Israeli Daily Denounced by French Government for Attack on Obama
JERUSALEM --- Conservatives the world over are getting nervous as November 4th draws nigh.
A last-ditch attempt by the Israeli hawks to trash Barack Obama has appeared in the respected daily Haaretz, which has been noticeably tilting right in the past few months. An anonymously sourced news item echoed the latest volley of television ads by John McCain, faulting Obama for his diplomatic stance toward Iran. Between the lines, lurked the unspoken caveat: Barack your world and we Israelis get nuked.
Citing alleged insider knowledge of talks conducted between Obama and French President Sarkozy, Haaretz's front page story berated the U.S. Democratic candidate as "utterly immature":
Sarkozy has made his criticisms only in closed forums in France. But according to a senior Israeli government source, the reports reaching Israel indicate that Sarkozy views the Democratic candidate's stance on Iran as 'utterly immature' and comprised of 'formulations empty of all content.'
Obama visited Paris in July, and the Iranian issue was at the heart of his meeting with Sarkozy. At a joint press conference afterward, Obama urged Iran to accept the West's proposal on its nuclear program, saying that Iran was creating a serious situation that endangered both Israel and the West. According to the reports reaching Israel, Sarkozy told Obama at that meeting that if the new American president elected in November changed his country's policy toward Iran, that would be 'very problematic.'
Putting these words into the mouth of the French President, who like most Gallic statesmen ranks diplomacy as a French art as elevated as its cuisine, perhaps was intended as punishment for Obama's 'presumptious foreign tour' this summer when he advocated negotiating with America's adversaries. But the Haaretz strategy backfired rather quickly. A crisp diplomatic communiqué from the French embassy in Washington flung the cold freedom fries back in the face of the nameless rumor-mongers:
The remarks attributed by the newspaper Haaretz to the President of the French Republic concerning Senator Obama's positions on Iran are groundless. To the contrary, the in-depth discussions between the President of the Republic and Senator Obama on Iran during their meeting in Paris in July demonstrated a broad convergence of views on this issue. President Sarkozy and Senator Obama agree to oppose Iran's development of a military nuclear capability.
Furthermore, Sarkozy has said that France ought to worry more about tensions between Iran and Israel than between Iran and the United States, and has urged neighbors to ramp up sanctions against Tehran.
One can only conclude that Israeli hawks view a McCain administration as an extension of the sweet deal they had under George W Bush. For the past eight years, the US offered scant criticism of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and very little pressure to adhere to a 'roadmap' or even the gentle Annapolis nudge towards conflict resolution. The nags of Condoleezza Rice during her more than 20 diplomatic shuttles to the Holy Land resulted in very little substantial action. Israeli expansion was emboldened, and even the lame duck Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has despaired belatedly that he allowed too many "facts on the ground" to go unchecked. Now it appears that under Barack Obama, the Israeli right may fear that "No, we can't."
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If you look at the distances you would realize that Israel can't hit Iran without getting the green light from Washington. Which a president Obama would never do. What amazes me here is that you people are so blinded by your anti-Israel outlook that you don't see that Iran, having nukes, would be a bad thing.
Why hasnt W given the green light then?
If the Israeli's are so concerned with their own security, why doesnt the Israli military attack and destroy the Irans nuclear facilities.
It doesnt take rocket science to figure that one out.
Or are the Israeli's embroiled in a public relations campaign for the benefit of the Republicans.
What has W done to end Irans nuclear capability.
Answer -NOTHING
And so will McCain do NOTHING.
What happened to the cowboy BRING IT ON posture from the Republicans that made the US military over-estimate its capabilities and fall into another persons TRAP.
I am a little stupid and very confused..
How about the "extremists white power" base of the republican party?
Are they in favor of a Israel state or a Palestine one???
Would be about religion, color of skin, costumes..
Changing notes...
How about the French? are they still wrong for refusing to embark in a false war???
Can I use French's mustard now???
Excuse moi but one thing is to give a credit to our government, another is to believe that been stupid and uneducated is something to be proud as "we" invoke patriotism.
I am voting for Obama as President. I believe a President of this great country is responsible to insure the safety of America and America has to come first. I'm not voting for him because one should believe he must be a strong supporter of Israel. Maybe, just maybe, if Israel would return land to Palestinians that is rightfully theirs, then maybe we can see some peace. I realize in our media, anything positive regarding Palestine or negative regarding Israel is never seen on major networks. Fortunately, I have international channels that causes me to realize we are not always given true facts about the mid-east. We do need a change and hopefully, we will stop providing foreign aid to all countries around the world and take care of America as it should.
I'm continually amazed at the amount of outright lying that conservatives do.
I was brought up to respect the truth; not only as a personal standard, but as a cultural imperative. If we want to live in an enlightened world, we cannot employ forces (falsehood) that inherently combat the truth. How can any citizen hold good faith in their dealings with other people or with our government, when experience has shown them that they can't trust those other parties?
In an atmosphere of truth and respect, people can accomplish amazing things. But remove the trust factor, and every person has to protect their own interests in even the most basic of ways; which leaves little energy for creating or improving things. Conservatism regularly trumpets the creativity of the market, and of entrepreneurs; but without a basic level of trust, neither the market, nor any businessperson, could or can create new value... as we've discovered (yet again) in the midst of this lending crisis.
If Israeli hawks want us to continue to take them seriously, they'd better check back with their rabbis and review the definition of the "truth."
