White House in Calming Message to U.S. Jews: Obama is Israel’s Friend

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obamaFollowing weeks of tension between Israel and the United States surrounding Middle East peace efforts, on Erev Shabbos a senior White House official issued a calming message to U.S. Jewish community leaders via a conference call.

National Security Council Middle East Senior Director Dan Shapiro stressed to American Jews that that the U.S. did not intend to insist that Israel halt construction in East Jerusalem, and that the recent bout of tension was a matter of bad timing which was overblown by the media.

The last time the White House directly addressed the Jewish leaders was ahead of Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, during which Interior Minister Eli Yishai announced that Israel intended to expand construction in East Jerusalem, adding 1,600 new housing units to the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood – an announcement that stirred a spell of international criticism towards Israel.

Present at the video conference were William Daroff, Vice President for Public Policy and Director of the Washington office of The Jewish Federations of North America, Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and Nathan J. Diament, Director of the Institute for Public Affairs of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, among others.

The Jewish leaders accused the U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration of applying an uneven amount of pressure on the Israeli government, to which Shapiro replied that the media portrayed the reality in an unbalanced manner.

Shapiro said that Friday’s meeting was intended mainly to calm the anxiety of the U.S. Jewish community, and reassure them that Obama is a friend and ally of Israel, despite the media portrayal of tension with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Shapiro said that Netanyahu’s meeting with Obama during his recent visit to Washington was open and honest, during which they reached agreements regarding the building in East Jerusalem, negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, and Iran’s nuclear program.

He added that there was no intention to insult Netanyahu by avoiding a photo-op following their meeting, and that the two leaders where in agreement regarding the nature of their meeting prior to the PM’s visit.

Shapiro also added that Obama has met Netanyahu in the White House more that any other world leader.

Shapiro explained that the U.S. did not seek to make Jerusalem the central issue of the day but the subject turned into such due to the declaration of new construction in East Jerusalem during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel. Jerusalem is a final-status issue, he emphasized, but added that “it’s important to have the right atmosphere for talks.”

On Iran, Shapiro said that the UN Security Council is coming closer to reaching a consensus and that Obama is determined to close the matter within a number of weeks.

Shapiro said that Iran is the most important national security issue facing the United States and that no one should doubt the determination of the U.S. to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

{Haaretz/Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}


16 COMMENTS

  1. And Paroh said the negotiations with Moshe are going well. Paroh has repeatedly agreed to free the Jews. What more could we ask for? The media is to blame for distorting the facts.

    Today’s facts (from insiders in various organizations) are:

    Netanyahu was told that he must agree to a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital as a PRECONDITION.

    If Israel attempts to attack Iran their planes will be shot down by the US.

    He had to enter the white house from a side entrance like a servant.

    There was no meal, handshake or photo op as with any head of state.

    Obama demanded an answer on the spot, though he didn’t get it.

    Obama grew up with Jew haters

    Obama listened to his reverend Wright for 20+ years. Anti-white and Anti-Jewish rhetoric every Sunday. If Obama didn’t enjoy it why was he coming back?

    Obama bows to the Saudi head of state.

    It’s convenient to close our eyes to this, but finally we are not stupid.

  2. “the U.S. did not intend to insist that Israel halt construction in East Jerusalem…”
    No? First a 10 month moratorium – where nothing moved – now on insisting another 4 months!
    “…Obama’s administration of applying an uneven amount of pressure on the Israelis…”
    How about asking the ‘peace-loving’ arabs to show some “confidence buiding” moves, like releasing Shalit. No you ask us again to release murderers!
    “…no intention to insult Netanyahu”
    Really come on over to my house & I’ll leave you in the middle to eat dinner.
    Hey Shapiro, deeds not words. Your President IS anti Israel period. No, it’s not a figment of our Obanination, 20 years hearing antisemetic & anti Israel sermons will do it’s damage.

  3. I don’t believe he is our friend. In my opinion, he is another HAMAN. A real yemach shemo, and I can’t understand how any of our people could have been dumb enough to vote for him.

