Barack Obama's Unwavering Support for Israel

"Our job is to renew the United States' efforts to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors while remaining vigilant against those who do not share this vision.... That effort beings with a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel: our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy."

These are the words of Senator Obama, spoken last March at an AIPAC conference in Chicago.

While the Senator's support for Israel is unquestionable and unwavering, there is a right-wing blogger who is spreading falsehoods about Senator Obama's record and remarks on Israel.

In an ideal world, such mud slinging would not require a response. But a political campaign does not make for a utopia. Instead, rapid response to injustice is necessary because, well, Mark Twain said it best: "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."

In the Internet era, that saying may have to change to, "A lie goes to all the inboxes around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."

Consequently, when I saw the blogger's screeds about Senator Obama, I felt compelled to respond. I did wonder, "Who does this blogger support?" It turns out, the blogger is the rare George W. Bush supporter -- such a fan that, in the recent past, he urged all Jews to vote for and support W. I always wondered if I'd meet or hear from one of those 29% of people who still support the President, and folks, we finally found someone who believes George W. is doing a heck of a job.

How does the blogger's right-wing bias impact his screed?

The blogger criticizes Senator Obama for taking on George W. in regards to Iraq and the United Nations. The blogger points out that Senator Obama favors a gradual withdrawal from Iraq, and that he opposed the nomination of John Bolton as our Ambassador to the United Nations. These positions taken by Senator Obama are two big, big positives for me.

The blogger does not stop at impugning Senator Obama's record. He also impugns the Senator's Jewish supporters in the Congress, who, in the opinion of this blogger, support the Senator because, "These Congressmen are well aware that Obama might be the next President-certainly it never hurts to have a friend in the White House."

Rather than spend all of my time (and yours) responding to the character attacks on Senator Obama and his supporters, allow me to point specifically to the Senator's record and remarks.

Senator Barack Obama stood up strongly for Israel's right to defend herself from Hezbollah raids and rocket attacks. Senator Obama insisted that Israel should not be pressured into a ceasefire that did not deal with the threat of Hezbollah missiles.

In the Senator's own words: "It is important to remember that Israel had unilaterally withdrawn from Lebanon only to have Iran supply Hezbollah with thousands of rockets.... When Israel is attacked, we must stand up for Israel's legitimate right to defend itself... And in moments like these true allies do not walk away." The ability to stand up for Israel when many stood up and walked away from her is one reason that I support Senator Obama.

Senator Barack Obama has repeatedly stated his belief that the United States and Israel enjoy a special relationship. In fact, he delivered this message personally to Palestinian students in Ramallah. Senator Obama told them that United States would never - never - distance itself from Israel. The ability to walk into Ramallah and tell people exactly what they do not want to hear is one of the reasons I admire Senator Obama.

Senator Obama has consistently voted for foreign assistance to Israel. Again, in the Senator's own words, "we must preserve our total commitment to our unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and continuing work on the Arrow and related missile defense programs. This would help Israel maintain its military edge and deter and repel attacks from as far as Tehran and as close as Gaza."

Senator Obama has been outspoken in his belief that Iran's President Ahmadinejad is a danger to the world.

But don't take it from me. Here is what Senator Obama has said: "Unfortunately, history has a way of repeating itself. President Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust.... We know the Holocaust was as real as the six million who died in mass graves at Buchenwald, or the cattle cars at Dachau or whose ashes clouded the sky at Auschwitz. We have seen the pictures. We have walked the halls of the Holocaust museum in Washington and Yad Vashem. We have touched the tattoos on loved-ones arms. After 60 years, it is time to deny the deniers."

Senator Obama went on to say that, "In the 21st century, it is unacceptable that a member state of the United Nations would openly call for the elimination of another member state. But that is exactly what he has done. Neither Israel nor the United States have the luxury of dismissing these outrages as mere rhetoric... It is too dangerous to have nuclear weapons in the hands of a radical theocracy... We should take no option, including military action, off the table." Before I became a supporter of Senator Obama, I read his words regarding the existential threat that Iran poses to Israel, and I was comforted to know that his views on Iran comported with mine.

