· 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
