Posted on 04/15/2010 5:03:52 AM PDT by SJackson
Full Text of Letter from Ronald S. Lauder to President Obama
Full Text of Letter from Ronald S. Lauder to President Obama http://worldjewishcongress.org/en/main/showNews/id/9264
15 April 2010
Dear President Obama:
I write today as a proud American and a proud Jew.
Jews around the world are concerned today. We are concerned about the nuclear ambitions of an Iranian regime that brags about its genocidal intentions against Israel. We are concerned that the Jewish state is being isolated and delegitimized.
Mr. President, we are concerned about the dramatic deterioration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Israel.
The Israeli housing bureaucracy made a poorly timed announcement and your Administration branded it an “insult.” This diplomatic faux pas was over the fourth stage of a seven stage planning permission process – a plan to build homes years from now in a Jewish area of Jerusalem that under any peace agreement would remain an integral part of Israel.
Our concern grows to alarm as we consider some disturbing questions. Why does the thrust of this Administration’s Middle East rhetoric seem to blame Israel for the lack of movement on peace talks? After all, it is the Palestinians, not Israel, who refuse to negotiate.
Israel has made unprecedented concessions. It has enacted the most far reaching West Bank settlement moratorium in Israeli history.
Israel has publicly declared support for a two-state solution. Conversely, many Palestinians continue their refusal to even acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.
The conflict’s root cause has always been the Palestinian refusal to accept Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. Every American President who has tried to broker a peace agreement has collided with that Palestinian intransigence, sooner or later. Recall President Clinton’s anguish when his peace proposals were bluntly rejected by the Palestinians in 2000. Settlements were not the key issue then.
They are not the key issue now.
Another important question is this: what is the Administration’s position on Israel’s borders in any final status agreement? Ambiguity on this matter has provoked a wave of rumors and anxiety. Can it be true that America is no longer committed to a final status agreement that provides defensible borders for Israel? Is a new course being charted that would leave Israel with the indefensible borders that invited invasion prior to 1967?
There are significant moves from the Palestinian side to use those indefensible borders as the basis for a future unilateral declaration of independence. How would the United States respond to such a reckless course of action?
And what are America’s strategic ambitions in the broader Middle East? The Administration’s desire to improve relations with the Muslim world is well known. But is friction with Israel part of this new strategy? Is it assumed worsening relations with Israel can improve relations with Muslims? History is clear on the matter: appeasement does not work. It can achieve the opposite of what is intended.
And what about the most dangerous player in the region? Shouldn’t the United States remain focused on the single biggest threat that confronts the world today? That threat is a nuclear armed Iran. Israel is not only America’s closest ally in the Middle East, it is the one most committed to this Administration’s declared aim of ensuring Iran does not get nuclear weapons.
Mr. President, we embrace your sincerity in your quest to seek a lasting peace. But we urge you to take into consideration the concerns expressed above. Our great country and the tiny State of Israel have long shared the core values of freedom and democracy. It is a bond much treasured by the Jewish people. In that spirit I submit, most respectfully, that it is time to end our public feud with Israel and to confront the real challenges that we face together.
Yours sincerely,
Ronald S. Lauder
President
World Jewish Congress
There are not enough Jews to elect Obama and the Jews who voted for Obama were the margin in no state. Blacks and Muslims voted for Obama at higher rates.
Thanks for the suppressive fire!
Aren’t you foprgetting House minority Whip Eric Cantor(R)VA?
He organized the writing of a statement signed by a few hundred members of Congress to Obama about the disturbing turn of events in lack of support for Israel.
Ed Koch has written two major article calling pout Obama, and Schumer and Gillibrand for remaining silent. His language is strong, harsh, and to the point.
Generalizing about any ethnic group is dangerous business.
Obama has brought more racial and religious enmity to the surface than any other politician I can think of. Obama is the problem. Not the Jews, not people like Ron Lauder and Ed Koch, or Eric Cantor who are speaking out against Obama. They should be encouraged and supported, not derided.
Well said, thank you.
Thank you so much for posting this letter. Great letter!
McCain won the vote among American Jews living in Israel.
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=38649
This anti-Semitism is tricky: if I can’t support Israel because the American (Jewish) Left doesn’t support Israel, do I have to wait until the American Left says it’s ok to support Israel?
We have to reject that sentiment because the letter, co-initiated by Jesse Jackson Jr., was bi-partisan.
I haven't posted any of the articles here, but if you check out the recent AJC survey you'll find it isn't Israel, also that opinion on most domestic issues is shifting.
An institution, in this case the WJC, shouldn't take positions if President Obama disagrees? I'd suggest the opposite, it's good to let him, and the country, know the WJC's position, and to place prominant ads as they did.
Thanks for the kind words. Many American Jews are more committed to liberal ideology than Israel. I predict 0bama will make them less liberal because of his socialist economic policies
Ron Lauder wrote this letter for everyone especially American Jews. 0bama is secondary because by now Lauder realizes
0bama is pro-Muslim the religion of his childhood
Yeah because we are sick and tired of hearing it all the time. It never ends. Your intentions seem to be good.....But other who constantly harp on the Jewish vote for Obama don't like Jews and don't like Israel. You don't speak for these people. If you support Israel then I take your criticism as constructive.
Membership in the Fascist party being required for government employment and contracting, it’s not surprising 1 in 4 Jews were members.
What you and the author leave out is that there were no free elections in Italy after the early 1920s, none after the Acerbo laws of 1925.
In the show elections of the 1930s the Fascists routinely got 95% plus, but if the Jews elected Mussolini gets you off, and if it defines your view of Jews, by all means go for it
It’s Jews that offend these people, Not how they vote. Else you wouldn’t attack Jewish Republicans, or Obama voters who might be rethinking their popsition, another thread. In years past it was the Iraq war or Mel Gibson. Been here, done that.
I stand corrected on Eric Cantor. I have always admired Ed Koch, but he missed the boat on Obama. One didn’t have to be a brain surgeon to know that Obama wasn’t a friend of Israel. I support the likes of Eric Cantor, Joe Lieberman, Michael Savage & Mark Levin, unfortunately they are in the minority.
How many of them know that Ron Lauder is a Jewish Republican? Not too many and I had to double check before I posted....just be sure.
Not relevant in either event
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