09/26/2011

» Obama Administration Apparently Leaks Misleading Story To Seem More Pro-Israel Than Bush - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

» Obama Administration Apparently Leaks Misleading Story To Seem More Pro-Israel Than Bush - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion.

Obama Administration Apparently Leaks Misleading Story To Seem More Pro-Israel Than Bush

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Posted by     Monday, September 26, 2011 at 10:04am
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The News Beast reports that Obama sold Israel bunker buster bombs that the Bush administration had previously blocked in 2005.

The problem: In 2007, the Bush arranged for the bombs to be delivered in the 2009-2010 time period, which they were.  Newsweek of course dutifully spun the story to emphasize Bush’s original refusal, rather than the fact that the bombs arrived when Bush had promised they would.

Obama doesn’t deserve points for every agreement with Israel he doesn’t break.  He deserves criticism for each one he does break, such as the agreement that promised Israel US support for building in certain parts of East Jerusalem.

But maybe I’m just too cynical.  Surely this “leak,” conveniently spun by a friendly publication,  has nothing to do with Obama’s “I’m not anti-Israel, now please give me your money so I can have four more years of being even more ‘not anti-Israel’ than I am now ” campaign to shore up his Jewish support.  No, that would be crazy talk.

Sep 26, 2011 8:41:27 AM

09/20/2011

One senses yesterday’s speech was Obama Unplugged, the real deal, the man in his essence. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t impressive. But it was authentic.

Obama Speech was “Obama Unplugged” « Commentary Magazine.
Sep 20, 2011 11:12:34 AM

09/19/2011

67% of Voters Say Obama isn’t Pro-Israel « Commentary Magazine

67% of Voters Say Obama isn’t Pro-Israel « Commentary Magazine.

 According to the poll, 67 percent of likely voters believe President Obama is not pro-Israel, with 29 percent saying he’s “anti-Israel” and 38 percent saying he’s neither pro nor anti. Less than a quarter say he’s pro-Israel. It’s supremely troubling such a large majority believes Obama has a negative or neutral view of a country that is one of our closest allies.

The numbers largely break down along party lines, with Republicans more likely to characterize him as anti-Israel than Democrats. But independent voters are more likely to say Obama is anti-Israel (37 percent) than pro-Israel (21 percent). An additional 35 percent say he’s neither.

Half of independent voters also say Obama isn’t supportive enough of Israel, while just 26 percent say he’s supportive enough and 13 percent say he’s too supportive.

Sep 19, 2011 12:34:26 PM

09/16/2011

Articles: Jew versus Jew

Articles: Jew versus Jew.

The recent election also illuminates a deep split within the Jewish community.   In the days of old, the Democratic Party was garden-variety liberal.   But the party has been taken over by radicals who want it to be more Mao than Mondale.   And the biggest battle of all is around the fate of Israel.

The progressive wing of the party is an angry group: detesting capitalism,  God, and, most particularly, Israel.  The left is particularly venomous about this so-called "genocidal" state.  They broadcast their contempt, far and wide, from university lecterns, the legislators, and the streets.  Simply put, the Jews among them are not their father's Jews.

The question may arise:  how on earth can Jews, even leftist ones, despise Israel, a Jewish state.  The reason is that leftists sympathize with the Third World, not the First World.  They view the US and Israel as the great oppressors of the world's noble peasants, with whom they identify.

Of course, progressives turn a blind's eye to the fact that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East.   Hence, Israeli women are not enshrouded in a burqa, and gays are not stoned to death.  But none of this is relevant to the leftists.   If you're still scratching your heads to figure them out, don't bother.  Progressivism is an inconsistent and illogical ideology.

Sep 16, 2011 3:47:57 PM

Henry Waxman uses Anti Semitic Canard to explain rejection of Obama by Jews - Jewish media hides!

waxman jews vote protect wealth - Google Search.

 

Sep 16, 2011 8:50:21 AM

09/15/2011

Gallup: Four out of 10 Jewish voters now disapprove of Obama « Hot Air

Gallup: Four out of 10 Jewish voters now disapprove of Obama « Hot Air.

