS as a JV team, and sending pallet-loads of cash to terrorist supporting Iranian mullahs. I think of Biden setting up his family for millions from Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and China, and having the nerve to comment on Trump and Russia! Russia! Russia!
There is so much Trump got done, that only an outsider could have gotten done. Now we see the retreads coming back into the cabinet posts and other posts for Biden. We'll see the world go back to it's back-room deals that make politicians immensely wealthy while our country slowly sinks away.
I hate Biden and all he stands for. He disgusts me. Just sayin. And if you think Obama stayed in Washington just because he likes BLT Steak, you're fooling yourself.
>>I thought of the perpetual dolt, John Kerry, who assured all of the bobbing heads in world government that there would never be peace between Israel and Arabs without Palestine.
It would seem the rest of the Arab states have had enough of the "Palestinian problem" and are ready to move forward.
Thank you Trump administration.
Yeah, but what about the Palestinians?
The Palestinians are the Arab World's drunk, bankrupt, lazy, slovenly, out-on-parole, ne'er-do-well brother who shows up at the house and trashes the place before getting kicked out. No one cares about them any more.
"It was truly remarkable because so many of these patriotic Americans are subject to so much, enormous political pressure, verbal abuse, and even threats of physical violence. While we all wish that our fellow Americans in these positions will always show such courage and commitment to free and fair elections, it is my sincere hope we never again see anyone subjected to the kind of threats and abuse we saw in this election. It’s simply unconscionable." (he's talking about election officials, not the people that Antifa and BLM beat up for the last 5 years)
Says the Liar that the left elected for President in his "acceptance" speech. WHERE has he been when Trump voters have been getting beaten up for wearing red hats?? This is so disingenuous, it make me sick to my stomach. This is NOT going to end well for him and his...
It's just the war, and that lying son of a bitch Trump!
seriously All this Would NOT be happening if Hilary! had done a better job stealing votes!
The comment quoted has a cognitive dissonance ring to it.
Chandler Bing: Could there BE more cognitive dissonance?
It's never specified. You have to denounce Trump to stay out of the basket of deplorables.
Yeah, I never get an answer when I ask. Even one of my lefty daughters could not explain why Trump was "incompetent." He just is.
As stated elsewhere-
Peace in the Middle-East could only be achieved by scrapping the Middle-East peace plan.
That was an extraordinarily depressing WaPo comment. Right out in the open, in stark terms, is that Trump the actual living breathing president is irrelevant to Trump hatred. The list of his accomplishments is specific and factual, the list of his failures is vague and fanciful. And yet they hate him and want him gone. His accomplishments mean nothing. They're not even meaningful enough to be worth denying.
TDS is an impregnable fortress that no real world event can affect.
If they hadn't bookended the comment it wouldn't have gotten likes. But the part in the middle is very gracious.
Look at this bitch sliding in:
Nikki Haley
@NikkiHaley
Morocco is the 4th country to make peace with Israel after UAE, Bahrain & Sudan. Signs of peace were evident in UAE when the Muslim country celebrated the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, lighting up the world’s tallest skyscraper for the occasion. A year ago, this seemed impossible.
5:43 PM · Dec 14, 2020
I won't be surprised to hear Jeb! worked closely with his brother George to lay the foundation for these historic peace agreements.
Selling the Emirates $23billion in F-35's drones and stuff helped grease the skids. Iran hardest hit. Hat tip to Don and Jared. I'm willing to forget about the 666 bribes and journalist murder if this has lasting success.
>>I won't be surprised to hear Jeb! worked closely with his brother George to lay the foundation for these historic peace agreements.
Wrong. Obama and Biden made all of this possible.
Bad = Trump
Good = Obama and Biden
It's a simple rule, I don't understand why you can't follow it. All of your superiors in the media give you daily examples....
Thank God for John Kerry!
Obama got a peace prize early - why can't Biden/Harris get one for this?
Todd said...
Isn't it AMAZING what the Biden/Harris administration has been able to accomplish and they have not even been sworn in yet!
Obama will be awarded another Nobel Peace Prize because all the smart people know that Trump didn't build that.
So, Howard, some terrorist-supporting Muslim journalist was murdered by terrorist-supporting Muslim cops . . . who needs to forget anything?
Narr
Just another day in the 'hood
"Now, Mr. Trump, you can leave and we can set about repairing the massive amount of despicable damage you have caused our country and the world." Hilarious. After describing an incredible accomplishment fixing the world. I can't even guess what damage the poster has in mind, that could begin to outweigh this.
As Scott Adams used to ask, If Pres. Trump were to resign tomorrow, how much of all that damage would matter any more?
Heh, the schizophrenia in that WaPo comment surrounds me. I have listed off half a dozen or more incredibly positive things that have manifest under Trump, from relative wage and wealth growth among the working and middle classes that we haven't seen in several decades, improved "trade hygiene" with our major trade partners and public diplomacy leading to isolation of Iran and bringing together of Israel and Arab allies in the mideast. Yeah, they may acknowledge, some of those are nice, but he's a venal racist narcissist sexist pig, and anyone who supports him is too. I have lost a lot of respect for the analytical capabilities of people I've known a long time. It's a cliche, but as a non-joiner non-party type person, I didn't truly realize just how badly partisanship rots your brain. Those warnings from the founding fathers about party and faction seem ever wiser. Partisanship and other social convention can turn intelligent people into idiots.
