How Israel Fared Through Foreign Affairs Debate

Nadene Goldfoot
Mitt Romney stated that if Israel is attacked and he is president, we have their back.  Obama said that he would stand with Israel if Israel is attacked.

Both of these brilliant men come from completely different backgrounds but are both Harvard educated.  .  Romney was a governor of Massachusetts while President Obama was a community organizer  and Illinois Senator.

Only in America would two such diverse men be running not only for president but against each other.  Romney is an active Mormon, having been a Bishop in his church who lived in France while doing his 2 year mission. His church has a book called "The Book to the Jews" which I have read.  Yes, they do try to convert Jews, but not overtly so.    They also have a lovely park in Israel.  Obama attended Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 some years  that was actively against Jews but since being President has stopped attending there.  Deborah Wasserman, Jewish from Florida thinks that Obama has done a great deal more for Israel than other past presidents.  I might add that our Congress has been behind Israel and is very supportive.  That also must have a great deal to do with support for Israel.

Willard Mitt Romney was born March 12, 1947 in Michigan. He had a father who had been in politics.   He is a self made millionaire worth  an estimated  $190-250 million dollars. He attended Stanford in 65-66 and then Brigham Young (BYU).   He holds a Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration; a 4 year program between Harvard U Law and Business School and graduated at the top 5% of the business school.  In other words, he is a lawyer knowing all about business needs.  He served as governor of Massachusetts from 2002 to 2006.  He was head of the Winter Olympics from 1999.  The Olympics was held in 2002.  He did an outstanding job and is very proud of this achievement.

Barack Hussein Obama was born August 4, 1961 in Hawaii, so he's 14 years younger than Mitt.  His parents met in a Russian language class there.  His father was the first African foreign student to attend the university.  His mother was from Kansas and the family had moved to Hawaii.  Their marriage broke up quickly and his mother remarried an Indonesian student which resulted in their moving to Indonesia.  Obama attended school in Jakarta from the1st through 3rd grades in a Catholic school while the 4th grade of 1970-71 was spent in a public school.  He graduated from Columbia U.  Then he also attended Harvard and received an AB in political science which was his major and minored in international relations for four years.  He attended Harvard Law School and received a JD and graduated magna cum laude.  He was also President of the Harvard Law Review.  He became a Chicago community organizer in 1985 when hired by Jerry Kellerman though he had no experience with it. He later  became a senator from January 4, 2005 to November 16, 2008 when elected as president.  His keynote address speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention had electrified the audience.

This 3rd debate lasted for about 90 minutes.  Obama started off attacking strongly. "I know you haven't been in a position to actually execute foreign policy, but every time you've offered an opinion, you've been wrong." he flung at Romney.  Obama pushes that he's the leader who ends wars, not the guy who starts new ones.  Yet he chided Romney over Afghanistan and getting Osama bin Laden.  Obama brought up the statement of Romney who said that it wasn't worth moving heaven and earth to catch one man and that we should have asked Pakistan for permission.  Romney had said that "we can't kill our way out of this mess. and that we must have a comprehensive and robust strategy."  Obama said that "if we had asked Pakistan for permission, we would not have gotten him, and it was worth moving heaven and earth to get him".   I note in the paper today that we have lost 2,012 men since 2001 in the war there.  3,000 people were killed when we were attacked September 11, 2001 when the Twin Towers fell in New York.  We also lost lots of firemen who were trying to save people there.  President Bush was shook.  So were all the people of the United States.

Both men want to help Syria get rid of Assad but don't want to get involved militarily.  Romney mentioned he would arm Assad's opponents.  I would only arm them with sling shots.  Really.  Chances are the arms would later be used against Israel.  The Muslim Brotherhood is actively courting the rebels as well, which I've already written about.  They have organized and meet in Turkey.  Romney didn't seem to be aware of this.  Obama only had a slight degree of knowledge about it.

You know that you and your neighbor both agree that your sofa is not in the right spot to view the TV set, but you each have different opinions as to where to place the sofa, like if it should be against the left or the right wall.  That's the way this debate was.  Romney agreed with much of what has been going on in foreign relations but would have done it a little differently or sooner.  When he did attack Obama, he threw him a zinger that should have stung, like him visiting the Arab states in one grand tour but skipping Israel which was really like a slap in the face to Israel and a ha ha-he doesn't like Israel to the Arabs.

Obama came on very strong again when Romney said that while a governor, high school students who graduated at the top quarter got a 4 year tuition free scholarship at any public institution of higher learning (state college)  in Massachusetts.  Obama loudly proclaimed in Romney's face that it happened before he had come into office.  Romney was very calm, stating that it was actually him.  "Actually, Mr. President.  You got that fact wrong."  Obama blustered loudly again and the discussion went on to another subject, but Romney was right.  The John and Abigail Adams scholarship program began in 2004 when he was governor!

So now we have to vote by November 6th.  Who is the best for the United States?  What are the main problems we are facing?  Economic problems seem to be the main focus from what I've heard.  2nd are health and last are foreign relations.  From what was said after the debate, people feel that if we had a more stable and secure economy, we could better handle world affairs.  Get you flu shots and stay warm and dry. Eat your veggies and fruit, but buy organic apples if you don't want to ingest pesticides.  I'm voting for Romney!

Resource:  Oregonian newspaper 10/23/12 page A4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_life_and_career_of_Barack_Obama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_career_of_Barack_Obama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_Judaism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright_controversy
http://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2008/03/accusations-endorsed-by-pastor-wright.html
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/225564/what-did-obama-do-community-organizer/byron-york#
http://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2012/10/syrias-explosive-border-draws-usa.html

Romney's New Take on Israel-Palestinian Peace Process

Nadene Goldfoot
Romney has already altered his strong stance of not being able to do anything to bring about peace with the Palestinian-Israel standoff.  A secretly recorded fundraiser had leaked his strong stand when he said a few months ago that there was just no way to achieve peace because the Palestinians don't want peace and that it would remain an unsolved problem.

 He's trying to get elected and that wasn't going over so well.  A former secretary of state spoke with him and mentioned that there were prospects for a settlement after the Palestinian elections.  When are elections?  Mahmoud Abbas, born march 26, 1935, was Chairman of the PLO from November 2004 and then was President on the Fatah ticket from January 15, 2005 up to June 9, 2009. He extended his own term for a year when  again he was chosen President of the PLO on November 23, 2008.  He said "A Jewish state, what is that supposed to mean? You can call yourselves as you like, but I don't accept it and I say so publicly."(27 April 2009) . 

 This is a 77 year old man  who may hold the title of Prez till death at this rate.  Recognizing Israel continues to be off his agenda of goals to be accomplished like the USA.  In Gaza, Hamas rules.  There are no elections going on in Gaza.  Only the areas of Judea and Samaria are trying to have elections, only Abbas has the upper hand there as well.  Others don't have a chance.  Abbas was born in Safed, where I lived, but left with his parents at age 13  in 1948 when all the Arabs attacked the new Israeli state.  They fled to Syria. Later he moved to Egypt and then Russia to pick up his outlook on politics with some education.  

Romney "plans to declare his commitment to the notion of "a Democratic, prosperous Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the Jewish state of Israel."  He thinks he can do it because a new president 's broom sweeps cleaner than an old one.  He will come on stronger than Obama did with more oomph behind him.

Hamas and Fatah still are not agreeing or coordinating their agendas, especially on voting in Judea and Samaria (West Bank).  The struggle for power continues.

Dana Milbank sees Romney as ever-changing.  I don't think so.  He's just trying to attract votes.  He's a realist and sees the situation through clear eyes, not rose-colored glasses.  The only way to get any peace with Hamas for Israel is through a much stronger standing USA, and that he hasn't changed.

Resource: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/08/romney-foreign-policy-speech_n_1947074.html Romney Foreign Policy Speech to Soften Stand of Israel-Palestine Peace Process
Oregonian newspaer 10/10/2012 page B7 Dana Milbank's "Romney shifts positions again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Abbas
http://www.minnpost.com/christian-science-monitor/2012/10/hamas-election-boycott-leaves-west-bank-palestinians-only-one-choi

Syria: The Enemy You Know Versus The Unknown:

Nadene Goldfoot
What happens in Syria is most important to Israel as it is a neighbor. On October 4, 2011, Syria's Assad threatened to attack Israel if NATO intervened with their rebels. He said he would fire at Israel from the Golan Heights and would hit Tel Aviv. To do this he would only need 6 hours to transfer rockets and missiles into the Golan, he boasted.

 Syria tangled with their other neighbor, Turkey when they downed a Turkish plane in June of which Turkey is still investigating. Turkey has given shelter to thousands of Syrian refugees that poured across their border.   Syria has now  started firing mortars into Turkey.  Neither state have close peaceful relations with Israel lately.

 The rebellion in Syria is made up of about 120 small groups, each with their own commander wanting power.  The Free Syrian Army insurgency against President Bashar Assad is most confusing.  The rebels are not coordinating their military planning.

Yakzen Shishakly went Syria in February to meet with officers through a Syria-American organization called the Syrian Support Group.  His grandfather had been the  Syrian president in the 1950's, so he has clout. His older brother is Adib Shishakly who said that "growing your beard is the easiest way to get money."  Adib is one of the founders of the political opposition, the  Syrian National Council, who have about 71 members of the 120 groups united.  Their base for meeting is in Istanbul,Turkey.   "The SNC National Charter lists human rights, judicial independence, freedom of the press, democracy and political pluralism as its guiding principles.

The brothers' grandfather was Adib Shishakly (1909-1964), military leader and president of Syria in 1953-54.  He fought with the "Army of Deliverance", a volunteer Arab army in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War against Israel. With his leadership, revenge was more important  than peace with the USA, Britain  and Israel.   His father was born in Turkey and had married a Syrian, so the boys were born in Syria.  He was assassinated in 1964 by a Syrian Druze in  a revenge killing.

A Salafist group, "Soukor al-Sham" is headed by "Abu Issa."  To get money, he visited the Turkish border city of Antakya last week to meet with Saudi businessmen to might donate.  Another Jihadist group trying to get power is the "Majiis al-Shura"  with Mohammed al-Absi as the former leader.  He was killed after raising the black flag of al-Qaida on the Syrian border.  The flag is now gone, but the jihadists and moderates are just beginning to fight each other.  Jabhat al-Nursra, another extremist group, openly boasts of their connection to al-Qaidda.  Yakzan Shishakly tried to warn a US official.  He said, "These people are among us.  If you don't help now, there will be more and more."

Which brings us to our Presidential elections.  This morning's Oregonian's article is that Romney is calling for the arming of Syrian rebels.  He feels that the US must join other nations in doing just this and ousting the president Bashar Assad.  He would organize the rebels who share American values, and work with our allies to make sure they get the arms they need to defeat Assad's tanks, helicopters and fighter jets.  It looks like he could get the help he needs from the work of Yakzan Shishakly.

So far, 32,079 people are the casualties of the Syrian conflict as of Sunday.  Syria is now attacking Turkey as of last Wednesday when a shell hit the house in Akcakale, a border town, killing 2 women and 3 children.  It couldn't have been a wild hit as they have continued every day since then.  The Turks are said to not want a war.  There are no important national interests at stake to warrant a war.  Syria must be sending a message to Ankara so they are not to risk foreign military intervention, which is what the rebels need and Romney is considering.  It will affect Turkey.  Then again, The Turks would be happy to see the present vice president of Syria, Farouk al-Sharaa, become an interim leader.   7,884 members of the Syrian military forces and 1,215 army defectors are fighting with the rebels.

I don't see it as an easy call. I notice that Syria's illiteracy level in the Middle East is at 19%.  They have their fair share of readers compared to other states.   I'm all for keeping the Salafists out of the power role.  They are extreme religious men who are more violent than the Muslim Brotherhood.  Egypt, whose illiteracy level is 28%,   is no longer a known entity in a peaceful position that it was with Sadat and Mubarak. What can happen to Syria?  Is it going to go from bad to worse?

Resource: http://middleeast.about.com/od/israel/p/me071125.htm
http://blog.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/print.html?entry=/2012/10/syria_a_revolt_extr...In Syria, a revolt's extremist threat by David Ignatius
Oregonian newspaper 10/9/2012, page A3: Romney calls for arming of Syrian rebels by Kasie Hunt, Steve Peoples, AP,
Oregonian 10/9/2012 page A6 Syria's attacks appear intended to goad
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_National_Council
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adib_Shishakli
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/turkish-attack-on-syria-may-play-into-assad-s-hands.premium-1.468251
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/syria-threatens-to-attack-israel-if-nato-intervenes-in-internal-conflict/