David Weinberg, ISRAEL HAYOM
I’d like to believe that President Barack Obama’s re-election means nothing significant for U.S.-Israel relations, since “all Democratic and Republican presidents over the past four decades have been solidly pro-Israel” — as Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom argued on Israel Radio this morning. But Shalom is putting a pretty face on a forboding situation.
Obama’s re-election means that Ehud Olmert is going to run against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming Jan. 2013 Israeli election. It means that Obama is going to intervene aggressively in our election to boost Olmert. It means that a push for immediate Palestinian statehood is back on the international agenda. Most worrisome of all, it means that an American “grand bargain” with the Iranians, possibly at our expense, is on the table.
With good reason, Olmert and Tzipi Livni seem to think they can count on Obama’s strong support in the race against Netanyahu. There are a myriad of ways in which Obama and his emissaries can make it clear to the Israeli voter that U.S.-Israel relations will suffer if Netanyahu is re-elected. They know that Israeli voters fear U.S.-Israel conflict.
Obama’s anti-Netanyahu campaign will be the flip side to the campaign we’ve seen in recent weeks seeking to convince American Jews and Israeli Americans that Obama “has Israel’s back.” Just as the Jewish and Israeli press was swamped with pro-Obama testimonials from Dennis Ross, Alan Dershowitz, Jack Lew, General Dempsey and others, now we’ll get hints and warnings that the “unprecedented” gains in U.S.-Israel intelligence sharing and weapons development approved by Obama will wither if Netanyahu is re-elected. White House backing for Israel in the Security Council will be conditional upon Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, and so on.
It won’t be the first time that an American administration has blatantly intervened to sway Israeli public opinion. Former President George H.W. Bush campaigned against former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir in 1992, among others, by refusing to approve U.S. loan guarantees for Soviet immigrant absorption because of Shamir’s settlement policies. Shamir lost that election after serving two previous terms. Former President Bill Clinton campaigned vigorously for Shimon Peres and against Netanyahu in 1996. That effort backfired.
In his second term, Obama will be seeking to fashion a long-term legacy. With Congress still at a deadlock, he will have difficulty aggressively advancing his domestic agenda. That leaves foreign affairs and defense policy, where he has a freer hand.
On matters that directly affect Israel, remember that Obama is deeply committed to three things: global nuclear disarmament, rapprochement with the Islamic world, and Palestinian statehood. I believe that he will forcefully act to progress on all three fronts, and this could bring him into conflict with Israel.
In a briefing that he is scheduled to give in Washington later today, Dr. Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will assert that Obama intends to offer Iran a “grand deal” to test whether diplomacy can stop its nuclear program. In fact, according to one press report, Obama’s close personal friend and White House adviser, the Iranian-born Valerie Jarrett, has for months been secretly negotiating in Bahrain with a representative of Tehran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A U.S.-Iran agreement could involve tacit recognition of Iranian hegemony in the Gulf region and acceptance of its nuclear status, in exchange for a long-term freeze in Iran’s enrichment of uranium to high levels. This would leave Ahmadinejad’s nuclear development facilities, including the Fordow underground center, intact, instead of dismantling them. This would allow the Iranians to continue refining their nuclear skills. Even at low levels of enrichment this provides a framework with which Tehran can bypass Western restrictions and hoodwink Western inspectors.
Every Israeli knows that Iran has clandestinely crossed every “red line” set by the West over the past 20 years — putting nuclear plants online, building heavy water facilities, refining uranium, working on explosive triggers and warheads, and generally breaching all its obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty — and has gotten away with it. So any deal that scales back sanctions and allows Iran to keep operating its advanced nuclear development facilities, even at a low-level, is a fatal bargain.
The deal could also involve a commitment to “tackle” Israel’s alleged nuclear weapons program. Israel’s nuclear status has been supported and criticized by different American presidents over the decades, but has never been significantly threatened. In July 2010, Obama pledged support for Israel’s right to defend itself by any means possible — by implication, even with nuclear weapons.
