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Last update - 22:37 23/08/2009
Pro-Israel group: Obama settlements policy backs 'ethnic cleansing' of Jews
By Gilad Halpern
Tags: settlement, Israel News, U.S. 

A pro-Israel lobby group in the U.S. has launched a project intent on shifting the focus of the Obama administration away from West Bank settlements, claiming they are not an obstacle to peace and that their evacuation would amount to "ethnic cleansing."

A manual called Global Language Dictionary, circulated among supporters of the right-wing Israel Project group, seeks to develop a strategy to downplay the centrality of settlement freeze in the American efforts to press on with the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.
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Developed in conjunction with the high-profile Republican pollster Frank Luntz, the document was drawn up shortly after Barack Obama's election as president in November last year, and has just recently been made public.

Under the banner of "The Best Settlement Argument," the manual urges its readers to disseminate the message that "the idea that anywhere that you have Palestinians there can't be any Jews, that some areas have to be Jew-free, is a racist idea. We cannot see why it is that peace requires that any Palestinian area would require a kind of ethnic cleansing to remove all Jews. We don't accept it."

Admitting that the settlements are the "toughest issue" in pro-Israel advocacy, and that the hostility towards Israel's settlement policy "is clearly evident," the document advises the activists to stick to the security benefits of the settlements at the expense of the theological argument.

"Tell audiences that the settlements weren't created randomly. They were put on the tops of mountains and in important militarily sensitive areas to provide a security buffer between Israel and her Arab neighbors," it says.

However, "quoting from the bible in defense of the current settlements will have absolutely the opposite impact. Even your Jewish audiences will recoil at an attempt to use biblical passages to justify the settlements."

The guide also urges Israel advocates to avoid the phrase "disputed territories," which is often used instead of the more common "occupied territories" by those who don't see the seizure of the West Bank as military occupation.

"If we correct Palestinians using the words 'disputed territory' when they say 'occupied territory,' we have to accept that the settlements are disputed territory as well," it says.

