Belman: Sarah Palin is closely aligned with this group.. No doubt she will be joining or at least supporting. By the way, Palin has the highest favourable ratings among republicans and she is neck and neck with Obama for president in 2012
By: Ben Smith, POLITICO
Leading conservatives will launch a new pro-Israel group this week with a scathing attack on Rep. Joe Sestak, the Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, the first shot in what they say will be a confrontational campaign against the Obama administration’s Mideast policy and the Democrats who support it.
The Emergency Committee for Israel’s Leadership unites two major strands of support for the Jewish state: The hawkish, neoconservative wing of the Republican Party, many of whom are Jewish, and conservative Evangelical Christians who have become increasingly outspoken in their support for Israel. The new group’s board includes Weekly Standard Editor William Kristol and Gary Bauer, the former Republican presidential candidate who leads the group American Values, as well as Rachel Abrams, a conservative writer and activist.
“We’re the pro-Israel wing of the pro-Israel community,” said Kristol.
While President Barack Obama and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to put the best public face on their differences after a White House meeting last week, the two leaders have had a contentious relationship. Some American backers of Israel, as well as many Israelis, remain deeply suspicious of Obama’s efforts to press Israel toward specific policy shifts and to improve American relations with the Muslim world.
The new committee declined to disclose its funding — as a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, it isn’t required to — but said it had raised enough to air its first ad, starting this week, on Fox and CNN and during a Philadelphia Phillies game. The ad attacks Sestak for signing a letter criticizing Israel’s blockade of Gaza while not signing a defense of Israel circulated by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and for appearing at a fundraiser for the Council on American Islamic Relations, which it describes as an “anti-Israel organization the FBI called a ‘front group for Hamas.’”
CAIR denied the 2008 allegation, and no charges were ever brought against it.
“Does Congressman Joe Sestak understand Israel is America’s ally?” asks the ad’s narrator.
A spokesman for Sestak, who defeated Sen. Arlen Specter for the Democratic Senate nomination, rejected the ad’s characterization.
“Joe is a strong supporter of the state of Israel. His record is clear on the matter and in stark contrast to his opponent who voted against aid for Israel,” said April Mellody. “Its political silly season so its not surprising these conservatives are trying to distort Joe’s record.”
The Emergency Committee plans to advertise in other congressional races as well, according to Noah Pollak, its executive director.
“We want to be hard-hitting; we want to get into the debate and shake things up and make some points in a firm way,” he said.
The group will target races for the House and the Senate, but there’s little doubt the larger target is the Obama administration, which Bauer told POLITICO is “the most anti-Israel administration in the history of the United States.”
Along with earlier pressure on Israel to restrain building in Jerusalem, critics point to suggestions that the U.S. won’t seek to block an investigation led by the U.N. secretary-general into its raid on a flotilla bound for Gaza and new pressure on Israel to disclose its nuclear program.
Much of the traditional relationship between the U.S. and Israel remains unchanged, notably strong military-to-military ties and arms sales. Israel has also been pleased by increasing American pressure on Iran.
A White House spokesman, Ben Rhodes, declined to comment on the new group but provided a string of recent comments from Netanyahu on the strength of the countries’ relationship.
“I trust Barack Obama, the president of the United States, to carry out with me the policies that have joined Israel and the United States in what Barack Obama has called the unbreakable bond,” Netanyahu told CBS’s Katie Couric last week. “We have common goals, common interests, and we now have a job to do to get on with our common goal of achieving peace with security. I trust we’ll be able to do that together.”
The Emergency Committee will fit into a broadening spectrum of American pro-Israel groups, many of which have followed AIPAC’s lead in seeking to avoid open rifts with the White House and the political parties. Kristol said this group was inspired in part by the new liberal group J Street, whose ability to amplify criticism of the Israeli government showed, he said, the power of a small new group — if on the other side of the debate.
“There are some who say they’re pro-Israel but aren’t really,” he said, referring to J Street. “Then there’s AIPAC, which is a wonderful organization, but one that’s very committed to working with the administration, so they pull some punches publicly.”
One official at an American Jewish organization welcomed the group to the degree that it would make criticism of Democrats “mainstream,” but also expressed concern that a group with such Republican origins would contribute to a deepening partisan cast to the debate over Israel, with Republicans lining up behind the Israeli government while some Democrats align themselves with Netanyahu’s American critics.
Bauer dismissed that notion.
“I encourage our Democratic friends to have a competition with us on who can be more pro-Israel, because I think it’s in the interests of the United States and not a political party,” he said. “I’m really hoping that people like Sen. [Chuck] Schumer and others will aggressively speak out for Israel at a time like this.”
And the group’s emergence has already provoked rancor on the left. After a liberal foreign policy blogger noticed that the group had quietly registered a website, the national security editor for the blog of the Democratic-aligned Center for American Progress, Matt Duss, tweeted sarcastically, “Because the world really needs another astroturf Israeli propaganda outfit.” A spokeswoman for CAP said he spoke for himself and not the group.