However, Washington seems to have backtracked on its clear support, and is now supporting a U.N. conference on a nuclear-free Middle East scheduled for December in Finland which could very well focus on Israel. This issue holds the potential for acute friction between the two countries. Prof. Uzi Arad, who was National Security adviser to Netanyahu and who negotiated the July 2010 understandings, says that America had indeed undertaken to ensure that there would only be “discussions” at the Finland conference, with no move to enforce nuclear restrictions on Israel. We’ll see …
There is a theory which postulates that Obama’s re-election brings the required showdown with Iran closer than a Romney win would have, because Obama is already so invested in the issue and so clearly on record as rejecting the mere containment of Iran. But I don’t buy it. Obama’s paramount commitment to rapprochement with the Islamic world, I suspect, will overtake his declarations of opposition to Iran. He never was going to, and never will, confront Iran militarily.
Which brings us to Palestinian statehood, which was one of Obama’s earliest and most earnest commitments. Mahmoud Abbas’ obstinacy hasn’t made it easy for Obama to back Palestinian aspirations, but Abbas is forcing the issue with his push for unilateral recognition of Palestinian quasi-statehood at the U.N. later this month. Israel expects Washington to punish the PA for this, but I wonder. And when Israel announces new settlement construction, adoption of the Levy Report, and other penalties to Abbas in response to the U.N. decision, I doubt that we’ll get much support from Obama.
So start filling your sandbags. We’re in for a rough ride.
It’s not clear that massive American Aliyah would benefit Israel more than their current influence on the House of Representatives does. It is the only legislative body with the power to check Obama, should he continue an anti-Israel policy.
@ Nigel Shaw:
The most worrisome aspect of this 2nd term will be his foreign policy since 99% of Americans know nothing about foreign policy and do not care about it. Giving in to the Muslim majority at the UN already weakens the US position and abilities. A Iranian “deal” would practically assure the Iranians to get the nuke while he is still he is Pr. or soon after
he leaves. Pr. O continues to beg the Ayatollahs while being kicked in the butts! How low can he go. Since he bent over for the Satollahsudis, the Aya will ask him to bent much lower.
@ Georg von StarkermnnAnd
You are right. That was my point and it is going to manifest itself as an increase in Aliyah from the States. Only I don’t think they realize that it could happen there- that’s why they’re not so smart-that’s why, in fact, there quite dumb.
To CR and David Chase: In the Jewish Museum in Berlin Germany there is an exhibit on the Moses Mendelssohn family. Moses Mendelssohn as you wil recall was the foremost Jew in Europe and in Germany at the turn of the 29th century. He had 12 children, all brought up in the Jewish religion. Bar Mitzvahed and all. All but two converted to the Lutheran religion so that they could advance socially, if not economically. The most famous of these Mendelssohn children was Felix Mendelssohn’s father. He not only converted and has his two children Baptized as Christians, but he changed his last name to Bartholdy just to hide his Jewish background. Felix his son, used the Mendelssohn name and not Bartholdy, nevertheless on his tombstone, it reads Bartholdy.
This is what is happening to the Jewish population in the USA and in the world at large. Jews are no dummies. They are not stupid. By advancing a liberal left wing agenda as they have going back to Karl Marx, they feel that they are not only buying time for themselves and their families, but also that they will be accepted into the modern Christian society. Hitler and his minions saw through this charade, and you know the end of that story. The same will take place in the USA. It’s only a matter of time.
@ C.R.:
Certainly, if not all Jews who turned to Palestine during and after the Holocaust were at all religious or repentant doesn’t preclude their right to return. As you know, Hitler targeted the atheists just as vigorously. Did they not deserve to be saved?
@ David Chase:
Mr. Chase, I realize there is a place for repentance–regrettably most Jews will never choose this route–just look at most of Jewish history–most have chosen to rebel against God!
@ C.R.:
Maybe some of them are just very naive and into hopey-changey but to assume they are evil and therefore wouldn’t deserve the right of return or if they realize their error not be able to seek safe haven is counter to every Zionistic principle the state is founded on. Did you just come down from Mount Sinai?
@ David Chase:
Allowing all Jews to return–is not in accordance with Biblical principles; if they are evil and working to destroy Israel–they have no right to live in Israel!
For example–the Godless Marxist Jews of Haaretz and their ilk–Jews who promote the homosexual agenda and the abomination of homosexual day parades in the streets of Yerushalayim–these types are defiling the land and other Jews–just think what King David would have done with such evil Jews!
@ J.S.:
@ Larry inTel Aviv:
You are largely correct!