Finally, Senator Obama believes that we must "help Israelis and Palestinians both fulfill their national goals: two states living side by side in peace and security... but in the end, we also know that we should never seek to dictate what is best for the Israelis and their security interests. No Israeli Prime Minister should ever feel dragged to or block from the negotiating table by the United States."

I was very pleased to know that the Senator believes we cannot demand of Israel, but that we can suggest. I have often been taken aback when an American politician believes he or she can tell Israel what to do.

My friends, these are Senator Barack Obama's own words, his own votes, and his deeply held beliefs.

There will always be those who seek to knock him down. That's the world of politics. It is up to us - supporters, and those still undecided - to look at the record for ourselves and determine the truth.

My truth is that Senator Obama is the best candidate for President of the United States, and he is the person in the race most unwavering in his support for Israel.

And so, I am unwavering in my support for him.

Comments

[LizM]

Everytime I read a post about your 'new found' support for Senator Obama, I am tempted to shout out "Traitor!"

Seriously, though...why didn't you offer your speech-writing talents to the Obama campaign...and, where the heck were you when lies and entire national myths were being spun about Joe Biden...hmmmm?

As for unwavering support for Israel...that is not the problem with US foreign policy nor what separtes the candidates, of any political stripe.

The problem is that this support is too often given at the expense of America's Arab allies and friends such as Lebanon. US policy with respect to Lebanon has been nothing short of a disgrace but very typical of what we have come to expect from the Bush administration and his foreign policy team. Talk about a failure to "connect the dots"!

[batguano]

Nice job Matt! You state with conviction why Israel is supported by Barack Obama. I have another view. My point of view is that the Israeli lobby in America has consistently subverted our foreign policy to Israel's supposed advantage and in doing so has caused OUR NATION great harm and loss of honor! The PNAC, the AEI and the AIPAC are all committed to Israeli goals at the expense of American values, trillions of dollars that have been wasted on war and death instead of the needs of OUR CITIZENS! The open ended commitment demanded by the pro-Israel lobby extends right into Obama's issues page and speeches. We will soon pay a further price for this ill advised support for Israeli aggression when they attack Iran and draw us in. So thanks for your support!

And thanks for censoring my earlier comments...that is so very typical of the pro-Israel at any cost crowd.

[tbone99]

Gag! Another Isreali sell out ?

[BaltoAman]

It's a shame that Sen. Obama wants to continue our unconstitutional and misguided alliance with Israel.

Throwing our support (weapons) and money at middle east regimes will only insure that the U.S. remains a prime target for islamic terrorism.

At least one candidate thinks this is a bad idea:
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/articles/252/can-we-achieve-peace-in-the-middle-east/

[charlietuna11]

no american has ever spilled blood because of israel? am i to believe that all those killed on the u.s.s. liberty were killed by syrians,lebanese, or egyptians..what about americans that died in iraq? with americans heavily against the war in iraq, israel is the only country wnose people are still heavily in favour.i worked 12 years for a right of center congressman.a sincerly nice person but terrified of aipac in spite of supporting their agenda 100 percent of the time.we still speak 3 or 4 times a year. even with his support for isreal if he were to support dialogue with iran rather than an attack,that support would end instantly. think i'm kidding?,check it out with any staff person on the hill whose ready to retire and does't fear telling the truth..

[Purple Girl]

So more to the point WE MUST STOP BEING GUIDED BY WHAT IS GOOD FOR ISREALI AND GO BACK TO BEING CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT EFFECTS OUR OWN NATION AND IT'S PEOPLE!

Also anyone who has Duel citizenship must revoke the other when taking PUBLIC OFFICE.
Check out how many Bushies have duel citizenship - Isreali/ American(?). Where is their ALLEGIANCE?