The Palestinians are the Arab World's drunk, bankrupt, lazy, slovenly, out-on-parole, ne'er-do-well brother who shows up at the house and trashes the place before getting kicked out. No one cares about them any more.
For a minute there i thought you were talking about Hunter.
Call me naive, Herr Professor Doktor Narr, but the Whitehouse approved murder of an American journalist is not just another day in the hood. The ends don't justify the means, but they help you forgive and forget.
Thanks, President Trump!
The damage that Trump did was to expose just how fraudulent and incompetent the American ruling class actually is.
"Now, Mr. Trump, you can leave and we can set about repairing the massive amount of despicable damage you have caused our country and the world."
Yeah, "despicable damage" like peace between Israel and her neighbors, a disease response that was orders of magnitude better than the Obama / Biden response to H1N1, better jobs and wealth for the "bottom 80%", and a government that doesn't spy on its American political opponents.
Yep, there sure is a lot fo "cleaning up" that needs to be done!
/sarc
Blogger Temujin said...
"Now we see the retreads coming back..."
They are people who have little to recommend them, but who take pleasure and power from undoing the successes of others. Joe Biden is their leader.
Howard, you are naive, and misinformed in this case. Kashoggi was not an American, and he was not under the protection of American laws.
I don't get your ends and means argument and the forgiving and forgetting connection.
Narr
Call me cynical
Howard said...
Call me naive, Herr Professor Doktor Narr, but the Whitehouse approved murder of an American journalist is not just another day in the hood. The ends don't justify the means, but they help you forgive and forget.
FFS-
Did you just call a guy that got a couple Muslim Brotherhood propaganda op-eds published in WaPO because the UAE paid them to do so an "American journalist"?
Were Trump a Democrat he'd be a shoo-in for the Nobel Peace Prize and everybody knows it, he certainly deserves it more that Obama or Gore ever did.
Anyway, give it ten years and this will just be accepted wisdom.
Make it twenty if he runs again in 2024.
As much as I despise, detest, and totally distrust the WaPoo (and the NYT), this is good news!
It will be hard to repair the damage caused by massive election fraud, four years of Russia, Russia, Russia, the Charlottesville hoax, and all the other lies and disinformation spread by the Democrats. I don't think the Democrats even comprehend what they have done.
Biden will destroy that soon enough. The war machine needs feeding. Nazi Iranian leaders need more of our money. ... shhhh on secret pallets delivered in cash - in secret. Somehow we must believe that the Iranian Mullahs are owed. yeah - that's right.
Blogger Howard said...
Call me naive, Herr Professor Doktor Narr, but the Whitehouse approved murder of an American journalist is not just another day in the hood. The ends don't justify the means, but they help you forgive and forget.
Howard, did you just get that DNC memo? It was weeks and months ago. Kashoggi was not American and not a "journalist." Other than that, nice pickup.
Staff SGT Ted said...
The damage that Trump did was to expose just how fraudulent and incompetent the American ruling class actually is.
yep! That is so true, that i gave Staff SGT Ted a battlefield promotion
(well, a brevet promotion)
It’s about getting under the Israeli nuclear umbrella. So they don’t have to submit to the Iranians. The Obama Harris Administration will fix that.
Trump exposed the monumental scam that is DC and he is hated for it.
ISIS couldn't be defeated. Trump wiped them out quickly and efficiently.
Peace in the Middle East is impossible, just ask John Kerry. Trump made it happen.
A virus vaccine is impossible and even if it could be done, it would take years. You know how that one goes.
Becoming president is hard, it takes decades of experience in politics and a vast network of corporate donors. Trump stands for elected office one time and wins.
He made 'normal' politicians look ridiculous. And to quote Jack Woltz, "And a man in my position can't afford to be made to look ridiculous."
Now, Mr. Trump, you can leave and we can set about repairing the massive amount of despicable damage you have caused our country and the world.
And which damage was that? If one were to actually ask the person who wrote that comment for examples of Trump's despicable damage, I imagine it would turn out that said commentator can either (1) not identify any real damage, or more likely, (2) identify something caused by the despicable Democrat and Deep State response to Trump's election.
"The Palestinians are the Arab World's drunk, bankrupt, lazy, slovenly, out-on-parole, ne'er-do-well brother who shows up at the house and trashes the place before getting kicked out. No one cares about them any more."
This is correct.
But don't forget dumb. They are the dumbest of all the Arabs. Which is useful when you need a perpetual pawn.
Takes me back to a trip from Israel through Sinai in 1985 with Israeli-Egyptian expedition outfit. Very nice that it was so normal, but I did not have a geopolitical take on it and it would not have been warranted.
A good start. A VERY good start. Much hopes and wishes for more of the same.