@ C.R.:
I wrote you a reply yesterday, but apparently this site deleted the remarks. The last thing they needed was to have a former Nazi youth make any remarks on their site. I don’t blame them for that. I will say however, that my father and mother were considered” Righteous Gentiles “by the Israeli Government for their efforts to save Jewish lives during the Holocaust. That doesn’t excuse the general madness that engulfed Germany from 1933 to 1945, bur ine can plainly see that when you vote for a personality rather than the man or woman, then what you get is a shell, perhaps a balloon ready to burst. This is what we have now, only in reverse.
@ Nigel Shaw:
Well said- that was actually the intent of my original point but certainly even some of the 70% could also come if the need arises which would add even more to the irony of Obama’s anti-Zionist agenda. They should all settle in Judea and Samaria.
My Hebrew name is Nachum, and just like my namesake Nachum Gamzu, who used to say over every eventuality “Gam zu l’tovah” (that too is for the best), I too look for the beneficial hand of G-d in every situation.
Could it not be that with the re-election of Obama, that the anti-Israel rhetoric emanating from his administration will spur a large new wave of American olim from amongst the 30% of Jews who didn’t vote for him. Gam zu l’tovah!
I do sort of agree with you. I hope it doesn’t really come to that
Sorry David but I agree with Laura. Yes technically you are correct of course. But you miss the point. American Leftist Jews can go to hell. They are every bit as responsible for the scary future – if we have one – that Israel faces, as Obama and the Islamists that the dhimmi-in-chief is so desperate to appease and succor. Plus do you even think American liberal Jews know or care about what is to come?
I just quoted some lines from Lenny Cohen’s prophetic song, ‘The Future’ over at PJMedia this morning. That song more than anything sums up where it’s at. Let me quote another line, that is so apt wrt these traitorous American Jews:
When they said repent, repent
I wonder what they meant
When they said repent, repent
I wonder what they meant
The thing is American liberal Jews don’t think there is anything to repent over, and if they ever do, it will be too late. God may forgive them. I won’t. And neither will most Israelis.
@ Laura:
@ Laura:
I understand your feelings but they are all still Jewish and do have the right of return. Basically, even a leftist Obama supporter can do t’shuva. They don’t realize what they were really voting for and, therefore, unfortunately they might have to learn the hard way. I like the spirit of your comment but US party affiliation or voting record is not a criteria for Aliyah even if they helped cause the problem themselves. Ironically, the anti-Zionist Obama could be the single biggest cause of Jewish immigration to Israel since the Soviet Union.
@ Georg von Starkermnn:
I am a student of history, twentieth century mainly–and Nazi Germany stands out and is very important to understanding what is happening now–as much of what happened then in Germany–is happening now in America and elsewhere.
It is your story I would be interested in learning–a first hand account is always the best.
To CR: What aspect of my life do you want to know about. As a general rule, I do not disclose much about my or my family’s Nazi past. Anything else is fair game.
@ Joe Hamilton:
The USA will not attack Israel–even though there are those in the Obama administration who would like to do this [George H.W. Bush wanted to attack Israel after they destroyed the reactor in Iraq, Reagan would not have it.] but the USA will at some point do nothing to interfere with those who will attack Israel.
Biblical prophecy tells us a lot of what will happen–including which nations will attack Israel–and they will fail!
@ Georg von Starkermnn:
Herr Von Starkermann, That is an interesting story–I would very much like to know the rest of your story!
Yes the anti-Semite Barack Obama–is going to double down on hurting Israel, the USA and other nations–especially Israeli Jews and the American people!
When Barack Obama does not like something or someone–it is usually because they or it are good–the Israeli people would be well advised to not cooperate with Barack Obama as his intent is to bring utter ruination upon Israel and the USA!
To Joe Hamilton: The USA will not directly attack Israel, they will use a surrogate to destroy Israel. Think about Iran, or maybe Hizbullah and Hamas joining forces. . For the record and for clarification, I was a member of the Hitler Jugend as a young boy and my family were very active in the NSDAP. I am also married to a very nice Jewish lady who currently is in Israel.
@ Arnold Harris:
Arnold Harris Said:
Holiest sites in Islam (Shia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiest_sites_in_Islam_%28Shia%29
@ Joe Hamilton:
THW WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND ISRAEL. AMERICA HAS A LOT MORE ON ITS PLATE THAN CONCERN FOR ISRAEL.