Gallup: Four out of 10 Jewish voters now disapprove of Obama

POSTED AT 6:05 PM ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 BY ALLAHPUNDIT
PRINTER-FRIENDLY

That’s eight-point jump from June, which is also when the rest of the country started to peel away from Hopenchange. A sputtering economy will do that. I’m going to politely decline to play the “maybe this is the year we win the Jewish vote!” game for the simple reason that I’ve played it and lost too many times before. Even so, it’s worth flagging this in anticipation of the showdown at the UN next Friday when the Palestinians call Obama’s bluff and demand official international recognition of statehood. Some of you have suggested in the comments lately that The One might not veto that demand if it comes before the Security Council. Eyeball this poll and rest assured: Oh yes he will.

Sep 15, 2011 4:34:54 PM

Now It Can Be Told: Palestinians Assumed Khalidi Would Influence Obama

Now It Can Be Told: Palestinians Assumed Khalidi Would Influence Obama.
pThe president of the world’s sole hyperpower, the United States, called up a state to which it gives military aid by the billions, Egypt, and insisted the state meet its Vienna Convention obligations to protect the embassy of an ally, Israel. For some reason, this minimal attempt to maintain global stability is being hailed by liberal [...]/p
Sep 15, 2011 4:33:57 PM

» Democrats Cultivate Fear, Anti-Evangelical Hostility, To Drive Jewish Vote - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

» Democrats Cultivate Fear, Anti-Evangelical Hostility, To Drive Jewish Vote - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

Democrats Cultivate Fear, Anti-Evangelical Hostility, To Drive Jewish Vote

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Posted by     Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 2:03pm
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While a perfect storm allowed Republicans to capture NY-9, possibly the most Jewish congressional district in the country, further progress in gaining Jewish support for GOP candidates will require confronting very different mechanisms than simply emphasizing support for Israel.

As best explained in the book Partisan Hearts and Minds, members of both parties  have similar stereotypes about what sort of people are in each party, and tend to support the party they associate with “people like them.”

Jews identify as religious minorities and with minorities in general, and as such support the party they associate with minorities.  Despite Americans consistently expressing similar levels of favorability towards Jews as Protestants and Catholics, Jews still largely think like oppressed minorities.

This is borne out not only in Jews’ traditional affinity for racial minorities of all kinds (which is of course not a bad thing in itself, and was the source of much heroism in times when other American demographic groups were not nearly as enlightened), but Jews’ high level of affinity for and identification with Muslims.  Recent surveys find that Jews are almost as pro-Muslim as American Muslims themselves, and perceive more anti-Muslim discrimination by Americans than actual Muslims do.

The idea that religious minorities must band together against a hostile Christian majority is a key Democratic talking point for maintaining Jewish support.  As the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC), the leading Democratic Party entity in the Jewish community, recently said in an attack press release on Herman Cain, he allegedly  “proved that generalized attacks on Islam can sweep up Judaism and other religions in their path.”  In response to the King hearings on the potential radicalization of American Muslims, the NJDC said:

“Representative Peter King’s upcoming hearings regarding ‘The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response’ are truly detrimental – detrimental because they target and single out one community, solely based on its religious affiliation. American Jews – and all Americans concerned about the rights of religious minorities, upon which this country was founded – should be deeply troubled about the chilling effect calling out Muslims through a congressional hearing can and will have on religious tolerance.”

Even Gallup (well, Gallup Abu Dhabi) has gotten into the act, claiming that those who express “a great deal” of prejudice against Jews have a high likelihood of also being prejudiced against Muslims.  The problem: it is a simple matter to calculate the former group consisted of about 10 people  surveyed, rendering their findings transparently meaningless.

The flip side of Jewish affinity for Muslims is a deep-seated fear of Evangelical and/or fundamentalist Christians, who used to, but no longer, display a highly elevated prevalence of anti-Semitism.  Jews express high levels of hostility and negative affect towards Evangelical Christians, Christian fundamentalists, the Religious Right, and other formulations of that general set of groups.

A 2003 Pew survey found that 42% of Jews felt antagonistic towards Evangelical Christians.  The 2004 American National Election Study found that Jews on average rated fundamentalist Christians a 30 out of 100 on a feeling thermometer (how warm or cold the respondent feels towards a group, with 50 being neutral). In the same survey, pro-life conservative Republican Evangelical or fundamentalist Christians rated Jews an average of 82, compared to rating Catholics an 80. In a survey sponsored by the NJDC, 90% of Jews rated Evangelicals below 50 on a feeling thermometer, and a study based on that survey found that “Negative attitudes toward evangelicals played a central role in keeping Jewish voters in the Democratic fold.”

Additionally, Jews perceive very high levels of anti-Semitism among Evangelical Christians, (falsely) thinking it higher than any other group surveyed except Muslims.

