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

Three Obama Advisors Who Promote PLO as Israel's Peace Partners

Nadene Goldfoot
Martin Indyk, Dennis Ross and Daniel Kurtzer are advising Obama to again promote the PLO as peace partners though they haven't done a thing themselves to promote peace. As David Bedein wrote, "This is the threesome that defined the PLO as a peace partner even after the PLO would not ratify the Oslo "declaration of principles" in October 1993.This is the threeesome that attested to the fact that, in 1996, the PLO had cancelled its covenant to destroy Israel, when it had not done so.

By mentioning PLO, I take it that my old friend David means the newly called Fatah, who have taken over the West Bank. Hamas terrorists in Gaza are also part of the old PLO, but have broken off as the extreme right wing terrorist group unwilling to negotiate any type of peace with Israel. In fact, they have been shelling Israel for many years, now.


These three men have outstanding reputations and much experience in the Middle East. Martin Indyk wrote speeches for former Secretary of State James Baker, who pressured Israel to relent in the peace process. Martin is Jewish and a former ambassador to Israel. He is also a lobbyist and worked in the Clinton administration from 1995 to 1997, and from 2000 to 2001 he worked for Bush. Dennis Ross is also Jewish, though non religious. He was the director of policy planning in the state department under George Bush and a Middle East coordinator under Clinton. Some call him a self-hating Jew. Dan Kurtzer is an Orthodox Jew who was also a US Ambassador to Israel. He is a Democrat and an Obama supporter and is called by some as a man that is part of the Israeli lobby. He was an advisor to Obama in the address to AIPAC, Israel's only American lobby group.



They are all thinking inside the box as believing that PLO terrorists can become peace partners with Israel. I feel that's it's fairly easy living in the United States and advising Israel what to do. They're not living under the same circumstances that Israelis are like David Bedein. I suggest that these threesome move to Israel and do their research from there.

I met David when I lived in Safed (TZFAT) after being in Israel for about a year in Haifa. We had moved there and were teaching in the city school system. David was a community organizer and helped us to start a Yiddish Theater in English group. We started by doing a 3 man shtik of humor about being new immigrants in Israel, and we traveled around doing our thing in several hotels. From there we were able to use the Safed city theater and put on plays, several of which I had written. Keeping busy kept us from worrying too much.

Obama visited Sderot, a city in the south, very close to Gaza, Israel a few months ago and told the Israelis there that he would not forget their fears. They were being shelled regularly from Gazan Hamas terrorists and could not enjoy a moment away from fear. Right after that he visited Berlin, and mentioned other country's fears, but neglected to add Israel to the list, or even Sderot.

He and his three advisors seem to think that such killers are adequate peace partners for Israel. Even Bush has stated that you can't make peace with such people. I remember hearing that once.

Reference: David Bedein: Philadelphia Bulletin:http://www.thebulletin.us/site/index.cfm?newsid=20164538&brd=2737&pag=461&dept_id=623508
Martin Indyk: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/14/AR2007061401738.html
http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20030501faessay11219/martin-indyk/a-trusteeship-for-palestine.html
Dennis Ross: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Ross

The Debate Dance Over Education: Obama and McCain

Education Got My Goat

Nadene Goldfoot
I watched the debate tonight between Obama and McCain, the last chance for them to speak before the public and share their differing views before we vote, and I'm frustrated with both of them over their inept background about education.

I've been a teacher in the school system in the states for over 22 years, mainly teaching in Oregon, but I've taught in Idaho, Alaska and Israel as well. Your students are like cards you are dealt in a card game. You don't always get a good hand. Today you receive children that have either both parents working or are children of a working mother. Very few have the benefit of a loving mother at home seeing to all their needs, including education. As the children get older, they seem to have less respect for teachers and are harder to handle. Learning for many is not their goal at school; social connections are more important. Unless they know their parent's feelings about their education and what is expected of them, and what is not acceptable as far as their behavior goes, they are just attending aimlessly.

I've never known any of my peers that haven't given 100% of their abilities to be an excellent teacher. It's a matter of pride. We helped each other to improve. We have wanted our students to do as well as possible. We haven't been of the same ilk as some teachers I remember in high school who simply wrote something on the board for us to copy and then scooted out of the room. I had excellent elementary school teachers and sought for excellence, also. I'm not for any special monetary rewards for some teachers. It's up to a good principal to weed out poor teachers, and they have a chance to do that in the teacher's first 3 years. Experience and education should remain the reason for upgrades in pay, such as our system is working under now. So, gentlemen; take heed.

