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Palin Wrong on Obama Israel Criticism

Originally Published in Politico’s Arena

Sarah Palin’s legendary miscues are really almost too many to count—from promoting a column that compared President Obama to Hitler to continuing recently to insist she was right about “death panels,” despite that outrage being named Politifact’s 2009 “Lie of the Year.” Even in Israel, she and her entourage didn’t know how to get to Bethlehem, or under whose control it falls—something everyone pretending to “burnish foreign policy credentials” should perhaps know about.

So it’s no surprise she’s wrong here too. An objective analysis shows that Barack Obama has been one of the most staunchly pro-Israel presidents this country has ever had. He has built unprecedented strategic military ties with Israel; provided historic levels of funding to help preserve Israel’s security; and spearheaded the global effort to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, a prime threat both to Israel’s security and our own. From consistently standing up for Israel at the United Nations and against the campaign to delegitimize Israel to restoring Israel’s “Qualitative Military Edge” (QME), this President has tackled a powerful array of pro-Israel initiatives.

While I always enjoy the good-natured give-and-take in Politico’s Arena, I think it’s instructive that the response among usually evenly divided contributors is overwhelmingly opposed to Sarah Palin and what she’s trying to accomplish here—from Democrats and Republicans alike. And that speaks volumes.

David A. Harris is the President and CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council

Comments

Jean-Pierre Fenyo | March 24, 2011 – 12:05 pm

My memory seems to begin to fail me. Who is this Sarah Pailin I keep hearing about? And why would anyone in their right mind even think about voting for her in the 2012 Presidential Elections? Could it not be that she’s being used as a deliberate distraction?? Hmmm… I wonder.
Well; I’d rather vote Woody Allen for President than ever consider Sarah Palin for President. At least he knows a bit about what is really going on in the Middle East.
Sarah Pailin….oh yeah! I remember: that person in Alaska who shoots defenceless wildlife and wants Jews like me to convert to her version of Christianity before she and her friends push a red buttons here and there.
Ooof! I wish I really did have a bad memory.
What was McCain thinking?!

Sheldon Gottlieb | March 25, 2011 – 2:28 pm

I have great respect for David Harris. I tend to agree with his analyses. However, the issue of Obama being a friend of Israel is one in which we part company. Obama will be remembered as an equivalent of Jimmy Carter with respect to Israel.
We must never forget his constant public berating of Israel before he decides to cast a “pro-Israel” vote in that den of iniquity known as the United Nations.

NJDC | March 25, 2011 – 3:13 pm

Obama is fully committed to Israel’s security. Just look at this most recent assessment from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said:

“President Obama is the eighth American president I’ve worked for. And I don’t believe that the security relationship between the United States and Israel has ever been stronger than it is right now. And the steps that we have taken in the last two years in terms of, just as one example, collaborating together on missile defense, I think are without precedent. I see no change in prospect for that relationship.”

http://www.njdc.org/blog/post/gatesinisrael032511

And, President George W. Bush’s Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton said this about settlement construction and Israel’s security barrier:

“The Security Council… reiterates its view that settlement expansion must stop.”

And, he said it within days of Hamas’ election victory. http://tinyurl.com/4etub7t

Further, Bush did not veto all anti-Israel resolutions at the UN. As JTA’s Ron Kampeas points out, “withholding a veto of a resolution that Israel doesn’t care for ... happened as recently as 2009,” during the end of the administration of President George W. Bush. http://www.njdc.org/blog/post/usatun022511

Neil Aronoff | March 25, 2011 – 3:19 pm

Probably the larger question centers on, “Is Sarah Palin Right on ANYTHING??” In a word, no. I saw a super-market tabloid spew the question, “Can Sarah Palin Save America??” I told my wife that she could not save a roast from burning in an oven that had never been turned on. When she gets something right, I ask her who told her to say that.

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