Posted on 09/25/2012 9:29:43 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Top Jewish Democrats are standing squarely behind President Obama's decision not to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warning Israel to butt out of the U.S. presidential race.
The White House has been on the defensive ever since Israeli officials publicly complained last week after Obama refused to adjust his schedule to meet with Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this week. Republicans quickly pounced, urging Obama to reconsider and inviting Netanyahu to meet with them at his convenience.
''I don't think it's necessary for the president to rearrange his schedule,'' Rep. Henry Waxman (Calif.), the top Democrat on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, told The Hill. ''I didn't think it was appropriate for the prime minister to publicly get into a dispute with the president of the United States, since we're both very closely working together to impose sanctions and to force Iran to stop its development of a nuclear weapon.'' Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee, blamed ''internal Israeli politics'' for the spat.
''Maybe Netanyahu's for [Republican candidate Mitt] Romney. And he's making a mistake if he is,'' Frank told The Hill when asked why he thought Israel had leaked the news of a perceived ''snub'' to the Reuters wire service.
''I think it was unwise for him to do as much,'' he said. ''I think they've pulled back a little bit.'
''I think Obama played it right,'' Frank added. ''The Israelis have to consider American public opinion; America's not ready to go to war until it's absolutely necessary.
''I think it's a mistake from Israel's standpoint if they give the impression they're trying to push us into going to war. I don't think any pressure's going to work.''
And Rep. Eliot Engel (N.Y.), a top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said both sides need to mend fences.
''There are always things that are done on both sides – with us, with the Israelis – for domestic political consumption, for party-building,'' Engel told The Hill. ''I think there are a lot of things going on behind the scenes that we are not privy to, and I would hope that in any kind of public rift – or the appearance of any kind of public rift – between the president and the prime minister would be healed and taken care of behind the scenes. I have confidence that both countries would like to see that.''
The snub accusation comes as Netanyahu has been increasingly vocal about the threat posed by Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. He told CNN and NBC last weekend that the United States should identify ''red lines'' Iran won't be allowed to cross, something the administration has declined to do publicly.
Netanyahu also argued vehemently that he's not trying to inject himself into the election, thereby acknowledging that that perception is widespread.
"What's guiding me, contrary to what I have read in the United States, is not the American political calendar," Netanyahu told CNN. "It's the Iranian nuclear calendar."
Republicans have sought to exploit the public rift to undermine Jewish support for Democrats and paint Obama as weak on national security.
Romney called Obama's decision not to meet with Netanyahu ''confusing and troubling'' during a fundraiser in New York. And 128 House Republicans wrote to the president to urge him to reconsider.
''We are astounded by your refusal to grant this request to one of our closest allies at such a critical time for that region,'' they wrote in a Sept. 13 letter. ''The rejection of this request represents disturbing treatment of a vital partner and illustrates a lack of regard for the indispensable relationship between the United States and Israel and the current dynamics in the region which are essential to our national security.''
Jewish Democrats said that won't work.
''I think the American Jewish community and the AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs] committee will be very reluctant to appear to be ... trying to undercut Obama,'' Frank said.
And Waxman said the only voters likely to be swayed by the Republican attacks already support Romney.
''I think there are some Jewish voters that are voting Republican,'' Waxman told The Hill. ''They've been moving in that direction. And those that would be most influenced to vote for Romney because of this are probably already voting for Romney.''
Netanyahu could kick the crap out of these JINOS. They’re probably the same “Jews” who take part in Palestinian flotillas. Disgusting. It’s a shame that Israel can’t excommunicate them, which got me thinking. After Obama’s support of partial birth abortion, gay marriage, and Jihad, I’m still waiting for the Pope to pass a sweeping decree. Any Catholic who votes for Obama is voting against their conscience and against God. This man is the new antichrist. He cannot be allowed to Islamify the US.
Here is a thought for them....ok you want him to stay out of American Politics, fine, then pick up a rifle and stand a post over here.
Wonder how many of these asshats would do that, less than one.
FMCDH(BITS)
Words cannot express my feelings towards these two (Waxman and Frank) loathsome and pitiful excuses for members of the Jewish religion.
Realizing that their comments come Erev Yom Kippur, pray that Adoshem will deal with them accordingly.
Who are these JINOs?
Hey, all you Jewish Democrats, Obama despises you every bit as much as he hates neo-cons, Americans of Asiatic descent, and T.E.A. party people. Because he believes those who were the movers behind the scenes of all the colonial powers either were Jewish bankers, or they representated Jewish bankers.
What Obama hates more than anything, is that there were ever colonial powers that came in and plundered the naifs and innocents on what is today called the Third World.
And Obama is going to turn on you, the Jewish Democrats, just as soon as he is confirmed in a second term. Your best friend in this IS Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s fight is YOUR fight.
And Obama is on the other side.
Waxman and Frank are not Jews by any meaningful definition of what it means to be a Jew. They are totalitarian leftists first, last, and always — and Israel stands in the way of their leftist fantasies and possibly in the way of the re-election of that Communist Muslim in the White House. To hell with these JINOs. Let Netanyahu be Netanyahu and Israel be Israel.
A totally misleading headline. It is NOT top Jewish Dems. It is Several Jewish Democrats in Congress. There is a huge difference. Why would anyone expect the likes of Henry Waxman and Barney Frank to ever say otherwise.
There are as Jewish as Pelosi is a good and faithful Catholic.
They are as Jewish as Pelosi is a good and faithful Catholic.
The Jewish Democrats just gave Israel the finger.
Obama approves of the message
The American Democrat Jew, in truth, has little in common with Israel. They get the benefits of the aftermath of recent history and are therefore mistakenly given some import by the American MSM, but their allegiances are elsewhere - definitely not with Israel based on their insane support of American Democracy (with a BIG D, mind you).
Very thought provoking. Appreciated your post.
This should be as clear as the nose on your face, to real
Christians. Four years ago, many of us saw the Obamanation
for what he was.
Liberal Dems dont give a damn about Israel, never have, because they have no connection to Israel, so therefore they could care less what happens to it. The disgusting pukes like Waxman are exactly what is wrong with Jewish Dems today. What they dont realize is if there is another Holocaust they will be the 1st ones in the oven
So the “Jewish” Democratic leadership measure the rope and Obama gets to tie it?
From “Time” magazine’s on-line site in 1999:
“The reason is that this time around, Benjamin Netanyahu is up against the electoral wiles of James Carville, the U.S. pollster who got Bill Clinton into office by bushwhacking a foreign-policy president with a deluge of domestic grievances and is now trying to do the same for Labor party leader Ehud Barak”.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,24037,00.html#ixzz27VMaEZf0
I don’t remember Jewish Democrats having a problem with that bit of electoral interference.
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