Obama's Jewish minefield is Israel's bomb
The damage caused by the Netanyahu government to this core support of American Jews is no better than the threat of a nuclear Iran.
By Akiva EldarIn an overtly self-deprecating comment last week during a meeting with Jewish congressmen, U.S. President Barack Obama said he had stepped on a few mines as he took his first steps in the Middle East. The delegation left the White House assuaged, feeling perhaps that a president who has been hurt by mines would be wary of much bigger bombs. It appears that the Obama administration has realized that it will not succeed where its predecessors have failed. If no peace with the Arabs emerges from the president's initiative, why should he fight with the Jews? When Republicans are threatening to take over the House of Representatives in six months, it's not so bad if the Israeli occupation continues for another 43 years.
Obama's efforts to woo Jewish politicians are like our secular politicians who make a pilgrimage to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. The meeting with the congressmen was preceded by one with Elie Wiesel - his dinner with the president after the Nobel peace laureate called on the administration to remove Jerusalem from the negotiations. Also, two senior members of the National Security Council at the White House were sent to calm the leadership of the Anti-Defamation League. And White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel held private talks with a group of concerned rabbis. All went home pleased; they were promised that Obama would not pressure Benjamin Netanyahu's government to give back land. In simpler words: They don't want peace; there is no need for it.
It's possible that Obama's withdrawal from his vision of peace ("when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims .... It is time for these settlements to stop .... T he continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza does not serve Israel's security," Cairo address, June 4, 2009 ) will open the purses of a handful of Jewish donors to his party. However, it's not at all certain that a business-as-usual approach toward a right-wing government in Israel will improve Obama's lot among Jewish voters . The vast majority of them are not interested in the ethnic origin of their congressmen. Very few know the names of the Jewish congressmen who are being presented to them by Obama and his aides.
In his flight out of the Middle Eastern minefield, the U.S. president stepped on a homemade mine. He failed to address the steady weakening of the link between the Jewish community in the United States and the Jewish community in Israel. The vast majority (78 percent ) of Jewish voters voted for Obama and Democratic candidates for Congress. Peter Beinart, who comes from an Orthodox Jewish family, describes in the New York Review of Books the growing alienation of American Jews from the Zionist idea. These are mostly the young ones.
Beinart, an associate professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York, writes that particularly "in the younger generations, fewer and fewer American Jewish liberals are Zionists; fewer and fewer American Jewish Zionists are liberal." Beinart notes that in 2008 the student senate at Brandeis University (where half the students and most donors are Jewish ) rejected the idea of commemorating the 60th anniversary of Israel's independence.
Obama's Jewish camp is not buying the message of the poor weakling that the right wing is selling with some success in the local market. A Jewish student at Princeton feels greater affinity to his Muslim classmates than to Effi Eitam, Netanyahu's public-relations messenger to U.S. university campuses who is calling for the eviction of Arab MKs from the Knesset. A Jewish lawyer in Los Angeles doesn't see which justice serves as the basis for throwing a Palestinian family, refugees from the Jerusalem neighborhood of Katamon, out of their home in Sheikh Jarrah, only to put in their place settlers from the extreme right. The Jewish lecturer in Boston finds it hard to explain to his children why Israelis prevented his colleague, Prof. Noam Chomsky, from speaking at Bir Zeit University.
Unfortunately, Obama's mine is our bomb; over the years, U.S. Jewry has become one of the Zionist movement's most strategic assets.
This influential community's link to the historic homeland and its influence on centers of power in the United States is one of the cornerstones of Israel's deterrence. The damage caused by the Netanyahu government to this core support of American Jews is no better than the threat of a nuclear Iran.
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U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting in the U.S. in January 2010. |
| Photo by: (GPO) |
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I don't know about poll numbers but I do also see that the Netanyahu government is losing liberal Jewish support at an alarming rate. Its certainly losing mine. I'm disgusted and every new utterance by Leiberman pushes me further and further away.
... is America viewed as reliable ally. The countries of the Middle East are all scrambling for a bite of the nuclear apple. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman,Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Libya have all announced nuclear initiatives since Obama took office. More nuclear material in more hands should be more worrisome than a new village on a hilltop. For Jews and non-Jews alike.
