Barack Obama and the Jews Part II

AmericansSUNDAY, MARCH 14, 2010
Barack Obama , Jerusalem and the Jews- The view from Jerusalem
Many periods of Israel and USA relations have been rocky, but never hostile to the degree we see today. (see the below posting Barack Obama and the Jews July 28,2009). After watching the news in the USA, Europe and here in Israel, I am seeing a situation that could seriously deteriorate in one of two ways. Both are unfortunate, but not fatal for this little country, but are likely to be very damaging to the world in general. The Obama adminstration is encouraging reckless and irresponsible behaviour on the part of the Palestinians and the Jihadists, particularly Hamas (which is currently coalescing with Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and Hezbollah. Weakening the relationship between the U.S. and Israel is their fondest dream and they already believe it is happening, so they join the strategy of the Palestinian Authority thinking they just have to wait until the U.S. delivers Israel into their hands. What better way to achieve their goals than taking no risk, just sitting back and waiting for the expected delivery. The Israel-US relationship could actually break temporarily, and it would be temporary because of the affect of the unleashing of Jihadism all over the world. We already see Islamic terrorism all over the world. From the U.S. to Western Europe to Russia to India to South America to Africa. The Middle East is important in the development and financing of terrorism but the acts of terrorism are felt everywhere. Americans are targeted in Iraq and Afghanistan by the same people that are targeting the rest of the world. The battle is religious and cultural and until the Obama administration leads Americans to face this fact, the Islamic extremists will continue to view the West as weak and every outreach will be seen as an opening be taken advantage of by this drive for Islamic domination.

First, let's get the facts straight, the misrepresentation of the situation in the press: which refers to the home building in Jerusalem as "new settlements on the West Bank". Jerusalem is not in the West Bank, Barack Obama agreed that Jerusalem was not included in the "freeze", and no country that I have found in my research has allowed the outside world to tell their own people where they can and cannot live. Jerusalem, as the Prime Minister has repeated many times is the undivided capital of the Jewish Nation State of Israel. Whether the rest of the world likes it or not, this is a fact that no amount of political pressure will change.

Second, the Obama administration has shown not one sign of respect or friendship to its most reliable ally in this region. Except for pretty words that are soon offset by unreasonable and insulting actions Israel has been of little interest. Instead of a reliable ally he seems to see an annoyance that he would like to stop buzzing around his quest to win the love and support of the Muslim countries of the region. Why we insist on taking at face value his claim that the Vice President, Joe Biden, came to smooth relations and develop a warmer connection with Israel is a mystery. The Vice President came to pressure Israel to bend to the Palestinian demands, which of course would mean suicide for Israel. If the building in Ramat Shlomo (a Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem) had not come up it would have been something else i.e. Heritage sites, settlements, checkpoints, occupation, Arab humiliation. When "painful concessions" need to be made they are always Jewish, when was a "painful concession" ever made by the Arabs?

At the same time that the President and the Secretary of State were castigating Israel in the harshest manner ever, not a word appeared anywhere about the effect on peace prospects with the Arabs, when at the same time they are showering rocks down on supplicants praying at the Western Wall, or the Palestinian Authority preparing a major public dedication of a public square to honor Dalal Mugrahbi as a "courageous fighter who held a proud place in Palestinian history" according to a Fatah statement. What was this courageous fighter’s deed? Murdering an American photo journalist and 38 Israeli civilians including 13 children, very brave indeed.

Of course cold blooded murder is not nearly as serious as an announcement that a country will allow homes to be built in its own territory for its own citizens. Just weigh this: on the one hand, Jews building homes on the other hand, Palestinians making a hero out of a cold blooded murderer.

Jews are banned from building because they are Jews, there is no mention of the fact that Arabs are also building and often illegally (without building permits, try that in the U.S.).

The incendiary and public nature of the remarks from the Obama administration indicates the worst of intentions. As I mentioned in my previous post, Israel unquestionably wants only the best of relations with the United States, a natural ally, but it will not be at any price. There is an old song that says "I got along without you before I met you and I will get along without you now" It will be difficult and unpleasant and even dangerous but we know that the American people and the American Congress by 75% do not support the attacks by this administration. So, in time things will work out. The Prime Minister is balancing on the edge of a very sharp knife and doing it very well. We must let him know we support him in being firm with President Obama, Israel is not an American colony and that government cannot dictate her policies. She is a sovereign country and its citizens will live where they like. Israel will not tell Americans were they can live and Americans cannot tell Israelis where to live. Driving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last week I saw several different signs that read “Obama is not the ruler of Israel”, this piece of information should be passed on to President Obama.

When Barack Obama's Presidency is over the Jews will still be here, harried, stressed and embattled, but still determined to look out for our own best interests with or without our much loved and admired ally across the ocean.

Thanks to Arlene Kushner: OK. The situation is horrendous, and every bad thing we imagined would come from an Obama administration is materializing before our eyes.
We cannot simply be horrified. We absolutely must act. And at this juncture I would like to recommend a couple of specific things, with more to follow:
First, it is absolutely imperative that we give Netanyahu as much support as possible. Please, contact him! Large numbers make a difference.
Tell him that:
[] you are behind him and will support him as he stands strong for Israel.
[] He must not be pushed into concessions that are not in Israel's best interests because of threats from the Obama administration.
[] He must take the offensive, missing no opportunity to expose the insincerity of the PA and its consistent incitement.
[] He must, at all times, remember that Israel is a sovereign state and does not answer to the US. And that there is no need to apologize for this.
AKUSHNER18@GMAIL.COM

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E-mail: Memshala@pmo.gov.il and also pm_eng2@it.pmo.gov.il (underscore after pm) use both addresses.