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Sally's follies

Reader comment on item: Romney Stumbles on Foreign Policy
in response to reader comment: Bigotry Mr Schiffman? I take offense at your comments and assumptions

Submitted by Irvin Shiffman (United States), Oct 28, 2012 at 15:43

Sally, Please read:

EVERY JEW MUST READ THIS

Move a Chicagoan to San Diego and soon he'll forget the wind, sleet and snow and start complaining when the temperature drops below 60 degrees. Relations between Israel and the United States are warmer under President Obama than under previous administrations, yet we hear that the President has a "Jewish problem." The problem is not Obama, but us: In only three years, we've lost historic perspective. We're criticizing Obama for what would have gone unnoticed in other administrations.

Gerald Ford and Henry Kissinger threatened to "reassess" America 's relationship with Israel . Obama has declared that America 's bond with Israel is "unbreakable," and Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak credited Obama for the strongest relationship between the two countries ever.

Ronald Reagan suspended arms shipments to Israel and supported a UN resolution criticizing Israel for bombing Iraq 's nuclear reactor. Obama secretly sold Israel the bunker busting bombs it requested during the Bush administration and cast the only UN veto of his administration against the one-sided anti-Israel UN Security Council resolution on settlements.

George W. Bush pressured Israel to allow Hamas to participate in Gaza elections and made little progress in stopping Iran 's march toward nuclear weapons. Obama has not negotiated with Hamas. He has mobilized the international community to impose the toughest sanctions ever against Iran and flat-out declared that that he will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, saying no options are off the table. Obama's pro-Israel accomplishments compare favorably with any Republican president. Yet we keep complaining.

We say he hasn't visited Israel as president, forgetting that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton are the only two presidents who visited Israel during their first terms in office. George W. Bush did not visit Israel until his seventh year as president. Ronald Reagan never visited in his entire life. Obama went to Israel as recently as 2006 and 2008.

We complain that the Obama administration criticizes Israel 's settlement policy, forgetting that every administration since 1967 has criticized Israel 's settlement policy. But unlike George H.W. Bush, Obama never threatened to withhold U.S. aid to Israel because of settlement activity; instead, Obama has taken U.S. financial assistance to Israel to record levels.

We complain about imagined slights to Prime Minister Netanyahu, forgetting that when the chips were down, Obama came through for Israel and Netanyahu. When Israel asked for help fighting the Carmel forest fires, President Obama's response was "get Israel whatever it needs. Now."(Remember the 'slight' was media misreporting what was business as usual when there is a last minute, not planned in advance, visit!)

In September 2011, when the late-night call came from Israel to Obama asking for help in rescuing the Israelis trapped in the Egyptian embassy, Netanyahu himself called it a "decisive and fateful moment," recalling that Obama "said 'I will do everything I can.' And he did."

The list goes on and on. Obama opposed the Goldstone Report, stood with Israel against the Gaza flotilla, boycotted Durban II and Durban III, and successfully derailed Palestinian attempts to unilaterally declare statehood at the UN. He's done more than any president to thwart Iran 's nuclear ambitions.

Yet despite the facts, despite the historic perspective, it's almost as if some of us want Obama to be anti-Israel because that would validate our worst fears. Attacking Obama on Israel is like attacking John Kerry on his personal military record. The Swift Boat campaign worked because Kerry and his supporters were too slow to take it seriously and fight fiction with facts. The result was four more years of George W. Bush.

Maybe it's our nature to complain. But President Obama's words and deeds prove that he is not only a strong friend of Israel, but that he is willing to stand up for Israel publicly and behind the scenes. That's what matters, and that's why most Jews will again vote for Obama in 2012.

Department of Public Diplomacy

Embassy of Israel
mailto:paffairs@washington.mfa.gov.il

Submitting....

