Israeli envoy tells U.S. Jews: Push for Iran sanctions
Michael Oren tells Jewish Federations GA that Goldstone report helps cast doubt on Israel's legitimacy.
By Sara Miller Tags: Iran nuclear Israel newsWASHINGTON, D.C. - Israel's Ambassador to the United States on Sunday told American Jewish groups that they must press for sanctions on Iran, and condemned the findings of a United Nations commission on the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas, which he said helped to "cast widespread doubts about Israel's legitimacy."
Speaking at the opening ceremony for the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America, Michael Oren said that while Israel "is in better geopolitical situation than ever before," it still faces threats, from members of the Palestinian leadership who do not want peace, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and their patron, Iran.
While Israel recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to a state, he said, "we are hard pressed to find Palestinian leaders who say the same thing about us, that there is the Jewish people who have a historical right, an inalienable right to a state in the homeland."
"Israeli withdrawals from Lebanon and Gaza that were reciprocated not with peace but with thousands and thousands of rockets," he said.
"In addition to the terrorists who hide behind their own civilians while firing rockets at Israeli towns and villages, there is a radical Iranian regime that backs those terrorists and vows to wipe Israel off the map; an Iranian regime that is assiduously working to acquire the wherewithal for nuclear weapons."
But, he said, "Israel can and will defend itself? We will fight the terrorists, we will protect ourselves from Iran and we will resist attempts to discredit us."
It is up to American Jewish communities to add Iran to their list of causes, Oren told the conference. Next to the banners by synagogues and Jewish groups protesting the genocide in Darfur and the hunger in Africa, he said, there should also be banners calling for sanctions on Iran, and to "stop the Iranian bomb."
On the UN report into the Gaza fighting, Oren said when Israel tries to defend itself from danger, "much of the world rushes to condemn Israel for committing war crimes, and even crimes against humanity. The condemnation such as that in the so-called Goldstone report cast widespread doubts about Israel's legitimacy."
Oren drew a direct line in Jewish history from "an obscure group of nomads" some three thousand years ago who "came up with the extraordinary notion of the existence of a single God," and who were given a land, to the Jews of post-Holocaust Europe - "a tiny remnant? rising from the ashes of the world's greatest massacre returned to that land, and they reclaimed it."
In that land, Oren said, the people created a "vibrant democracy there, and the first Jewish defense force in 2,000 years," and revived "the language in which God had first spoken to them."
He said Israel was now facing questions about its legitimacy, not only from its traditional enemies but also from young people in the U.S., both Jews and non-Jews.
He told the conference that Israel's ability to withstand the "onslaught of delegitimization" depends on the unity of the Jewish people, not just in Israel, but in communities all over the world.
"Our strength derives from the belief that we have a right to independence in our tribal land, the land of Israel, and that Jews have a right to defend themselves, there and everywhere. That Jews have a right to survive as Jews and as a legitimate nation."
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Activist demonstrates in Washington DC on Sunday. Natasha Mozgovaya |
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God is/was a Hebrew, not an Askenazi colonialist invader. Is that what Mr Oren is telling us? Michael B. Oren - born in upstate New York. A born and raised American.(Wikipedia) Mr Oren writes for the Murdoch owned (right wing) Wall Street Journal! Ho-hum!
I am interested to note that the Israeli envoy said that "the existence of a single God" is "an extraordinary notion" that a group of Nomads "came up with". Did a single God not exist before the nomads? If not what is the justification for Israel? Who's side is this man on?
Your description of Egypt is ill-informed. Backwater in fact sounds like a much smaller country very close by. Egypt have supported Isreal for years, and never got a great deal of it. When they see comments from the likes of you, they must wonder what they hell they're doing associating with Israel at all.
Forget dreams of forcing millions of Arabs into Israel in return for "peace".
Israel has proved to the world that it will not make peace, it will not end the illegal occupations of bla bla bla Not so sure. 1) Nothing illegal in the occupation of territories that are in dispute. Do Not belong to Israel and do not belong to any other. 2) Israel has proved to the world that it abandoned Siani for peace, abandoned Jordanian land in exchange for peace. It abandoned Gaza. Whjo cares for waht reason. The fact is that Hammas transformed a liberated territory into a terrorist state. 3)Israel has accepted partition in 1947, has accepted Clinton proposals in 2000 and Ulmart has offered Abbas with something similar to the Geneva map. Admitted yesterday even by Abbas himself. 4) Israel threatening Iran?? I hope that there are not just threats, and the antisemitic regime will be stripped off nuclear power. Deniers of the holocaust may be farmed as antisemitic? Even critical minds like Habermas would agree on this.
"Actually american dont give a hoot about Iran...." - jc Iran brought down Jimmy Carter and installed Ronald Reagan in the presidency. Iran pissed America off with the Embassy seizure and lots of Americans would love to kick Iran's butt. I most certainly see no advantage for the US or israel in starting a war with Iran, but the Ayatollahs are going to have to shape up if the want out of the dog house.
