Virginia Congressional Candidate Refuses to Acknowledge Israel's Existence?

SO has the PDF.

Comments

What a smear job. Doesn't recognize Israel? Why does his website say that we need "do more to promote a peaceful solution where the people of Israel and Palestine can live in peace together as neighbors."

Well of course because none of those Palestinians actually lived in the borders of the modern state of Israel in 1948. I can't believe people don't understand that.

Did you know there are people who would say Virginia is part of North America and deny the existence of the United States?

[James Young]

There are no "people of ... Palestine." There are those who insist on calling themselves "Palestinians" because it plays into the rampant anti-Semitism in the Arab and other parts of the world, and into the grievance factory which is the UN. A real solution would be for those wonderful practitioners of the "religion of peace" to open their borders for those few remaining dispossessed Arab brothers and their offspring.

So much for pan-Arabism.

No people of Palestine?

Mahmoud Abbas is President of what then?

[Not Ben]

Abbas is the President of the Palestinian Authority. There is a difference.

[cvllelaw]

James, I think you drank too much Kool-Aid in the heat this weekend. And then you gave a glass to Ben.

Referring to a region by the name that it has had for millennia means denying the existence of Israel? Does that mean that those Jews who refer to "Eretz Yisrael" deny the existence of the modern state of Israel?

Yeesh.

If you're looking for a stinkbomb to throw at a Democrat, James, try to do better than that. And Ben, you don't have to give distribution to every nutjob to post on the blogosphere.

[James Young]

A "stinkbomb," "cvllelaw"? Oh, right: that nasty right-wing tactic of understanding the meaning and implications of a candidate's rhetoric and daring to quote them against a Leftie.

Right.

James Young is a right wingnut, undeserving of any link to his site or those of his comrades in the ODBA. His agenda is to distort what little truth he uses and to fill the cracks with lies and smears.

It should be considered child abuse for someone so detached from reality to be a parent.

The bile he spews is far more septic than skeptic.

What an ass clown!

[Sam]

Ben, you know better than to rely on James Young's interpretation. Especially as a fellow Jew, like myself, smart enough to know that by "Palestine" I guarantee he means the West Bank and/or Gaza. Areas I also refer to as Palestine, as they will inevitably be an independent state, and rightfully so (most sane Jews recognize that fact). Saying you visited that area and calling it "Palestine" is a far stretch from denying the existence of Israeli, especially when Mr. Rasoul refers to the "Israeli people" elsewhere.

I know you like stabbing your own party in the back as much as possible right now, but why don't you stop taking pages from Joe Lieberman's book, and actually do analysis, or at least even out your attacks between the parties. I'm sure Tom Davis did something outrageous today. I saw JMDD filling up her car at the Exxon on the corner of 123 and Old Courthouse yesterday, it's a red sports car, maybe there's a scandal about how she got enough money to afford it? Come on, you KNOW you want to go there. :-)

[James Young]

Wow! Bring a few facts to light, and the best you people can do is smear! Must be some "there" there.

I suppose I could've just chalked up Rasoul as ignorant, but no, he's a graduate of a good Lutheran school (Roanoke College), so I presume he knows the facts.

And chose his words carefully. Just as those of you complaining choose to attack me in grotesque generalities.

That you believe me, or any of the positions I espouse to be those of, a "rightwing nut" speaks far more to your own radicalism than it does to my placement on the ideological spectrum, or to my mental health, or lack thereof.

[James Young]

By the way, I said nothing about Rasoul "refus[ing] to acknowledge Israel's existence." That was Ben's headline, not my comment.

If that's true, then he's not only a radical; he's a damn fool, too.

[Not Larry Sabato]

The only people who call Isreal "Palestine" are ones who don't acknowledge Israel's right to exist. If Mr. Rasoul has a better explanation I am all ears.

[Bubby]

If your Dad was born in Palestine, and you went back to visit the old home place I would excuse your confusion. Why would any friend of Israel see James Young as an ally - people like him advocate the kind of ME policy that endangers Israel (and America).

If you go visit the Palestinian territories, which are administered by the Palestinian Authority, where did you go? I don't see how it is a sign of radicalism to say "I went to Palestine" instead of the slightly more precise "I went to Gaza" or "I went to the West Bank."

To go the Gaza and the West Bank and insist on saying "I went to Israel" is more a sign of radicalism to me. It implies agreement with the Greater Israel wing of the Settler movement, which denies the desirability and prospects of a future Palestinian state.

[James Young]

"Bubby," what wonderful insights you have. What, presisely, is "kind of ME policy" that I purportedly advocate?

Since I say so little about foreign policy on my blog, and since I was in college (where I was a student of General Sam Wilson and Roger Barrus in the area of foreign affairs), I'd really like to know what it is that you assert that I "advocate."

Or is this assertion/accusation just an excuse to avoid the issue as Ben frames it, for fear of revelation about Rasoul?

[Dan]

Speaking of rhetoric, it sure is overheated in this thread. Talk about more heat than light!