@ Georg von Starkermnn:Herr von Starkemnn who is going to destroy Israel? Who is strongest enough to destroy Israel? You sound insane like you idol Adolf. The US military except for the worthless generals, despise Obama. They are not airheads like American single women, young Americans between 18 and 30 who have incredibly high unemployment rates but are too stupid to realize it is the totally economically illiterate Obama is the reason they can’t find jobs. American blacks are the most racist group in the US, made up or make up a very small percentage of the fighting men of the US military. You are truly delusional if you think the US military would attack Israel on the orders of someone they have an incredible level of hate for.
@ yamit82:
Listen Carefully.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyDldGPTDNQ
Der Juden are their worst own enemy. They deserve every punishment known to mankind. They didn’t listen to the signs that Hitler posted, now will they listen to the signs that Obama will throw at them. These liberal left wing Jewish morons will cry the blues when Israel is destroyed, It will happen during the next 2 years.
@ yamit82:
If so, the State of Israel had better contrive a way to force a change of regimes in Teheran. Chances are, it may be far easier to neutralize 6-12 people than to track down purposefully-hidden radioactive fissile materials.
Or, figure out some site that is overwhelmingly precious to the Shi’a Islamic mentalities of all Iranians, within or outside the leadership of their country. Then let them know that if and when any of their nuclear materials are used against Jewish or Israeli targets, the retribution will be the utter and complete destruction of whatever place or places they think are so holy, that they would prefer to die if that would be enough to protect those places. In situations where reason fails, induced fear works even better.
So, Yamit. What exactly is the Mecca of the Shi’a branch of Islam?
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
@ Arnold Harris:
Arnold Harris Said:
Can’t be done. It’s possible to store this material even in the basement of a home in a city center.
@ Laura:
yamit82 Said:
How true
@ Laura:
yamit82 Said:
@ Laura:
Laura Said:
Laura Said:
@ J.S.:
no surprises here:
“The Shining is the Holocaust film that Kubrick, who grew up in a Jewish Bronx household in the 1930s (his father was born Jacob but Anglicized it to Jack—the name of Jack Nicholson’s deranged protagonist), always wanted to make but felt that, for aesthetic reasons, he could never make except in the most oblique possible manner.”
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/89719/kubrick%E2%80%99s-holocaust-film
David Chase Said:
70% makes sense. That seems about the same as the percentage of JINOs in the US Jewish population.
“Wait and see if the Aliyah rate from the states goes up because it’s those American Jews who are going to need it”.
………………………………………………………….
I would not allow them in. They made their bed, let them lie in it. And besides, Israel doesn’t need more leftists.
“Obama is going to work us over”
…………………………………………….
Only if you let him. Do what must be done to defend Israel in defiance of obama.
And 70% of Jewish Americans voted for him. It might not hurt as much is he had won with a much smaller percentage but 70% is riduculous. Wait and see if the Aliyah rate from the states goes up because it’s those American Jews who are going to need it.
“An Obamanation…” How true! The National Post this morning (lol) featured on its front page a frightening picture of Obama (backlit) with the caption “He’s Back!” reminding us of the horror film, “The Shining”…
The only way Palestinian statehood can be terminated permanently is annexation by Israel of the 72% of the lands of Shomron and Yehuda that make up Area C of the Oslo Accord maps. The population of those lands is mostly Jewish now. They should have been annexed long ago. That must be done now as soon as possible, along with stricter Israel control of the security corridors in Area B. If you annex those territories, nobody outside Israel will recognize the annexation. But recognition is nothing; possession is everything.
Then do everything possible to move as large a percentage of the Jewish population into the annexed areas as soon as possible. This should be turned into a crash effort to promote Jewish urban sprawl the same way professional land developers have operated in the United States to create vast new suburbs across the whole of Los Angeles and Orange counties in southern California, out eastward deep into Long Island and northward from New York along the Hudson River, and the huge belt of suburbanization that surrounds Chicago for about 30-40 miles out from that great city’s urban core.
Soon, Israel will be a major producer of natural gas and oil. Use the bargaining position that comes with that to buy whatever votes you think you need in the UN. The world and its leaders, including those of the USA, are all as purchasable as postage stamps or toilet paper. Never forget that in your dealings with them. If you have something they desperately need to appease the perceived needs of their own populace, make them pay for it in ways that count for Israel and the Jewish nation.
