Why Some American Jews Are Balking at Netanyahu's Visit to Congress

Nadene Goldfoot                                                  
                                                                            

Netanyahu speaking at UN explaining need to stop development of uranium in Iran

The Jewish Democrat Senators are divided down the middle into staying to listen to Netanyahu speak on March 3rd about Iran and nuclear power.  Out of 27 Jewish Senators, 13 say they will attend and 14 will not attend.  We only have one Jewish Republican Senator and he plans to attend, making it 14 to 14.  Those not attending are staunch followers of the Democratic President Obama and take their cue from his behavior.  What makes Jews so divided over such as thing as listening to the Prime Minister of Israel?  Why is it that Jews have been followers of Obama when he shows a change of attitude towards Israel from what other previous Presidents have shown?  

Many American Jews, about 35%,  belong to the Reform Jewish movement.  They in turn, probably  have become Democrats.  The reform movement in Judaism  historically started in the 19th century in Germany. Over time, it has given rise to a set of Jewish beliefs and practices separate from Orthodox Judaism.   Synchronistically, Judaism came to an end in Germany with hideous torture and gas chambers in the 20th Century with the Holocaust that wiped out 6 million Jews of Europe with intentions to go onto all parts of the world to do the same thing.  The Holocaust brought out sadism in certain Europeans and loss of belief in G-d in many Jews.  
                                                                            

Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews share a culture and its foods

All Jews have had in common the acceptance of only one G-d, but today even many Jews say they are atheists.  From results in a 2003 poll, 79% of Americans believe in G-d but only 48% of the Jews do today.  This could be from the affects of the Holocaust and the affects of science, something many Jews have as their profession.  Jews are found to have a very high intellect, being a few points higher in IQ than the general population.  1/5 of Nobel prizes are earned by Jews who make up only 1/2 of 1% of the world population.  Such minds are more questioning than most people, I find.    For some Jews, being Jewish is more about culture than religion these days.  The last thing they have kept is the food.   Intermarriage has a great deal to do with this.  Some have settled on Reform as an inbetween way of keeping religious.  

As a result, many who would decide to belong to a synagogue would find themselves more comfortable in a Reform Synagogue .   We find that 90% of American Jews are Ashkenazi and make up 1.7% to 2.6% of the American population.  In 1932, when Nazis were just getting going in Germany, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Democrat,  was president in the USA for 4 terms, voted in by 85% to 90% of the Jewish vote.  

The reason  that many Jews go for Reform Judaism is that it cuts out more of the Hebrew prayers and does more in English. It is considered more modern.  The central tenet of the Reform movement is to deny that the Torah is the authentic word of G-d and to reject the historical reality of the Sinaic revelation.  They view both the Oral and Written laws of Judaism as a product of human hands, not divinely given to Moses.  They also feel that the Torah is a reflection of the time over 3,000 years ago since Moses (1391 BCE- 1271 BCE) was said to have written them all as the 5 Books of Moses,  and have lost their binding force on us.  It reflects only the historical development of Judaism which is subject to change based upon contemporary moral and doesn't represent a G-d-given truth for all time.  In other words, they reject the Torah as the eternal word of the living G-d of Israel.  Historically the Reform movement was very anti-Zionist. 

 Update: 2/15/15..The Reform Movement rejected the Balfour Declaration and wanted everyone to know that.  In 1885 they signed a paper saying that they didn't consider themselves any longer as a nation, but just as a religious community and didn't expect a return to Palestine or the restoration of any of the laws concerning the Jewish state.  With the Balfour Doctrine, the Reform didn't like the declaration that Palestine shall be the national homeland for the Jew.  They weren't about to move there.  Contemporary Reform Jewish leaders are today every bit as Zionistic as their Orthodox brethren.  In fact, we do have extreme Orthodox groups as much against living in Israel as the Reform had once been.  (The Jewish Press, January 30, 2015, page 28-29 by Saul Singer.  

Before 1980, the Reform synagogues went back to accepting more of what Conservative Judaism does and accepts, and they became far more supportive of Israel.  Rabbi Rose in Portland was a good example.  He even helped to train and educate those interested in Israeli advocacy.  He held debates with Arabs in Portland, and once did lose his cool, just as Moses did once, whereas Rabbi Rose walked off the stage in the middle of a debate, finding his opponent unreasonable.  I was a first hand witness to that and would have done the same thing.  He could not logically debate this person .  
                                                                             

Moses with 10 Commandments

So when it comes to Israel, we have a dilemma.  We know that historically, Judea and Samaria were our land in the beginning.  Orthodoxy takes the Torah seriously in that G-d told us this was where we were to live.  Joshua led us into Canaan since Moses died at age 120 and was not allowed into the land due to losing his temper earlier, anyway.  The ancestors of Jacob's 12 sons were given their allotted land by Joshua.  Today the Palestinians are demanding our ancient land as theirs for their state without accepting the fact that there is a Jewish state now, and has been for the past 66 years.  The Labor party of Israel (Leftist) want to cede the land to them again, something we have already tried and failed with Ehud Barak, Yitzak Rabin and Shimon Peres ,  while Likud, Netanyahu's party, says no.  They stand on international law proving that the land after 1967s war belongs rightly to Israel being it didn't belong to Jordan who had just helped themselves to it with England's looking the other way in 1948.  
                                                                      

Rabbi Rashi (1040-1105), the great French/German commentator of the bible who I happen to carry a few segments of genes, had a father, Rabbi Isaac,  who said that the main purpose of the Torah was to teach the mitzvot or good deeds and ways of living civilly in this world by starting with the first mitzvah in the Torah, blessing the New Moon in Exodus 12:11.  It begins with Genesis because...and this is very important...Because if the nations of the world should say to Israel, YOU ARE ROBBERS BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEIZED BY FORCE THE LANDS OF THE 7 NATIONS, CANAAN;   ISRAEL SHOULD SAY TO THEM, THE ENTIRE WORLD BELONGS TO GOD, HE CREATED IT AND GAVE IT TO WHOMEVER IT WAS RIGHT IN HIS EYES.  OF HIS OWN WILL HE GAVE IT TO THEM, CANAAN,  AND OF HIS OWN WILL HE TOOK IT FROM THEM AND GAVE IT TO THE JEWS.  

How amazing!   That day has come when the world demands that we are to allow against our will that this land is to go to the Palestinian Arabs who, by the way, never existed as a people throughout the entirety of human history.  Livni and Hertzog of Israel from the Labor party are some of those ready to give it up.  You will not find the Palestinians mentioned anywhere in the Torah or in the rest of the "Old Testament" we call the Tanakh.  They are people from Syria and other surrounding lands.  
                                                                          

Menorah in front of Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel's capital 

The Democratic 2012 platform "Omits support for Jerusalem as capital of Israel. The 2008 Democratic platform advocated the controversial and inflammatory position that “Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel.” That is still Mitt Romney’s position, but the 2012 platform has excised that section completely, much to the chagrin of Israel hawks. (The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin has already labeled it “the most radically unsupportive statement of policy on Israel by any major party since the founding of the state of Israel.”)"  
                                                                                

Rabin, Clinton and Arafat win Nobel Prize for Peace-it didn't take...

As a reminder, we had 2 prime ministers, Ehud Barak and Yitzak Rabin in the Oslo Agreement from the Labor party before ready to give almost every part of Israel up to the Palestinians except their own bedrooms and beds and still the Arabs were not about to make peace.  It did no good except to make the Jews look weak.  What miracle has happened today, I wonder, that would change their minds?  They have become more adamant and demanding.  That's how they are getting what they want.  Israel is building in these areas and the Labor party is against it, wanting to wait another 66 years, I imagine to build on land legally Israel's no matter what weak arguments they come up with.  

Henry Kissinger is for Netanyahu's speaking to the Senators.  So is Elie Wiesal.  Giullani, former NY city mayor is for his speaking.  

Now, that last argument I've heard from Americans is that they hate Netanyahu because of his father.  His father hasn't been mentioned in the news or in politics, so this is a pretty weak excuse for hating Netanyahu, a hatred I'm afraid, coming from radical  anti-Semitism of the left.  It happens that his father, Benzion Netanyahu, was born 2 years after my father in 1910 but in Warsaw, Poland, scene of the Warsaw Ghetto where Jews were tortured, starved to death and shot.  He was an Israeli scholar of Judaic history and was an activist in a Zionist movement who lobbied in the USA for the creation of the Jewish state; and he couldn't have foreseen what was going to happen to his birthplace.  His father, Nathan Mileikowsky, was a rabbi who also toured  Europe and the USA in support of Zionism.  Rabbi Nathan made aliyah in 1920 and changed their surname to Netanyahu.  

Benjamin or Bibi, as we know him, was one of three sons.  Yonatan was born in 1946 and died in 1976, a commander of Sayeret matkal, and was killed in action leading Operation Entebbe.  Our Prime Minister, Benjamin, was born in 1948, and his young brother Iddo was born in 1952 and is a physician, author and playwright.  Their father, Benzion, died in 2012 in Jerusalem  at the age of 102.  He was a good man.  

Therefore, Jews in the USA have had it easy.  So easy, as a matter of fact compared with past history, that they are letting loose the religion of their fathers in the form of a more liberal Judaism and a liberal political position as Democrats, even though their charter is not keeping the promises of the presidents before Obama about Israel.  The Democrats in their political meeting in 2008  had eliminated the word God from their party platform.  .  

Jews of Israel are the product of people fleeing to Israel in order to continue living, and have been accosted with wars and giving their energy to the service of the IDF in order to maintain their lives. Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews are a little over half of the Jewish population.   They may be agnostic or religious, but all are very nationalistic.  They have no other choices.  They are maintaining the ethics of Judaism which is where American  Democracy  found their values. 

 It was Harry S. Truman, Democratic president, who was for Israel becoming a state and voted for it in 1948.   The last Democratic meeting in the USA changed their charter and left out the points about backing Israel.  This is another reason for needing Israel.  One cannot depend on a country's backing.  Throughout history, countries have invited Jews to live there and then in a few years would exile them.  We've been waiting patiently for 2,000 years and have our state once again.  

Resource:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Jews
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Judaism
***Saul Singer in The Jewish Press, February 6, 2015 page 77;  The Reform Movement and Zionism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Prime_Ministers_of_Israel
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/democrats-might-skip-benjamin-netanyahu-speech-114891.html
http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Most-Jews-in-Congress-to-attend-Netanyahu-speech-390767
http://www.pewforum.org/2013/10/01/jewish-american-beliefs-attitudes-culture-survey/
The Holocaust by Martin Gilbert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzion_Netanyahu
http://blogs.cbn.com/thebrodyfile/archive/2012/09/04/democrats-drop-god-from-party-platform.aspx
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/papers_pdf/78283.pdf
*** http://www.thenation.com/blog/169714/democratic-platform-good-and-bad#
Update: 2/14/15 Story about Rabbi Nathan, Netanyahu's grandfather and why he made aliyah to Palestine: excellent  https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152711940722076&fref=nf

Nebraska's Chuck Hagel and Harry Reid, Democrat and the Voting for Secretary of Defense

Nadene Goldfoot
The senators who will be voting might relent after they return to Washington.  The vote will probably nominate Chuck Hagel.  Only 15 Republican Senators are asking Obama to withdraw his name from nomination.  Their concerns center around the Benghazi, Libya fiasco in which 4 Americans were killed; one being the US ambassador. Another accusation is that he has been too lenient on Iran.  Miracles are in short supply.  A few such as Senator Ted Cruz still oppose the confirmation as Secretary of Defense.  With all the negatives abounding, how is it possible for a man so unsuitable for this job to even be nominated?

In today's Oregonian, the PolitiFact section's headline is "No sign of Iran celebrating Hagel defense nomination."  I suppose this is to show the public that if Iran isn't celebrating his nomination, that this means they fear him and he will be tough on them.  Wrong.  They're smart enough to know this.  People should realize that their newspapers are government owned and will reflect the will of this mentally unstable government.

If anyone believes that Iran's zeal to develop uranium is for medical purposes only will believe in flying carpets, too.  Iran has threatened Israel so much and has called them so many outlandish names that you know they are serious.  Just look at their charters.  On page A7 of today's paper, a teeny item titled Iran Nuclear, says that  UN inspectors recently found 200 advanced machines fully or partially installed at their main uranium enrichment site.  This confirms the accounts that Tehran has begun a major upgrade to be used for making atomic arms.  You see, they are getting around this action because international law allows using it for scientific and medical purposes.  But knowing the government, you know what their real goal is.

Chuck Hagel will be in charge of  defense of the USA and will be affecting the defense of Israel.  As a Republican Senator from Nebraska, his attitudes do not reflect the present Republican views.  John McCain surprises me in backing down so quickly.  Chuck is reflecting far more of the Democrats, and I am sadder to think that anyone  would take his positions.  Just look at a few of the attitudes he reflects.

1. Hagel commented  that Israel is responsible for violating virtually every United Nations resolutions since 1967.  This is factually inaccurate.
 2. Hagel’s advocacy of negotiations with the terrorist organization Hamas, it is morally obtuse.
3. He tried to close the USO's Haifa retreat from 1987-1990, a place popular with US sailors.  45,000 had visited this port (so much like Portland) in 1990.  His comment was, "Let the Jews pay for it!."
4. Only Hagel abandoned Russia's Jews.  He wouldn't give support in 1999 urging Boris Yeltsin to take action against anti-Semitism.  Only he wouldn't sign a letter all other senators signed.
5. Refused to sign a Senate letter supporting Israel during Yasser Arafat's terrorist Intifada in 2000.  He was one of 4 that refused to sign.  96 Senators signed.
6.  He said that the State Department is the adjunct to Israel's foreign minister's office.  That is surely a nasty statement.  He's saying they are attached!  Never mind that they may be sharing the same values.  Because they might be in agreement with many things that he isn't, he has become most nasty and really-this shows his true colors about Israel.
7. Saying nasty comments about AIPAC.  such as, "The Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here on Capitol Hill."  He said this to Aaron David Miller in 2008 and was printed in the New York  Post. This is another anti-Semitic comment.  It's inferring that Jews have such power as to intimate people.  Nonsense.  Again, we do have shared values.  AIPAC people are Americans.
8.  Commenting that because someone is Jewish,  he is getting good reviews.  A secretary of defense shouldn't be on the religious affiliation of an American who participates in foreign policy debates.  I would hope that in this country you would have to be a good debater to win a debate and not just because you're Jewish.  Do I detect a little jealousy here?
9 I'M A UNITED STATES  SENATOR.  I'M NOT AN ISRAELI SENATOR." This statement of Hagel's reflects a chip on the shoulder and an attitude.  In other words, we could not possibly be on the same side.  He has also strongly implied that some of the other senators have more loyalty to Israel than to the USA.
10.    Prominent Jewish Nebraskans get the cold shoulder from Hagel. He didn't return any of their phone calls, said Gary Javitch.  He had always had callbacks before, even as a turn-down but Hagel wasn't running again so in his last year in office could afford to ignore certain people.  Carol Katzman, former editor of the Omaha Jewish Press found him most unresponsive to work with.  His office wouldn't respond.  He and his office were dismissive.  He's been the only one in Nebraska that has treated the Jewish community in this manner and they feel that he doesn't give a damn about any of their concerns or of them.   Since they are Jewish, he snubs them.

Each of our 50 states gets only 2 Senators. Today the Republicans have 45 seats while the Democrats have 53 with the leader seat being from Nebraska, Harry Reid.  51 votes are needed to pass a vote.

 Nebraskan Jews have a right to be heard just like the other Nebraskans.  Nebraska is smaller than Oregon in population.  As of July 1, 2012, they had only 1,855,525 people.  Oregon had 3,899,353.  Nebraska is the 37th out of 50 in size while Oregon was the 27th in size. There are from 6,100 to 7,200 Jews who live in Nebraska.  The population has been declining by 10% in the last 3 decades.  Most live in Omaha which has 4 synagogues, a Jewish community center and a mikveh.  Lincoln, Nebraska has 2 synagogues.  Most likely they are not the wheat growers but the merchants.  Jews in Nebraska make up only 0.3% of the population; not enough to bother with, evidently for Hagel.  Jews in Oregon make up a whopping 1.1.% of the population.

Now, if this is how he has treated Jews in his own state, besides all the attitudes and deeds he has already displayed about Jews and Israel, we have a good idea of what to expect from this Secretary of Defense.  Our antennae are more sensitive to these things than other people's.  We've experienced it through the ages.
The 100  senators have other axes to grind with this man.  How is it that they might give up so easily in placing this man in our government's cabinet without a fight?  Why is Obama being so adamant and why did he ever pick him in the first place?  Aren't people vetted before they get on his list?

Resource: Oregonian Newspaper 2/22/13 page A2, and A7.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0213/murdock.php3#.USex8B2OTqE Chuck Hagel's Greatest Hits by Deroy Murdock
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/21/republican-senators-call-on-obama-to-withdraw-hagel-nomination/
http://spectator.org/blog/2013/02/21/why-hagels-position-on-israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0015_0_14643.html Nebraska
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/usjewpop.html Oregon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2012
http://www.reid.senate.gov/

Hagel Discussed by Two Senators, Democrat and Republican: On Hagel's Possible Nomination

Nadene Goldfoot
NBC's Sunday program, Meet the Press had Senator Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer, Democrat from New York speak with Senator Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz, Republican from Texas about the upcoming possible nomination of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. The issue basically is how does Hagel feel about Israel and will he defend her when she needs the assistance. Hagel's past record has been very negative towards Israel.

As so many Jews are staunch Democrats, so is Schumer.  He said that he interviewed Hagel personally and asked him the pertinent questions about Israel.  He was most pleased with Hagel's take on Israel's problems and will defend her.

It took Cruz, who had the final say on the program, to bring out that he knows of Hagel's past views concerning Israel  and doesn't trust a sudden turn around at a time of such a nomination.  I think even he is surprised at Schumer's trust, but then politics make friends, and in this case I do not see Schumer ever going against a Democratic president and another Democrat, no matter what his record has been.

Schumer, 62 years old and a Harvard lawyer,  became a senator in 1998 and is Jewish.  Cruz was elected in 2012.  Cruz, whose father is Cuban, is 42 years old and also is a practicing Harvard lawyer. He happens to be a Baptist.  He has attended the U. of Texas in Austin, though and is from Houston.  Ted attended Princeton as well.  "He competed for the American Whig-Cliosophic Society's 's Debate Panel as one of North America's top-ranked parliamentary debaters, winning the top speaker award at both the 1992 U.S. National Debating Championship and the 1992 North American  Debating Championship".   Schumer holds high postions in the Democratic Party.  He has never practiced law as he entered into politics instead.

Resource: http://www.locatetv.com/tv/meet-the-press/7917783 Sunday morning Meet the Press, NBC
http://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2012/12/chuck-hagel-on-docket-for-defense.html
http://www.senate.gov/senators/113th_Congress/Cruz_Ted.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Schumer

Barack Obama's Feelings About Israel in 2012

How does Barack Obama feel about Israel?  He says he has done so much and puts their safety first..  What's the evidence?

1.  Has Obama really given billions of dollars in military assistance?
      The money in military assistance, including the Iron Dome Defense system, is the money promised from the pledge by George W. Bush.  Israel has been the largest receiver from 1976-2003, but the Iraq War took the #1 position.  Israel gets assistance in grants and military sales.  "In 2007, the United States increased its military aid to Israel by over 25%, to an average of $3 billion per year for the following ten year period (starting at $2.550 billion for 2008, growing by $150 million each year)"  "Former U.S. President George W. Bush assured Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the U.S. would help keep a "qualitative advantage" to Israel over other nations in the region."

"2. Obama got strong sanctions against Iran that were passed  by the UN Security Council.
    Sanctions against Iran haven't stopped or slowed down their nuclear program at all.  Obama opposed stronger sanctions that Congress wanted. "In June 2005, President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13382 freezing the assets of individuals connected with Iran's nuclear program. In June 2007, the U.S. state of Florida enacted a boycott on companies trading with Iran and Sudan, while New Jersey's state legislature was considering similar action.  Ryan commented that it was Congress who got the sanctions.  "Meanwhile, Obama wrote a signing statement saying that the sanction’s requirements were nonbinding, Williams noted. (Obama wrote that the Iran sanctions section "would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with foreign governments. Like section 1244, should any application of these provisions conflict with my constitutional authorities, I will treat the provisions as non-binding.")

Obama also undermined the sanctions’ requirement for countries seeking exceptions to "significantly reduce" their Iranian crude oil purchases by leaving the definition of "significant" to the discretion of the secretary of state, Williams said. (Sens. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., authors of the amendment, argued it should mean at least 18 percent.)"

3. Under his administration, the US increased its intelligence and military coordination with Israel.
      His administration has continually leaked vital covert Israeli information.  Four times this happened when they revealed which countries Israel had effected a deal with to fly over for an attack on Iran.  Israelis suspected Obama had media leaks to prevent their striking Iran.  It was also felt that Obama had information leak to help his campaign.  For instance, "Last week, the New York Times revealed how U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies manufactured viruses to disrupt work at an Iranian nuclear facility." "The Obama administration has been playing a double game with respect to Iran for some time. They publicly condemn Iran’s nuclear activity, but four times they have revealed Israel’s plans to use other countries’ airspace for an attack on Iran. It is no surprise that Obama will use anything to bolster his reelection campaign, especially given the Obama Administration’s hostility toward Israel and friendliness with the Arab Spring."

4.  The UN seems to hate Israel.  Obama opposed some anti-Israel resolutions.
     Obama backed a session at the UN Security Council where the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, the anti-Israel Navi Pillay, spoke to the council about Israel, just Israel, as if Israel were the worst offender of human rights in the world .   "The Obama administration could have insisted that Israel not be sacrificed as the quid pro quo for paying due attention to the Syrian carnage. Instead, they caved, agreeing to a spectacle which casts Syria and Israel as moral equals."  It was written about on July 2nd of this year.  "Today, at the United Nations, the Obama administration is turning its back on Israel. For the very first time, the U.N. Security Council has invited the U.N. high commissioner for human rights to “brief” the Council specifically on the subject of Israel and the commissioner’s list of trumped-up sins. Though the U.S. is a veto-holding power, the extraordinary move has full American approval, despite the fact that the global soapbox will be handed to Navi Pillay, a notorious anti-Israel partisan."

How has Obama treated Netanyahu?

  1. He has humiliated him publicly.  He told Netanyahu that Israel should return to the pre-1967 borders which is suicide for Israel to do.  That was done on live television.  Netanyahu had to explain to him why this was a terrible move and that Israel couldn't possibly do it. The result was that Obama should have been embarrassed also.

 2. The Democratic platform left out key elements from the 2008 platform such as Israel was the strongest US ally in the Middle East, the Hamas should be isolated from being a partner in the peace process, that bogus Palestinian rights to return should be opposed,  the refusal to name Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and the absolute unwillingness to condemn Arab terrorism.

How has his people treated Netanyahu?

1 Hillary Clinton held a phone call with Netanyahu for 43 minutes angry with him for announcing construction in a Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem.
2. David Axelrod told him that Obama considered the housing approval "an affront, an insult, and very very destructive.
3. Joe Biden ripped Israel for endangering American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Why?
4. Clinton demanded that Israel unilaterally concede negotiating positions and release hundreds of Palestinian terrorists even before "indirect" peace talks could begin.
5. Defense Secretary Robert Gates called Israel "an ungrateful ally."
6. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's chastising Israel to "get back to the damn table. (negotiating) all on Netanyahu's shoulders.
7. This one I'll never forget.  Obama shoved Netanyahu out the White House back door, no dinner, no joint statement.  Obama went off in the White House for dinner.
8. Obama pushed Israel to apologize for the terrorist Gaza flotilla.
9.  Obama was caught talking when the mike was open in agreeing with French President Sarkozy's statement that "I cannot bear Netanyahu.  He's a liar. He then continued with "You're fed up, but I have to deal with him every day."
10.  Obama's speech when Netanyahu was about to arrive in Washington DC which called on Israel to retreat to the 1949 Armistice line as a starting point for negotiations.
11.  No coming down on Palestinian leadership for anti-Israel incitement including the Palestinians celebrating the murder of the Fogel family and their sleeping children in Judea/Samaria.
12. No condemnation of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem who gets his salary from American taxpayers who urges Arabs to "fight and kill the Jews".

In contrast, the 2012 Republican platform states:

1. Palestinian people must support leaders that reject terror, embrace institutions and ethos of democracy and respect the rule of law.  (This would eliminate Hamas and Fatah).

2. Israel can't be expected to negotiate with people pledged to her destruction.

3. Hamas and Hezbollah must be isolated as they don't meet the standards of peace and diplomacy of the international community.

So give me a good reason why Jews would be voting for Obama again?  As Caroline already has said, Obama has an animus toward Israel greater than any other president except Jimmy Carter, which is my comment.  Do American Jews for Obama value Israel?  I know many who do, but they seem to have either short memories or are putting other values first.  Can we really risk terrible and final consequences of Israel and thus the Jewish people by choosing the wrong man?  This may be the  most important election in the past 64 years and can spell life or death for Israel.  My personal opinion is that the the parties are not the same parties of my parents.  They have changed.  Being a Democrat is not a religion.  We have the right to choose the best person for this historic era.  Vote with wisdom.

Yet Netanyahu's party says that Obama has been the best.  Can they say anything different?  One must look at the facts and read the lines.  You don't even have to read between them.

Resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel%E2%80%93United_States_military_relations
 http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/10/19/Obama-Israel
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/oct/15/paul-ryan/paul-ryan-says-obama-administration-watered-down-s/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/mitt-romney-vfw_n_1699079.html
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/obama-administration-media-campaign-to-stop-israeli-strike-on-iran/
http://nation.foxnews.com/john-mccain/2012/06/07/mccain-obama-leaking-national-security-secrets-help-campaign
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/304559/obama-turns-his-back-israel-un-anne-bayefsky#

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood That Isn't Moderate

Nadene Goldfoot
A little more than half of Egypt is excited about the Muslim Brotherhood getting the vote for President..  They say:
"The Quran is our law"
Jihad is our way
Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.
However, the new president, Mohammed Morsi, hasn't said a word about the Muslim side of the Muslim Brotherhood and is trying to calm the fears of many.  In fact,Obama's  Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper,  said that the Muslim Brotherhood is moderate and largely secular.  Was it just the Old Muslim Brotherhood that had assassinated Sadat and caused Mubarak to outlaw them, then?  .

The army was so alarmed that they had a coup and dissolved the parliament which was in the Muslim Brotherhood's hands.  It was only 16 months ago when Mubarak was ousted and the Arab Spring had descended with Obama and Hillary Clinton excited about this event and even taking some of the credit.  Mubarak may have not been the best fellow, but he was on the same page with the USA and in agreement with the 1979 peace treaty that Sadat and Begin had made.  The Muslim Brotherhood is the in-group for Hamas and al-Qaida and other terrorists.

Though we were friends with Mubarak, Obama said back in February 2011 that he positioned the US on the right side of victory by backing the elections.  The Muslim Brotherhood  had been the archenemy of Hosni Mubarak and was outlawed.  They were the ones pushing these elections along with the USA.

Mohammed Mursi or Morsi, b: August 20, 1951 who  attended U of Southern California  and was assistant professor at California  State,  the newly elected President says " he'll seek "stability, love and brotherhood for the Egyptian civil, national, democratic, constitutional and modern state."  Obama and staff are reported to be alarmed at the turn of events of the army stepping into the picture. A few  TV pundits are alarmed that the Muslim Brotherhood had won the presidency because of what they stand for and how it can affect the USA and Israel.  The Muslim Brotherhood of today is still not a group of moderates.  However, Obama will push against the army's decision to draft a new constitution for Egypt.

By going democratic, Obama and Clinton made sure on March 22, 2012 that $1.5 billion dollars will go to Egypt  in economic aid.  "A senior State Department official said the decisions “reflect our overarching goal: to maintain our strategic partnership with an Egypt made stronger and more stable by a successful transition to democracy.”  Obama is assuming that Egypt will still honor the peace treaty with Israel.  Nothing really is for sure as Egypt now says they reject the possibility that the Muslim Brotherhood will recognize Israel.

Rashad al-Bayoumi, the Muslim Brotherhood's 2nd in command, said that they will not recognize Israel under any circumstances and might put the peace treaty up to a referendum.  He also has said that Israel is an occupying entity and that they will not allow anyone of our members to meet with an Israeli.

The first indications were that the Muslim Brotherhood had won, but the other party  with Ahmed Shafik, secular,  was very close.  We know how these elections can go up to the last vote.  However, it looks like the Muslim Brotherhood got the vote no matter what.

Resource:http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/muslimbrotherhood.html
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/11/egypt-moderate-and-largely-secular-muslim-brotherhood-holds-rally-where-participants-vow-one-day-wel.html
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/02/director-of-national-intelligence-says-al-qaeda-infiltrating-syrian-opposition.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-18/army-grabs-power-as-egypt-islamists-declare-victory/4077902
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/06/18/international/i003954D45.DTL
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/egypt-s-muslim-brotherhood-fate-of-israel-peace-treaty-may-be-decided-in-referendum-1.404889
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4169609,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Morsi
 http://news.investors.com/article/615238/201206181904/egyptian-military-launches-a-silent-coup.htm
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2896746/posts
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021404872.html
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/03/screw-democracy-obama-administration-will-give-muslim-brotherhood-1-5-billion-in-us-aid/
http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/55676554?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp
http://www.faithfreedom.org/articles/islamic-jihad-articles/facts-about-%E2%80%9Cmuslim-brotherhood%E2%80%9D-agenda/

Farrakhan Rants Against Jews Again

Nadene Goldfoot                                                            

Louis Farrakhan compared Jews to termites in this speech

Louis Farrakhan is the Nation of Islam leader in the United States.  He has a history of blaming Jews for all the ills in this country and the world.  He's saying that Jews and Zionists are pushing the USA into war.  Not only that, but Jews are a cover for Satan.  This was just said on Tuesday in Chicago at an annual meeting. 

He continued by addressing President Obama, telling him not to let Zionists push him.  It's the Jews that are pushing a military offensive against Gaddafi.  Oh yes, Jews also were the manipulators causing the USA to get Saddam Hussein and his sons..  Farrakhan definitely is speaking as a Muslim as he calls out to Gaddafi as "my brother' and "my friend."  I have a feeling that they certainly are on the same wave length. 

It's all the American Jews' fault of pushing Israel into a war with Iran, he cries.  Never mind the fact that Iran has been threatening Israel with extinction and calling Israel and Jews everywhere horrible absurd names.  Whatever is distasteful must be the Jews at fault.  It's never ever the Muslims. 

His hatred for Jews comes from knowledge about Satan, according to Farrakhan.  He's not even anti-semitic, he thinks.  To me this is a picture of the ultimate case of self-denial that ever was. 
                                                                       

                                                                         

Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam's leader,
with nothing but hate speech for Jews
leading Democrats as well to this day.  

He acknowledges that Jews are a very small group in the world but thinks they are the most powerful, thus, the manipulators in the world.  I sense a bit of jealousy here.  Every statement about Jews he vomits out shows a defiance of accepting historic facts about Jews.  He has his own ugly definitions.  He teaches that Jews dominate the U.S. government and all the banks. Besides all problems being caused by Jews, he even has the audacity to accuse Jews of taking over BET!   BET.com stands for the new cable network, Black Entertainment Television.  The founder is a Robert L. Johnson, who I would bet is not Jewish.  All this hatred directed at a group of people who make up less than 1% of the world's population. 

ADL Director Abe Foxman brings out the point that he is still a respected person in his own community.  I wonder how that can be in this great country.  It tells me that his Muslim followers are of the same opinion and love to blame Jews but not accept their own problems.  I'm wondering if his Muslim community would be so hateful if it didn't have such a leader whipping them into such a frenzy of hatred.  He's bringing out the worst of the Koran with Jewish hatred and command of killing us.  Such a diatribe should be left in the 700's where it began because Jews refused to convert to Islam. 

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=210444
http://www.adl.org/special_reports/farrakhan_own_words2/on_jews.asp
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/farrakhan-jews-war-us/2011/03/02/id/388115?s=al&promo_code=BC9D-1
http://theurbandaily.com/tv/the-urban-daily-staff/louis-farrakhan-says-jews-have-taken-over-bet/
Updated: 11/18/18 https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/28/politics/louis-farrakhan-speech/index.html

Why Did American Jews Risk Israel in Their Voting? Nadene's Opinion

There have been more than two very interesting articles about why Jews are Democrats. They both give the history of why most Jews voted Democratically. Since World War II when President Roosevelt was in power, we have been grateful to find America a haven from the killing fields in Europe that took the lives of six million Jews. Thank goodness we were here.

We've been very loyal to Roosevelt's party. Now we've had 65 years of living peacefully in the United States, which is quite a stretch for us Jews. We've come from being kept out of organizations because of our religion to being accepted. We were kept out of jobs and schools and now find ourselves just one of the guys. Life has become good. That's almost three generations from Europe and pogroms and the holocaust. Our present generation knows very little about our past unless the parents were directly involved with past events. Our school systems do not dwell on this part of history, so our children just have not become impacted by it. How many attend Sunday School and even listen to the history portion in class? Being a past teacher and Sunday School teacher in Oregon, I know that very little has reached our young citizens.

I was on the Democratic Party's inner circle in Eastern Oregon, and even had a a party after an election before 1980 when our man won. I graciously invited my mother to the party even though she was a rebel and had voted Republican. I never considered ever voting Republican. She said she was more interested in what they stood for and not the party. She really investigated them. Her vote cancelled out my father's vote, but they learned to live with it.

When it came to voting again in this election, I found Democrats to be so engrossed in the identification of being a Democrat that they did not consider Israel's life at all. They were appalled at being questioned about it. The fact that the Bush Era had been such a mess determined their judgements. Anything to get away from the Republicans was their thinking in my opinion. Their thoughts were the same as most Americans. Stop the war. Save the soldiers. Obama was such an artful speaker. Who could argue against him? The world loved him. He was good for America and would be the first black president. Voters were more interested in saving the planet and going green than rescuing Israel.

I am an American with dual citizenship with Israel. I lived there for over five years teaching English as a Foreign Language in Safed. It was amazing to check with my mother back home in Oregon to find that what was happening in Israel was not reported in her papers. Obviously, the reporters were only interested in anything that showed how bad Israel was instead of all the horrid things happening to her or mention the good things it was creating and sharing with the world. It was depressing to find that prejudice existed again after our revival of support in 1967.

There were so many indications that Obama would not be supportive of Israel if elected, but most Democratic Jews that I knew would not read or consider the findings and possibilities. Israel was outweighed in their decisions. I suppose they quickly thought that Israel could overcome any obstacle it met regardless of Obama's leanings. After all, look how many wars it had come through since 1948. Some even may have thought that Ha-Shem would protect. The outcome was that most Jews voted Democratically in the last election. Israel is having one heck of a time being pressured to lose Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. It has already lost Gaza which it really didn't want in the first place but found it placed in their lap. The goal of the surrounding Arabs and especially the Palestinians is to get rid of Israel, and they are closer now than ever with Iran threatening Israel with an atomic missile. Most of the world is of course not assisting Israel. They really didn't want its creation in the first place, except the Evangelical Christians who are most supportive.

My sincere thoughts are this. Israel was created in my lifetime after 2,000 years of lying dormant. This is a time spoken of in the past. It's a revival period of our ancestor's home and our history. We are the ones that are responsible for its continuation. This heavy responsibility is ours now. We were the leaders of conscience being the mother religion with Christianity and Muslims as the children. What are we doing about its life?

Resource: Why Are Jews Liberals by Norman Podhoretz-opinion: Wall Street Journal http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203440104574402591116901498.html

Why Are Jews Liberals-A Symposium: Commentary Magazine- look for Jeff Jacoby's article-also David Wolpe, Jonathan D. Sarna, Michael Medved, William Kristol wrote articles there. http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/why-are-jews-liberals-a-symposium-15223

Concerns About Environment Outweigh Concerns About Israel with Democratic Jews

American Jews' History of Being Democrats Can't Be Broken

Nadene Goldfoot

It seems that many American Jews cannot break the habit of voting democratically. Though research shows that our one Democratic contender is not exactly friendly towards Israel, most are ignoring this fact among the many others that are being ignored. Some use the argument that eight years of Republicans have been too much, and other use the excuse of "Can you picture McCain dead and Palin in his place?" McCain's skin cancer is scaring many away as possibly being fatal. Some are even having nightmares about Palin." Others feel that since the USA has always been supportive of Israel as their only democratic partner in the Middle East, nothing will change.

Well, Obama is the man who has been preaching "change" for some time, now, and I fear that change may just be the attitude towards Israel.

Ted Belman has listed some statements of Obama has made which the press does not gleam onto, except for people sensitive towards any comments that are negative about Israel.

1. Obama feels Palestinians are suffering more than anyone.

2. Foreign Policy team: McPeak, Hamilton, Kurtzer, Brezezinski: all anti-Israel and anti AIPAC. (I have written several articles in my blogs about these people). McPeak lives right here in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

3. 20 years with Reverend Wright who doesn't like Jews, and is influenced by his association with Louis Farrakhan who is very strongly against Jews. Wright's church posted a Hamas manifesto, and the Islamic world favors Obama. Wright's church reprinted the claim that Israel planned an "ethnic bomb" to kill Blacks and Arabs.

4. Obama is endorsed by Hamas. This is the terrorist group who are ruling in Gaza, shelling Israel daily! That should be the kiss of death, only no one comments.

5. Other endorsements: William Ayers, USA terrorist, Tony Rezko, Louis Farrakhan, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (more terrorists), Raila Odinga of Kenya and Obama's cousin who is a fundamental Islamic candidate, Daniel Ortega, Raul Castro, Communist Party of Illinois and Socialist Party of USA, The New Black Panther Party , and Mosques in the USA., Ali Abunimah at The Electronic Intifadah.

6. Ralph Nader mentions that Obama was pro-Palestinian when he was in Illinois before he ran for the state Senate. I can't forget Acorn, a group signing up Democratic voters, who have stuffed the ballot boxes with non-existant people or people voting dozens of times, and all, of course, for Obama.

7. Referred to "cycle of violence" in Middle East, equating Arab violence of shelling, killing Israelis with legitimate Israeli self-defense. It's like comparing apples with oranges.

8. Finally,Obama  was a paid director on a board that granted funding to Arab group that mourns the establishment of Israel. They call it a catastrophe. Has spoken at fundraisers for Palestinians living in refugee camps.


Rashid Khalidi is co-founder of group, and worked for PLO when it was a terror group. Khalidi held a fundraiser in 2000 for Obama to get into US House of Representatives. Ayers also held a fundraiser for Obama, and Obama, as intelligent and inquisitive as he must be, either did not know of his background, or it didn't matter to him which says more. Surely he could have found a more reputable person when he is involved with voting in America. He knew lots of people at U. of Chicago. Somebody else could have loaned him a living room and felt honored to do so.

No matter what Obama's history is or what his history lacks, Jewish Democrats are not giving it a thought. The old adage, "If ever I forget thee, Oh Jerusalem, may I lose my right hand" is not a part of the souls of the new Jewish American Democrats. Obama calms their fears with, "of course I am concerned about Israel, " and they trust in him. Perhaps the time has come when American Jews are more concerned with our immediate environment than they are with Israel's environment. Who is left to be Israel's spokesman, now?

This comes at a time when the UN spoke about Israel on October 8, 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland in the Durban Review Conference. They have a "demonize Israel" agenda. This is a group of 53 states in the Asian region listing their demands. They are contending that Palestinians are victims of Israeli racism. The whole thing is about the Palestinians. History and facts do not exist with this group. This is the time when we need a strong leader who has been involved with Israel and can speak up on a positive note.

Reference: http://www.israelunitycoalition.org/news/article/php?id=3221

http://www.israelunitycoalition.org/news/article/php?id=3223

OH BRAVE NEW WORLD OF OBAMA

Nadene Goldfoot
I have a strong feeling that Obama will win the nomination for presidency of the Democrats. He has a strong chance to actually win the presidency. This Jewish lady has reservations about what it will mean for Jews and Israel.

The country is Obama happy. Women are reported to be fainting at the mention of his name or seeing him in person. He is the youngest of the nominations without the same amount of experience, and this is working for him. All the younger citizens who never want to vote are mad about him. No one cares for how he differs from Hillary Clinton. News stories can't even talk about it for the desire to talk about other issues. The fact that he is new and fresh and wants to unite people is enough. It sounds like he is the Messiah.

Then we hear about his minister of 20 years in the church he and his family have attended. His pastor of this Chicago church, Pastor Wright, is quite an unusual pastor. He has been flailing against the United States at least since 9/11, and said that the United States invited the attacks by supporting Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

If this is what he teaches and feels, then I wonder truly where Obama's feelings about Israel are. He has to be influenced to some degree by this dynamic speaker. Obama gave a convincing speech to AIPAC, but I wonder. I wonder how much is said to gain votes and how much he really believes himself.

What is amazing is that the TV program I am now listening to is interviewing people and asking them if the information about his pastor bothers them, and they are pooh poohing it. They are so involved in promoting Obama that nothing said of a negative nature would bother them, as it is bothering the interviewer, Chris Wallace.

Even our former Mayor, Vera Katz, is voting for Obama. She doesn't even like Hillary. She said she's divisive and is drawn to Obama's unifying message. Well, his pastor certainly isn't preaching unification. He has condemned the USA and Israel.

Reference: Oregonian Newspaper, 3/15/and 3/16/08
My own personal feelings

Democratic Presidential Candidate's Views On Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Now that the candidates are speaking and people are voting, I am one of the 15% of Jews who consider what their views are about Israel. I think we are lucky to have such fantastic people in the running, but guess that some are more opinionated than others about Israel. I want the person who not only is the best for America, but also for Israel. We don’t need another holocaust there, and a good president will value the country and their lives.

First, I looked at Hillary Clinton, b: 26 Oct 1947 and Methodist. She is 60 years old and has been the senator from New York for 7 years. She graduated from Yale Law School. I quickly found that she has a marvelous website about her views and deeds involving Israel. Go to: http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/nationalsecurity/israel/. I found it by googling: Clinton, Israel,
and read about her accomplishments concerning Israel. She has even gone against her husband’s decision about Jerusalem being divided. It appears right now that she would not push to divide it. I was very impressed with the information on her website and feel that this shows she is a well organized person who values the votes of the less than 1% of the Jews of America. She isn’t all talk and promises; she’s a doer and has done well so far. She was in favor of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I'm all for that! On Haaretz's ratings, she received an overall score of 7.63, which was high. However, the memory of Hillary's kiss for Yasser Arafat's wife Suha in 1999, after she accused Israel of poisoning Palestinian women and children, is still fresh in the memory of many Jews.

Next, I looked at Barack Obama, who just won in South Carolina, and was endorsed by the Kennedy family. He is 46 years old, b: 4 Aug 1961 and member of United Church of Christ for past 20 years, and has been a senator from Illinois for 3 years, since Jan 4, 2005.
2/25/08 He has selected his foreign policy adviser. Sadly, it is a man who supports Walt and Mearsheimer's volume against the Israel Lobby. He is Zbigniew Brzezinski, Harvard Professor from Poland who became a citizen in 1958. He was a part of Carter's team, so it is not surprising that he is also holding anti-Israel feelings. This foreign Relations Advisor to Obama will probably have a lot of clout with him. I note that Alan Dershowitz has contributed to Hilary Clinton's campaign. Alan is a Harvard law professor, and Obama graduated from Harvard. I heard a news bulletin today that told about how he felt about Israel, and it wasn't that promising; in fact, it was scary. I need to see it in print. I note from below that promises or support in Israel's welfare is changing, as is usual for many politicians. For example, just look at past presidents.

He made a speech to AIPAC on March 2, 2007 and stated these issues:
1. He ensures a strong US -Israel partnership
2. He supports Israel's right to self defense
3. He wants to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons
4. He supports foreign assistance to Israel
5. He works towards two states living side by side in peace and security
6. He wants to help Palestinian families get the aid they need without suppporting terrorism
7. He wants to limit Hezbollah's influence in the region.
8. He supports US-Israel research and development
9. He wants to achieve energy independence.
In his speech he mentions that our job is to do more than lay out another road map; our job is to rebuild the road to real peace and lasting security throughout the region.

Ha'aretz Newspaper in Israel said that Obama sounds as strong as Clinton, as supportive as Bush and as friendly as Giuliani. He is pro-Israel. Period.

I could not find a website like Hillary’s, but have found some articles that are wary about his feelings about Israel. Ed Lasky has written several such articles. One thing he is concerned about is that Obama has only been a senator for two years, and has not done much to show how he feels in foreign policy. The problem I see is that Obama has been surrounded by friends that are not favorable towards Israel. Some troubling thoughts are things such as his name. He has a Muslim father. Though he was not raised by him, his mother did remarry another Muslim, and he had a smattering of Muslim education which is not favorable towards Jews , and it's been hard to find Muslims favorable towards Israel.

We all know that he is now a Christian, but the church he has been attending is the Trinity United church of Christ, and their Pastor Wright is a supporter of Louis Farrakhan. In 1984 Farrakhan and Wright traveled to visit Col. Muammar al-Gadaffi, who is a supporter of terror groups and archenemy of Israel and America. Wright has been a severe critic of Israel. His pastor and mentor, being a fan of Louis Farrakhan, who called Judaism either "a dirty religion" or "a gutter religion," depending on the reading of the audiotape, causes concern. Obama has publicly distanced himself from Wright now that he is in the presidential race. Another friend of Obama to worry about is a well-known Chicago activist for Palestinian causes, Ali Abunimah. He met Obama in May of 1998 at a community fundraiser where the late Edward Said was the speaker. Edward Said was a severe critic of Israel. Abunimah has written columns for the Chicago Tribune and has been critical of Israeli and US policy. I would classify Obama as an extreme leftist Democrat. He has worked with the poor in the states and may be identifying the Palestinians as the poor ill treated people who problems are all due to the mean Israelis. When asked about Israel’s wall that was constructed to save Israeli lives from terrorists, he said, "the creation of a wall dividing the two nations is yet another example of the neglect of this Administration in brokering peace." I note that Palestine is not yet a country or nation. The fence is saving the lives of many innocent civilians in Israel. Less than 5% is a wall; the rest is a fence.
3/16/08: Saturday's Oregonian article:Obama condemns pastor's words but won't quit church page A3. It amazes me that Obama has been attending this church for the past 20 years, yet claims that the pastor has never used such words as have been on TV the past few days villifying the USA and saying, "damn the USA" and He has always just preached the gospel, claims Obama.
Pastor Wright said that the United States invited the attacks by supporting Israel's treatment of Palestinians. This pastor is now retiring from his Chicago church. Obama has been busy denying. I can't help but wonder how much has influenced Obama and his wife's thinking after attending for 20 years. I heard his wife speak about how this is the first time she has been proud of America. It seems to me that she certainly was influenced by Wright's sermons if this is the first time, meaning that her husband is now running for president, that she is proud. This same church ha honored Louis Farrakhan with an award in Wright's name. Obama claims that his interest in the church is because of their work with the poor and homeless and those with HIV/AIDS. Obama says he strongly condems the statements. They make him feel uncomfortable.

If I were attending a synagogue that I did not agree with, it wouldn't even take me 6 months to change to another one. Why has he attended for 20 years? He and his wife, two super intelligent lawyers, had to learn at some point about how much of an agitator their pastor was and what he stood for politically. Nothing has been brought out that the Obamas tried to change him in any way.

What’s interesting is that the Republican, McCain, was just on television and spoke about how he knows how to have a fence between Mexico and the USA and all the things he would have on it to keep the Mexicans out. I don’t believe that Obama understands the value of such a fence at all. He doesn’t realize that in Israel, this fence or wall is saving lives. Obama now has the approval of billionaire George Soros who has tried to shake the American-Israel alliance by donating to Wesley Clark who is a severe critic of Israel, and has written an essay that is critical of the ties between America and Israel. Also approving Obama is ex President Jimmy Carter. In fact, some are calling him the next Jimmy Carter. Need I say more? That is the kiss of my vote not going towards Obama, I had felt before discovering the AIPAC speech. Now, I think I'll just say "present", and not yes or no. This is how Obama handled voting time in Illinois as a state senator many times. I know that everybody is speaking nicely and saying things we want to hear in order to win votes. What matters is: actions. On Haaretz's rating, he received an overall score of 4.88, which was the lowest score of all the candidates. He was weakest on his answer about if he would take military action to stop Iran's nuclear weapons plan. His highest was playing a role in the peace process and having an emotional tie to Israel. He talks about bringing change. I just hope that his change would not be to be against AIPAC , being it supports Israel but is chastized by Mearshimer and Walt and ex President Carter unfairly. He has never stated just what kind of change he would bring.
Edited 1/28/6:31pm. with positive information about Obama.

1/29/08 I keep finding more information on Obama, both good and bad. One of his inner circle friends is Robert Malley, a foreign policy critic of Israel. However, Obama just spoke to Jerusalem and Jewish reporters in a conference call from Florida at 12:00, just an hour ago. It it he states these views:

1. He opposes the return of all Palestinian refugees to homes they fled in Israel.
2. He says that Israel must remain a Jewish state. refugees should be resettled in a future Palestinian state.
3. Palestinians must set up a security force to make sure militants cannot attack Israel.
4. He is against talks with Hamas who control the Gaza Strip until it recognizes Israel's right to exist.
5. He wants diplomatic contacts between Iran and US, and believes in carrots and sticks.
Iran is Israel's biggest worry right now because Iran has vowed Israel's destruction, and the fear is that they might be developing nuclear arms. They say they only need energy.
4/5/08 Co chair for Obama's presidential campaign is General Merrill McPeak, resident of Lake Oswego, Oregon. He is against the Israel Lobby in the United States. He has spoken out against Israel's settlement policies in the Palestinian territories and U.S.'s lack of interference. He wants Israel to withdraw some of the settlements that are already there. This was voiced in 1976 in an article to Foreign Affairs Journal. He's also against the Christian Zionist movement's influence on US foreign policy in the Middle East. It appears that anyone that is supportive of Israel is someone he is against. There is an article about him in the Oregonian that came out on 3/27/08.

John Edwards is the former senator for North Carolina. He has said that Iran is a big threat to Israel and the Israeli people. When asked what the greatest threat to world peace was, he answered, "Israel would bomb Iran's nuclear facilites." This was not very positive in viewing Israel. He was strongest about viewing Israel as a stategic asset. His overall score was 6.25.


Edited 2/7/08 about Hillary and Obama
References: Hillary Clinton's website shown above
Thoughts on Israel: Ed Lasky on Barack Obama
American Thinker: Barack Obama and Israel by Ed Lasky
http://www.haaretz.comhasen/spages/832668.html
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/03/02/aipac_policy_forum.php
http://www.electronicintifada.net/v2/article6619.shtml
Obama'08 Israel Fact Sheet.pdf (35.6KB)
Obama speaks to Jewish voters on Israel: ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5giFJHDWVc
Suzanne Field: "John McCain as Judah Maccabee"
Oregonian Newspaper; March 27 and April 5, 2008