Netanyahu says 9/11 terror attacks good for Israel

[kpete]

The Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv on Wednesday reported that Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu told an audience at Bar Ilan university that the September 11, 2001 terror attacks had been beneficial for Israel.

"We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq," Ma'ariv quoted the former prime minister as saying. He reportedly added that these events "swung American public opinion in our favor."



http://www.haaretz.com/news/report-netanyahu-says-9-11-terror-attacks-good-for-israel-1.244044

[Spider Jerusalem]

1. Sadly, he's probably right

because a significant number of Americans actually are stupid enough to conflate Palestinian nationalism with Islamist terrorism.

[AZ Progressive]

3. And if people call for not supporting Israel, they are called anti-semitic

It's astounding how easily people can be manipulated.

[JI7]

4. what he says is true

[indepat]

5. Seem to remember that 2001 was a very good year for junior and Laura too

[Electric Monk]

6. Well, 9/11 sure didn't help Afghanistan or Iraq, or even Al Quaeda for that matter

It just got them bombed to smithereens.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cui%20bono

[AZ Progressive]

7. On the other hand...

Winston Churchill did certainly benefit from America being bombed by the Japanese, otherwise America would've stayed away from direct conflict for longer.

[dflprincess]

8. Winston Churchill has been quoted as calling Dec 7, 1941

the happiest day of his life. -- Knowing that Germany would declare war on the U.S. and we'd have to get into the European theater.

I find his remarks less offensive. Britain did a hell of a job holding off Hitler, but they couldn't have kept it up forever without the U.S. getting directly involved. Churchill was looking at his country's immediate survival and did not expect us to fight surrogate wars for Britain.

[caraher]

9. Good for him, maybe

I'm not convinced they were good for Israel. I don't know why we so readily accept the implicit equation Netanyahu/Likud = Israel.