Stoking this hostility is key to traditional Jewish Democratic strategies.  On Monday, I gave a personal account of one such outrage committed by then-NJDC-president and now Obama campaign Jewish Outreach Chair Ira Forman.  But his statement was a talking point, not an isolated outburst.  Then-DNC chair Howard Dean said Democrats

“believe that Jews should feel comfortable in being American Jews’ without being constrained from practicing their faith or be compelled to convert to another religion”

staking out the position that Democrats’ are the only thing standing in the way of Republicans enacting forced conversions and denying Jews the right to practice their religion.

A look at the NJDC web site’s issue sections makes their strategy clear.  While Israel (and a couple “Other” categories and one about misuse of the Holocaust left over from a general campaign against Glenn Beck) is a specific topic, the others are “Separation of Church and State,” “Woman’s Issues,” and “Reproductive Rights.”  Much of their focus is on social issues that can be tied into hostility towards religious Christians.  Press releases attacking each significant GOP presidential contender as scary promoters of religious bigotry or friends of religious bigots are of course included.

True, Jewish social liberalism and hostility towards religious conservatives form a chicken-and-egg feedback loop that cannot easily be disentangled with observational statistics, but political disagreement need not lead to hostility.  Those same right-wing Christians described above who rated Jews an 82 on the feeling thermometer gave liberals a 30 and Democrats a 26.  Political disagreement need not lead to hostility.  Additionally, the fact that feelings towards Evangelicalspredict vote choice independent of social views suggest that these feelings are directly affecting behavior.

Jews on average are wrong about where they fit into the pattern of affinities among American groups.  Surveys consistently find that minorities are far more anti-Semitic than whites, and that either there is no difference between the parties in levels of anti-Semitism, or Democrats are more anti-Semitic, or Democrats are more anti-Semitic, but probably because more of them are minorities.  Anti-Semitism among Evangelical, fundamentalist, or Religious Right Christians has mostly faded away, going from prevalent in the 1970′s, to maybe slightly elevated or maybe not depending on how you look at it in the mid-1990s, to either equal to or lower than the general population soon after. A Pew survey of Evangelical leaders worldwide finds that their views towards Jews are essentially identical to their views towards other Christian denominations, even though they perceive Jews as less friendly to them.

While Anti-Semitism in America is far from eliminated, American Jews, for the most part, have made it.  Although some level of hate crimes and other serious prejudice does exist, for what others think of them, Jews for the most part might as well be a type of white ethnic that practices their own denomination of Christianity.  This is not to say that Jews should suddenly develop hostility towards minorities or join Team White Racists, but merely that having largely achieved in-group status, it is beneficial to shake off the fears and hostilities that scholars know to arise from marginalization and insecurity.

Instead, Jews often think of themselves as under siege by a hostile religious majority, a misconception actively promoted by the Democratic Party for enormous political gain.  Not only the occasional act of genuine anti-Semitism but prevalent and generally well-meaning misunderstandings – such as incidents where many Jews feel public Christianity is actively oppressing them while many Christians don’t understand why their religious expressions are being restricted – contribute greatly to the Democrats’ false narrative.

Ending the Democratic near-monopoly on the Jewish vote means Jews feeling as safe in America as they really are.  How best to do this, I am unsure, but it probably requires promoting interfaith understanding, friendly discussion of non-hostile conflict, and the healing of old wounds, as well as responding with indignant fury to Democratic slander.  Democrats love to accuse Republicans of secretly trying to mobilize their base with coded appeals to prejudice.  Perhaps it is time to return the favor.

Sep 15, 2011 2:46:37 PM

PANIC SETS IN… Team Obama Passes Out Talking Points to Prove They Really Like Israel | The Gateway Pundit

PANIC SETS IN… Team Obama Passes Out Talking Points to Prove They Really Like Israel | The Gateway Pundit
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Do you remember when Jesse Jackson said that under Obama Jews would lose all of their clout?
He was right.

(Top left clockwise) Barack and Michelle Obama and radical Leftist anti-Israel Professor Edward Said at a May 1998 Arab community event in Chicago at which Edward Said gave the keynote speech. (Bill Baar’s West Side), Former PLO operative and close friend of the Obama’s Rashid Khalidi, Barack Obama and his racist minister Jeremiah Wright, and close terrorist friend William Ayers.

In September 2010 the Obama Administration even joined in the UN’s ban of Israel.

