Israel to award Obama prestigious medal in visit

Associated Press ^ | Feb 18, 2013 10:16 AM EST

[Olog-hai]

Israel will award President Barack Obama the country’s Presidential Medal of Distinction during his upcoming visit.

Israeli President Shimon Peres’ office said Monday that Obama will be recognized for his “unique and significant contribution to strengthening the State of Israel and the security of its citizens.” …

[Bellflower]

Totally insane. If obama doesn’t turn out to be the antiChrist it will be amazing. He certainly has all of the help and backing of the devil. No other explanation for all of this wicked, stupid insanity.

[Olog-hai]

It’s written that there were (in history) and are going to be many Antichrists. There’s only one Beast though, and the USA is not only geographically wrong to be that, but it fought against the Beast already.

[Olog-hai]

AP’s website likes to change around and reuse URLs, I noticed. The AP article I originally linked to is also on Fox News’ website.

[Nero Germanicus]

The Jerusalem Post also carried the story. They did a better job than the AP of explaining why the medal is being awarded. Are folks forgetting that Obama got 69% of the Jewish vote last November? There are lots of Jewish liberals both here and in Israel.
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=303698

[Ezekiel]

Some background:

Obama's award is from Peres and not from the people of Israel

>>>When this story was covered in Israel, it was clear that this was a medal decided upon and awarded by President Shimon Peres and not by any elected representative of the people of Israel. Notice that the JPost headline is "Peres to honor Obama with medal..." and the article makes quite clear that the medal is a quid pro quo for Obama awarding the medal of freedom to Peres last June. <<<

http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2013/02/obamas-award-is-from-peres-and-not-from.html

I found a picture of this Peres-medal:

The top has "Medal of the President of the State of Israel".

Followed by

"משכמו ומעלה"

Lit. from his shoulders and upwards.

I don't know how or if the text in quotes is used idiomatically in Israel. Maybe it is as Americans would say "head and shoulders above [the rest]".

Regardless, a look through the Tanakh indicated that this exact Hebrew phrase was used as a description of Saul.

Here:

1 Sam 9

2. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young man, and handsome; and there was not among the people of Israel a more handsome person than he; from his shoulders upwards he was higher than any of the people:

And here:

1 Sam 10

23. And they ran and fetched him there; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders upwards:
24. And Samuel said to all the people, See you him whom the Lord has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Long live the king:

Well that seems to be the only two. Will Peres have some anointing oil on hand? :-/

[Ezekiel]

Meant to ping you to 45.

Another weirdsh*t-o-meter bites the dust.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Maybe this is a Purim joke. Hamen was full of himself. He loved to be recognized and wear medals, too. He paraded about all decked out, but the truth got out about what he was planning for the Jews. Things do not end well for Hamen.

[onyx]

Thank you so much for fact finding!!
Dare I say, I have little us for Shimon Perez?

[onyx]

little use

[Eleutheria5]

He should have his own special award, named just for him.

What should we name it?

How about the “Here. We Gave You It. Happy? Now Shut Up and Buzz Off” award?

[bert]

I think it is a joke....... a big joke. He got the Nobel Prize and the world laughed.

This is just another poke at his vanity.

[left that other site]

Good Catch...

And Saul came to a BAD end, didn’t he.

Also there are seven “stars” on that medal.

Hmmmmm.

I met Shimon Peres MANY years ago.
Also Teddy Kolleck.
I liked teddy Better.

[Ezekiel]

Also there are seven “stars” on that medal.

Wow are you ever right!

I wondered what kind of weird turquoise blob "oil" was dribbling from the menorah, instead of paying attention to the pattern.

Polaris, the guiding light unto the nations. Same theme as the menorah being a symbol for Israel.

That's the last kind of symbol that belongs hanging around Obama's neck, unless it represents an albatross.

[MinuteGal]

I guess turnabout is fair play. Obama pinned the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Peres' lapel in June, 2012.

An erstwhile hawk in Israel's early days, Peres turned dove and far left. He received the Nobel Peace Prize along with Arafat and Rabin for their parts in the Oslo Peace Accords.

At 89, Peres is the world's oldest head of state.

Peres is first cousin to American Betty Joan Perske, aka Lauren Bacall, also age 89.

Leni

[left that other site]

Polaris is the North Star, the Guiding Light for mariners for Millenia.

The constellations Big and Little Dipper are also called Ursa Major and Ursa Minor...The Big bear and the little Bear.

Escaping Slaves on the Underground Railroad knew they would have to “Follow the Drinking Gourd” to go NORTH.

The “Bear” in Daniel has usually been interpreted to mean Russia, at least since Hal Lindsey’s book “Late Great Planet Earth.

Might the “Bear” be referring to this seven star constellation?

Especially since “Seven Stars” are mentioned in the Book of Revelation (Meaning Seven Churches, but there could be more to this)

Then again, Russia is to the North of Israel, but in other prophecies, the “King of the North” specifically means The King of Persia (Iran).

Whoever designed that Medal may have had a little “help”.

[Ezekiel]

Sure makes for much homework. Gotta wonder about the Zohar (VaYera 119a) reference

"one star in the east will swallow 7 stars in the north, and a flame of black fire will be hanging in the sky for 60 days"

Maybe those seven aren't the sisters (Pleiades).

The star in the east, the sun?

Ursa Major and Ursa Minor...The Big bear ( הדובה הגדולה) and the little Bear (הדובה הקטנה).

Tag team.

Maybe off-topic, maybe not, but how often does the world news media have a reason to fixate upon a big bear, as in Big Bear, California?

[left that other site]

WOW... Not “off-topic” at all. Everything happens for a reason.

And the media frenzy at Big Bear managed to eclipse every other news item during that time period.

Although I don’t consider the Zohar to be directly Inspired by the Holy Spirit, I do not doubt that there is some fascinating stuff in there. If it doesn’t conflict with the Scriptures, then I find the parallels VERY Interesting.

Happy Homework Hunting! And thank you for sharing such interesting and deep research!
:-)

[justiceseeker93]

Obama's award is from Peres and not from the people of Israel.

>>>When this story was covered in Israel, it was clear that this was a medal decided upon and awarded by President Shimon Peres and not by any elected representative of the people of Israel. Notice that the JPost headline is "Peres to honor Obama with medal..." and the article makes quite clear that the medal is a quid pro quo for Obama awarding the medal of freedom to Peres last June. <<<

As I pointed out in my post #40, the doddering Peres, as President of Israel, holds only a ceremonial position and is not an official elected by the Israeli people. I'm guessing he endures in that position on the basis of his past service to Israel as a general and a prime minister. But that was then and this is now.

What stands out is the sharp contrast between the Obama's seemingly cordial relationship with Peres and Obama's often contentious relationship with PM Netanyahu. Obama uses Peres as a convenient token Israeli foil to give the false impression that he is friendly toward Israel and, by implication, to the Jewish people. But fortunately Israelis in large majority can see right through this farce!

[null and void]

Minor point:

Yes, and some Jews admired Hitler for his economic policies — before they were loaded on the trains.

While technically historically accurate, to fully capture the underlying truth it should be:

Yes, and some Jews admired Hitler for his economic policies — before they were loaded on until they got off the trains.