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Reader comments (56) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Not A Dime's Worth of Difference [184 words]DaveNov 8, 2012 18:24200430
1Train wreck= Obama's Foreign Policy [357 words]mjazzguitarNov 4, 2012 14:46200314
1President Obama does not protect Jews or Israel. [40 words]Phil GreendOct 27, 2012 23:30200117
there is no apparent daylight between Romney and Obama on foreign policy [148 words]EmanuelaOct 27, 2012 03:28200098
Everything you say is true, but [185 words]saraOct 27, 2012 19:11200098
1it's the moderator, stupid [439 words]mythOct 26, 2012 05:39200074
1I wish it was just the moderator, Myth... [291 words]saraOct 27, 2012 18:21200074
Republicans Screw this one up. [46 words]Dr. Mike HughesOct 25, 2012 21:08200066
The Third Debate [169 words]Michael F. KielyOct 25, 2012 14:39200059
Debate Added Nothing New - Middle East as Foreign Policy Remains Unsolved [335 words]M. ToveyOct 24, 2012 13:23200040
Debates based on cliches and [358 words]AlexOct 23, 2012 23:49200027
no count of most important topic words [130 words]Stephen BorkowskiOct 23, 2012 22:34200025
Where was Newt when you needed him? [120 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Gerald A. HonigmanOct 23, 2012 22:07200024
Newt vs, Obama [263 words]saraOct 29, 2012 18:10200024
Who are you really, Romney ? [141 words]Lily SteinerOct 23, 2012 21:12200020
SADLY ROMNEY BLEW IT [237 words]JACQUES HADIDAOct 23, 2012 19:47200018
Yes, I agree---BUT [213 words]stanley bOct 23, 2012 18:49200015
President Obama [139 words]Irvin ShiffmanOct 23, 2012 18:39200013
4Jews should NOT vote for OBAMA [124 words]Canadian with opinionOct 23, 2012 21:57200013
2Agreed about Israel and Obama [63 words]PrashantOct 25, 2012 01:39200013
to Canadian with an opinion [201 words]Irvin ShiffmanOct 25, 2012 02:14200013
1Bigotry Mr Schiffman? I take offense at your comments and assumptions [300 words]sallyOct 25, 2012 18:00200013
A response to Sally [243 words]Irvin ShiffmanOct 26, 2012 00:37200013
Ms Shiffman, children can still be pro-Israel and Republican [652 words]sallyOct 26, 2012 17:49200013
Sally for Obama [126 words]Irvin ShiffmanOct 26, 2012 20:26200013
You mean 'Sally for Romney...' [598 words]sallyOct 27, 2012 18:46200013
Sally the Republican [427 words]Irvin ShiffmanOct 28, 2012 06:02200013
Sally's follies [665 words]Irvin ShiffmanOct 28, 2012 15:43200013
Jumping to the ad hominems, Irvin and by the way- you just buried yourself [1181 words]sallyOct 28, 2012 18:10200013
Sally get out of the kitchen [17 words]Irvin ShiffmanOct 28, 2012 18:38200013
Still stooping to demeaning, Irvin? [138 words]sallyOct 28, 2012 18:54200013
Mr. Romney's foreign policy advisors [103 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Jerry CoburnOct 23, 2012 18:00200011
1Romney's knock-out punches were no "stumbles" [442 words]Oscar B.Oct 23, 2012 13:55200005
1potential knock-out punch [124 words]mythOct 27, 2012 15:24200005
Disturbing [41 words]mosheOct 23, 2012 12:15200004
That was one major point that was hard to take [83 words]stanley bOct 23, 2012 18:58200004
Your analysis wrong, Daniel? [70 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Melvin A. FechterOct 23, 2012 12:03200003
Donald Rumsfeld [150 words]szgaborOct 23, 2012 18:39200003
3Mistake not to focus on how Obama has embraced the Muslim Brotherhood [218 words]Wallace Edward BrandOct 23, 2012 11:47200002
Dan you got that right [68 words]susan doeOct 23, 2012 11:41200001
1Of course not [83 words]saraOct 23, 2012 18:52200001
2President Romney is going to Washington [96 words]Michael Hanni MorcosOct 23, 2012 11:26200000
1I agree [58 words]Sunny OlsenOct 23, 2012 10:53199999
More to the performance than meets the eye [173 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Murray OrbuchOct 23, 2012 10:40199998
1Exactly, Murray [113 words]saraOct 23, 2012 15:01199998
Did obama destroy Romney? [50 words]Sara ElkinsOct 23, 2012 10:12199996
A Sense of Proportion? [187 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ron ThompsonOct 23, 2012 10:07199995
1Last Debate Comment [118 words]John R PeacherOct 23, 2012 09:41199992
1Romney a Trainwreck [250 words]Edward ClineOct 23, 2012 06:18199987
If it bleeds it leads [226 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
MikeKuOct 23, 2012 06:11199986
Good rejoinder, Dr. Pipes [148 words]Kepha HorOct 23, 2012 21:40199986
1There is no comparison between unrest in Congo and unrest in Islamic reason [218 words]PrashantOct 24, 2012 01:55199986
1Followup [163 words]MikeKuOct 24, 2012 05:25199986
3comment on Prashant [61 words]MikeKuOct 24, 2012 23:18199986
Not is not the time for this criticism [264 words]StasOct 23, 2012 02:45199985
Worldwide votes would elect Obama, that says it all [92 words]sabineOct 22, 2012 01:17199967

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