By: Ben Smith
July 12, 2010 03:54 PM EDT
Leading conservatives will launch a new pro-Israel group this week with a scathing attack on Rep. Joe Sestak, the Democratic Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, the first shot in what they say will be a confrontational campaign against the Obama administration’s Mideast policy and the Democrats who support it.
The Emergency Committee for Israel’s Leadership unites two major strands of support for the Jewish state: The hawkish, neoconservative wing of the Republican Party, many of whom are Jewish, and conservative Evangelical Christians who have become increasingly outspoken in their support for Israel. The new group’s board includes Weekly Standard Editor William Kristol and Gary Bauer, the former Republican presidential candidate who leads the group American Values, as well as Rachel Abrams, a conservative writer and activist.
“We’re the pro-Israel wing of the pro-Israel community,” said Kristol.
While President Barack Obama and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to put the best public face on their differences after a White House meeting last week, the two leaders have had a contentious relationship. Some American backers of Israel, as well as many Israelis, remain deeply suspicious of Obama’s efforts to press Israel toward specific policy shifts and to improve American relations with the Muslim world.
The new committee declined to disclose its funding — as a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, it isn’t required to — but said it had raised enough to air its first ad, starting this week, on Fox and CNN and during a Philadelphia Phillies game. The ad attacks Sestak for signing a letter criticizing Israel’s blockade of Gaza while not signing a defense of Israel circulated by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and for appearing at a fundraiser for the Council on American Islamic Relations, which it describes as an “anti-Israel organization the FBI called a ‘front group for Hamas.’”
CAIR denied the 2008 allegation, and no charges were ever brought against it.
“Does Congressman Joe Sestak understand Israel is America’s ally?” asks the ad’s narrator.
A spokesman for Sestak, who defeated Sen. Arlen Specter for the Democratic Senate nomination, rejected the ad’s characterization.
“Joe is a strong supporter of the state of Israel. His record is clear on the matter and in stark contrast to his opponent who voted against aid for Israel,” said April Mellody. “Its political silly season so its not surprising these conservatives are trying to distort Joe’s record.”
The Emergency Committee plans to advertise in other congressional races as well, according to Noah Pollak, its executive director.
“We want to be hard-hitting; we want to get into the debate and shake things up and make some points in a firm way,” he said.
The group will target races for the House and the Senate, but there’s little doubt the larger target is the Obama administration, which Bauer told POLITICO is “the most anti-Israel administration in the history of the United States.”
Along with earlier pressure on Israel to restrain building in Jerusalem, critics point to suggestions that the U.S. won’t seek to block an investigation led by the U.N. secretary-general into its raid on a flotilla bound for Gaza and new pressure on Israel to disclose its nuclear program.
Much of the traditional relationship between the U.S. and Israel remains unchanged, notably strong military-to-military ties and arms sales. Israel has also been pleased by increasing American pressure on Iran.
A White House spokesman, Ben Rhodes, declined to comment on the new group but provided a string of recent comments from Netanyahu on the strength of the countries’ relationship.
“I trust Barack Obama, the president of the United States, to carry out with me the policies that have joined Israel and the United States in what Barack Obama has called the unbreakable bond,” Netanyahu told CBS’s Katie Couric last week. “We have common goals, common interests, and we now have a job to do to get on with our common goal of achieving peace with security. I trust we’ll be able to do that together.”
The Emergency Committee will fit into a broadening spectrum of American pro-Israel groups, many of which have followed AIPAC’s lead in seeking to avoid open rifts with the White House and the political parties. Kristol said this group was inspired in part by the new liberal group J Street, whose ability to amplify criticism of the Israeli government showed, he said, the power of a small new group — if on the other side of the debate.
“There are some who say they’re pro-Israel but aren’t really,” he said, referring to J Street. “Then there’s AIPAC, which is a wonderful organization, but one that’s very committed to working with the administration, so they pull some punches publicly.”
One official at an American Jewish organization welcomed the group to the degree that it would make criticism of Democrats “mainstream,” but also expressed concern that a group with such Republican origins would contribute to a deepening partisan cast to the debate over Israel, with Republicans lining up behind the Israeli government while some Democrats align themselves with Netanyahu’s American critics.
Bauer dismissed that notion.
“I encourage our Democratic friends to have a competition with us on who can be more pro-Israel, because I think it’s in the interests of the United States and not a political party,” he said. “I’m really hoping that people like Sen. [Chuck] Schumer and others will aggressively speak out for Israel at a time like this.”
And the group’s emergence has already provoked rancor on the left. After a liberal foreign policy blogger noticed that the group had quietly registered a website, the national security editor for the blog of the Democratic-aligned Center for American Progress, Matt Duss, tweeted sarcastically, “Because the world really needs another astroturf Israeli propaganda outfit.” A spokeswoman for CAP said he spoke for himself and not the group.
Arlene Kushner: Leaders of several American Jewish groups are said to be expressing concern that this new organization might be “polarizing.” Head of ADL, Abe Foxman, is quoted as saying, “I think it will have an effect on the political debate. That’s troubling in the sense that what we’ve always striven to do is make sure that support for Israel in the US is a bipartisan effort.”
Give me a break! This group was formed because the “bi-partisan effort” has been insufficiently supportive of Israel during difficult times. Apparently Fox thinks being wishy-washy on Israel is all right as long as everyone hangs together.