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      1.   Very good, let Jews settle wherever they want..... 22:26  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/08/09
      2.   Great leap towards one state solution! 22:42  |  Daniel 23/08/09
      3.   Sorry Attempt 22:49  |  Max 23/08/09
      4.   US constitution violation 22:54  |  rachel 23/08/09
      5.   settlers get out 22:55  |  perry 23/08/09
      6.   ethnic cleansing 22:55  |  G. 23/08/09
      7.   removing settlers 22:57  |  JJ 23/08/09
      8.   Ethnic Cleansing 23:03  |  A Beacon of Hope 23/08/09
      9.   #1 dopey dino with more dollops pf crap 23:05  |  v hardman 23/08/09
      10.   not expanding settlements=ethnic cleansing 23:11  |  Katica 23/08/09
      11.   Pro-Israel group: Obama settlements policy backs `ethnic cleansi 23:12  |  Anonymous 23/08/09
      12.   Ethnic Cleansing of Jews in Settlements 23:12  |  Siggy Latarski 23/08/09
      13.   Israel knows a thing or two about ethnic cleansing 23:13  |  David 23/08/09
      14.   Re: #1 23:17  |  Daniel 23/08/09
      15.   Theft is still er, theft 23:21  |  Moshe 23/08/09
      16.   Christians should be able to live where they want 23:29  |  Elmer 23/08/09
      17.   Waste of money 23:33  |  Curious 23/08/09
      18.   Settlements 23:40  |  Moishe 23/08/09
      19.   Very true just like Gaza was Ethnic cleansed 23:41  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 23/08/09
      20.   @ # 1 dino 23:41  |  The Teacher/Instruct 23/08/09
      21.   settlement 23:42  |  David E. Connolly Jr 23/08/09
      22.   let the loyal Jews move to Israel then talk! 23:48  |  Arieh Zimmerman 23/08/09
      23.   Ethnic cleansing 23:56  |  Arkius 23/08/09
      24.   Many inaccuracies in the article 00:01  |  Zion22 24/08/09
      25.   Highly imaginative 00:02  |  Axel 24/08/09
      26.   Arab should start settling wherever they want tooo! 00:02  |  Ahmad 24/08/09
      27.   Self-defeating settlement policy of Israel 00:03  |  dyinglikeflies 24/08/09
      28.   Are those Jewish settlers 00:03  |  Tal 24/08/09
      29.   To My Swiss Friend, #1 00:06  |  wp 24/08/09
      30.   How obscene: Ethnic cleansing Zionists calling the kettle black 00:06  |  peacelover 24/08/09
      31.   Lets reverse their argument 00:25  |  Aron 24/08/09
      32.   #1 Dino - i totally agree 00:34  |  johnj 24/08/09
      33.   Settlements Polcy 00:37  |  Ralph Bedard 24/08/09
      34.   Settlements are Human shield? 00:45  |  Rasta 24/08/09
      35.   Blinders 00:50  |  EGB 24/08/09
      36.   Obama and Israel 00:57  |  Charlie 24/08/09
      37.   swiss dino 01:19  |  LNRD 24/08/09
      38.   Devisive Religous Bigotry 01:19  |  Vladek 24/08/09
      39.   Fine, then let Palestinians build freely in Israel 01:34  |  Andrew 24/08/09
      40.   one state. 01:56  |  us 24/08/09
      41.   Ethnic Cleansing 02:09  |  Matthew Houston 24/08/09
      42.   What the mainstream press is not reporting 02:15  |  MichaelF 24/08/09
      43.   how FUNNY is this? 02:15  |  VIPER 24/08/09
      44.   Dino #1 02:24  |  Nonsense 24/08/09
      45.   garbage spin 02:36  |  Ben 24/08/09
      46.   I tell you what 02:38  |  jay 24/08/09
      47.   ethic cleansing of Jews? 02:48  |  john Spear 24/08/09
      48.   Not ethnic cleansing 03:08  |  Janice 24/08/09
      49.   "Ethnic Cleansing of Jews?" What!! Noone`s going to believe that 03:11  |  Esther 24/08/09
      50.   Rasta, that`s one of the brain-dead excuses for the colonies... 03:14  |  BBSNews 24/08/09
      51.   The REAL Ethnic Cleansing 03:15  |  Art Skell 24/08/09
      52.   West Bank Settlements 03:17  |  Raphael 24/08/09
      53.   nonsense, you are full of your name... 03:25  |  BBSNews 24/08/09
      54.   With US fighting in 2 countries not easy to sell 03:28  |  Bloodyscot 24/08/09
      55.   West Bank Settlements 04:12  |  Raphael 24/08/09
      56.   "Settlement" issue 04:15  |  Elliot Siemon 24/08/09
      57.   #12 04:21  |  Harold 24/08/09
      58.   #17 U dont use logic! 04:35  |  jon 24/08/09
      59.   Of course it`s Ethnic Cleansing 05:24  |  Peter Williams 24/08/09
      60.   Pointing out, yet again, how the sleight-of-hand works 05:25  |  Johnboy 24/08/09
      61.   Janice 05:34  |  The Maintenance Man 24/08/09
      62.   Mr Nonsense 05:36  |  The Maintenance Man 24/08/09
      63.   Obama - Israel hater 05:38  |  Friend 24/08/09
      64.   Obama`s demand that Jews, because they are Jewish, should not 05:42  |  Ben 24/08/09
      65.   Even Bush thought these mamzers crazy 05:48  |  S. Michael 24/08/09
      66.   Who`s friend is Obama? 05:53  |  American 24/08/09
      67.   jews in west bank & e. jerusalem can stay as palestinian citizens 05:53  |  palestinian 24/08/09
      68.   UNADULTERATED LIBEL 05:55  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/09
