Right-Wing Media Continue To Claim That Obama Holds Contempt For Israel

Bill Kristol: Obama Is “Acting To Weaken The Security Of The State Of Israel.” A Weekly Standard blog post, titled “Blaming Israel First,” quoted a statement by Bill Kristol, the editor and founder of the magazine, saying that Obama thinks “the world would be a safer, simpler, and more peaceful place if not for the troublesome Jewish state.” From the statement:

“Nobody believes President Obama when he claims, as he did last week, that he 'has done more for the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration.' That's because he hasn't -- and because President Obama and his administration keeps acting to weaken the security of the state of Israel.

[...]

”Just about the only thing in the Middle East that President Obama hasn't blamed Israel for is the Iranian nuclear program. But when it comes to this, too, instead of supporting crippling sanctions or preparing military strikes, the White House seems to spend more time deterring Israel from acting than deterring Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in the first place. And the administration's energy seems more focused on undermining Israel and those members of Congress pushing for a tougher approach to Iran, than in undermining the Iranian regime.

“The Obama message is loud and clear: the world would be a safer, simpler, and more peaceful place if not for the troublesome Jewish state. [The Weekly Standard, 12/3/11]

American Thinker: “You Can't Be Pro-Obama And Pro-Israel.” In a December 4 American Thinker article, Neil Snyder wrote, “Since the day he took office, President Obama has been anti-Israel”:

Since the day he took office, President Obama has been anti-Israel.

Barack Obama has failed to achieve the bipartisan results that he promised to seek while running for office. In fact, he has created a chasm between the political left and right in this country that is wider than it has ever been.

[...]

President Obama's Israel policy is just as incoherent. At one point, Obama summoned Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House for a tongue-lashing and a well-publicized, deliberate snub. After some political upheaval in the United States because of his Israel policies and rapidly changing events in the Middle East, Mr. Obama wasn't so sure about the Israel situation any longer, but he did hear something about the 1967 borders that sounded like a winner politically. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel's 1967 border should be her permanent border, and so did Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

[...]

Now more than ever before Israel needs a friend in the White House, and Barack Obama is not that person. After examining the facts, I am forced to conclude that you can't be pro-Obama and pro-Israel. The facts are presented succinctly in this short YouTube video: Obama - the Anti-Israel President. Watching it would be well worth your time. [American Thinker, 12/4/11]

Pamela Geller Blames Obama For “Jew-Haters” In His Administration And Claims He Has “Judeophobia.” In a December 3 post on her blog Atlas Shrugs, right-wing blogger Pamela Geller pointed to comments by the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, as an example of Obama enabling “Jew-hatred or a complete ignorance of vicious Islamic Antisemitism.” From the post:

Once again, it is either pure Jew-hatred or a complete ignorance of vicious Islamic Antisemitism as commanded in the quran. The gutless Gutman displays a stunning case of both, but understand: this is who Obama picks to represent America. Oh yes, I blame Obama. Jew-haters abound; you don't appoint them to your administration.

I meticulously documented Obama's judeophobia in The Post-American Presidency: The Obama Administration's War on America.

Obama Fundraiser and Ambassador Blames Israel for Anti-Semitism By DANIEL HALPER

The U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, recently told a conference hosted by the European Jewish Union that Israel is to blame for growing anti-Semitism harbored by people of Muslim faith.

“A distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians,” Gutman reportedly said, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. “He also argued that an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism.” [Atlas Shrugs, 12/3/11]

But Polling Shows The Majority Of Israeli Jews Support Obama

Brookings: “A Majority (54%) Of Israeli Jews Polled In 2011 Expressed A Favorable View Of [Obama].” A “2011 Public Opinion Poll of Jewish and Arab Citizens of Israel” by the Brookings Institution's Saban Center for Middle East Policy, found that a “majority” of Israeli Jews support Obama:

Key Findings: Poll Results Among Jewish Israelis

Attitudes toward the United States

• In contrast with 2010, when majorities of Israeli Jews expressed unfavorable views of President Obama, a majority (54%) of Israeli Jews polled in 2011 expressed a favorable view of the U.S. President while 39% expressed negative views. [Brookings, 12/1/11]

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Has Repeatedly Praised Obama

Netanyahu On Obama's Opposition To A Unilaterally-Declared Palestinian State: “I Think This Is A Badge Of Honor And I Want To Thank You For Wearing That Badge Of Honor.” From a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

I want to thank you, Mr. President, for standing with Israel and supporting peace through direct negotiations. We both agree this is the only way to achieve peace. We both agree that Palestinians and the Israelis should sit down together and negotiate an agreement of mutual recognition and security. I think this is the only way to get to a stable and durable peace. You've also made it clear that the Palestinians deserve a state, but it's a state that has to make that peace with Israel, and therefore their attempt to shortcut this process, not negotiate peace -- that attempt to get state membership in the United Nations will not succeed. I think the Palestinians want to achieve a state in the international community, but they're not prepared yet to give peace to Israel in return.

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I think that standing your ground, taking this position of principle, which is also, I think, the right position to achieve peace -- I think this is a badge of honor and I want to thank you for wearing that badge of honor, and also to express my hope that others will follow your example, Mr. President. So I want to thank you. [Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 9/21/11]

Netanyahu “Offered A Special Thank You” To Obama For Helping To Free Israelis Detained In Cairo. From a Jerusalem Post article:

Israel will continue to adhere to the peace treaty with Egypt, which serves the interest of both countries, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Saturday night, at the end of a dramatic 24-hours during which an Egyptian mob laid siege to Israel's embassy in Cairo.

All of Israel's emissaries to Cairo -- including six security guards who were holed up behind a metal door in the embassy and extracted by Egyptian commandos -- returned to Israel on Saturday, with the exception of one diplomat who will remain to represent Israel in the Egyptian capital.

Netanyahu, in a televised announcement on Saturday night, offered a special thank you to US President Barack Obama who “said he would do everything he could” to extricate the six security guards, “and did.”

“He used all the means and influence of the US, which are significant, and I think we owe him a special thank you. This testifies to the strong alliance between Israel and the US. This alliance is critical, especially during these days of great storms buffeting the Middle East,” the prime minister said. [Jerusalem Post, 9/11/11]

Netanyahu “Expressed His Deep Appreciation” For U.S. Funding For Missile Defense System For Israel. From an April 18 Agence France-Presse article:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 18 thanked U.S. President Barack Obama for helping fund a missile defense system protecting the Jewish state from Palestinian rockets, the White House said.

Netanyahu “expressed his deep appreciation for U.S. funding for the 'Iron Dome' rocket and mortar defense system, which he noted has successfully intercepted several rockets aimed at Israeli communities,” the White House said in a readout of the phone call. [Agence France-Presse, 4/18/11, via DefenseNews.com]

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak: “I Can Hardly Remember A Better Period Of ... American Support” For Israel Than “Right Now.” From the August 3 edition of Fox News' On the Record with Greta Van Susteren:

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN (host): I know that we're good friends. Our two countries are good friends. But are Israelis disenchanted a little bit with the Obama administration?

BARAK: No. Our countries are good friends, and I'm the minister of defense. I can tell you that I can hardly remember -- I was in uniform for decades. I can hardly remember a better period of both support -- American support and backing and Israel cooperation and similar strategic understanding of events around us than what we have right now. [Fox News, On the Record, 8/3/11, via Media Matters]

Right-Wing Media Have A History Of Baselessly Attacking Obama On Israel

Right-Wing Media Baseless Claim: Obama “Sided With Terrorists,” Condoned “Potential Genocide” In Speech Outlining Vision For An Israeli-Palestinian Peace Deal. [Media Matters, 5/27/11]

Fact: Obama's Statement Is In Line With Past U.S. Remarks On Israel And Former Israeli Leaders. [Media Matters, 5/27/11]

Right-Wing Media Baseless Claim: Obama Will “Threaten Use Of U.S. Military Forces” Against Israel Based On Policy in Libya. [Media Matters, 5/27/11]

Fact: Obama Administration Has Promised “Unwavering ... Support” For Israel. President Obama said “the United States is going to be unwavering in its support of Israel's security.” Furthermore, the U.S. vetoed a Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, and acted on shared Israeli concerns over Iranian weapons threat. [Media Matters, 5/27/11]

Right-Wing Media Baseless Claim: Obama Is Supporting “Intifada” Against Israel By Restating U.S. Policy Regarding Israeli Settlements. [Media Matters, 5/27/11]

Fact: The U.S. Has A Long-Standing Policy Of Opposing New Israeli Settlements. President George W. Bush and his administration argued against Israeli settlements several times during his presidency. [Media Matters, 5/27/11]

For more information about right-wing attacks on Obama regarding Israel, please click here and here