He looks as weak as his actions. First, he hammers Israel, then, he apologizes via Rahm for 'screwing up.' Adios Obama.
Mr. Eldarm you may know something about Israel, even if your views are strikingly dissonant from those of a majority of Israeli voters. But your undertanding of the USA is presumptuously ignorant. Those of us from Chicago know that Obama shares the al-Naqba perspective of his mentors like Rashid Khalidi and Rev. Wright. Masking his core views for reasons of realpolitik in the campaign, he took many actions early in his tenure which revealed his disdain for Israel. The informed sherit of US Jews who understand pushed back, as Obama's Jewish support fell from an appalling 78% to a more rational 50%. The AIPAC-organized letters from 76 senators & 329 congressmen had impact. Of late, Obama has had to retreat from extreme anti-Israeli positions and go on a charm agenda. Of course, it's not over and vigilance is required. Mr. Eldar, take it from an informed Chicaogoan: Obama would sell out the security of you and your children in an eyelash if not watched & resisted. Netanyahu deservies several yasher koachs for negotiating this minefield. Peter Beinart is less representative of the views of our community than you and Ilan Pappe are about the views of a majority of Israelis.
Resolution 242 reaffirms the "inadmissability of the acquisition of territory by war" and therefore calls on "withdrawal of IDF from territories occupied in the recent conflict". In 1967, before the war, these territories were occupied by Jordan who since has washed its hands off them. The legitimate custodian of these territories is the PA to whom these territories must be returned. Once that happens, the PA will declare the independence of a Palestinian state which, according to 242 is entitled to its "territorial integrity and political independence". Any questions???
What does this tell you of Eldar's outlook and audience? Eldar has no respectability outside of these extreme circles.
I absolutely don't agree with this article. The author fails to mention recent reliable polling which shows that only 42% of Jewish voters would vote for Obama again, while 46% would vote for "anyone" besides Obama. The fact is that Obama lied through his teeth about support for Israel in the months leading up to the election. Jewish Americans like myself who knew better tried to warn people, but were written off as "paranoid alarmists". Now, most Jews I meet who voted for Obama regret doing so. There is, of course, a significant minority of Jewish Americans who are not supportive of Israel. Having been involved in Israel advocacy for more than a dozen years myself, anecdotally, I would guess this represents about 30% of Jews here. This number is still too high, but the solid majority of Jews still support Israel. The problem for many Jews here is that they don't have the information or the self-confidence to be any more than "closet" supporters of Israel, so they don't speak out, and go unnoticed by people such as Akiva Elder. Netanyahu is very popuiar not only among Jews here, but also among non-Jewish supporters of israel. We see him as the right mat at the right time. What a disaster if Livni had gotten in! Maybe the editorial staff of Haaretz does not agree, but most who support Israel here see Netanyahu as the best hope for Israel right now in standing up to Obama, who is nothing but an Islamist apologist, a stooge for the Saudi agenda.
The leftists from spain to australia to u.s are getting crushed in the polls. Obama will be in a few years yesterday's news. He is going to get humiliated in 2010. He took the election in 2008 as some mandate for liberal utopia which it wasn't and the dems couldn't even win in liberal massachusetts. Obama is crushing the democratic party and you leftists are going down because of your insane immigration and massive debt policies. There will be leftists losing all over the world and new friendlier conservatives in power and israel's position in the world will be much better in a few years once the electorates kick out these leftists. In spain leftists losing by huge margins. In Australia leftists are down. Gordon Brown is former PM gordon Brown. Obama is a one term president.
Can 't wait to see your reaction after the midterms when Obama is absolutely humiliated. He lost them massachusetts. He is a one term president. Obama has 42 percent re-elect among jewish voters down 36 percent in the last year and a half while israel had 63 percent approval in gallup a record rating. The leftists are on their way out and a new president will be in office in 2013 when netanyahu is still in power and you will see a new relationship.
The author should review his history. Dr. Chomsky is and was a Jewish anti-semite way before Netanyahu was in office. In fact he had anti- semitic and anti-Israel sentiments during so called left wing governments. Barring him from speaking might be in Israel's best interest. BTW absolute freedom of speech is only an American Ideal and doesn't exist in most of the world.