You are a little too pessimistic about the muslim possibilities in re Israel. What will happen when the majority of Israelis are muslim?
"Actually American Jews and Americans in general will cheerfully support further sanctions against Iran unless Iran.... "starts to comply"... with America`s efforts to develop a better relationship between Iran and the world". Democracy at the point of a gun ah Mark...jeez at thought you were better than those crazy neocons.... Actually american dont give a hoot about Iran....
Yelling her head off. Never heard of the UN partition rejected by the Arabs who chose to steal it all. Well over 80% was not enough for them. "Doomed'? The Arabs have been promising themselves that for decades,especially after each "victory".As did the Communists for decades with the USA.
alter ego of Rahm to Obama is oren to his boss. He should instead be telling same Jews to invest and come to israel.
so, there's the conclusion. Meanwhile Israel has no match in the ME, either for peace or for power.
to the Arabian Gulf. I think Arabs getting well over 80% of the British mandate of Palestine is a fair solution. Why do other Arabs practice apartheid against Palestinian brothers born in their countries? Some things never change.They do not even have the Dhimmi excuse.
He was presenting his case,why should he need to do that?Much easier to comment without letting the facts in the article get in the way.
As the situation in the world has changed; no antisemetism,no racism, and Europe is unified and civilized, I think that the jewish communities can return back to their original countries in Poland, Russia, USA, Morroco...etc and the palestinians could leave the refugee camps to their own houses in Palestine. This could be a fair and peacefull solution.
This belief is not this of all the Jews. Although some believe it according to the Bible, most commentaries take another turn (such as: the challenges to Abraham made him worthy of reward). Besides, Ra was the greatest of Ancient Egypt's many gods (which pantheon was actually much larger, including Isis, Toth and so many others). It is not monotheism. Just for your information, because some culture never hurts.
"Oren`s quote that "an obscure group of nomads `came up with` the extraordinary notion of the existence of a single God" And besides Muhammad who? The Christians? Or the Hebrews who leaned it from Akhnaton? Oops, I did not mean to bring up the fact that Moshe is an Egyptian name.
The Egyptians came up with the idea of a single God before the Hebrews. Better we should ignore history.
For how many more years can Israel pull this propaganda? 100 years more with status quo? What is next???????? Any thought?
...Does Michael Oren believe that thinking breathing adults working this issue have missed the fact that the Likud Charter specifically prohibits a Palestinian state? Does he think we also missed the nice group of conditions on the so-called state that Bibi laid out? Does Michael Oren realize that the adults in the world who have read the Gaza Disengagement Plan recognize the near exact parallels of it compared to Bibi's new conditions for a Palestinian state? Well, we did. Israel has proved to the world that it will not make peace, it will not end the illegal occupations of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, The Golan Heights, Shebaa Farms, North Ghajjar; two countries and a stateless people Israel occupies. And Israel is near daily threatening to attack a country that never threatened it. Something's going to give...
Michael Oren said that...Israel "is in better geopolitical situation than ever before." In what alternate universe is this man living?
telling Jews: remember: Israel first!
Obama first announced he was going to be attending the GA only about 2-3 weeks ago. Miller is making it sound as though the GA was planned around him. Also, the criticism by so-called American Jewish leaders re: Netanyahu didn't help. The big mouthed machers got their Bibi meeting, but forfeited their own with the president. Frankly, as an American Jew, I am glad Obama isn't going to the GA. First, he will be where he needs to be, comforting his (my) own people. Second, whatever he said to the GA that was even mildly critical of Israel would have been attacked by the Israeli and pro-Israel media. Furthermore, anything he would have said that was favorable about Israel would have been blown out of proportion and distorted "nanananana" style to the Muslim world. If he was "parve," neutral and inane, he would have been torn to shreds for that too. Millions of Jewish Americans like me still support Obama, and will continue to do so.
I know I'll get blasted for being picky, but Oren's quote that "an obscure group of nomads 'came up with' the extraordinary notion of the existence of a single God" might be said to lack appropriate "gravitas."
The Ambassador is emphatic in giving American Jews their marching orders. He sounds as if he believes that they MUST obey him regardless of what they feel. Actually American Jews and Americans in general will cheerfully support further sanctions against Iran unless Iran starts to comply with America's efforts to develop a better relationship between Iran and the world. So Mr. Oren's arrogance is not necessarily the proper tone to strike. "He (Oren) said Israel was now facing questions about its legitimacy, not only from its traditional enemies but also from young people in the U.S., both Jews and non-Jews." - Haaretz This problem is caused by the way Israel acts, what it does, and what it says. For example treating American Jews as subordinates who must obey.
Homeboy says: Jews "came up with the extraordinary notion of the existence of a single God," and "were given a land" So, let me get this straight. They "came up with" a single God- i.e. made it up. And then believe that that made-up God gave them something. This is crazy talk. Also, the ancient Egyptians had the idea of monotheism first with Ra.