  4. It seems that people are still calling Obama an anti semite. but it just isnt the case, and that is because lets bare in mind, the fact that pressure from the world including arab countries, and european countries is powerfull, and way harder to curtail, then jewish votes, and jewish opinion, lets bare in mind as well, that bush did not consider world opinion, whether arab, or european for that matter, now we may consider this commendable, but its worth baring in mind that if eisav or edom for that matter is showing an over the top love to klal yisroel, well theres reckoning to do with that, there has to be another intention, like an evenlogical religious view, which is not for our benefit what so ever, and putting Obamas actions in perspective, one has to admit, that he is not an anti semite, and he’s just trying to tread beween world opinion, and the arab world, and is trying to project a logistical view, (baring in mind the circumstances),of something similar to peace, now not being allowed to build in yerushalyim is very painfull, and one has to question how this approach achieves peace in the long run, and how can we discriminate against jews building miles away from arab neighborhoods, all these questions are right, deserve an answer, but how does the leader of the super power, that depends largely on arab countries and european support, how can the super power survive, without stepping over tiny israel, lets stop being klein kepel!

  5. #4 it’s good to know there are no anti-semites in the wopld. Everyone has a good excuse to hate Jews unless they are klein keppel.

  6. Let’s remember it’s Pesach not Purim. This article was mamesh Purim Torah. Hey Shapiro. Who wrote your little speech? Emanuel? Axelrod? Soros? Clinton? Lieberman?

  7. oh paleeez!! Obama and his thugs are using capo jews to do their dirty work just as the nazis did. obama wants to lull the u.s. jews into a dull silence while he carries out the destruction of Israel to create another islamic terrorst state for his next of kin! anyone dumb enough to be lulled into a false security by nitwit capo shapiro has not learned the lessons in jewish history!

  8. CALL your senators and congresspeople DAILY until obama, biden, and clinton apologize to Israel and ask them WHY, WHY, WHY this trio is treating Israel as an enemy while Obama bows and falls over himself to Islamic enemies and communist Chavez, Castro and co.! Is it perhaps because Obama is on the side of Hamas, Hezbollha and A-Jad??? Gee, Ya think???

  9. I was once privileged to be invited to the Sukka of one of the Avreichim of the Kollel of Beis Medrosh Gevoha. The Avreich’s father-in-law was present; in the discussion, he related that he is involved with the governmental workings of the Agudas Yisroel organization. The year was 1991; the big “table talk” subject then was how the (then) President George Herbert Walker Bush (the father of the last President George Walker Bush) was being quite rough on Israel. Specifically, the issue was that of the “Loan Guarantees”: Israel — then under the leadership of Prime Minister Yitzchak Shamir — was brazenly pushing ahead with its programs of construction of West Bank settlements; in angry response, President Bush suspended the US program of giving Israel American government guarantees for loans it would take out.

    In the conversation, the father-in-law remarked that of all the administrations so far, the Aguda had the best repour with this (then) current one of President Bush. I strongly challenged his approval of President Bush with relating several anti-Israel items that he had done, especially his stopping of the loan guarantees.

    The father-in-law watched me and patiently listened for several minutes as explained all this. When I finished, looking at me with a slight smile, in a way that I can never forget, he said to me:

    “George Herbert Walker Bush, which country is he president of? IF he were President of ‘ISRAEL,’ then, yes, I would fully agree that he is a terrible, terrible president! BUT HE IS NOT PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL!! HE IS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!! So he is not going to do what is good for Israel; he is going to do what is good for the United States!”

    “Of course, if they want to make peace (between Israel and the Arabs), then they have to (show the Arabs that they are also on their side and) give some things to the Arabs too!”

  10. (continuation of previous comment)

    The father-in-law further said (regarding the first former President Bush) “On the contrary, I think he is an OHEIV Yisroel! He championed the cause of Soviet Jews. When Israel wanted to bring Jews from Ethiopia, he had US AIR FORCE PLANES do the airlift!”

    He further related an item that certainly would not be reported on ABC or CBS or CNN or in the “New York Times” or in any of the local “Jewish Bulletin” newspapers:

    “Shortly after the end of the (first) Gulf War (with Iraq) (in which the US led coalition forces brilliantly drove the invading Iraqi army out of Kuwait), President Bush invited a whole group of prominent rabbonim to the White House. On the top of the program sheets given to them were printed the words (which are a key phrase of our Jewish prayers): ‘Give thanks to The Lord for He is good, for His kindness endures forever!’ President Bush explained to the rabbonim that he was holding this reception for them for he wanted to thank them for praying to G-D for the United States to win the war!!”

  11. I do think commenter #6 has got a point, and anti semites always find excuses for their actions, and do generaly try to pretend they like jews, but what is the president supposed to do if he’s trying to garner world support for sanctions against iran? is there a better approach, isnt kissing up to the arabs one of the ways? Or is he supposed to encourage israel to build as they wish and request no concessions but then expect the arabs to bend over backwards and support tough sanctions!

  12. I do think commenter #6 has a point and anti semites always use excuses, but how is Obama expected to garner international support against iran to protect israel?

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