      69.   Obama - anti-Israel 05:55  |  Friend 24/08/09
      70.   #10 Such nonsense, MichaelF 05:57  |  Johnboy 24/08/09
      71.   Cleansing should go both ways 06:49  |  Elliot 24/08/09
      72.   What utter nonsense! 07:02  |  Esther 24/08/09
      73.   Esther, I concur (but at least identify where you hail from...) 07:07  |  Esther 24/08/09
      74.   tiresome 07:18  |  bob 24/08/09
      75.   occupieing settlements are apriori wrong, where disputed are not 07:18  |  Kris Lazar 24/08/09
      76.   well, it is true 07:55  |  Jewish State 24/08/09
      77.   Charlie of Hurst TX 07:55  |  Victor 24/08/09
      78.   Elliot in the Bronx Forgets 07:58  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/09
      79.   "Pro-Israel" group 08:23  |  sh 24/08/09
      80.   "No one" believed what was happening to Jews in the 1930`s 08:25  |  Binyamin Dissen 24/08/09
      81.   Thrilled to see the hypocrisy finally pointed out.... 08:26  |  Susan 24/08/09
      82.   What hypocrisy 08:27  |  Spokanite 24/08/09
      83.   Kris Lazar`s question 08:28  |  sh 24/08/09
      84.   Obama and the Jewish people. 08:39  |  B. Gold 24/08/09
      85.   Yeah, right: Obama is also a Socialist, Anit-Semite, Muslim-Nazi 08:42  |  Goy 24/08/09
      86.   Semantic Manipulation 08:43  |  Avshalom Beni 24/08/09
      87.   Excellent. Now will they support .... 09:11  |  AB 24/08/09
      88.   It`s occupation because Arab petrodollars say so 09:14  |  Rafé 24/08/09
      89.   Patent Nonense 09:16  |  David 24/08/09
      90.   Patent Nonense 09:16  |  David 24/08/09
      91.   Nonsense @12 09:21  |  had enough 24/08/09
      92.   # 13 Ben 09:23  |  Freddy 24/08/09
      93.   #23 Freed territories 09:23  |  harvey 24/08/09
      94.   Stay Jewish and get a Palestinian passport... 09:46  |  ManintheMiddle 24/08/09
      95.   `ethnic cleansing` of Jews 09:56  |  Ralph 24/08/09
      96.   Other options on the table 10:01  |  Bandar Michaels 24/08/09
      97.   Leftie Esther from TA,your Grandparents,settlers in Lithuania 10:06  |  Absolute Sweden 24/08/09
      98.   What do you expect 10:13  |  docD 24/08/09
      99.   Using the security excuse again 10:14  |  Miggy 24/08/09
      100.   # 6 LNRD/# 12 nonsense, if I would like to believe..... 10:30  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/08/09
      101.   Why are some here surprised with the statement? 10:34  |  Justhink 24/08/09
      102.   #27 bandar and reality live far apart 10:35  |  v hardman 24/08/09
      103.   Headline underscores either one state or two state solution comin 10:36  |  Ivar 24/08/09
      104.   If you steal land and get caught, 10:39  |  Freddy 24/08/09
      105.   4th Try - Repeating Pure Libel 10:50  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/09
      106.   This gimmick of "ethnic cleansing" won`t get us anywhere 10:54  |  Lucid 24/08/09
      107.   Even the premise is a lie .. Settlers would be allowed to stay 10:56  |  AB 24/08/09
      108.   Settlements are NOT obstacle to peace? 11:00  |  Yeah Ok 24/08/09
      109.   Leftists wish to cover this up, live they did in the 1930s 11:05  |  Binyamin Dissen 24/08/09
      110.   Great, then Allow Right of Return and Settlers Could stay 11:11  |  Joseph Blough 24/08/09
      111.   re: Swiss (Dino) 11:32  |  UsedToPostHere 24/08/09
      112.   Mark of Lewiston makes a valid point here, if the Swedish..... 11:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/08/09
      113.   Goalposts 12:04  |  Joseph 24/08/09
      114.   Freddy does that apply to all nations? 12:22  |  petra 24/08/09
      115.   # 4 wp, okay, okay, no problem at all..... 12:23  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/08/09
      116.   # 20 johnj, honestly I doubt it too !! :) 12:24  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/08/09
      117.   Double Standards 12:26  |  Paul 24/08/09
      118.   # 2 Daniel, I have no problem with the contents of your post.... 12:27  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/08/09
      119.   # 14 The Teacher, I`m afraid with this concept..... 12:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/08/09
      120.   # 41 michaelf 12:49  |  Axel 24/08/09
      121.   This is a trashiest propaganda document I`ve seen .. 12:50  |  zmogus 24/08/09
      122.   words 13:31  |  oz 24/08/09
      123.   pro Israeli 13:38  |  udi 24/08/09
      124.   #48 Esther 13:40  |  Der Zweifler 24/08/09
      125.   # 9 Pauli, would you know a place....... 14:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/08/09
      126.   pro israel? 14:07  |  oz 24/08/09
      127.   #104 Mark of Lewiston 14:14  |  Der Zweifler 24/08/09
      128.   The document stinks 14:28  |  Gully Foyle 24/08/09
      129.   Pro-Israel group: Obama settlements policy backs `ethnic cleansin 14:41  |  flora 24/08/09