The damage caused by the Netanyahu government to this core support of American Jews is no better than the threat of a nuclear Iran.Avikda Eldar you obviously have no idea what a nuclear bomb means by comparing losr left wing support by Jewish USA young for Netanyahu to the nuclear bomb . You should really consider your words more carefully if you do not want people to think you are just a silly man .
Typically, the Jewish writer expects Obama to 'withdraw from his vision of peace' before Jewish purses open. Thank you, nonetheless, for stating explicitly that the Jews are not interested in peace, simply the theft of all of Palestine.
We Americans know that Netanyahu shares our interests (protect people from murderous terrorists), and our values (Jews have a right to live in Ramot Shlomo, The Old City,etc.). We Americans know that Akiva Eldar has devoted his pen to promoting the idea of giving power and guns and land to the America-haters and Jew-killers in the PA, so that he can win "peace" awards. Akiva Eldar, you damage Israel, not Netanyahu. Netanyahu makes your blood boil, because his clear honest explanations expose your decadent support for Arafat and Abbas so that you can get peace prizes. Mr.Eldar, be honest with your readers, tell them you are against IDF occupation of the West Bank, even if the alternative is the bloody Palestinian War of Independence starting. Stop pretending that you think IDF withdrawal will bring peace.
Check out how many tens of thousands came out to the Israel Day parade in NY. The new poll on Jewish affinity to Israel shows a growing Jewish-Israel bond with the under-25 set. Despite the anti-Zionist dream of such a rupture, it isn't happening. Normal Jews identify with Israel.
Mr. Eldar ignores, or simply does not see, that there is a growing disenchantment amongst American Jews with Israel's march to the extreme right. This creeping alienation is based in religious identity. What are the moral values of Judaeism? Are they humane, and humanitarian rooted in human decency? Or are they the ruthless and rapacious values which seem to rule Israel today? Israelis seem to believe that no matter what they do American Jews will approve blindly. Support was much more unflagging when Israel and American Jews shared common values.
Although I am an American by birth, Jewish and originally from NY, I sincerely hope that Sen. Chuck Schumer won't be elected Speaker of the House. His loudmouthed chastisement of President Obama are truly embarassing to me on all counts.
... as they are today. In the past, Israel was right vis a vis its neighbors 95% of the time. U.S. Jews were almost unanimous in their support. Now, until the settlers lose their political stranglehold on Israel's foreign policies, Israeli public relations face a long, dark period. Very sad for us conflicted U.S. Jews to see this. The settlers are undermining Israel's future on many levels.
Mr. Eldar, your writing is filled with pure nonsense. Don't dare tell me that American Jews do not want peace. And don't dare tell me that American Jews have lost our love for Israel. You have, apparently, but we have not. I see it every day in the synagogue. American Jews overwhelmingly support a two-state solution (though some do not, as in Israel some do not). However, in our guts we understand that the two-stage destruction solution of the Arabs is their policy but not one we have to volunteer for. We will always be open for a true peace if the Arabs ever get to a point that keeping their own children alive is more important than murdering Jewish children.
Pres. Obama talks about his stepping on a few mines walking thtough the ME minefields of diplomacy. Unfortunately the colorful abstract was painted without the color red. Therein lies the danger of a neophyte getting in way over his head. Clearing a minefield doesn't mean a few weren't missed and can cause death. What mine field is he trying to clear? The one that Hamas has laid or the Iranian and Syrian backed misfits opposed to the State of Israel period...Since this year alone what have his minesweepers cleared. They've agitated their most dependable ally in the ME. Through sending George Mitchell hoping to clear aged old agreements that are the root cause for more mines being positioned and stepped on by the ME leadership. Then he sends the VP Biden and blows up a few minds of his own, with his " I'm just appalled that Israel is still going ahead with construction in East Jerusalem." If that's minesweeping. Biden needed more training at AIC school. Then the call from Clinton, who claimed she had been underfire once, and began chastising Netanyahu for the permitting of construction. Then, Netanyahu goes to Washington and is treated so disrespectfully but still positioned himself with honor for the Israeli government and its people. Obama and the Iran fiasco. The Pres. has finally figured out what all previous US diplomats and experts have advised him about Iran and the lunatic fringe elements. So, his approach to clearing that mine field through open diplomacy, allows Iran and Brazil to finally sit down,( without the US ) and starts talking TURKEY! My leader and Americans are suppose to follow his lead blindly. Just what the world needs, the blind leading the blind.
