Like many Americans, I was disappointed and dismayed last week when President Barack Obama undercut one of our country's strongest allies in the Middle East - and indeed in the world - when his administration took a hard, critical line against Israel for its decision to construct apartments in East Jerusalem.
Vice President Joe Biden reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: "What you're doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan ... That endangers us and it endangers regional peace." For starters, that's flat out slanderous and untrue and demonstrates a profound lack of understanding on the part of the Vice President on the important issue of America's foreign policy in the middle east as well as the threat of Islamic fundamentalism.
Those who attack U.S. troops abroad are not doing so because of Israel's decision to build housing-- their motivation is terror and their enemy is the United States and all the freedoms it stands for. They are Islamic radicals who have a religious belief that everyone should live by their religious dictates or not live at all.
Vice President Joe Biden reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu: "What you're doing here undermines the security of our troops who are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan ... That endangers us and it endangers regional peace." For starters, that's flat out slanderous and untrue and demonstrates a profound lack of understanding on the part of the Vice President on the important issue of America's foreign policy in the middle east as well as the threat of Islamic fundamentalism.
Those who attack U.S. troops abroad are not doing so because of Israel's decision to build housing-- their motivation is terror and their enemy is the United States and all the freedoms it stands for. They are Islamic radicals who have a religious belief that everyone should live by their religious dictates or not live at all.
Terrorism is not created by an announcement of a new housing development. It is a fundamental philosophy which opposes the very existence of our nation and specific to Hamas- the governing authority of the Palestinian people- here is what their Charter says regarding Israel and the Jewish people:
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said:
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him".
Mr. Vice President, this belief system, indoctrinated in Palestinian children from a very young age, is what endangers freedom loving people the world over.
More troubling then the profound lack of understanding of this volatile region of the world, is how quickly the White House would turn its back on a critical ally -- and in such a public manner. Friends can have quarrels, they can disagree, but to air those grievances in public - to apply such public political pressure on an ally - is fundamentally wrong.
By creating substantial daylight between the U.S. and Israel the Administration only empowers our enemies as we broadcast to the world we will not stand with the only democracy in the middle east.
Sunday's Oakland Press hit the nail on the head on the U.S.-Israeli relationship, why this view is so troubling, and how the president should view Palestine:
"Rarely does one side deserve more credit than another in a dispute, but clearly Israel has tried over the past two decades to establish peaceful relations with all of its Arab neighbors. We haven’t seen much, if any movement from the Palestinians, particularly the radical elements that refuse to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. Their only consistency seems to be to send young, adamant followers on suicide bombing missions. That does not promote peace.
President Obama needs to accept the fact the radical Palestinians will never agree to any kind of reasonable settlement unless they are forced to. Instead of pressuring Israel, the president needs to pressure the Palestinians and try to get those who truly do want peace to clamp down on their violent brethren."
In Congress, I will stand firmly by our ally, Israel. I will speak in clear terms of the threat Islamic fundamentalists pose to our nation and the reasons why. We can never defeat our enemy and protect our people if we do not understand the nature of the threat.
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said:
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him".
Mr. Vice President, this belief system, indoctrinated in Palestinian children from a very young age, is what endangers freedom loving people the world over.
More troubling then the profound lack of understanding of this volatile region of the world, is how quickly the White House would turn its back on a critical ally -- and in such a public manner. Friends can have quarrels, they can disagree, but to air those grievances in public - to apply such public political pressure on an ally - is fundamentally wrong.
By creating substantial daylight between the U.S. and Israel the Administration only empowers our enemies as we broadcast to the world we will not stand with the only democracy in the middle east.
Sunday's Oakland Press hit the nail on the head on the U.S.-Israeli relationship, why this view is so troubling, and how the president should view Palestine:
"Rarely does one side deserve more credit than another in a dispute, but clearly Israel has tried over the past two decades to establish peaceful relations with all of its Arab neighbors. We haven’t seen much, if any movement from the Palestinians, particularly the radical elements that refuse to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. Their only consistency seems to be to send young, adamant followers on suicide bombing missions. That does not promote peace.
President Obama needs to accept the fact the radical Palestinians will never agree to any kind of reasonable settlement unless they are forced to. Instead of pressuring Israel, the president needs to pressure the Palestinians and try to get those who truly do want peace to clamp down on their violent brethren."
In Congress, I will stand firmly by our ally, Israel. I will speak in clear terms of the threat Islamic fundamentalists pose to our nation and the reasons why. We can never defeat our enemy and protect our people if we do not understand the nature of the threat.
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