[Purple Girl]

I'm a life long liberal, but I feel it is time to allow Isreal to stand on her own two feet.
Let's be realistic the reason we are in the ME is to defend Isreal- who happens to be able to blow th eshit out of their neighbors pretty much at will. Their army is one of the best in the World!
Frankly I doubt the whole - we must save Isreal. Seems their is alrady a certain 'Piece' in the ME. There is an Alliance- Corporationist who'd like the region to be controlled by the Isreali and the Saudi's (Arab Em). those pesky little nations that what to control their own resources, are the problem. If Our Public Servant continue to play both side against the Middle- the OIL REGIMES WIN!!! Not US, NOT the Citizens of Isreal, nor the lower classes of the Arab Em.WE ALL LOSE!
I have enough faith ( and knowledge of history) to know the Isreali can defend themselves quiet easily.
OUT OF CHAOS COMES ORDER, this is the operative philosophy of the Corporationists

[driven989]

It's quite interesting to notice that the ONLY issue BOTH Republicans AND Democrats ever agree on 100% of the time is the U.S.'s unconditional support for Israel's occupation of Palestinians, and it's violation of countless international and humantiarian laws. Talk about hypocrisy - and we wonder why the world does not take us seriously.

[researcher]

and we need an israel for what reason? do americans actully know what it has cost them to keep israel. we should have given them az would have been cheaper. and the have better business sense than americans.

they stole the land first 4000 years ago and then got kicked out 2000 years ago for being such terrorists with rome and then came back and stole it again 2000 years later.

and the people they stole it from are pissed off. go figure.

they should have been forced to live with the people already there. hope the indians try to kick us out and russia supports the indians. how would we feel? bet we would hate the russians and become terrorists. you think.

[apikores]

This is ironically enough one of the only areas where a lot of his supporters--myself included--feel disappointed and embarrassed for Obama. It is a shame that in order to be considered a mainstream politician every American candidate has to swear to never infringe on Israel's right to kill anyone who looks at it the wrong way or just happens to be in the wrong place in the wrong time or just happens to be Palestinian--women, children, old men in wheelchairs: who cares, they're just shikses and shegetzes anyway. It's not like their lives matter. Incidentally, these commonly used Yiddish words for non-Jews, "sheigetz" and "shikse" for males and females respectively, derive from the Hebrew word "Sheketz" meaning "house lizard or rodent" and have come to mean "abomination" or "that which is loathed or despised." Don't believe me? Think it's just another anti-Semitic myth? Look it up for yourself, or, better yet, ask a rabbi.
It deeply disturbs me to be supporting the same candidate as you, but to be honest, there are no viable American politicans who hold any political opinions regarding Israel other than those of the Likud party. So it doesn't really matter that most Americans, including American Jews like me, think that Israel needs to stop the occupation. It doesn't matter when we look in disgust at a country that accelerates the use of cluster bombs that cause civilian deaths when it knows a conflict is going to end, a country that tortures, bombs, and detains indefinitely anyone who is deemed to be an enemy of Judaism. It doesn't matter when we protest that there is a difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism, because even those who are supposedly willing to speak truth to power and tell people what they don't want to hear, like Barack Obama, have nothing to say about Israel other than the Jabotinskyist-Revisionist Zionist party line that has been regurgitated by AIPAC into the waiting mouths of its infant chicks in the American political establishment.

[Bagger]

Another reason I support this man.

[Marshall Lucky]

So is Obama running to be President of the US or head of the Knesset? Since when does a US president owe any loyalty to a foreign country?

[nycerbarb]

Thanks for this article Mr. Littmann.

What do you think of his foreign policy team: Robert Malley, Susan Rice, Anthony Lake and Zbigniew Brzezinski? Martin Peretz of the New Republic is reported to have said they give him "the shudders."

I wish you included the link to the article you mentioned in your piece. I would like to know what you think about the following article and would appreciate a fisking, if you could.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/barack_obama_and_israel.html

Thanks.

[sonofloud]

Are there any US politicians that don't give Israel whatever it wants???

[SCharb]

Jewish warhawks say he's not pro-Israel enough.
Kucinich-loving nuts say he's too pro-Israel.
...Why can't they cancel eachother out?

.

Barack Obama isn't anti-Israel or pro-Israel. He's pro-peace. Over most of the past few years, Israel has been doing more than its part for peace; thus, Obama has mostly supported them. But if they stop deserving this trust, he'll hold them accountable.
.

As a proud Zionist Jew, let me say that being pro-Peace is better than an unwavering pro-Israel bias. We have to earn America's trust. We shouldn't even want a free pass.