Maybe (it should only be) the new group, rather than polarizing, will open dialogue that will eventually move other groups to be more forthright and dynamic in their support of Israel.
~~~~~~~~~~
We may not always know what we’re doing, but we’re not stupid: A poll here in Israel indicates that Obama’s recent “charm offensive” (in the words of the JPost) had very little effect. Only 10% of Israelis think the administration is pro-Israel. That’s up from 1% before the offensive. Perhaps it’s Obama who is stupid for thinking that we might be so easily swayed.
~~~~~~~~~~
Mitchell is back in town, and he has his work cut out for him. For Fatah is urging PA president Abbas to continue to refuse to enter direct talks with Israel in spite of the pressure the US is applying.
Fatah put out a statement, reported by AFP, that said:
“The lack of credibility and confidence resulting from the Israeli rejection of the indirect talks, which have achieved no progress, will become entrenched as ‘givens and facts’ if there is a transition to direct talks.
“That is something the Fatah leadership has not and will not accept.”
The next step? Undoubtedly, leaning on Netanyahu to accede to some of the PA demands in order bring it to the table.
~~~~~~~~~~
See commentator Moshe Dann on “Why peace won’t happen”:
Hold that thought. It’s probably true. That said, even bad and weak leaders are only a temporary political aberration and we will eventually get one who is not weak. If for no other reason than a statistical law of averages.
I always keep a vision in front of me that is unpopular with most American and Western pro Israel supporters but is historically accurate, and that is: The UN partition plan of 1947 was no meant to complete the Final Solution. The Jewish state was broken into three isolated enclaves, interspersed with Arab territory. The three “Jewish” enclaves contained 40 percent Arab populations. Thus the UN Security Council’s Christian members ensured attacks on Israel both from without and from within. The Jews were to be annihilated.
Nothing has changed since the Holocaust. In 1967, as the Arab armies were massing at Israel’s borders, as the IDF was digging thousands of open graves for Jewish bodies, as common Israelis thought in terms of the Holocaust—what did the world do? Nothing. Nasser and the Syrians were explicit about their intentions to annihilate all the Jews rather than merely dismantle the Zionist state.
The world screamed at Israel in disappointment when she preempted and survived.
It is incorrect to say that the world learned nothing from the Holocaust. It learned a tremendously important lesson: murdering millions of Jews is socially acceptable. A handful of Germans were hanged, but most ex-Nazis led respectable lives and worked in government offices. Just a few years after the Holocaust, Germany opened its embassy in Israel and was welcomed into the community of nations. To talk about the Holocaust to a German is now indecent, as it may offend his sensitive soul. So the nations learned, it is okay to kill Jews.
When the world, including Jewish assimilationist organizations, beats its collective chest and says, “Never again!” remember that “again” has already happened.
I am the most optimistic of Israeli Jews, we learned the Texas two step even before the Texans. Eventually we will get it right from the get go without the costly two step.
What an interesting idea. I will give it some thought.
SarahSue,
US Senators Wyden and Gray, among others, sent a letter to the Israeli Ambassador criticizing the proposed conversion bill.
It has yet to be explained what atheist foreigners have to do with this essential Jewish religious process.
Faced with rampant assimilation, American Jewish barons found a solution in fake conversions—which with fake Reform ‘rabbis’ are only quick step short of declaring ‘Allah akbar!’
Abbas has stood fast and not compromised since 2005. In that time leaders, the world over, have begged him to compromise just a little. In return they were willing to give him anything he wanted, over Israel’s dying body, if necessary.
Israeli leadership, on the other hand, have caved repeatedly.
We know that Abbas is a weak leader, does this mean that Israeli leadership is even weaker? What a terrible thought.
I couldn’t think of a better teacher than you SarahSue, why don’t you write her?
SarahSue isn’t it interesting that Abbas wants a PM worse than Olmert?
Responding to Obama-Netanyahu agreement on fake peace talks, Abbas refused to join unless the talks start where Olmert had left them.
Abbas hardly expects Netanyahu to be more generous than Olmert, so his condition amounts to refusing the talks.
It is interesting to see a minuscule, Zero Arab leader whose people fully depend on the US for their livelihood rejecting Obama’s overtures – something that his Jewish counterparts are fearful of.
I also trust President Obama…to lie to me, to ignore me, to call me names when I resist his agendas.
Netanyahu knows he can also trust President Obama to try and force Israel to commit suicide, just like all previous American presidents have done.
So it Netanyahu saying that both he and President Obama both want to destroy Israel? That they both want the muslims to succeed at the expense of Israel? That has clearly been President Obama’s goal.
Or is he playing us for fools, the same way President Obama has, time and time again.
On to more pleasant topics, the Emergency Committee has made a big splash in a very short time. I wish them the very best.
I hope they can give her a history lesson so she stops supporting the two state fiasco and shows her that Israel needs to keep her land for her current residents to live in, not just those making Aliyah.
🙂 🙂
I thought it looked familiar. No harm. I added Kushner’s comment at bottom.
Ted: …..? https://www.israpundit.org/archives/24884