I get so mad hearing both McCain and Obama saying things like they would get people in to teach that don't have to bother with certification to teach! That is so ridiculous! In fact, I've seen people at very high levels in their field not being able to get across one fact in a school setting! Teaching is part acting, part entertaining, part being a policeman and part being a person full of all sorts of information. McCain would get soldiers into the classroom to teach after their service, without any training. Sorry, but that simply is a waste of our money. I believe I heard Obama say he wasn't very popular with the educators, and I have to agree with them.

The one thing I liked that Obama mentioned was that parents had to take on responsiblity to improve their children's education. I wondered at the time how he would put that across. It hasn't been working so far, unless there's a substantial reward system in the works that I don't know about, as he didn't elaborate on that. It should be a given that families that excell in reading and learning in the home would produce like children. What do we do about families that never read a thing, that spend their time with 6 packs as their intellectual outlet?

I taught in Alaska in a very posh neighborhood, where parents had quite a social life. They couldn't manage to always be on time in the morning to help their children get ready for school, being they were partying the night before, so I wound up combing little girls' hair to help them feel presentable. Neglected children aren't always in the poorest schools. These children were equally neglected, and almost for the very same reasons. In Oregon I taught children who also had a parent or two who imbibed too much. Their breakfast consisted of a coke, a bottle, that is. Often we had a police car at our school for reasons I never learned, but someone was in trouble.

Times had changed from when I was a little girl with a mother at home full time only worrying about cleaning the house and putting meals on the table. She joined the PTA and was there for all the meetings, and that became a social outlet for her. Besides that, she became a Brownie leader, so there she was in my school again, keeping an eye on me as well. She and my teachers talked to each other, and both knew what was going on.

So, Barak, you have said a mouthful with getting parents involved. I wish you well and wonder how it can be done. Perhaps children who receive a GPA in Elementary School can be rewarded somehow with points towards a scholarship for college. It would have to be tangible. Perhaps good GPA's could receive a morning at a movie theater as a reward; something the children would like, or a time at the roller rinks or ice rinks.

Other than education, I didn't go bananas over anything else that was debated. Each person had his turn to perform his dance, and it did seem to go better than previously. They seem to be informed about other issues quite well. The question remains if all of the voters have done their homework on the issues.

Reference October 15, 2008 Debate: Obama and McCain 6pm. TV

Did Reverend Jackson Let the Cat Out of the Bag?

Nadene Goldfoot
Reverend Jackson just announced that if Obama wins the attitude towards Israel will change completely. The "Zionists" will no longer be in charge. Obama retorted that he is not a spokesman for him and has no business speaking that way. However, Jackson stated that he is a friend of the family. His son is good friends with Obama. He also said that Obama is about change, change in the way America looks at the world and it's place in it. It looks like Israel will not be treated in the same way that it has been by our administration if Obama is in power.

This is exactly what I have been wondering about. What will Obama's attitude towards Israel really be like? Now I am wondering what Jackson knows, or why he said this. I fear that Reverend Wright did not have warm feelings towards Israel. Now I'm also wondering about Jackson. Wright's close association with Farakhan certainly would help in that respect. Farakhan is no friend of Jews in particular or Israel.

Of course, at a time when Obama is trying to convince Jews to vote for him, this statement of Jackson's was bad timing as far as the election goes.

10/15/08 The last reference below is today's answer to the original news yesterday from Obama. He denies saying this.
10/15/08 2:51 Fox News TV had Professor Mark....and James Harris, both Black commentators, speaking about remarks that Dick Morris, former Clinton Advisor and now for McCain just made reiterating the news about Reverend Jesse Jackson's remarks. James Harris believes that Reverend Jackson probably said it. He has been at odds with Obama at various times.
Reference: Fox News: 3:30pm Britt Hume
New York Post: http://www.nypost.com/seven/10142008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/the_o_jesse_knows_133450.htm?page=0
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081015/ap_on_el_pr/jackson_israel_2

Choosing a President of the USA:

Nadene Goldfoot
It's too bad that we can't go back to the days of having a prophet select the next king, like David was selected. Somehow, a prophet knew what to look for. Perhaps it was how David treated his sheep. Something like G-d guided the selection.

Nowdays, the contenders have to have lots of money behind them to run a campaign. They wouldn't get away with coming from a log cabin and going through the agony of walking miles to a school.

We are faced today with two flawed candidates who have decided to fling mud at each other like schoolchildren and who are vying to see who can tell the best lies about each other. Obama has been treated like the coming savior of the world, and has had the bad fortune to somehow be associated with such shocking people as his pastor who hates America, Alinsky's books ( a radical socialist) which helped to prepare him to do a job of community organizing, and now William Ayers who not only invited him to use his living room for a "Meet the Candidate", but is reported to have been the one who handed Obama money that was to be used for some sort of shady education to be spread among the poor students of Chicago, and it wasn't used for reading or math. Evidently there's more of a connection between the two men than just neighbors. They both were professors at the same university, so did have a chance to tip their hat to each other and exchange views possibly in teacher's meetings. Neither Obama or Ayers will say anything about it, which doesn't help to clear up matters. Ayers had an extremely vile past, being a Weatherman who spent his time trying to bomb important places in America. He escaped being in prison on a technicality, and is now acting like a good person except on 9/11 when he stated that he had participated in bombing and wasn't sorry, or some such thing. It seems that Obama's male friends have been questionable and on the radical side. The one good choice he has made is his wife, Michelle and Joe Biden. Obama is very liberal and wants to tax the rich big time and give the money to the poor, like Robin Hood. The rich are not in favor of this idea at all and say it will halt business growth. Not only is he extremely liberal with ideas and money, but he's only been a senator for only two years, and is younger than my own son, so many feel that they don't know him or trust him. Yet he's such a great orator that he has the majority in his pocket at this point. He's cool and collected and very well educated.

McCain's claim to fame is that he was a poor student in the academy and on the wild side like his father, an Admiral in the Navy. His grandfather was also an admiral. We could hope that genetics would play a role in his ability to lead, if not his grades. He was in prison enduring pain for many years while serving his country. I'm not surpised that he went a little wild when he got out, divorcing his wife and marrying a much younger and richer woman. At this point his life is like some movie I've seen. Everyone is worrying about McCain dying while in office. He's two years younger than me, and two years ago I felt quite well. If he survives this campaign, I think he has a good chance to make it through the next four years. It'll take stamina to continue this pace for another month. That's because he made a radical move of selecting Sarah Palin for the Vice position. She's an ex beauty contender, and a maverick like himself. At a time when Obama refused to pick Hillary for a running mate, it was a slick move on McCain's part to choose this young and pretty governor who is the epitamy of the liberated woman who works while having a huge family of five children, too. The problem is that she's kind of hokey in a countrified way, and doesn't seem to know as much as Joe Biden. Women are up in arms with the dreaded thought that she could become president. I don't know. Harry Truman was just a hat salesman, and he turned out to be a great president with great values, like "The Buck Stops Here." She has values, too, but they're not popular ones, like, she's against abortions. That's very unpopular with many. McCain has been in the senate for years and years, so he's old and experienced, but a Republican, a maverick Republican. He doesn't go along with his party on everything, and since the Republicans got us in quite a mess with the Iraq War, and are being blamed for the recession we seem to be in right now, McCain is up against all of this. I've heard that he has never taken any entitlements while Obama has gone silly with them, so he's very careful with money. I've heard that our recession started with Clinton signing off some restrictions on our money, but each are blaming the other for the pickle we're in.

This is a fight, and both are stooping to lying about the other. It's tragic. There should be a referee in the middle at all times to declare what is truth and what is fiction. People's decisions are being formed by a press who already knew who they wanted, and TV stations who also form thoughts in people's minds. We have mostly very liberal stations, except Fox News which is the anathama of a station you wouldn't turn on, as they're Republican. Little do most know that Fox airs both sides and tries to be very fair, but when people refuse to learn both sides, they'll never know this. They're one station against many. Luckily, we have a few brave radio stations that air that other side as well, so people like me can get both sides and hear what they are saying and doing.

We're supposed to have free reign on our decisions, a freedom of choice. On the other hand, G-d is said to already know our decisions even before we do. I hope next month that we make the right decisions for our land of the free and home of the brave, and for little Israel, also land of the free and home of the brave. I hope Israel will also be guided to another president who knows what is best for its people. We could all use a prophet to make the selection for us. This is getting ridiculous.

Resource: Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=9490&type=category&category=1
http://sayanythingblog.com/;entry/obama-had-a-pattern-of-contacts-with-weathermen-te..

Both Support Israel: What Are Differences?

Yoram Ettinger has some important views on how McCain and Obama view Israel. Yoram is a former Deputy Ambassador to the USA from Israel. He's a Middle East and American Affairs expert.

Both McCain and Obama support Israel and a Two-State Solution, but in opposing ways. There are arguments among the religious Jews against this idea of Palestine being created in Judea and Samaria "West Bank" and so much of Jerusalem, but it seems to be the only solution offered so far.

McCain feels the war is already in progress between Western democracy and Islamic terror. He says the US should lead the way against terror.He supports Israel's battle against terrorism. The root cause of the Arab-Israel conflict is not the size but the existence of Israel. McCain feels that terrorists are driven by ideology against our values and that they are a most lethal threat and must be demolished. From all evidence so far, his worldview is that an Israeli retreat would turn Israel from a deterring power to a "punching bag." Israel would no longer be able to secure itself and would then become a burden to society.

Obama, on the other hand, has different views, and is much more laid back. He feels the conflict is with a radical Islamic minority to be dealt with by diplomacy, foreign aid, cultural exchanges and less US soldiers around. He feels we need to adopt the Dept. of State bureaucracy. "This is Israel's staunchest critic in Washington." meaning Rice and her declarations. He intends to pacify the UN who is anti-Israel. Like Chamberlain, he wants peace at any price like Western Europe and will appease the 3rd World which blames the West and Israel for terrorism. Obama would turn terrorism over to international law enforcement agencies and bring terrorists to justice. Obama's concerns are much like Tony Blair. They both think that the Palestinian issue is the only cause of problems in the Middle East and need our involvement including exerting more pressure on Israel. He would eventually get back the 1949 ceasefire lines and repartition Jerusalem and look into the Return of Refugees for Palestinians regardless of a population that would overwhelm Israel.

Reference: The Jerusalem Connection International Obama, McCain and Israel http://support.tjci.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5437&JservSessionIdr001=m86
My input.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/7270 from Yoram Ettinger

Sarah Palin's Attitude Towards Israel

In about two hours, the country will be watching Sarah Palin debate Joe Biden. How will she react about a question concerning Israel? What are her feelings about Israel?

Sarah Louise Heath, born February 11, 1964 in Sandpoint, Idaho, moved to Alaska shortly after her birth with her family; father Charles "Chuck" R. Heath, a science teacher and track coach, and mother Sarah "Sally" Sheeran, a school secretary. Sarah was baptised as a Catholic, but the family decided to attend Wasilla, Alaska's Assembly of God Church. At age 12 Sarah was re-baptised in the same church in nearby Beaver Lake with her mother. This is an Evangelical church, and its faith shapes her social views, such as abortion and support for Israel.

In her governor's office in Juneau, Sarah has a small Israeli flag. Her church considers the preservation of the state of Israel a biblical imperative. There are supporters of Israel in the Republican Party. Tucker Eskew is the counselor to Mrs. Palin in the McCain-Palin campaign, and said that she would describe herself as a strong supporter of Israel, and understands Israel's fear of an Iran with nuclear weapons. Merrill Matthews, an Evangelical Christian and a Dallas-based health-policy specialist said that her brand of Evangelical Protestantism is supportive of Israel for biblical reasons. Sarah's home church is the Church of the Rock, which is an independent congregation.

Historically, the Assemblies of God believe in "the rapture" of Christians . They have a very strong support for Israel. It's a part of their prophecy and politics. Sarah is getting good marks from Jewish Republicans.

There is a very small population of Jews in Anchorage, Alaska. I taught 2nd grade at Rabbit Creek Grade School and attended a dinner function there that the synagogue put on. I believe originally they went to Alaska for the fur business. I lasted for one year and a summer as a teacher in Alaska. Those recess supervising days in 30 degree below 0 weather really got to me. I moved back to Oregon, though the pay was far better than any in the lower 48 states.

I did some genealogy on Sarah, and prophetically, on the 1930 Federal census of April 2nd in Alameda, Bannock, Idaho, her father was listed at age 6, being born in 1923. Charles R. Heath's father was Arthur LeRoy Heath, born in Utah on June 3, 1896 in Thurber, Wayne County, Utah. He was a foreman on a railroad, and died August 1, 1938 in Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho. On the same census sheet was listed a Frank W. McCain, age 35 and born in Wisconsin with his wife Florence 36, born in Utah. Forence 13 and Frank R 6 were both born in Idaho.

Little did the Palins know that someday their decendant, Sarah Heath Palin would be running as Vice President with John McCain. Now that would be something if Frank W is connected to John.

Resource: The Washington times; http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/04/palins-evangelical-faith-drives-pro-israel
Wikipedia on Sarah Palin
Oregonian Newspaper October 2, 2008 Thursday on The running mates debate page A6