the situation right now should be handled?
I have my reservations about Netanyahu, but I also feel that he is being used and hyped by the RW in order to mess with this election.
Mitt Romney’s main theme on his foreign trip to the U.K., Israel and Poland this week is that President Obama isn’t sufficiently friendly to America’s allies, particularly the Jewish State. “The people of Israel deserve better than what they have received from the leader of the free world,” Romney said in a speech just days before he left American soil.
But two senior Israeli leaders have a different view. In recent interviews with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that aired this afternoon, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres praised Obama’s commitment to Israel:
BARAK: I should tell you honestly that this administration under President Obama is doing, in regard to our security, more than anything that I can remember in the past. … In terms of the support for our security, the cooperation of our intelligence, the sharing of sorts in a very open way even when there are differences.
PERES: When I look at the record of President Obama concerning the major issues, security, I think it’s a highly satisfactory record, from an Israeli point of view.
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“I have no doubt that they’re equally committed to preventing that,” he said.
Despite Netanyahu’s assertions, Romney has made the complicated relationship between the United States and Israel a major issue in his campaign. Netanyahu distanced himself from the Republican nominee’s charges that Obama is not sufficiently pro-Israel.
“No, there you go again, David, you’re trying to draw me into something that is simply not the case, and it’s not my position,” Netanyahu said. “So there’s no bus. And we’re not going to get into that discussion, except to say one thing. We have a strong alliance, and we’re going to continue to have a strong alliance. I think the important question is where does the — the only bus that is really important is the Iranian nuclear bus. That’s the one that we have to derail. And that’s my interest, and that’s my only interest.”
Netanyahu also declined to attack Obama for not arranging to meet with him in upcoming United Nations meetings in New York, reports which Romney seized on earlier this week to criticize Obama. “I think he’s met me more than any other leader in the world and I appreciate that,” Netanyahu said. “We’ve had our discussions. Our schedules on this visit didn’t work out. I come to New York, he leaves New York. But we continue in close consultation.”
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/netanyahu-iran-israel-election-2012.php
Throughout those efforts and many more, I came to value the importance of having a strong ally in the White House who is firmly committed to the safety and security of the Jewish State. President Barack Obama is such an ally and his steadfast support for the Jewish State has made it safer and more secure than ever before.
Today, President Obama is leading a renewed commitment by the United States to ensure that Israel remains safe and secure, with the independent ability to defend itself from external threats. Although the United States has a long tradition of providing military support to Israel, under President Obama, financial aid to Israel is at its highest levels ever. And while many in Washington are calling for budget cuts, President Obama has made clear that domestic belt-tightening would not jeopardize defense funding for Israel.
President Obama has led a resurgence of joint military cooperation between Israel and the United States. In fact, following President Obama’s directive, the United States Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces have increased their strategic collaboration on defense technology, deployment, tactics, and intelligence to levels never before experienced.
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The reality is that when confronted with rhetorical attacks and efforts to sow doubts about his support for Israel, President Obama could have simply adopted the swagger and bravado of his predecessor. It would have been easy for President Obama to go on a speaking tour pandering to the Jewish community and those in America who love Israel. But that is not his style. President Obama is a thoughtful, decisive and pragmatic leader. He values substantive solutions over political gamesmanship. Forgoing the bluster and bravado of others, President Obama continues his practical and deliberate support for the State of Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/obama-real-actions-not-bluster-in-support-of-israel-1.456414
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