Nadene Goldfoot
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton's campaigning for presidency brought him to speak before Jewish groups. He told them that "his beloved pastor made him swear on his deathbed never to turn his back on the Jewish state." This made these Jewish Democrats feel that he was the best friend Israel has ever had. Later Clinton put together the Oslo Agreement with Israel's most liberal prime minister, Yitzhak Rabin, who was quite ready to give away the baby with the bathwater in order to bring about a peace document. Arafat, the PLO terrorist head was the other party. On a Sunday Clinton was asked by CNN "whether the burden for getting back to negotiations lay on one side or the other, Clinton offered, "I can't really say more than that it's a troubling, difficult and painful situation, and we've got to find a way to end the violence....there has to be a dramatic reduction in the violence before parties can talk again and make commitments again that could constitue a peace agreement." He inferring that both sides are equally responsible for 'the cycle of violence." In fact, the terrorists in Gaza do the act and Israel finally reacts, catching all heck for doing so. This is a repeat of what's happening right now; the violence is being committed by Hamas, the replacement for Arafat's violent Fatah group yet Israel is attacked by the world for retaliating against missile and mortar attacks on their civilians. This shows that the US has been refusing to call aggression and terrorism by their name. Israeli and Palestinian blood flowed then as it is flowing now.
"We all know that Barak Hussain Obama is a Christian, but the church he has been attending is the Trinity United Church of Christ, and their Pastor Jeremiah 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 arch-enemy of Israel and America. Wright has been a severe critic of Israel. Obama's former 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 had publicly distanced himself from Wright when he was in the presidential race. Before the race he had also attended Farrakhan's church as well. Jesse Jackson is also a pastor and friend. Calling New York Jews "Hymietown" did not endear him to the Jewish population with this deragatory term. Farrakhan was so angry about the Jewish response when they heard about this that he threatened Jews by saying" if you harm this brother it'll be the last you ever harm." He later said that Jews today were false Jews (only recognized the extreme orthodox Karta sect who do not recognize Israel) and that they promoted lesbianism and homosexuality, and manipulated Bush and his government about Iraq. Truly, since President Obama had a Muslim father and stepfather and was raised in Muslim schools in his early elementary school years, and chose anti-semitic pastors to listen to for years causes me to wonder about his sincerity about being fair in dealing with Israel and the Muslim Arabs. Since Obama was elected as President he has not attended his church. Wright told the Daily Press at Hampton University's Ministers Conference, "Them Jews ain't going to let him talk to me." Wright admitted that he has been preaching like that for the past 50 years. Obama's AIPAC speech on March 2, 2007 included promises of supporting a strong US-Israel partnership, and Israel's right of self-defense. He promised taking seriously Iran's nuclear future power and that it could be used against Israel. He promised an undivided Jerusalem. Now he is advising Israel to go back to the 67 indefensible lines and that East Jerusalem's fate is to be determined in talking with Assad as a barter chip in negotiations. Unfortunately, he did not attend a church that said positive things about Israel. Right now Israel's fate with the UN lies in Obama's veto of Assad's attempt on September 22nd to have Palestine be declared a state. Here's where the promises at AIPAC need to show some type of fullfillment. He chose David Edward Bonier as an advisor who is an Israel basher. That doesn't help our cause at all.
The head religious leader in Iran is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who calls Israel "a cancerous state. The fake Zionist goverment is a cancerous tumor and the cause of different disease and political, economic calamity to the region." The USA is accused of preserving this tumor. He continued with saying that years of wrongdoing had only given rise to hatred in the region. I suppose he's referring to the establishment of Israel. Israel's worst enemy is Iran who as calledi Israel every name under the sun and is threatening its extinction.
James "Jimmy" Earl Carter Jr., President and Georgian peanut farmer was a Sunday School Teacher and very involved with his Christian religion. He said his favorite sermon was "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? He seemed to be for a state of Israel but was against everything they did. He did a terrible amount of damage to Israel by writing his opinions in his book "Palestine: Peace Not apartheid" and in this book insinuated that Israel was practicing apartheid like South Africa did, which is the opposite of the truth. Today this is one of Israel's biggest problems in that religious groups such as the Presbyterians, Methodists and Socialists have denoucced Israel as being apartheid and are boycotting and divesting from Israel. Israel, the smallest melting pot in the world is the opposite of an apartheid country so this shows the power of the attitude a group will take without investigating its honesty as long as it comes from an influential party. Checking on the reliability of an opinion takes work that the general public is not up to doing.
Harry S. Truman was a devout Christian but was affected more by his business partner in his attitude toward Israel. He also taught Sunday school with Bess at First Presbyterian Church on Lexington and Pleasant Street, Independence, MO though they were both Southern Baptists. Had he not had a good relationship with his Jewish partner, Jacobson, in their Haberdashery store, he might not have affected Harry in recognizing Israel, which those around him preferred him not to do. Harry was strong in his feeling and went against the advice he was given and did recognize Israel. He had given his word that he would do so. Undoubtedly his religious background formed his feelings about keeping his word when given. He was the president who coined the phrase, "The buck stops here, and If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." This gentle man had to make decisions most men would blanch from doing. He took such responsibility as being the deciding factor in recognizing Israel and in the use of the A bomb in Japan. Usually he was a man who relied on his cabinet for decisions. Before this his major decisions must have been like how many hats to order for his store. He had stepped up to the plate graciously.
In writing this essay I stumbled onto a book titled, "American Presidents, Religion and Israel-The Heirs of Cyrus" by Paul Merkley $55. Another person also thought it was interesting in looking into our presidents and they take on Israel. I'm taking the theory of their relgious leaders and associates in having an affect in forming their attitude about Israel, for Israel brings up religious values that helped to shape Christianity and Islam.
Resource: Confronting Jihad by Saul Singer, columnist for Jerusalem Post page 37.