The problem is not Jews lack of support of Israel it is secular Jews being ignorant of being Jewish a cycle that is in retreat.
All Israel needs is just a litle time, until Obama goes. After Obama, Israel is preparing to convince US to invade Syria and Lebanon and finish the ME business for good.
where on earth does resolution 242 talk about an independent Palestinian state?your ingenious mindless fantasies are indicative of what is seriously wrong with Jewish America. Plain ignorance.
The article disregards Jihadist dogma against Israel's very existence. The writer assumes that lack of Arab-Israel Peace is due to something Israel is doing or not doing, a dead-wrong approach! In the eyes of both Pan-Arabist or Pan-Islamist dogma, the cause of the conflict is not the occupation of 1967, but the occupation of 1948 - ie, the very existence of Israel!
what Mr. Edlar is saying that is "the Jewish community in North America is, indeed, hijacked by their own doing: the Zionist establishment, the same establishment they support and donate to is embezzling them to black or white choices". What Obama had done is opportunism in the most humiliating sense of the word, he did not hide the humiliation nor he has any regrets, all for "keeping his job and those democrats in the next election" . To me, as a "Rejectionist", this is music to my ear, not the facts on the grounds are favoring the so-called " two state solution" which been omitted, years ago, by the non abating Zionist colonization the West bank (J'lm included) which resulted in transferring close to 25% of the Jewish population of Israel as colonists on the "the Palestinian state" (22% of Palestine) Rather to convince those Arabs of hybrid morons-idiots the only way to convince Not BB and his clowns, but also the "Noble peace laureate" winner, Wiesel & the Jewish Congressmen the lesson learned: the only way to talk with Zionism is not peace, simply because they do not. only resisting them can and will yield some fruits for the Palestinians
he spends his time to asker for for concessions to jews.Israel is so far US even that an american guarantees cannot prevent a total war against israel because all israel' enemies are so near israeli borders.US admnistration is so foolish that it does not understand the gravity of the situation
then your wishful thinking divorced itself from reality. american jews are still very strong for israel and are willing and able to punish obama for trying to sell us out. latest poll shows jewish support for obama has fallen from 78% to 42%. he ius scared and THAT is the reality !
Israel is a centrepiece of American Jewish political identity. That is, those who don't Most of these young Jews who feel alienated from Israel politically are not likely to go the other way either. They are likely to drop out of "Jewish camp" politically altogether. The only ones who remain will be those that support the Israeli right. This is already happening. Most Jews may not hold the position of "the Jewish lobby but it doesn't matter. Those that care to be represented as Jews do.
Akiva writes: "All went home pleased; they were promised that Obama would not pressure Benjamin Netanyahu's government to give back land. In simpler words: They don't want peace; there is no need for it." Akiva gets it wrong again and again. Every time Israel gives up land it is followed by increased terror, attacks, violence, war and strengthening of terrorist. This has been proven so why the same old lie? We want peace, they want land.
You've bought them too, as if Israelis aren't pro-peace. You'd think that every Israeli supporting Jew doesn't want peace. What you're really doing is spewing lies and propoganda. The truth of the matter is that these people want peace. Only we don't want it at any cost. We pulled out of gaza remember? And what did that get us? We pulled out of Lebanon remember? And what did that get us? Both of these events happend without any agreement. We want an agreement, but it needs to be fair. And to only bully Israel while making no demands of the Palestinians is injustice, not peace. So please stop claiming that Jews that support Israel don't want peace and only want to prolong the occupation, for its nothing but lies.
sets the stage when the Jewish community and Muslim community respect and learn about one another. A great deal of effort is being conducted by many individuals and clergy from both sides. It's the Jewish generational differences of experiences and captivation of interests which determine whether a Zionist is proactively involved or disinterested in the current state of affairs within the ME. Now, the majority follow the latter point but the majority as well would support the Obama administration's perspective of active engagement between Israel and the Palestinians towards creation of two states. The organizational levels support wholeheartedly PM Netanyahu's coalition despite not knowing an iota of his actual terms on any of the core issues. They just love the repetitive rhetoric and we're one big happy mishpacha (but only on the surface really, because as we know we're also putting on our best face with this uncertainty). We're living in times of uncertainty about the peace process but the dynamic organizational Jewish Diaspora remains on top of what's happening with Israel's security and development, and hopefully signs of pursuing a genuine peace would transpire before we (they) know it. Nothing wrong with wishful thinking and hoping for the best.
