Friday, October 26, 2012

Is Obama Good for Israel? (Yes!)

While I've always believed Obama is supportive of Israel, and committed to its security, there has been so much animosity towards him from parts of the Jewish community, I decided to look into the matter to make sure I was being objective.  I believe I am.  Here's why:


·       First, is he anti-Semitic?
o   On whether he doesn't like Jews, it would be hard to see how that's true given with whom he has surrounded himself.  Two of his three Chiefs of Staff have been Jewish: Rahm Emanuel, and Jack Lew (who is Orthodox), both strong supporters of Israel. David Axelrod, his chief political advisor, and the person to whom he has most entrusted his re-election, is Jewish
·       Security cooperation
o   "I should tell you honestly that this administration under President Obama is doing in regard to our security more than anything that I can remember in the past." Ehud Barak, Israeli Minister of Defense, CNN Interview, 7/30/12
o   In 2010 Obama and Netanyahu worked closely together on secret negotiations to strike a deal with Syria.  “The fertile and close cooperation between the Obama administration and Netanyahu's government defined a peace process that was leading the Syrians to a strategic divorce from Iran and Hezbollah.”  In Praise of Netanyahu, Haartez, 10/15/12.
o   There has been an unprecedented, sustained and highly risky cooperation between U.S. and Israel on use of cyberweapons to sabotage Iran’s nuclear facilities.  See Obama Order Sped Up Wave of Cyberattacks Against Iran, New York Times, 6/1/12
·       Opposition to unilateral Palestinian statehood
o   Obama blocked attempt by Palestinians to achieve member status in the United Nations
·       Negotiating from 1967 borders
o   Obama explicitly recognized need for land swaps to accommodate settlements, a point not acknowledged in Netanyahu’s criticism.
o   This is not so much a change in policy as a public statement of what the policy has been under both Clinton and George W Bush. Some analysts believe it was a tactical move to lure Palestinians back into negotiations, and pre-empt their move for statehood recognition. In 2008 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel made a similar proposal to Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority.
o   Obama’s policy statement was delivered in a much broader context which was critical of Arab governments, critical of Palestinian’s move for statehood recognition in UN and critical of the unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas.
o   See 5/19/11 and 5/22/11 New York Times articles for further analysis
·       Is the Obama administration “pro-Israel” or “anti-Israel”?
o   Long-standing supporters of Israel believe Obama’s actions and statements attest to his support of Israel, without requiring him to agree with every Israeli policy or action.  “I already knew that President Obama would never forsake the Jewish state, its security and its people. His record of performance is crystal clear and the charlatans cannot change that.” Edgar Bronfman, former president World Jewish Congress. Op-Ed: Obama has helped make Israel safer, JTA, 7/22/12.
o   “If Obama were “anti-Israel” he would not have approved the largest military aid going to Israel, he would not have authorized his U.N. representative to block Palestinian statehood and fight delegitimization, and he would not have worked with Israel and Europe to impose sanctions on Iran that are now crippling the Iranian economy.”  Daily Beast Op-Ed, 10/17/12
o   It’s easy to find facts to support one view or the other; even administrations that were considered “pro-Israel” have done things contrary to what Israel or its strongest defenders believed were right.
§  In 1981, the “pro-Israel” Reagan administration disregarded Israel’s strident objections and sold cutting-edge AWACS aircraft to Saudi Arabia.
§  The “anti-Israel” Carter administration was the first to give Israel billions of dollars in US foreign aid.
§  Clinton, among the most “pro-Israel” presidents ever, pressed Israel far more than his predecessors to make concessions on the Golan Heights and territories within the West Bank.
§  George W. Bush administration imposed harsh defense-related sanctions on Israel in an attempt to coerce the latter into firing then-director general of the Ministry of Defense Amos Yaron.
·       Iran, and its nuclear ambitions
o   Obama has made this a U.S. national security issue, not just an issue of protecting Israel, thus fundamentally changing the context.  “Preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon isn’t just in the interest of Israel, it is profoundly in the security interests of the United States,” Obama told the Atlantic.
o   Netanyahu himself said that sanctions appeared to be having an effect and, with threat of US military action, could succeed.  Israel Says Sanctions Hurt, New York Times, 1/13/12
o   Obama has been much more successful than Bush in getting international sanctions put in place, with the European Union enacting a complete embargo of Iranian oil imports.  “The round of penalties that come into full effect on Sunday, some historians say, represent one of the boldest uses of oil sanctions as a tool of coercion since the United States cut off oil exports to Japan in 1940.”  U.S. Bets New Oil Sanctions Will Change Iran’s Tune, New York Times, 6/30/12
·       Assistance to Egypt
o   “American and Israeli officials, including Michael B. Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, have sought to assure members of Congress that assistance [to Egypt] should proceed, despite reservations about the Muslim Brotherhood’s political rise. They have argued that persistently high unemployment, especially among women and young people, could undermine Mr. Morsi’s government, causing further instability in Egypt and beyond.”  To Back Democracy, U.S. Prepares to Cut $1 Billion From Egypt’s Debt, New York Times, 9/3/12
·       Hasn’t visited Israel since becoming President
o   George W. Bush didn’t visit Israel until seventh year in office
o   Ronald Regan never visited Israel
·       Obama dissed Netanyahu to French President Sarkozy
o   Not defensible, but Obama is not alone; Clinton made little secret of his disdain for the way Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu frequently backtracked on his promises.
·       Romney’s position on Israel policy
o   It’s easy to make pronouncements to curry favor, especially when merely as a candidate, repercussions are limited. Romney has no foreign policy record to stand on, so what he will or will not do with respect to Israel is unknown.
o   “Rabinovich [Israel ambassador to U.S. in 1990’s] said that Romney as president would have to take into account a broader set of factors and interests and would likely strike positions on settlements and on Iran that are very close to Obama’s.” Daily Beast, 7/27/12

No comments: