Catching up on some of the news stories I missed about President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel and Ramallah, it struck me how offensive his words and gestures must have been to Palestinians.
At every stop, he made clear that the United States is 100 percent on Israel’s side. Almost in so many words, he said that the United States and Israel are one.
Just read what Obama said upon his arrival in Israel last Wednesday. This is no mere statement of U.S. policy; it is America’s embrace of the Zionist narrative, right down to the references to the Biblical Abraham and his Israeli progeny (via his wife Sara), without reference to the Arabs who the same Bible tells us descended from Abraham (via his other wife, Hagar).
More than 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people lived here, tended the land here, prayed to God here. And after centuries of exile and persecution, unparalleled in the history of man, the founding of the Jewish State of Israel was a rebirth, a redemption unlike any in history.
Today, the sons of Abraham and the daughters of Sarah are fulfilling the dream of the ages — to be “masters of their own fate” in “their own sovereign state.” And just as we have for these past 65 years, the United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend …
This except was no more effusively pro-Israel than any other Obama remark or gesture doing the trip, whether at Herzl’s tomb, or Yad Vashem, at the dinner hosted by President Shimon Peres or anywhere else he spoke. Yes, as I noted in an earlier piece about the trip, there were also strong references to the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state and even to the legitimacy of non-violent protest against the occupation, but, looking back, it is clear that these were drowned out by the overall tone of the trip.
In essence it was an unprecedented embrace of Israel by a United States president almost as if he was apologizing for not being pro-Israel enough in his first term, a myth propagated by the right. (Israel has received more aid under Obama than under any of his predecessors). In fact, it was almost one of those mythical Obama “apology tours” Republicans like to yell about although they were, of course, silent about this one.
Particularly striking was Obama’s obsequiousness toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who worked so hard to elect former Governor Romney in 2012. Just read the transcript of the Obama-Netanyahu press conference and note the 10 times the President specifically invoked “Bibi,” as if the two were not leaders of their respective countries but buddies since childhood. (Imagine if Obama stood on a platform here with Speaker John Boehner or Majority Leader Eric Cantor and, to show bygones were bygones, smothered them with that kind of feigned affection). It was embarrassing.
But more than that it did significant damage to America’s ability to play the role of honest broker between Israelis and Palestinians if negotiations ever begin. Obama made clear which side he is on, going so far as to embrace the whole Biblical Jewish claim to Eretz Yisrael. How could Palestinians ever trust him? The umpire is not supposed to wear the uniform of either team.
Obama must know all this but he obviously thinks that Palestinians have no choice but to go along with anything he proposes. After all, they have nothing. He seems not to understand that because of that fact, they have, as the song goes, nothing left to lose. A Third Intifada or massive non-violent resistance could turn Israel upside down and Palestinians know it. Obama apparently doesn’t; he thinks, as Netanyahu clearly does, that the hungry are always grateful for crumbs.
MJ Rosenberg is Special Correspondent for The Washington Spectator where this originally appeared.
Israel only has one realy friend that has its back, Take that away and… .l. There is NOTHING wrong with acknowledging the historic rights of Jews who have made that land prosper….nothing. Israelis wanted to hear that they had a friend in Washington
In mean time the US still gives billions to Egypt and the new Muslim Brotherhood regime spits in their face and curses the existence if Israel. They also sink millions into a Pakistan that hid Ben Laden.
Compered to those 2 deceitful friends, Israel is the truest friend the US has outside of its NATO allies. Why not embrace it?
Looking at your history with AIPAC, leaving under unexplained circumstances, I think you have a personal ax to grind, I am guessing you were fired and are expressing your anger through those blogs. Either that or you are just plain anti Israel. Well you have friends here. Either way, i am finding your obsessive blogging about AIPAC and Israel very creepy.
I think 80,000 have been slaughtered in Syria thus far..but who cares. Dumping on Israel take priority.
Mr. Rosenberg,
I was thrilled by Obama’s remarks at the university, thinking maybe there’s hope. But then I remembered my vow to not be “suckered” by the man again. He can draw me in with his words as he shivs me in the back. He simply lacks the character, the moral core to stand upon. He proves this again and again, speaking constantly of compromise and having a “discussion.” He likes to talk about how we must “make him do it.” We’ll, sometimes maybe, but sometimes a real leader has to stand, and act for something.
Living in a Jewish family of educated “liberals” this opinion always gets a response of something like “yes, but he’s a really nice guy,” or,”yes, but just imagine how bad a republican would be.”
“If any are oppressed, we are all oppressed” is a true statement. Words to live by
Thank you for your writing here.
Rosenberg is no more than a disgruntled ex-employee of AIPAC.
I am a Liberal also, and realize there is far more going on in the Middle East than Israel. To bad Rosenberg is so overwhelmed with anger, he is blind to everything around Israel.
Can’t stand Obama, but if Mohammad Rosenberg thinks he did a bad job then it must be good
Who is the Muhammad you are referring to? I see no reference is the story.
Honesty and integrity have a light of their own. Mr. Rosenberg, you have let them shine. President Obama was not speaking his own words. Because ,I do believe ,he is a decent man. That does not mean, he has any animosity toward Israel, but those words are not his. They have been scripted for him to recite, by those who control this Government.The 29 standing ovations for Mr. Nathanyahu in the US Congress, and similar in the Senate, when he said nothing of value or substance , was a clear message of this country’s enslavement by AIPAC, and such. America, was never a fair broker in the Israeli/Palestinian problem, they just wanted to appear that way to the world, in particular the Palestinians and the rest of the Arabs. Don’t be upset at Obama, because ,he said it like it is. You should be upset at those whom have lost their consciousness, sense of justice, integrity, humane values and ethics for the sake of supporting Israel, right or wrong. The Zionist,Israeli and Jewish( not all Jews) manipulation of our political system have been so successful, that sooner or later it might or it will back fire. Nature and justice have a funny way in sorting things out. I am an American Palestinian,and I don’t want Israel to disappear,but I will never approve of the crimes that have been committed by the zionists against the Palestinians to create a home for the Jewish people. All Jews have to recognize this, and break their collaborate silence on what Israel has been doing. Rabbi Lerner and others have been very good about that.
What about crimes committed by the Palestinians or can they do no wrong?
Are you a Palestinian Firster?
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