-
The Cable
Rand Paul: You’re Arming al Qaeda’s Allies
-
War of Ideas
No, 3-D Printing Won’t End Hunger
-
Passport
Why Does the U.S. Get All the Tornadoes?
Posted By Josh Rogin
Friday, March 2, 2012 - 5:30 PM
Share
One day before the AIPAC conference kicks off in Washington, an anti-Obama pro-Israel group is widening its criticism of President Barack Obama's record on Israel -- while the White House defends its treatment of the relationship.
The trailer for a new 30-minute video, entitled "Daylight: The Story of Obama and Israel," cuts together clips of Obama quotes and outside commentary to put forth the narrative that Obama has made statements and taken actions as president that have put him out of step with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters.
(UPDATE: Now you can watch the entire 30 minute video here.)
"We believe that that the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines," Obama is shown saying, a reference to his May, 2011 speech, where he for the first time explicitly defined U.S. policy as supporting the 1967 borders with agreed swaps as the basis for Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
"He didn't quite have a full grasp of what the full region looks like," conservative journalist Lee Smith is shown saying in the video. "This is not how you treat an ally."
The ad goes beyond the Israeli issue to suggest that the president is too solicitous of Muslim concerns. The end of the trailer shows Obama saying, "I want to make sure we end before the call to prayer," a clip from his town hall meeting with Turkish students in Istanbul in April 2009.
The video was produced by the group the Emergency Committee for Israel, which has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on its pre-AIPAC publicity campaign, including posters and billboards all over Washington that question Obama's commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
"He says a nuclear Iran is unacceptable. Do you believe him?" the posters read. Then, next to a picture of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini and President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, it says, "Do they?"
ECI is run by executive director Noah Pollak and Michael Goldfarb, a former McCain-Palin staffer now working at the consulting firm Orion Strategies and as chairman of the board of the Washington Free Beacon, an new conservative website.
"Obama says a nuclear Iran is unacceptable," Pollak told The Cable today. "We hope he means what he says, but the recent statements from his administration, his contentious relationship with the Israeli government, and his consistent efforts to weaken congressional sanctions don't inspire confidence."
The ECI board is comprised of Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol, Gary Bauer, who has endorsed Rick Santorum, and Rachel Abrams, the wife of former NSC official Elliott Abrams, and the author of the controversial Israel-focused blog "Bad Rachel." The group is also the only Israel-focused advocacy organization to have formed a SuperPAC in the run up to the 2012 election.
As part of its pre-AIPAC activity, ECI took out a full page ad in the New York Times yesterday calling out donors for supporting two liberal advocacy organizations in Washington, the Center for American Progress and Media Matters, and accusing those donors of "funding bigotry and anti-Israel extremism."
Pollak also said that the video, billboards, and ads happen to refute a pre-AIPAC interview Obama gave to The Atlantic, in which Obama expressed frustration with the attacks coming from conservative lawmakers and groups like ECI that claim he is not pro-Israel.
"Every single commitment I have made to the state of Israel and its security, I have kept," Obama said. "Why is it that despite me never failing to support Israel on every single problem that they've had over the last three years, that there are still questions about that?"
"Obama said today he doesn't understand why there are questions about his record of support for Israel," Pollak said. "We think this movie will set the record straight, and remind pro-Israel Americans of the facts of this administration's failure to stand with Israel at some critical moments."
Here is the full video:
EXPLORE:MIDDLE EAST, ISRAEL/PALESTINE, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, STATE DEPARTMENT, U.S. CONGRESS, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY 
George Bush supporting, Netanyahu loving Neocons at it again
Trying to wage another war on Iran for Israel.
What is Obama's stance on Israel vs Iran & Palestine?
Why has a nuclear ambitous Iran stated its desire to destroy Isreal?
Has Israel stated its goal is to destroy Iran?
Does Obama support Israel taking pre-emptive action?
If past Administrations were more supportive of Israel, doesn't that make Obama less supportive?
....that's some real special stupid you wrote there ANTIMKO. I would suggest you read something besides the dailykos.
One good thing in all this scummy screaming and bullying to bomb Iran...
Americans find out clearly that Israel is using us. TRying to blackmail us.
Doesn't care what the fallout or danger to our troops in the ME or our homeland
is, they want to do more killing. To prove how tough they are. Maybe if they'd
elect some taller leaders, instead of the paranoid, self hating little fat guys they
have done to date.
After the coup and cover up to be honest Obama doesn't make a single decision. Unelected officials took over Washington, the media, and did something to the commenting at Disqus today in an effort to slow the truth from spreading. We have no democracy, no president, and freedom of press is an illusion. Our next election is shaping up to be as big of a sham as the last. Do you know why Sarah Palin's bus tour was really canceled? Do you know why she stayed 30 miles away from the second debate and chose the death of Steve Jobs to announce that she's not running? Know what leaked out? Sarah Palin and Cain aren't in the race for the same reason, the truth leaked out. Search PalinsDirtyLittleSecret for the biggest cover up in history
foreign lobbies? AIPAC? Sometimes the best interests of the United States are in sync with the best interests of Israel. Sometimes...not so much. Mr. Netanyahu has issued lots of premature exclamations about how he's going to go in and bomb the Persian nuke sites....all bluster and fury. Let Bibi ride that first missile Dr. Strangelove style into Persia..since Israel has hundreds of nuclear weapons which it pretends it doesn't have. Seems to me if a sovereign nation wants to have the same weapons as a foe and it is able to develop them..who has the right to say no? YOu'd think we would have learned that trying to control Persia's leaders, politics , and life...has never worked for the US. Time to pay attention to our own country ..here...not there. Let bibi live up to his threats against Persia...to bluntly put up or shut up. We finally have a president who knows that netanyahu is the world's worst nightmare walking.
"A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one!" -Alexander Hamilton
It is embarrassing to me that my beloved America has let someone like Barack Obama treat the great people of Israel so disrepectful. They are very trustworthy and very smart and they strive hard to get along with the Arab world. Instead of running down Israel. you need to look at our Muslim,non-citizen,liar,social security number from at state (where he has never lived) etc. Aren't you real proud of him? Israel is a country that I admire and love because GOD gave them that land. I really hope and pray that he gets impeached and taken back to Indonisia where he belongs. I pray for people like you who is so ignorant about GOD's word. I pray he want be elected again and that the next president will put God back in our country and heal our land.
Another left wing idiot on parade. BTW...GW isn't in office any more.
Your 1st Negro President Obama is not who he says he is! He's your Manchurian Candidate he's a Anti Christian Anti Jewish Muslim! How could you Americans be so easily manipulated! Dr Christian Chan Singapore H.K. Manila
What do you think about Andrew Brietbart?
The fact that you refer to it as Persia speaks volumes.
George Bush, George Bush, George Bush,George Bush, George Bush, George Bush....Get over it Dude.
Here's a news flash for you: About 90% of those who call themselves Jews are Ashkanazim. Their forbearers hail from Kazakstan and were 2000+ miles north of Israel 2000 years ago. The Ashkanazim are fair skined, and occassionaly have red hair - very unMediterarian. They are not God's chosen, they are self chosen.
Look up jason Pollard, Jewish spy; and the Jewish attack on the USS Liberty in 1967, 34 killed, 174 wounded.
No way should we be sending our young to lose life and limb fighting Israel's wars with Islam.
are you related to Baghdad bob? sound as stupid as him.
Dr. Chan: Not ALL of us were "hoodwinked." And hopefully, there will be a lot more people who aren't either, come Nov.
ABO 2012
The USA should send the USS Liberty over there for Israel to target practice on. I think their Babylonian Talmud teaches that all people who do not follow the Pharisaic, Babylonian Talmud are nothing more than mere cattle for the slaughter. Google it.
Why the USA sends any money to any regime in the middle east is beyond me. But I'm not anybody.
To Christian Lady,
I thought the United Nations gave them that land. According to my bible, the Pharisaic Babylonian Talmud followers' father is satan and Jesus is thne true seed of Abraham. Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
You are correct about everything....and yes it IS so sad. Our country has become almost Godless, and I believe HE is pissed!!! I also believe that Ubama is the marked-one. He IS evil. He needs to be beaten this next election. Period. But HOW do we get GOD back on our side? Satan's minions are everywhere, and his influence is too. Our youth, our "future" are without morals. We are doomed.
Meanwhile the anti-Israel rhetoric is rampant. Here is a Jewish nation surrounded by muslims, and they DO cowtow to muslims as much as they can. All the while the muslims just want their destruction. Sad. I hope Israel makes the right decisions, at the right times to defeat ANY aggressor, and hope they don't "time it wrong" so the world views Israel as the wrongdoers. It is inevitable that the muslims will do something, and probably soon. And our "leader' will be on the muslims side, undoubtedly.
Exactly! More and more Americans are starting to realize it now. All Israel does is lie and manipulate and try to get us to fight their battles. Our people die...theirs sit back and watch. FACTS! You all do realize that it was the Mossad that gave fake pics to the Pentagon about WMD's in Iraq, right? FACT! And before anyone makes a stupid assumption, let me be blunt: I am a REPUBLICAN. I'm just a Republican who thinks for himself and through research, came to the conclusion that Israel is a maniuplative nation that lies and spreads falsehoods to get the American peopel all worked up so that we hate THEIR enemies so much that we end up fighting them...for Israel! And that's a good ally??
Some of us DO know and we're rightly scared.
Shopster: you are clearly off with your thinking regarding Ashkenaszic Jews. DNA evidence strongly supports that the Eastern European Jews are not from some country in the EuAsian region. This does not mean there was no intermarriage between ancient Jews and the predecessors of Europe i.e., blond, blue-eyed. Before you offer some sophomoric thinking, I would suggest you do some research from reliable sources and not some revisionist psuedo-intellectual.
How does one respond to someone who is totally ignorant. Are you related to some jerk Iraian President?
So, Israel is at it again.. Trying to fake more lies so the Jewish population starts to believe that the current administration doesn't care about them or put them on the pedestal they believe they deserve... TOUGH..
So did you get your propaganda making skills from Liz Cheeney and her group of brown boots?? Sure looks like it..
Better temper your edge there a bit folks, otherwise when you walk over the line you think you can continue to move and fall off the 10,000 foot cliff - NOBODY is going to help you.... Stuck in the desert with nothing?? That's what you'll get - NOTHING.
It's always those damned Jooos...
Yeah right... Israel is the one claiming Islam will rule the world. Israel is the one claiming the 12th Imam will come out of the well to usher in the caliphate.
It's always the JOOOS... Hitler said it, and now you do. Of course Satan doesn't care who he uses. Might want to take some time and review your position and your reasoning for it. The deception you discover could be prove to enlightening. But I am not optimistic.
You better be careful youself. Your anti-Isreal anger is coming thru with spittle and frothing of the mouth.
Just as Moses and his followers remained in the wilderness for forty years, and Moses himself wasn't permitted to enter the promised land, the modern Jews are lost in the wilderness of Democrat political manipulation. I have no hope for the Jews ever waking up and smelling the Postum. Not in my lifetime, for sure.
Here is my response to those who do not understand the dangers Israel and the USA are facing from Iran and the savages who lead them: IDTI YEBAT SABYA!
For starters, the movie is made in US.
So, what is Israel again at? Survival? Damn Jooz, how dare they?!
So you think they should get nothing?
President Obama? Don't you have more important things to do than blogging?
Israel has no friend in the world of civilized nationa.
Universally HATED.
Is universally hated. As they have been in every country
in every century they've ever tried to move in.
And as the latest UN vote against them, by all of the world, they prove they
can't make it even is someone gives them their own country. Couldnt behave
like civilized people. Nothing new
EXCEPT they've used and abused the great nation of America. And Americans
will do eventually, what the rest of the world has always done. Already begun.
Rightstuff
You have the impression the Far right Christians are fond of you?
Stay with that thought. They want wreckage in Israel so the end will come.
They like Jews as much as they do any other "other" population. They'd
do a Hitler on you in a minute.
ANY JEWISH CANDIDATES OR LEADERS IN THE GOP?
THAT YOU CAN SEE? Nope.
You and your world detested language
Oh, right,
Pile some yiddisn and hebrew on the stack.
Send secret messags to your own.
You beg for detestation don't you? You've got it.
You just are too stupid to see it yet.
Unelected officials have taken over Washington and are orchestrating the daily news. Most of the comments and replies you're reading online are government created too. With many stories the COMMENTS ARE CREATED BEFORE THE STORY IS REPORTED. They are designed to generate a response to engage "dangerous people" in real time.
The oldest, first, highest, best, and most popular rated comments are almost all government propaganda. They are conducting Psy-ops (psychological operations) for domestic spying. They have 1000s of user names and are determined to bury the truth or ATTACK anyone leaking it. They think you can't handle the truth about the coup and what Obama really represented.
Search PalinsDirtyLittleSecret for the biggest cover up in history
he knows how to spell"Israel".
Another rant by the all loving, all caring Left wing A$$WIPES that infest the US of A.
Eric Cantor- House Majority leader to name one, and there are others. The Jewish lobby tends to be liberal/progressive, which is nonsensical and self-destructive. GOP and conservatives have always been strong, unwavering supporters of Israel and the Jews.
