By Moshe Phillips and Benjamin Korn,, ALGEMEINER
Why is the Obama Administration reportedly threatening to support a United Nations resolution calling on Israel to retreat to the pre-1967 armistice lines?
This would be President Obama’s way of punishing Israel’s voters for choosing a government that is not to Obama’s liking – and would be intended to intimidate Israel and its supporters to give in to Arab territorial demands.
The White House must think we have very short memories. Recall this headline from the New York Times from 2011: “Obama Sees ’67 Borders as Starting Point for Peace Deal.”
Obama already used the “I’ll-support-the-1967-lines” threat four years ago. It didn’t work then, and it won’t work now.
On May 18, 2011, with Prime Minister Netanyahu scheduled to arrive in Washington the next day, Obama and his advisers decided launched a calculated effort to pressure and intimidate Israel’s leader. Obama delivered an address at the State Department, declaring that the 1967 lines should be the “basis” for any future Israeli-Palestinian agreement.
Israel strongly protested, and Prime Minister Netanyahu characterized the 1967 lines as “indefensible.”
Which, of course, they are. Among other things, the 1967 lines would mean that Israel would be reduced to just nine miles wide at its vulnerable mid-section, a distance that an Arab tank column could quickly and easily cover. The 1967 lines would mean handing the Golan Heights to Syria – that is, a Syria ruled by its current genocidal dictator or by the ISIS savages who are trying to take it over. The 1967 lines would mean putting Ben Gurion Airport within easy range of Palestinian rockets.
The 1967 lines would also mean surrendering the Old City section of Jerusalem, where Judaism’s holiest sites – the Temple Mount and the Western Wall – are situated. Other sections of Jerusalem that would be given to the Palestinian Authority would include the neighborhoods of Ramot, French Hilll, and Gilo, all of which are physically inseparable parts of the city.
So Obama blustered. But Israel resisted. And that was the end of it.
There’s an important lesson to be learned.
The Obama Administration is skilled at trying to scare Israel and its American Jewish supporters. But there are important, concrete political reasons why it will not be able to implement its threats.
The White House and State Department spent weeks issuing all kinds of warnings and threats, and pressure to convince members of Congress to boycott Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address to Congress. Yet in the end, nearly 90% of Congressional members attended the speech. The Obama boycott movement was a complete flop.
Why?
Because members of Congress have to run for re-election. And the vast majority of them know that their constituents overwhelmingly support Israel. Not just Jewish voters – but tens of millions of Christians as well.
Last year’s Gallup annual World Affairs survey found fully 72 percent of Americans have a “very favorable” or “mostly favorable” view of Israel. Compare that to the number who have a favorable view of the other countries in Israel’s neighborhood: Egypt – 45%; Saudi Arabia – 35%; Libya – 19%; Palestinian Authority – 19%; Iraq – 16%; Syria – 13%; Iran – 12%.
And this is despite decades of unfriendly news media coverage of Israel, and despite the Obama Administration’s frequent statements of sympathy for the Palestinian Arabs.
It’s not just members of Congress who have take these public opinion trends into consideration. It’s the Democratic Party as a whole. If the Democrats are perceived as a party that is turning against Israel, it could have serious consequences for the next Democratic presidential nominee. And the presidential campaign will be underway very soon.
So friends of Israel should not lose heart. Threats from a lame duck president should not intimidate us or diminish our active support for the Jewish State in this hour of need.
Moshe Phillips is president and Benyamin Korn is chairman of the Religious Zionists of America, Philadelphia, and both are candidates on the Religious Zionist slate (www.VoteTorah.org) in the World Zionist Congress elections.
@ mar55:
lol…..He could be a buddy of Kerrys. Kerry always looks pasty – he belongs in a wax museum.
Our best defense is a good offense. Keep the faith! You may already have this in your library but if not, enjoy this Passover song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=HMrThOZkPiE
@ bernard ross:
Bennett wrote on his FB page that he was ready to go to the opposition and then took this comment down.