Israel's right to exist and of its people to peace and security has been an article of faith in American foreign policy for decades. One that has been accepted by both parties since Harry Truman bucked the "wisdom" of the defense and foreign policy establishment and recogized the state of Israel in the very first minutes of its existence.

Believing whole heartedly in America's committment to the peace and security of Israel doesn't require one to put one's brain on hold and pretend that the Palestinian people don't exist or that they don't have some legitimate grievances. And ignoring the need to address the Palestinian people's aspirations does a great disservice to the cause of Israel's security.

Obviously many of the Arab governments in the region that decry the fate of the Palestinian people have failed to do things that were easily within their power to help those same people. But that doesn't mean that America ignoring the Palistinians helps the cause of Israel. It hurts Israel.

After the disaster that has been the Bush administration, it is essential that America's credibility in the Arab world be restored. America has an important role to play in securing the genuine and long term security of Israel. To do that we must be viewed as an honest broker by all parties. It is hard to imagine the Arab world viewing us as an honest broker today.

Nothing in Rasoul's statement even remotely indicates that he "refuses to acknowledge Israel's existence". This post is inflammatory, knowingly false and may be interpreted by many fair minded folks to be motivated by bigotry.

Bigotry against jews is an ugly thing and should be opposed. Anti-semitism isn't the bigotry at work here though. In recent years bigotry against those of arab descent seems to have become disturbingly acceptable in America. This mick has seen quite enough of it thank you very much. I suspect that if this candidate's name were O'Malley instead of Rasoul we might not have seen this outrageous post. Shame on you, Ben.

In my lifetime I have seen miraculous progress toward peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland that I would never have imagined possible. Those results weren't achieved by hatred and mindless bigotry and extremist politics. A thought you may wish to consider before you further damage your reputation with any more posts like this one.

The fact that you don't answer to an editor or a boss before you post these things makes it all the more important that you examine your conscience and are at least minimally self critical before you let this stuff fly.

I don't know that much about Rasoul, but I know it is one whale of a leap to infer what you have from what was actually said. And when someone uses their soapbox, as you have, to make wild and unsupported assertions about another the first thing it calls into question is the motivation and judgement of the writer.

You don't present a pretty picture of yourself.

Time fcr Rasoul to put out a statement on where he stands on the issue and give a basis for his use of the term "Palestine." I'm of Arabic (Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian) decent so I know what people mean when they say "Palestine." Let's see what he has to say.

[Not John S. Mosby]

I believe allowing the founding of Israel to be the biggest mistake the United States made in the 20th century. We've gotten nothing but trouble because of it, but being Jewish I'm sure you disagree because IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT YOU.

Now, in regards to the candidate, I don't see anywhere on his website where he says anything bad about Israel. Why is it that with a lot of US jews, any bit of support for Arabs/Palastinians has to mean you're against Israel? Oh, I forgot, because IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU.

NJSM - It's all about the meaning of words. We all know there are loaded political code words. In the law we refer to these as "terms of art." One of 2 things is going on here. 1) Rasoul is fully aware of the loaded nature of referring to Palestine and he does it nonetheless. 2) He's, somehow not aware of it and is simply a moron. Either way, it should scare people. Guess the Ds in the 6th should have listened to his first campaign manager, Rick Howell.

http://rickhowellspeaks.blogspot.com/2008/03/top-ten-reasons-why-sam-rasoul-cant.html

If you want some more fun, go look at his donor list and calculate how many dollars are actually from the 6th.

[Not Larry Sabato]

How is supporting Israel all about me? I've never been, and don't plan to go anytime soon. I am an American, and I don't have duel loyalties to another country because they share a religion with my mother's side of the family.

This is just retarded! Who cares? I'm even Jewish and I think this is stupid. The occupied Palestinian territories aren't Israel. If I just went to the Gaza Strip or the West Bank I wouldn't be like, "Hey guys I totally went to an awesome trip to Israel!!!!" If those places were integral parts of the nation of Israel those people would have the right to vote for the Knesset but they don't. Israel is awesome and I've been there, but there's no reason to force people to call the Palestinian territories "Israel" too.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Before you guys start thinking this was an innocent mistake- you should google for Ralph Rasoul, Sam's dad.

PS I have read this blog every single day for the past 2 years. This posting and the one on Connolly is making me reconsider. It's really stupid to continue to attack our Democratic congressional candidates after they have been nominated. You really think that it would help the promotion of our common values if we rip these candidates apart and make it easier for the Republicans to win??

Yeah, well...
Sam Rasoul's a dumbass. And Ben, though it hurts me to say this, you're on the money about Sam's old man.

Ask Sam what his religion is. It's like trying to handle a grease-covered bass.

Ralph Rasoul is completely crazy and should frighten everyone on this board. From Ralph Rasoul, to "Palestine," to questionable campaign contributions, to voting in Republicans primaries, etc. etc. Sam Rasoul is turning out to be a terrible candidate. The Goodlatte folks haven't even had to mention his name and he's already been discredited as a fringe candidate. Anyone want to second guess choosing Rasoul over Richardson? Guess people should have listened to Rick Howell who knew this race up close and personal.