It took some time, but we it seems that the same divisions that existed among us before the Shoah are re-forming. Now its political. If, once Polish Jews who flooded Weimar Germany were a regarded as a threat to Jewish cultural life by the Yekes. It came to the point that the Polish "Ost-Juden" did not talk to each other. Meanwhile, back in East-Central Europe Litvaks excoriated Polish Chasidim, who in turn didn't care much for Romanian Jews. Then all of them regarded the Jews from "Austrian Poland" aka Galizianers with suspicion. Sephardim and Oriental Jews were not immune either, with Jews who came to India to serve the British sneering at the local Bene Israel. In North Africa there were rivalries based on local origins, where say, Morrocans and Tunisians didn't always get along, nor in Morroco itself the Jews who lived inland as Slukh, and the urban Jews as somewhat "better". And today its Israel vs the Jews who imagine they know what is best for those of us who live in the Land of Israel. So Israelis who reached North America is an "occupier" even if they have a private opinion that differs from the official government position. Compared to the past, questions of origin are far better than political issues.
...that Israel is on a very dangerous and unsustainable path. The Jewish settlers along with the right wing Israelis are setting Israeli policy and the Israel lobby in the US is fully supportive of this madness. All of this is catching up with Israel and it's supporters. The world's opinion of Israel is indeed very low
the good news is there is no turning point of the Zionist fascism and hooliganism, this will, for sure, bring about the demise of the Zionist state to make room for a democratic state for all: one person one vote on this land of ours. thank you BB for such idiocity
The "world's opinion of Israel is indeed very low" in COMPARISON to what? Utopia? What is the world's opinion of France's handling of riots ? How about Egypt ? China ? The U.S.A ? So, what is "the world's opinion" of Egypt, France, US and China? Hmmm... hard to say. Everyone seems so focused on the Jewish State. I wonder why? By the way, Occupynomo, what parts of historical Judea do YOU want Jew-free? All of it? Hebron? The Jewish Quarter of the old city? Spell it out. Tell us. Where do you want "no Jews"? Remember, places like Hebron have had Jewish residents for a long time (until Jew-haters killed them).
Noam Chomsky has been irrelevant for a generation. He is a mouth, and that is all he is.
I totally agree with you as to Chomsky's relevance; if he had spoken, just about nobody would care. In this instance, though, he was banned, perception was huge and it made world headlines. Petty bureaucrats love to push their weight around (it gives them a feeing of power) and their actions can have major (and unnecessary) consequences in image
You're utterly wrong. Chomsky is not a mouth, he represents a concept, the concept of criticising governments which act in the interest of a few while marginilizing the rest. The mistake is in blindly accepting what Chomsky says, he makes mistakes like all people, but in saying that Chomsky is irrelevant, you are advocating the blind acceptance of what goverments do. In effect, you are claiming that all humans, Chomsky included, are prone to making mistakes, but not the humans who make up governments, they are to be trusted and obeyed without hesitation. This means, that what you claim to be irrelevant is the very notion of being critical of the actions of governments, even when their actions are detrimental to the state and to people beyond the layers which the state protects. When Chomsky becomes irrelevant, democracy becomes a token of the pursuit unrestrained self-interest and the 'delegitimisation' of the rights of those who think differently. As in Iran or North Korea for example.
Eldar is probably correct in his analysis , although I have no idea what is the percentage of young Jewish Americans who are put off by Israel's policies and on the whole do not identify with the Zionist ideology and agenda. On the other hand, as an ardent supporter of Obama in the last election cycle, I can assure him, that come 2012, if he continues his wishy washy attitude towards Israel's refusal to grant the Palestinians an independent state, in accordance with resolution 242, he will get no supoort from me ( not that Iam going to support a Republican, khas ve'shalom).
A Jewish liberal is someone who thinks that Mexicans with no US visa have the right to move to east Los Angeles but Jews must be prevented from moving to East Jerusalem.
Obviously not. Try reading it. Hint - there's something about peace in it.