Here in Asia we have countless Zion named churches! Zion/Zionism/Zionist simply means people/house of GOD! Is Islam really a religion or a Totalitarian Political System as we were taught here as children! Someone please give me a truthful answer!
Just replace Jew with Christian, muslim, Catholic, Politician, Paperboy, Golden Retriever Etc,. See the ABSURDITY? Jews are just the canary in the mine... Who's next... Did you miss where Iran stated that Israel is the little Satan? Guess who's the Big Satan WESTERN CIVILIZATION. When Iran says they will develop nuclear weapons and use them on Israel, I take them at their word. Remember Mein Kamph? it was a blueprint. There is Evil in the world. Only in Israel can Christians , Muslims , Hindus etc practice their faith. Occupiers, Please.......
Don't link the USA to Israel's problems...
Funny you should say "that Israel and the USA are facing...". We wouldn't be facing these dangers if it wasn't for our blind, one-sided support for Israel. If the Congress, which Ron Paul said Jews play "like a bad harmonica", and the President insisted on a truly balanced foreign policy, not one wholly favoring the Jews, then perhaps we would even have allies where we now have enemies. Perhaps some more of the 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide would respect us if we weren't lap dogs for 19 million Jews.
"Any Jews Among the GOP Leaders?"
Do you mean OTHER than the House Majority Leader -- the second most powerful elected Republican in Washington?
"Congress, which Ron Paul said Jews play "like a bad harmonica",..."
thanks for reminding non-bigoted Republicans why they should never EVER vote for this loon.
Eric Cantor
The US-Israel relationship is going through interesting times at the moment. Obama hasn't let them have it all their own way and has tried to get tough on them a bit. Israel for its part has threatened to behave like a naughty child, but so far has managed to restrain itself from doing anything too naughty (eg. like striking Iran's nuclear facilities).
It's about the Jews started to wake up to obama and the democrat party. When well they hold the traitor jews in the democrat party accountable?
Or we worry about our own country and interests without being manipulated by zionist organizations in america. Is israel wants to attack iran, do so. Keep us out of it. We have had enough war for ideology and profit. Obama is our president and he should not be judge by how loyal he is to foreign nation but how loyal he is to AMERICA. nobody but these religious nuts are buying this nonsense.
THE BETTER QUESTION IS:
When will Americans begin to reign in and prosecute and traterous neocons
who have worked against America for so long...
There's Wolfowitz to beign with.
The GOP is so angry, they hardly know why.
Wait till they turn it, and many thinkg appropriately, toward the
Wall Street, Bomb Iran, Aipac Jews.
Jews in America have enjoyed a safe place like no place else in the world
THE ISRALI FIRSTERS AND NEOCONS HAVE PUT THAT IN JEOPARDY.
Give it two years. History will repeat.
Well, he has failed miserably on both counts
Semitic Palestinians fall to the Jewish anti-semites.
I agee with you - I mean, you see these blood soaked IDFBible barbarians and the Palestinian babies and their mothers laying nearby in a pool of blood after having waved the white flag of surrender in vain and having it ignored and are then torn to pieces by US supplied F-16s, AH-64D Apache helicopter porting the horrendous antitank AGM-117 Hellfire missiles designed to take out Warsaw Pact tanks with 6" steel 'skin' firing 'flechette' anti-personnel 120mm tank rounds or 'illegal 'dum-dum' bullets from their 'freebee' M-16s, white phosphorus, DIME and cluster bomb munitions and then they stand there like: "Hum, if you judge me a murderous rat 'you're an anti-semite!'
John Hudson reports on national security and foreign policy from the Pentagon to Foggy Bottom, the White House to Embassy Row, for The Cable.
May/June 2013
-
Profile
-
FP Power Map
-
Think Again
Follow us on Twitter | Visit us on Facebook | Follow us on RSS | Subscribe to Foreign Policy
About FP | Meet the Staff | Foreign Editions | Reprint Permissions | Advertising | Writers’ Guidelines | Press Room | Work at FP
Services:Subscription Services | Academic Program | FP Archive | Reprint Permissions | FP Reports and Merchandise | Special Reports | Buy Back Issues
Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact Us
11 DUPONT CIRCLE NW, SUITE 600 | WASHINGTON, DC 20036 | Phone: 202-728-7300 | Fax: 202-728-7342
FOREIGN POLICY is published by the FP Group, a division of The Washington Post Company
All contents ©2013 The Foreign Policy Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
(151)
HIDE COMMENTS LOGIN OR REGISTER REPORT ABUSE