U.S. Ambassador Eileen Donahoe and First Secretary Mark Cassayre, Geneva, attend a UN meeting on September 15, 2010 despite the fact that Israel was banned from the meeting. (EYE on the UN)

So, it’s no secret that Barack Obama is the most anti-Israel president in US history. But now that democrats lost a crucial race in a Jewish-dominated district and with an election coming up in a year the Obama Administration is passing out talking points on how much they appreciate Israel.


The New York Times reported:

Not since Jimmy Carter in 1980 has a Democrat running for president failed to win a lopsided majority of the Jewish vote. This has been true during times of peace or war, and even when there has been deep acrimony between the White House and the Israeli government.

Republicans see a chance to change that in 2012, with President Obama locked in a tense relationship with Israel’s leaders and criticized by many American Jews as being too tough on a close and favored ally. Tuesday’s Republican upset in New York’s Congressional election, they say, is a sign of bad things to come for Mr. Obama.

Sensing trouble, the Obama campaign and Democratic Party leaders have mobilized to solidify the president’s standing with Jewish voters. The Democratic National Committee has established a Jewish outreach program. The campaign is singling out Jewish groups, donors and other supporters with calls and e-mails to counter the Republican narrative that Mr. Obama is hostile to Israel.

Among those efforts is a multi-page set of talking points circulated last Friday with the title, “President Obama’s Stance on Israel: Myths vs. Facts.” David Axelrod, a close Obama adviser, has sent e-mails to Jewish voters, pointing them to a speech by the Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, praising Mr. Obama and saying he had deepened the military cooperation between the United States and Israel.

And the White House is drawing attention to recent expressions of gratitude from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israelis after Mr. Obama intervened last Friday to help prevent violence after a mob attacked the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, threatening the Israeli diplomats inside.

 
Sep 15, 2011 10:25:08 AM

09/13/2011

New York's Jewish 9th Congressional District cannot stomach the same anti-Israel, Hamas and Iran enabling, apologist for America, class warfare waging Obama who was endorsed by over 300 Reform Rabbis as a "Stalwart Friend of Israel"

New York's Heavily Jewish and Democrat 9th Congressional District and 90% of Israeli's say 300 far left Rabbis have some apologizing to do...for endorsing Obama claiming they had personal knowledge Obama was a stalwart friend of Israel. And what happened to the promise of the Rabbi's that Obama will promote civil discourse?  What a collection of frauds!

46% say Obama is pro-Palestinian 
Photo by: AP

 http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/14/republicans-trumpet-turners-victory-as-referendum-on-obamas-handling-of-israel-jobs/

 

Voters rebuke Obama in special House elections

Republican Bob Turner addresses supporters during an election night party in New York on Sept. 13. | AP Photo

WHEN WILL THEY APOLOGIZE?

Rabbis for Obama

By Eric Fingerhut · September 9, 2008

 

More than 300 rabbis from across the country and across the denominations are publicly backing Barack Obama for president. According to a press release, Rabbis for Obama is a "grassroots effort" founded by two rabbis from Obama's home state of Illinois, Rabbi Sam Gordon of Wilmette, and Rabbi Steven Bob of Glen Ellyn, and includes prominent figures such as University of Judaism rector Rabbi Elliot Dorf, former Central Conference of American Rabbis president Rabbi Janet Marder and Rabbi Burton Visotzky, professor at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Also on the list, named as one of the organization's vice chairs, is Rabbi Ethan Tucker – stepson of the head of the honorary Senate rabbis for McCain, Joe Lieberman.

The rabbis write that Obama "has been inspired by Jewish values such as Tikkun Olam and the pursuit of justice, and he is deeply committed as well to a civil discourse between opposing arguments." They also note the smear campaign against the Democrat and say "we feel it is our duty as Jewish leaders to fight for the truth and against Lashon Hara."

The full letter and list of signatories is here:

 

Dear Friends:

 

As rabbis who believe that Barack Obama is the best candidate to be President of the United States, we have formed "Rabbis for Obama" as a grassroots organization of rabbis from all movements and backgrounds. We join together to support Senator Obama for President, and we do so in the belief that he will best support the issues important to us in the Jewish community.

Some of us know Senator Obama personally, and we recognize that he has been inspired by Jewish values such as Tikkun Olam and the pursuit of justice, and he is deeply committed as well to a civil discourse between opposing arguments. We also know that Senator Obama will inspire young people, both in the Jewish community and the wider American community, to become more involved in improving this country and repairing the world.