      130.   Wow, they finally noticed! 14:46  |  Murray 24/08/09
      131.   Hypocracy anyone? 14:46  |  Naser 24/08/09
      132.   #70 - Johnboy, did you read your own posting? 14:56  |  MichaelF 24/08/09
      133.   OMG, it`s 1948 all over again! 15:19  |  W 24/08/09
      134.   #132 MichaelF 15:23  |  Johnboy 24/08/09
      135.   Propaganda That Has Already Failed 15:28  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/08/09
      136.   Ethnic Cleansing 15:30  |  Yaakov Sullivan 24/08/09
      137.   David 15:32  |  udi 24/08/09
      138.   #15 Moshe 15:37  |  John 24/08/09
      139.   naser 15:45  |  oz 24/08/09
      140.   Let them stay as Palestinian citizens! 15:57  |  herb stone 24/08/09
      141.   What is wrong with ethnetic cleansing? 15:57  |  John 24/08/09
      142.   humanitarians 16:18  |  shimi 24/08/09
      143.   Why not call the removal of illegal settlers another Holocaust... 16:18  |  jens 24/08/09
      144.   Israel 16:52  |  Jan 24/08/09
      145.   ethnic cleansing 17:08  |  citizen zero 24/08/09
      146.   #134, jens. 17:30  |  zmogus 24/08/09
      147.   #59 Well they convinced Peter Williams already 17:58  |  Roo 24/08/09
      148.   Zionists falling into insanity 18:02  |  Steve 24/08/09
      149.   127 Der Zweifler - It`s all Part of a Campaign of Lies 18:07  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/09
      150.   Bullshit! 18:10  |  Pablo Luis 24/08/09
      151.   Obama-Clinton-Mitchell`s demand are pure racist 18:11  |  Amihai 24/08/09
      152.   Amihai - Keeping a Promise to Bush is Racist???? 18:32  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/09
      153.   Those Whi Hate The Jews 18:50  |  Simcha Ahava 24/08/09
      154.   Pro-Israel 19:07  |  lizzyha 24/08/09
      155.   #59 Well they convinced Peter Williams already 19:12  |  Roo 24/08/09
      156.   Obama has demonstrated his true color.. and it is not black! 19:23  |  Ruth 24/08/09
      157.   # 136 amihai 19:26  |  Axel 24/08/09
      158.   Sorry No Cigar! 19:29  |  DenverChuck 24/08/09
      159.   Utter nonsense 19:31  |  The Wise Bard 24/08/09
      160.   Sad. Maybe one day we can debate this issue like adults. 19:33  |  Czarkazem13 24/08/09
      161.   They might convince some idiots 19:37  |  Roo 24/08/09
      162.   Arabs Live in Israel 19:38  |  Filipe 24/08/09
      163.   A "blood libel" against goyem?? 19:40  |  Joe 24/08/09
      164.   I am making an unverified but plausible statistical assessment: 19:48  |  zmogus 24/08/09
      165.   A "blood libel" against goyem?? 19:52  |  Joe 24/08/09
      166.   They might convince some idiots 19:52  |  Roo 24/08/09
      167.   Amihai. Ask for more IQ tests. 20:08  |  zmogus 24/08/09
      168.   Pablo #135... succintly expressed, including epithet... 20:27  |  Esther 24/08/09
      169.   A "blood libel" against goyem?? 20:27  |  Joe 24/08/09
      170.   History repeats itself 20:51  |  gasdhkhjacfh 24/08/09
      171.   False Hope 20:59  |  John 24/08/09
      172.   SEttle this 21:03  |  Ori 24/08/09
      173.   # 136 amihai 21:06  |  Axel 24/08/09
      174.   When You Cleanse An Area of An Ethnicity that is Ethnic Cleansing 21:33  |  UsedToPostHere 24/08/09
      175.   re: Joe 21:43  |  UsedToPostHere 24/08/09
      176.   # 143 usedtopostrubbish 21:47  |  Axel 24/08/09
      177.   Obama doesn`t know the history of the area.Why should Jews and 21:54  |  ksss 24/08/09
      178.   2 peoples claiming the same land is "disputed" 21:54  |  bernard ross 24/08/09
      179.   Willfull Ignorance 22:23  |  RfaelMoshe 24/08/09
      180.   Those people must be crazy 22:49  |  SAm 24/08/09
      181.   127 Der Zweifler 23:10  |  Mark of Lewiston 24/08/09
      182.   To Rachel - Where Can I Find Out More 23:41  |  Eli 24/08/09
      183.   Your piece on our work at The Israel Project 23:46  |  Jennifer Mizrahi 24/08/09
      184.   #98 DocD 23:58  |  Ice 24/08/09
      185.   Barak Obama has no say in the US government! 00:50  |  Christopher 25/08/09
      186.   property taxes 03:24  |  losman 25/08/09
      187.   "Ethnic Cleansing" Borders on Incitement 03:28  |  Shaul Ben-Yimini 25/08/09
      188.   Clutching straws if i`ve everr seen it! 03:41  |  Welshman 25/08/09
      189.   Israel protecting itself and settlements. 06:42  |  garry 25/08/09
      190.   rachel 4 06:53  |  potobac 25/08/09
      191.   what do we have to call the removal of palestinians from east jer 08:20  |  FD 25/08/09
      192.   Lobby group will convince the idiots 15:37  |  Roo 25/08/09
      193.   re: Axel 23:31  |  UsedToPostHere 26/08/09
      194.   Its the Arabs stupid, not the US 18:24  |  Peace negotiator 07/09/09
      195.   Roo face reality please. 06:18  |  Peter Williams 15/09/09
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