Barack is a strong candidate who has made clear his unflinching support of Israel.His opponents have nothing to assail him with. So they attack his surrogates. And they paint scenarios of fear.
That is to be expected in politics. However the Republican Jewish Coalition has crossed over the line from political discourse to disturbing false accusations.
No one in American government today is “anti-Israel.” Any attack that I see that uses that label is automatically discounted as a scare-mail smear.
The RJC has sent out the email below declaring: “Bonior Joins Obama Team as Latest Anti-Israel Campaign Official.”
This is a disgraceful slander.
There are no anti-Israel officials on the Obama Team.
Signators Suzanne Kurtz and Stu Sandler should be kind enough to issue a retraction for issuing an irresponsible and reprehensible scare-mail.
Call or write to the signators and tell them that it is beneath the dignity of the RJCHQ to continue down this path.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5-31-2008
Contact: Suzanne Kurtz or Stu Sandler
Office: 202-638-6688; 202-368-6465 (cell)
E-mail: skurtz@rjchq.org
Bonior Joins Obama Team as Latest
Anti-Israel Campaign Official
Washington, D.C. (May 30, 2008) - The Republican Jewish Coalition today responded to the announcement that former Rep. David Bonior will be representing the Obama campaign at the Democratic National Committee meeting this weekend in Washington, D.C. As a Congressman, David Bonior was known for his strong opposition to pro-Israel policies, being called by some "the biggest supporter of the anti-Israel Arab lobby in Congress."[1] The RJC cited Bonior as the latest in a string of advisors and campaign officials to Barack Obama that harbor anti-Israel views.
"Barack Obama's path to strengthening ties with the Jewish community is severely blocked when appointing an anti-Israel figure like David Bonior. While in Congress, Bonior refused to stand by Israel after repeated terrorist attacks, was known as a stalwart opponent to Israel, and is now a representative for Barack Obama. Bonior's appointment is the latest in a series that raises serious questions and doubts about Barack Obama's positions and judgments on the Middle East."
During his Congressional career, David Bonior repeatedly opposed pro-Israel legislation. In 1997, David Bonior was one of 15 Congressmen who signed a letter asking then-President Clinton to pressure Israelis into making concessions to the Palestinians. In 2002, David Bonior was one of only 21 Congressmen who opposed H.R. 392, which publicly affirmed Congress's support of Israel's right to self-defense and called for the dismantling of the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure.[2] In 1990, David Bonior was one of only 34 Congressman to vote against a measure naming Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel.[3] In 1989, Bonior was one of six House members to vote against a bill that prevented US funds from going to UN entities that granted the PLO membership.[4] Throughout his career, Bonior repeatedly opposed US aid to Israel and supported arms sales to Arab states opposed to Israel's existence.
"The appointment of yet another anti-Israel advisor like David Bonior to represent Barack Obama speaks volumes to the Jewish community. The pattern including Tony McPeak, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Robert Malley continues with this appointment. It's no wonder the Jewish community remains deeply skeptical and troubled by Barack Obama."
[1] Jonathan Tobin, Jewish World Review, 7/12/99.
[2] H.R. 392, "Expressing Solidarity with Israel in its Fight
against Terrorism", May 2002, 352-21 (29 voting present).
[3] H.R. 290, "In support of a unified Jerusalem", Apr. 1990,
378-34 (6 voting present).
[4] H.R. 2145, "Prohibiting US Contributions to the United
Nations Under Certain Condititons", May 1989, 396-6 (11 voting present).
"His opponents have nothing to assail him with. So they attack his surrogates."
ReplyDeleteNaaah, they attack the guy who CHOSE these surrogates!
"There are no anti-Israel officials on the Obama Team." Really, Rabbi?
ReplyDeleteThis clown was one of 21 Congressmen who voted against H.Res. 392 of 2002 entitled Expressing solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism which states:
WHEREAS the United States and Israel are now engaged in a common struggle against terrorism and are on the front-lines of a conflict thrust upon them against their will;
WHEREAS hundreds of innocent Israelis and Palestinians have died tragically in violence since September 2000;
WHEREAS Palestinian organizations are engaging in an organized, systematic and deliberate campaign of terror aimed at inflicting as many casualties as possible on the Israeli population, including through the use of suicide terrorist attacks;
WHEREAS the number of Israelis killed during that time by suicide terrorist attacks alone, on a basis proportional to the United States population, is approximately 9,000, three times the number killed in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001;
WHEREAS Yasir Arafat and members of the Palestinian leadership have failed to abide by their commitments to nonviolence made in the Israel-P.L.O. Declaration of Principles (the ''Oslo accord'') of September 1993, including their pledges (1) to adhere strictly to ''a peaceful resolution of the conflict,'' (2) to resolve ''all outstanding issues relating to permanent status through negotiations,'' (3) to renounce ''the use of terrorism and other acts of violence'' and (4) to ''assume responsibility over all P.L.O. elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance [with the commitment to nonviolence], prevent violence and discipline violators'';
WHEREAS the continued terrorism and incitement committed and supported by official arms of the Palestinian Authority are a direct violation of these commitments;
WHEREAS the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, which is part of Arafat's Fatah organization and has been designated a ''foreign terrorist organization'' by the United States government, and other Fatah forces have murdered scores of innocent Israelis;
WHEREAS forces under Yasir Arafat's direct control were involved in the Palestinian Authority's thwarted attempt to obtain 50 tons of offensive weapons shipped from Iran in the Karine-A, an effort that irrefutably proved Arafat's embrace of the use and escalation of violence;
WHEREAS the Israeli government has documents found in the offices of the Palestinian Authority that demonstrate the crucial financial support the Palestinian Authority continues to provide for terrorist acts, including suicide bombers;
WHEREAS the recent escalation of Palestinian attacks, killing 46 Israelis during the week of Passover, included a heinous suicide-bombing at a religious ceremony which killed 27 and wounded more than a hundred, many critically, and was perpetrated by a known terrorist whom Israel had previously asked Yasir Arafat to arrest;
WHEREAS this suicide attack occurred at the very time United States envoy Gen. Anthony Zinni was attempting to negotiate a cease-fire that would lead to the resumption of Israeli-Palestinians political negotiations;
WHEREAS, just before the Passover attack, Israel had agreed to General Zinni's cease-fire proposals, whereas Yasir Arafat rejected them;
WHEREAS Yasir Arafat continues to incite terror by, for example, saying of the Passover suicide bomber, ''Oh God, give me a martyrdom like this'';
WHEREAS Yasir Arafat and the P.L.O. have a long history of making and breaking antiterrorism pledges;
WHEREAS President George W. Bush declared at a joint session of Congress on Sept. 20, 2001, that ''from this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime'';
WHEREAS President Bush recently stated that he ''fully understands Israel's need to defend herself'' and that he ''respect[s]'' the fact that Israelis have ''seen a wave of suicide bombers coming to the heart of their cities and killing innocent people'';
WHEREAS President Bush, in his speech of April 4, 2002, stated that ''the situation in which he [Arafat] finds himself today is largely of his own making''; that Arafat ''missed his opportunities, and thereby betrayed the hopes of the people he's supposed to lead''; and that, ''given his [Arafat's] failure, the Israeli government feels it must strike at terrorist networks that are killing its citizens'';
WHEREAS Israel's military operations are an effort to defend itself against the unspeakable horrors of ongoing terrorism and are aimed only at dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas, an obligation Arafat himself undertook but failed to carry out; and
WHEREAS the process of Israeli withdrawal is nearly complete:
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the House of Representatives:
1. stands in solidarity with Israel as it takes necessary steps to provide security to its people by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas;
2. remains committed to Israel's right to self-defense and supports additional United States assistance to help Israel defend itself;
3. condemns the recent wave of Palestinian suicide bombings;
4. condemns the ongoing support of terror by Yasir Arafat and other members of the Palestinian leadership;
5. demands that the Palestinian Authority at last fulfill its commitment to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas, including any such infrastructure associated with P.L.O. and Palestinian Authority entities tied directly to Yasir Arafat;
6. is gravely concerned that Arafat's actions are not those of a viable partner for peace;
7. urges all Arab states to declare their unqualified opposition to all forms of terrorism, including suicide bombing;
8. commends the president for his leadership in addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly the efforts of the administration to engage countries throughout the region to condemn and prevent terrorism and to prevent a widening of the conflict;
9. urges all parties in the region to pursue vigorously efforts to establish a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East; and
10. encourages the international community to take action to alleviate the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people.
How do you define "anti-Israel," Rabbi? I don't think you'd recognize an anti-Israel politician if you fell over him.
you know that he serves a Detroit district and resolutions are meaningless and anti-Israel to me means _against_ the State of Israel - which is not something you are going to find anywhere in American government - so i stand by my post
ReplyDelete"No one in American government today is “anti-Israel.” Any attack that I see that uses that label is automatically discounted as a scare-mail smear."
ReplyDeleteWould you settle for, instead of "anti-Israel", "having policies that are decidedly NOT in the best interest of Israel."?
no, that is not acceptable. you can read haaretz and find many opinions of credible and patriotic Israelis that coincide with or go beyond the so-called "anti-Israel" Barack advisors. hmmm. how does that work?
ReplyDeleteDuring his interview by Bill Moyer, Rev. Wright stated that Obama's repudiation of Wright's opinions was only political: "I don’t talk to him about politics. And so he had a political event, he goes out as a politician and says what he has to say as a politician." Obama, of course, responded to Wright's characterization explosively by saying "And if Reverend Wright thinks that that’s political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn’t know me very well."
ReplyDeleteNow you're saying that it is okay that Obama placed this nitwit on his staff because "he serves a Detroit [read heavily arab] district and resolutions are meaningless . . ." Two things jump out from this: (1) you said the same thing as Wright, i.e. that politicians say what has to be said to get elected; and (2) that Obama is a hypocrite for putting David Bonior on his staff since Bonior practices political-speak, something that Obama said he rejects.
Brilliant.