We know that Barack Obama's longstanding, stalwart support for Israel is a testament to his own principles as well as the strong bi-partisan pro-Israel movement in America, and we fear that the attempts by some to use Israel as a wedge issue against him - unjustifiably - is dangerous in that it politicizes the pro-Israel position. Most importantly it has completely distorted Senator Obama's record. With his tough but pragmatic approach to Iran, Senator Obama is in the best position to restore faith in America as a leader in the fight against serious threats to Israel, our allies, and the United States.

Senator Barack Obama inspires in us the hope for an America once more called to its best values. We know him to be a man of incredible integrity, born of a deep and abiding spiritual faith based on the teachings of the Hebrew Prophets, and committed to achieving a world of peace with justice for all people.

We are fully aware that a smear campaign against Senator Obama has been waged in the Jewish community, and we feel it is our duty as Jewish leaders to fight for the truth and against Lashon Hara. Senator Obama has been viciously attacked using innuendoes, rumors, and guilt by association, and we urge our fellow American Jews to judge Senator Obama based on his own record and the clear statements he has made about his personal beliefs and principles. Continuing efforts to defame him and distort his record help perpetuate a deeply disturbing political process in our country.

We hope that the members of the American Jewish community will seek to learn more about the Senator, his story, and his positions on issues. Senator Obama's record and background clearly demonstrate that he shares our commitment to change the direction of this country, both at home and around the globe. Thank you,

Rabbi Sam Gordon, National Co-Chair, Rabbis for Obama Rabbi Steve Bob, National Co-Chair, Rabbis for Obama

Vice- Chairs: Rabbi Rachel Cowan, New York, NY Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus, Homewood, IL Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Steve Foster, Denver, CO Rabbi Dayle Friedman, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Laura Geller, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Don Gluckman, Pikesville, MD Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Wyncote, PA Rabbi Charles Kroloff, Westfield, NJ Rabbi Richard N. Levy, Encino, CA Rabbi Brian Lurie, San Francisco, CA Rabbi Rachel Mikva, Rye Brook, NY Rabbi Jack Moline, Alexandria, VA Rabbi Charles Simon, New York, NY Rabbi David Teutsch, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Burt Visotzky, New York, NY Rabbi Ethan Tucker, New York, NY