If he was serious, why did he erase it?
I’m getting pretty wary of A7 becoming the mouthpiece of Bennett’s paranoia, or rather ambitions.
Because all of this is just a way of raising the stakes for the portfolios. It’s the name of the game. So, obviously, I won’t tear my clothes on it before it happens because I don’t know what will happen.
The freeze (not “cancellation”, Norman) is much more worrisome because it shows an appeasement’s strategy towards Obozo, THAT WON’T WORK ANYWAY.
Twice Bibi has been slapped in the face by the WH regarding this strategy: 1) when he seemed to back-off on the TSS 2) when he apologized to the Arab voters without any cogent reason.
Twice the WH said “we don’t believe you”.
Or maybe he knows that Zero cannot be appeased (I think he know, because an idiot would see it) and tries so-called “good will” gestures to show that the hostility and intransigence are NOT coming from him.
Because Obama, meanwhile, is shocking lots of Americans regarding this unending petulance and the tide may turn sooner than we think for him.
Now let’s see:
1) the US withholds vital infos towards an ally on a matter of life and death,
2) the said ally has then to spy on others (Iran) to discover what the US is hiding from them
3) the US comes across the fact that the said ally knows more than the US decided it should know by spying on them
4) the WH uses its mouthpieces in the press to falsely accuse Israel of spying on the US (as if they needed that!) and revealing secrets to Congress.
5) the Pentagon releases a report where ONLY Israel is exposed (not a word on France, Italy etc)
6) this may be interpreted as:
a) an effort to draw false moral equivalence between Iran and Israel (“Israel has nukes so Iran should have too”)
b) an attempt to legitimize the above-mentioned false accusations (“You did it, so take that!”)
c) an attempt to force Israel to accept inspections on its nuclear program (not a chance in Hell) or else…
It appears that the only americans in this war on BB and Israel is the Obama administration
@ yamit82:
She is a witch and talks from both side of her mouth. If she believes what she is saying then somebody ought to put a zipper or better yet, tape on the President’s mouth.
@ yamit82:
If Obama keeps acting like the red bastard that he is, my dream of seeing him leave the White House in handcuffs and shackles will materialize.
He is going to far and keeps pushing and pushing. Has no shame and his behaviour is that of a toddler in the playground.
a
AP’s Matt Lee Grills State Dept. On Treatment Of Iran Vs. Israel
Watch political theater for ugly people
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LicKbx8e2Us
bernard ross Said:
yamit82 Said:
Asked and I answered before the question?
I guess election is over and BB has returned to his real self, the one that emerges after he wins on promises that never materialize but instead the opposite materializes.
what an odd and repetitive coincidence that folks just never notice
OBAMA IS POISON.
Just look at this:
US Declassifies Report, Exposes Details on Israel’s Nuclear Program
The news of the betrayal is only just now beginning to filter in to Israeli media and in fact has made no headlines at all in the U.S. news markets, where networks seem largely unaware of the tsunami that may follow when the news sinks in at home.
NormanF Said:
Another zig zag by you Normans?
I predicted BB would never change and he is proving me right more every day!
One of the major causes of our housing bubble.
@ dove:
His blank stare says a lot about his condition. Does he have Alzheimer? So much fundamentalism has eaten at what is left of his brain.
Obama should learn the old saying: Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.
Spanish: Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres.
Do they have nursing homes in Iran? I think he is ready.
This is who you favour over Israel Obama? Seriously?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tuE75aWqieQ
@ NormanF:
The wrong thing to do.
The best you can do for the Musloid in Chief is: Build, build, build double the amount of 6units you had planned to build. Israel does not need to be liked. We do not ask anything from anyone. We need to be respected whether they like us or not.
Netanyahu just canceled a massive building plan for the Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa.
More appeasement of Obama. So he lied to the voters?
This too was predictable. And from the much diminished Bayit Yehudi – is silence.