The problem of Iran and its weapons-grade stockpile or stockpiles of fissionable material can only be resolved by destroying it in outright military attacks. If you do that now, the world will scream at you, at least momentarily. But Iran’s nuclear threat will be ended. Moreover, nobody can say in advance that such as attack would not cause the collapse of the ayatollist regime. The destruction of the weapons-grade enrichment centers can still be accomplished with conventional weapons. But if you wait to long, you will then have no choice but to use your own nuclear weapons to destroy theirs. And if you do nothing even then, the ayatollist regime in Iran will find a way to incinerate one or more of the great cities of Israel. What they will attempt to do to the USA of Barack Hussein Obama Jr is not your concern.
If you can survive all the above, and I think in fact that you can if you carefully chart your course for both peace and war, you must, as soon as possible, build the territorial, demographic, industrial and miltary strength of the State of Israel. You can accomplish that by planned stages, aimed at the re-acquisition of the Sinai peninsula; parts of Syria and southern Lebanon south of the Litani River gorge and northeast of Mount Hermon; the western strip of Trans-Jordan immediately east of the river and the Arava valley; and the northwestern corner of the Arabian deserts and mountains around the Straits of Tiran.
The history of the Jewish nation in the 3000 years,since the fall of the united kingdom of kings David and Shlomo, has been a history of national weakness in the face of voracious neighbors, along with foolish dependence of the leaders of this or that all too temporary empire. These have included the dead empires of Cyrus of Persia, Alexander of Macedon, Augustus of Rome, and in our own modern times, the already-dead British Empire and the obviously dying empire of the United States of America. That cycle of national weakness and dependency must be ended.
There are numerous opportunities in the Middle East and elsewhere for Israel to make itself useful to one side or the other in all kinds of conflicts. Helping the 27 million Kurds against their national oppressors as represented by the Arabs, Turks and Iranians is an excellent example. Likewise, learn to take advantage for Israel in the struggle between Sun’a and Shi’a Islam, which has been the achilles heel of Islam since their death of their prophet, and never, ever can be resolved. Notably, the Sun’a Arab leaderships of the Persian Gulf states and Saudi Arabia fear and hate the Iranian-backed Shi’a probably at least as much as their hate and fear the Jews. Maybe even more so. Exploit that split for whatever it is worth.
And if you really learn how to play the situation as well you should, find some way to put some armed Hamas agents into position to bump off Mahmoud Abbas, and start a low level civil war among the PLO factions in Yehuda and Shomron. Do any of you think these tactics are not the way nice Jews should act toward their neighbors? I just laugh at that, and all of you should learn to adopt entirely new behavior standards for Israel and the Jewish nation. Stop the endless and useless mourning, and learn how to fight to win.
There is no peace in the Middle East. There never will be peace in the Middle East. Most likely, there never can be peace in the Middle East. Learn to take advantage of that for your own benefit.
Yes, you are in for a rough ride. So it’s about time you learned how best to ride without falling off the horse.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
@ J.S.:
“America gets the leadership it deserves!”
An Obamanation……….
For many years Israeli leaders have failed in the conflict involving public relations. That failure has given our enemies the political weapons that they are using to attack Israel.
Israel has failed to firmly claim all her rights to all the land of Israel and to vigorously expose the fraud of Palestinian claims. Israel has failed to expose U.S. treachery going back decades even when books like “The Secret War Against the Jews” by Loftus and Aarons were available years ago. Israel has failed to educate the Americans to the valuable support Israel has been to America on many levels. But worst of all is that Jewish leaders in Israel and the U.S. have ignored our Torah which is our “Ace” card. Jewish leaders are secular and never think of calling on Jews to pray to Hashem for salvation. The terrible dangers that we are facing are partly of our own doing.
One of Obama’s many “pals” is F. Zacharia. The latter (iirc, last year) was touting a text (which I have no intention of providing the title) advocated for a “re-set” — that is, that the U.S. must align itself fully with Iran and the Arab world (dump Israel as a liability). I suspect this will be an Obama agenda. (I imagine Dershowitz, Halevy, the Muslim Brotherhood, and all the world’s antisemites are over-joyed with Hussain’s re-election. America gets the leadership it deserves! But what a catastrophia.)