Members: Rabbi Jonathan Aaron, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Bruce Abrams, Cleveland Heights, OH Rabbi David Adelson, New York, NY Rabbi Adam M. Allenberg, Mountain View, CA Rabbi Victor Appell, New York, NY Rabbi Stephen A. Arnold, S. Easton, MA Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Omaha, NE Rabbi Larry Bach, El Paso, TX Rabbi Andy Bachman, Brooklyn, NY Rabbi Chava Bahle, Suttons Bay, MI Rabbi Andrew Baker, Washington, D.C. Rabbi Michael Barenbaum, Marin, CA Rabbi Benjy Bar-Lev, Cincinnati, OH Rabbi Lewis Barth, Encino, CA Rabbi Morris Barzilai, New Rochelle, NY Rabbi Elliot Baskin, Greenwood Village, CO Rabbi Renee Bauer, Madison, WI Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh, San Francisco, CA Rabbi Leonard I. Beerman, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Annie Belford, St. Louis, MO Rabbi Karen Bender, Tarzana, CA Rabbi Donald R. Berlin, St. Michaels, MD Rabbi Linda Bertenthal, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Marjorie Berman, Philadelphia PA Rabbi Phyllis Berman, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, Madison, WI Rabbi Michael Birnholz, Vero Beach, FL Rabbi Aaron B. Bisno, Pittsburgh, PA Rabbi Joshua Boettiger, Bennington, VA Rabbi Terry Bookman, Miami, Fl Rabbi Jill Borodin, Seattle, WA Rabbi Neal Borovitz, River Edge, NJ Rabbi Sara Brandes, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Herbert Bronstein, Glencoe, IL Rabbi Lester Bronstein, White Plains, NY Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, New York, NY Rabbi Gustav Buchdahl, Baltimore, MD Rabbi Caryn Broitman, W. Tisbury, MA Rabbi Daniel M. Bronstein, Brooklyn, NY Rabbi Carol Caine Berkeley, CA Rabbi Debra S. Cantor Newington, CT Rabbi Kenneth Chasen, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Steven Chester, Oakland, CA Rabbi Hillel Cohn, San Bernardino, CA Rabbi David J. Cooper, Piedmont, CA Rabbi Julian I. Cook, Denver, CO Rabbi Mychal Copeland, Stanford, CA Rabbi Laurie Coskey, Poway, CA Rabbi Meryl M. Crean, Media, PA Rabbi Menachem Creditor, Berkeley, CA Rabbi William Cutter, Los Angeles, CO Rabbi Eric Cytryn, Harrisburg, PA Rabbi Harry K Danziger, Germantown, TN Rabbi Andrew Davids, Croton On Hudson, NY Rabbi Stanley Davids, Santa Monica, CA Rabbi Jerome Davidson, Kings Point, NY Rabbi Eliezer Diamond, Teaneck, NJ Rabbi Fred Dobb, Bethesda, MD Rabbi William Dreskin, Greenburgh, NY Rabbi Renee Edelman, South Orange, NJ Rabbi Amy Eilberg, St. Paul, MN Rabbi Bruce Elder, Highland Park, IL Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Shira Koch Epstein, Brooklyn, NY Rabbi Daniel Fellman, East Brunswick, NJ Rabbi Brian Field, Denver CO Rabbi Daniel Fink, Boise, ID Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Alan Flam, Barrington, RI Rabbi Nancy Flam, Northampton, MA Rabbi Ellen Flax, New York, NY Rabbi Michael Friedland, South Bend, IN Rabbi Joan S. Friedman, Wooster, OH Rabbi Marsha Friedman, Elkins Park, PA Rabbi Ronne Friedman, Brookline, MA Rabbi Stacy Friedman, San Rafael, CA Rabbi Randy Fleisher St. Louis, MO Rabbi Serena Fujita, Lewisburg, PA Rabbi Jack S. Gabriel, Sonoma, CA Rabbi Ruth Gais, Summit, NJ Rabbi Hillel Gamoran, Seattle, WA Rabbi Robert T. Gan, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Rachel Gartner, Montclair, NJ Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb, New York, NY Rabbi Jonathan Gerard, Easton, PA Rabbi Gary Gerson, Oak Park, IL Rabbi Gordon Gladstone, Bayonne NJ Rabbi Miriyam Glazer, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Steve Glazer, Herndon, VA Rabbi Mark Glickman, Woodinville, WA Rabbi Arnie Gluck, Skillman, NJ Rabbi Shai Gluskin, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Rosalind Gold, Reston, VA Rabbi Gerald A. Goldman, Holyoke, MA Rabbi James Stone Goodman, St. Louis, MO Rabbi Joseph Goldman, Denver, CO Rabbi Andrea Goldstein, St. Louis, MO Rabbi Jerrold Goldstein, Sherman Oaks, CA Rabbi Jeffrey W. Goldwasser, Williamstown, MA Rabbi Stephen Goodman, Garden City, NY Rabbi Donald Goor, Tarzana, CA Rabbi Seth William Goren, Washington, DC Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater, Pasadena, CA Rabbi Alan Greenbaum, Grass Valley, CA Rabbi C. Michelle Greenberg, Northfield, IL Rabbi David Greenspoon, Baltimore, MD Rabbi Suzanne Griffel, Chicago, IL Rabbi Daniel Gropper, Rye, NY Rabbi Susan Grossman, Columbia, MD Rabbi Joshua Gutoff, Brooklyn, NY Rabbi Debra Hachen, Demarest, NJ Rabbi Shoshana Hantman, Katonah, NY Rabbi Maurice Harris, Eugene, OR Rabbi Robert Harris, White Plains, NY Rabbi Alan Henkin, Northridge, CA Rabbi Jeffrey Hoffman, White Plains, NY Rabbi Elliot Holin, Elkins Park, PA Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt, New Haven, CT Rabbi Linda Holtzman, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Margaret Holub, Mendecino, CA Rabbi Abie Ingber, Cincinnati, OH Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, Woodland Hills, CA Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, Amherst, MA Rabbi Howard L. Jaffe, Lexington, MA Rabbi Jennifer Jaech, Peekskill NY Rabbi Rebecca Joseph, New York, NY Rabbi Bruce Kadden, Tacoma, WA Rabbi Amy Kalmanofsky, New York, NY Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky, New York, NY Rabbi Ben Kamin, Del Mar, CA Rabbi Debra Newman Kamin, Highland Park, IL Rabbi Susan Kanoff, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Ken Kanter, Cincinnati, OH Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann, Palo Alto, CA Rabbi Henry Jay Karp, Davenport, IA Rabbi Mario Karpuj, Sandy Springs, GA Rabbi Nancy Kasten, Dallas, TX Rabbi Jim Kaufman, Valley Village, CA Rabbi David Kay, Orlando, Florida Rabbi Benjamin G. Kelsen, Teaneck, NJ Rabbi Jimmy Kessler, Galveston, TX Rabbi Ralph P. Kingsley, Aventura, FL Rabbi Andrew Klein, Barrington, RI Rabbi Jason Klein, Baltimore, MD Rabbi Jonathan Klein, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Lori Klein, Capitola, CA Rabbi Myriam Klotz, Bala Cynwyd, PA Rabbi Norman Koch, New Milford, CT Rabbi Debora Kohn, Berkeley, CA Rabbi Stephanie D. Kolin, Boston, MA Rabbi Neil E Kominsky, Brookline, MA

