Outreach to the Jews, Obama style
The Forward's Nathan Guttman reports on the new wrinkles in the Obama team's approach to the Jews:
The Obama administration has chosen a path somewhat different from those of previous administrations in taking on the outreach task. For one, it does not limit itself to working through the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations -- the Jewish establishment’s official umbrella organization for Zionist groups -- in assembling its invitation lists. Ideologically diverse groups from outside that orbit, such as the New Israel Fund and The Israel Project, have become regular participants in these administration meetings.
The White House has also broken with tradition, and so far has refrained from appointing one individual as the administration’s designated liaison to the community. The job is, however, still done, as in earlier administrations, by the Office of Public Liaison, now headed by Tina Tchen, who coordinated and moderated the recent conference calls with Jewish leaders.
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Anti Israel? What chutzpa! If one doesn’t agree with the politics of the right, one is against Israel and doesn’t speak for American Jews. There are many Jews in this country (and in Israel) who disagree with the policies of the Israeli government currently in power, yet hope as fervently as do those on the right that Israel will survive and prosper. The difference: we believe a path of peace is the only path that assures long term survival and prosperity of a Jewish state in the Middle East.
Mr Trupin writes : “we believe a path of peace is the only path that assures long term survival and prosperity”
All shades of opinion agree on that one - except the Arabs! After all these years surely one can see that the Arabs will not agree to anything less than the demise of the Jewish state. The peacenik left confuses the issue and helps vitiate Israel’s response to Arab bloodlust - they walk around in a fog of goodwill believing that Arabs want what the Jews want - peace and prosperity. Loving peace feels so good - so what if it has nothing to do with the case? Altogether now - lets sing ‘Kumbaya’ -and look at the chazzan who’s leading the choir - its the president of the United States.!!!
There will be peace eventually - a long time from now when the Arabs, exhausted, finally tell themselves ‘Enough - we cant win - lets get on with it’
But while they think they have a chance they will continue to terrorize. And every Jewish call for peace suggests to them that the Jews are losing heart and the Arabs are making progress, and it strengthens their committment to war.
So Jewish peaceniks achieve the opposite of their intent - they move peace further down the road.
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Edwin Svigals
02/25/09 08:26 PM
Aha - clever fellow, Obama. By NOT going thru the umbrella group - made of Zionist loyalist organizations - he can entyertain input from every anti-Israel (purportedly) Jewish group on an equal basis. This move is designed to weaken the voice of American Jews. ...See where he’s going, folks? But we already knew that he’s no friend of Israel when he sent Mme. Rice to the UN.
The Obama style: sneak attack with many warm smiles…