Kudos Trump.
Back in 2016, before the election, a very smart friend of mine explained the Trump presidential campaign as the brainchild of Jared Kushner, who wanted to accomplish something important with his life but who knew he'd never fit into any normal political role. So he became the quiet power behind the throne, so to speak, and look what he accomplished. Not bad for a mere son-in-law to a condo developer.
BidenFamilyTaxPayerFundedCrackPipe said...
Biden will destroy that soon enough. The war machine needs feeding.
They will certainly try, but I don't think the neo-cons are going to be able to push their weight around like they've become accustomed.
Trump showed the world a different way. Besides, they all know Biden isn't legit.
I do expect another round of 'Assad gassed his own people again! We must respond!'
Yeah, but what about the Palestinians?
The Palestinians are the Arab World's drunk, bankrupt, lazy, slovenly, out-on-parole, ne'er-do-well brother who shows up at the house and trashes the place before getting kicked out. No one cares about them any more.
So the Palestinians are the Hunter Bidens of the Arab world?
They should keep this friendly tourism on the downlow. Terrorist groups are still out there.
Palestinian emigres are often quite successful people. That's not an atypical pattern around the world. Successful people get out and move on. They were also one of the Arab world's relative successes before partition.
Browndog (to Howard): "Did you just call a guy that got a couple Muslim Brotherhood propaganda op-eds published in WaPO because the UAE paid them to do so an "American journalist"?"
Yes he did.
10 to 1 he didnt know any of that.
Successful people get out and move on.
For example, look at the people leaving California and New York.
The palestinians are Hunter Biden.
"The massive amount of despicable damage...."
The one-scoop of ice cream ethic, for starters.
Palestinian emigres are often quite successful people. That's not an atypical pattern around the world.
Yes, I know some. You know what else distinguishes them from the losers in Gaza and West Bank? They are Christian. The Muslims pretty much follow the tradition of failure.
Sad that Christian Palestinians have felt need to leave in such numbers. Sad so many face hostility in US where folks don't realize that of they meet a Palestinian, chances are they are Christian.
It has taken a while, but the Palestinians and their abettors have managed to alienate and largely drive out the more Westernized and educated (i.e. Christian) members of the tribe.
How ephemeral was the Baathist dream of a powerful, secular Arab polity transcending old creeds and borders-- an Arab Kemalism focused not on shedding the Ottoman imperial and caliphatal mantle but replacing it with Arabic nationalism. The great ideologists of the movement were almost entirely from the Christian and educated portions of the population, as were many of the Palestinian terrorist leaders early on.
Narr
And what about The Kurds, our oldest allies?
Pretty sure the last line was sarcasm. The alternative is too dumb to accept, even coming from the readers of WaPo.
"Sad so many face hostility in US where folks don't realize that of they meet a Palestinian, chances are they are Christian."
I'd love a link on this, but I doubt one is forthcoming.
Kashoggi was not an American, and he was not under the protection of American laws.
He was also only a journalist in the debased contemporary sense of the word: his writing appeared in major media, but he was an intelligence operative.
Sad so many face hostility in US where folks don't realize that of they meet a Palestinian, chances are they are Christian.
It is ridiculously easy to not face hostility from me. Don't try to hurt or kill me and mine and don't take my stuff (I count the Constitution and Bill of Rights as part of my stuff). Do that and we are good.
It's Trump's fault, you see, that millions of people hate him, for being him and believing what he believes.
THAT's the damage he's done to the country.
As Daffy Duck used to say....Deth-PICKable!!
I'm so old, I remember when President Trump was mocked mercilessly, for working up a presentation of a high end resort destination in North Korea, and sold it to Kim. Attempting to show how moving toward capitalism and attracting cash rich tourists would be huge success in North Korea.
Peace through trade.
So what did Trump do? He retooled his insight and took it to the Middle East.
And all of Trump detractors have worked themselves into the corner of "he's an idiot" that they are blind to the brilliance.
Did that commenter follow with any specifics as to what terrible damage he thinks Trump caused? Other than being weak on style points, that is. I have long felt that te Presidency is an impossible job, and the only standard to judge a Pres that is even remotely fair is whether the country is in better shape when he leaves than it was when he started.
By that standard, I think Trump is about even, though the biggest downside has been the rise of Critical Theory. I wish he had been on that case, fighting it, long before he woke up to the danger--but I can hardly lay at at his feet.
Otherwise, definitely more good than bad, despite everything.
Sad that Christian Palestinians have felt need to leave in such numbers. Sad so many face hostility in US where folks don't realize that of they meet a Palestinian, chances are they are Christian.
I have met a handful of Christian Palestinians, and to a man, they hate Israel and the Jews with only marginally less incandescence than Muslims do.
Blogger Readering said...
"Sad that Christian Palestinians have felt need to leave in such numbers. Sad so many face hostility in US where folks don't realize that of they meet a Palestinian, chances are they are Christian."
If that's where you live you should move. In the rest of the country we pretty much take folks as we find them. Your neighborhood sucks.
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