Truth is not part of the equation: self-serving interest's are. Thankfully there are some who speak out out against this lock-step obsession.
I am not totally surprised.
Excellent post. Very well said. Loss of the trust factor is a big issue right now in the markets, as you said. You cannot induce people to invest in your ideas or your bank if you have lost your reputation for integrity.
Polls suggest that two-thirds plus of Israelis want their government to negotiate with Hamas without preconditions. Obama has stated that the US under an Obama administration would not negotiate with Hamas (regardless of their democratic mandate) unless that organisation first renounce terrorism.
This rather suggests that if Obama were an Israeli he would be well on the side of the hawks.
Israeli hardliners have little to fear from an Obama presidency. The Israel lobby (dominated, ironically, by apocalypti
Oh didn't ya know, McCain and Sarkozy are pals. He, McCain even tried to pick a running mate who resembles Sarkozy's wife, Carla. Look at a picture of Carla Bruni and Palin.
Sarkozy...
OBAMA-BIDEN
Misplaced grrrrh...
Sarkozy was visibly beaming with excitement to host Obama on his visit, and has his fingers crossed (figuratively) that O will be our 44th. As are most countries in Europe and across the world.
SMARTiES 'o8!
Carla Bruni is the epitome of class and sophistication. You can hardly compare the two. It's like saying Dom Perignon and Boone's Farm resemble each other.
The Israeli "Right" was complicitous in getting us into the situation we now face in Iraq. Which, in turn, has emboldened Iran. If Israel spent more time coming to a fair accommodation with the Palestinian people instead of manipulating US foreign policy to support their own, selfish wishes, we would all live in a safer and less violent world.
US support for Israel should be appreciated, not expected. And the price for that support should be a more evenhanded approach by Israel to the problems its own has created for those who were dispossessed in the process.
Superbly said. Excellent.
It's the Jews who are naive regarding the McPalin candidacy. McCain had the option of choosing his good Jewish friend - Joe Lieberman, but instead chose a right wing Pentecostal conservative Christian. McCain was clearly pandering to the Christians while trying to look like he was a friend to the Jews.
If the right wing Christian conservatives controlling the Republican party could replace all of the Jews in Israel with Christians, they would do so in a heart beat. This is another chapter in the crusades, and the right wing Christians want the Holy Land back.
Wow. Even the "conservatives" in Europe lie about Obama.
I think it's the Likud thugs in Israel who lied this time. Haaretz simply hoped they would get away with it. Too bad. Usually I like them - and they have a more balanced view of the Israeli conflict than some American papers.
No, Sarkozy defended Obama. It's the Israeli right that's LYING.
What kind of crap emanates from Ha'aretz!? The 17 surprise inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities by the IAEA reveal no, repeat no, diversion of any nuclear materials from the legitimate civilian nuclear power program allowed by the NNPT (Art. IV). The Israeli militarists have demonized Iran when Iran poses no threat to the US or even to Israel!
Obama is a supporter of Israel
Now he is. This is the same guy who thinks the EU is a country...
Compared to McCain who thinks Spain is an aggressive adversary?
Cheese, the EU IS a country; it has common Citizenship,no internal borders, a parliament, a common curreny - UK excepted- , common foreign affairs collegiate, etc. etc. It is n o less a "country" than these United States with 50 State Governments.
best thing would be for Iran to nuke up. this would stabilize the region in a mutually assured destruction kind of scenario. they have enemies on either side of them, so I dont really blame them for wanting to increase their defense/offense. i think its pretty pathetic the US is ok with Israel having nukes when they show their willingness to invade other countries on a whim and attack visciously, knowing no one can touch them because the US has their back. but we are supposed to almost go to war in an attempt to not let Iran proceed with its sovereign right to have a nuclear program. there is no way the US would ever go to war with Iran. Or russia for that matter. and Israel should stop stirring the pot constantly.
Couldn't agree more.
An Educated American is a Threat to Foreign interest Hawks.
AMERICA FIRST!.AME
LET FREEDOM RING.
Some while ago British Conservative politician Boris Johnson (now Mayor of London) argued that the West should assist Iran in acquiring nuclear arms in return for democratic reform in Iran, reasoning, as you do, that, once Iran was armed, the MAD scenario actually helps stabilises the Middle East, and we have the benefit of a more democratised Iran with which it should be easier to normalise international relations, plus offering a practical demonstration that the US is not the dog in the manger that much of the rest of the world sees it as being. He was forced to backtrack, but, to my mind, it remains one of the most intelligent proposal made in the face of the current world situation.
Good for the French to speak up and correc the quote. Last night I ate french fries, not freedom fries.
See, I'm mending fences.
I know this may be a bad thing for "some" Americans, but Sarkozy actually loves Obama, and would really like to see him win. The European Conservative parties, are nothing like the Republi CONS in the US.
To agree with other posts: Haaretz is considered on the left of center in Israel and the actual right considers it openly leftist as it runs many anti-occupation, sympathetic to Palestinian pieces and employs left wing journalists like Amira Hass. It has a tendency, however, to pick up stories and run them without the journalistic back comment we find in many US papers. That is, you might read the most outlandish things, right or left, presented without comment as though "Well, it might be true so we'll run it and let the chips fall."
As the French Embassy said, "The remarks attributed by the newspaper Haaretz ...". It's their front page story, they own it.
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