Obama On Israel: "Ridiculous And Dangerous"

As President Obama was, by almost everyones understanding, demanding that Israel return to her 1967 borders last Thursday, many leaders were pushing back---way back.

Senator Orin Hatch, R-Utah, said of the President's position, "This is not only ridiculous but dangerous" and promised to sponsor a resolution this week disapproving of the President's position.

Senator James Imhofe, R- Okla., said, "The President's position was a slap in the face of our friend and democracy's only ally in the Middle East: Israel." He said, "The land belongs to Israel. Period."

Rabbi Aryeh Sero said, "It's ironic that the President of the United states, who speaks in humanitarian tones regarding the Palestinians, doesn't have any humanitarian concerns toward 500,000 Jewish people and families that will be uprooted and deported from their homes."

Ironic, Rabbi, but not surprising.

He said, "The President of the United States is asking for ethnic cleansing."

Prime Minister Netanyahu told the President "No." He said, "It's not going to happen and everybody knows it's not going to happen."

But oh what a difference a day (or two) can make.

Late yesterday afternoon the President spoke to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and now things are a bit different than they were on Thursday. A slight misunderstanding.

President Obama told AIPAC that he wasn't changing his stance---any negotiation has to begin by acknowledging the 1967 borders, before the Six Day War.

The key word was "acknowledging"---apparently lost on everyone except a few of the most elite advocates of the President, covering the President's back on television and print media over the weekend.

FOX News made an interesting observation regarding Hamas, who has promised in their charter, the destruction of Israel.

"The president said no country should be expected to recognize a government that calls for its destruction, and he called on Hamas to 'accept the basic responsibilities of peace, including recognizing Israel's right to exist, rejecting violence and adhering to all existing agreements.'"

But Marc Thiessen, a former adviser to President George W. Bush, said Obama's exclusion of the latter two issues while calling for narrowing Israel's borders puts Israel in a precarious position.

"By leaving that out while calling for the 1967 borders, he essentially tried to take away the Israelis negotiating card while leaving the Palestinians theirs," he said. "If 7 million Palestinians return to Israel, it will end Israel as we know it."

Where is the real misunderstanding? In the demands on the border? On the intent of the speech? Or the intent of the President?

God help us.

______________
Gary Randall
President
Faith and Freedom

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