Rabbi Sandford Kopnick, Cincinnati, OH Rabbi Ira Korinow, Haverhill, MA Rabbi Allen Krause, Mission Viejo, CA Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, San Francisco, CA Rabbi Noa Kushner, San Anselmo, CA Rabbi Steven Kushner, Montclair, NJ Rabbi Harold Kudan, Glencoe, IL Rabbi Judith Kummer, Roslindale, MA Rabbi Gail Labovitz, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Susan Laemmle, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Lynne Landsberg, Washington, D.C. Rabbi Shira Lander, Baltimore, MD Rabbi Michael Adam Latz, Seattle, WA Rabbi Alan LaPayover, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi William Lebeau, New York, NY Rabbi Morton Leifman, New York, NY Rabbi Michael Lerner, San Francisco, CA Rabbi Carol Levithan, New York, NY Rabbi Charles S. Levi, Deerfield, IL Rabbi Yael Levy, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Joel Levine, Palm Beach Gardens, FL Rabbi Valerie Lieber, Brooklyn, NY Rabbi Rebecca Lillian, Chicago, IL Rabbi John A. Linder, Phoenix, AZ Rabbi Steven Lowenstein, Glencoe, IL Rabbi Jonathan Malamy, White Plains, NY Rabbi Jonathan Z. Maltzman, North Bethesda, MD Rabbi Howard Mandell, Virginia Beach, VA Rabbi Janet Marder, Palo Alto, CA Rabbi Susan Marks, Sarasota, FL Rabbi Simeon Maslin, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi J. Rolando Matalon, New York, NY Rabbi Dennis N. Math, New York, NY Rabbi Gary Mazo, Marstons Mills, MA Rabbi Bernard Mehlman, Brookline, MA Rabbi Shira Milgrom, White Plains, NY Rabbi Bennett Miller, Monroe Township, NJ Rabbi Joshua Minkin, Brooklyn, NY Rabbi Victor Mirelman, River Forest, IL Rabbi Michael A. Monson, West Orange, NJ Rabbi Leon A. Morris, New York, NY Rabbi Jay Henry Moses, New York, NY Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, Tarzana, CA Rabbi Anat Moskowitz, Denver, CO Rabbi Shelly Moss, Sun City, AZ Rabbi Perry Netter, Los Angeles, CA Rabbi Avi S. Olitzky, St. Louis Park, MN Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, New York, NY Rabbi Shaul Osadchey, Houston, TX Rabbi Melinda Panken, Manalapan, NJ Rabbi Julie Pelc, Venice, CA Rabbi Daniel Plotkin, St. Louis, MO Rabbi Dan Polish, Poughkeepsie, NY Rabbi Jeffrey Portman, Iowa City, IA Rabbi Linda Potemken, Wynnewood, PA Rabbi Amber Powers, Philadelphia, PA Rabbi Dan Rabishaw, Northbrook, IL Rabbi Bruce Raff, Woodland Hills, CA Rabbi Avram I. Reisner, Baltimore, MD Rabbi Michael Remson, Kenosha, WI Rabbi Dorothy A. Richman, Berkeley, CA Rabbi Yair Robinson, Holland, PA Rabbi Liz Rolle, Stamford, CT Rabbi Norman Roman, West Bloomfield, MI Rabbi Jack Romberg, Tallahassee, FL Rabbi Carnie Shalom Rose, Creve Coeur, MO Rabbi David Rosenn, New York, NY Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, New York, NY Rabbi Donald B. Rossoff, Morristown, NJ Rabbi Dennis S. 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46% say Obama is pro-Palestinian

By GIL HOFFMAN  
07/16/2010 00:22 

10% of Israelis think president is pro-Israel.

