Shoring up the (Jewish?) Base

JINSA
Report #: 989
21 May '10

Laura Rozen of Politico named names: "Rahm Emanuel has met twice with a group of rabbis, the NSC's Dennis Ross has gone up to the Hill to talk to House Democrats and Senate Dems in recent weeks, the NSC's Dan Shapiro and Ross both spoke at the ADL conference last week, Hillary Clinton keynoted the AJC conference earlier this month, National Security Advisor Jim Jones addressed the Washington Institute for Near East Policy last month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates held an honor guard for visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and Obama hosted Elie Wiesel... Later this month, Obama and the First Lady host a Jewish Heritage event for the first time at the White House... (and) Obama met with some 37 House and Senate Jewish Democrats at the Old Executive Office Building yesterday."

Why?

In parts deliberate and ideological, and in parts amateurish and unintended, friends of Israel have reason to believe the Obama Administration's push for "reformed" relations with Arab and Muslim-dominated countries bodes ill for Israeli security and for the advancement of tolerance and democratic norms in the Middle East. Under the policies of the Obama Administration:

Palestinian-Israeli relations have regressed 17 years back to "proximity talks";

Iran has advanced on multiple fronts;

Turkey has moved away from the West and closer to Iran and Russia;

Syria (with North Korean assistance) has progressed militarily and (with Iranian assistance) reestablished hegemony in Lebanon;

Hezbollah (with Syrian and Iranian assistance) has moved closer to governing Lebanon;

Lebanon has bowed to Syrian, Iranian and Hezbollah ascendance;

Iraq has found itself without American political support for the political reconciliation it needs;

The Gulf States believe they face Iran alone;

Egyptians believe democracy doesn't matter; and

Al Qaeda has advanced in Yemen, Algeria and Somalia and other parts of Africa.

In addition, the Obama Administration has rejoined the UN Human Rights Commission (and didn't object to Iran holding a seat on the UN Committee on the Status of Women) and rejoined the UN Alliance of Civilizations, an openly anti-Israel body that claimed in 2006 that global tensions were driven primarily by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and, relating to the September 11th attacks, referred to "a perception among Muslim societies of unjust aggression stemming from the West."

(Read full report)

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