Talkbacks (111)

 

 

 

 

 

US President Barack Obama’s efforts to reach out to the people of Israel last week – when he hosted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for a positive meeting at the White House and gave his first interview as president to an Israeli television station – were not very successful, according to a Smith Research poll for The Jerusalem Post.

When asked whether they saw Obama’s administration as more pro-Israel, more pro- Palestinian or neutral, just 10 percent of Israeli Jews said more pro-Israel, 46% said more pro-Palestinian, 34% said neutral and 10% did not express an opinion.

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The poll of 515 Jewish Israelis, representing a statistical sample of the adult Jewish population, was taken on Monday through Wednesday and had a 4.4 percentage point margin of error.

After Obama’s earlier meetings with Netanyahu were portrayed as adversarial, Obama made a point of treating the prime minister with the utmost respect last week, accompanying him to his car and constantly commending him in particular and Israelis in general during his press conference with Netanyahu on Tuesday, and his interview with Channel 2 anchor Yonit Levy two days later.

 

 

But what was widely described as a “charm offensive” did not immediately sway many Israelis in his favor, the JPost/Smith poll indicates. There was only a 1 percentage point rise in Israelis who consider the US administration headed by Obama to be more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian since the last such poll was taken in March.

The question asked was exactly the same as in four previous polls sponsored by this newspaper since May 2009. The first poll, which was taken before the first Netanyahu-Obama meeting in the White House and Obama’s landmark speech in Cairo in June 2009, found that 31% considered this presidency more pro- Israel and 14% more pro-Palestinian.

The next poll, taken just one month later, found a huge shift, with the proportion calling the Obama administration more pro-Palestinian rising from 14% to 50% and the proportion calling it more pro-Israel falling from 31% to only 6%.

Those calling the Obama presidency more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian fell in August 2009 to a nadir of 4% and rose to 9% in March 2010.

Since then, the latest poll shows, the share who consider this White House more pro-Palestinian fell by 2 percentage points, from 48% to 46%, and those saying it is neutral rose from 30% to 34%.

Respondents who consider themselves right-wing or haredi were more likely to call the Obama administration more pro-Palestinian.

Sixty-eight percent of haredi respondents and 63% of right-wingers gave that response, compared to 46% of the general Jewish population.

Among Likud voters, 52% called the administration more pro-Palestinian and 14% said it was more pro-Israel.

The Jewish Israelis who were mostly likely to respond that the Obama administration was more pro-Israel were those who said they intended to vote for Labor or Meretz in the next election, at 25%, compared to 10% of the general population.

When asked last week by interviewer Levy why he felt Israelis did not believe he had a special connection to their country, Obama blamed it on superficial reasons and ruled out it having anything to do with policies or his behavior.

“Some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is Hussein, and that creates suspicion,” Obama said. “Some of it may have to do with the fact that I have actively reached out to the Muslim community, and I think that sometimes, particularly in the Middle East, there’s the feeling of the friend of my enemy must be my enemy. And the truth of the matter is, is that my outreach to the Muslim community is designed precisely to reduce the antagonism and the dangers posed by a hostile Muslim world to Israel and to the West.”

When Netanyahu was asked why Israelis disliked Obama, in an interview with CBS news anchor Katie Couric last week, Netanyahu said that Israelis did not have all the facts before them like he did.

“Maybe they don’t have the opportunity to have the kind of conversations that I had,” he said. “And maybe they’re not aware also of the ongoing cooperation between Israel and the United States. In the fields of security, intelligence – the fact that the Iron Dome program to protect against missiles is something that has been bolstered by this administration and by this president. We have a common goal to achieve a secure peace. I’m looking forward to working with him to achieve it.”

When Couric followed up by asking why he did not advocate more strongly on Obama’s behalf, Netanyahu replied that he had invited the US president to Israel and that he hoped he would find an appropriate time to come. He predicted that Israelis would start liking Obama “when people get to know him.”

Opposition leader Tzipi Livni this week praised Obama for talking directly to Israelis in the interview with Levy. She blamed the antagonism between Israelis and Obama on Netanyahu, for not taking steps to advance the diplomatic process.

“What has to happen is progress on essential matters, not just a nice photo-op,” Livni told The Jerusalem Post, in her first comments on the meeting. “The US and Israel have the same interests. What Obama said [in the briefing and the interview] was honest, and I am sure the message reached Israelis, despite what the poll says.”

 

 

Sep 13, 2011 11:15:10 PM
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