MontCo PA Dem Party Chair: U.S. Commitment to Israel “Stronger than Ever”

David Streeter — January 4, 2012 – 2:00 pm | Foreign Policy | Israel | Obama Comments (0) Add a comment

Montgomery County, PA Democratic Party Chair Marcel Groen wrote that President Barack Obama has made the U.S. commitment to Israel “stronger than ever” in a recent op-ed for the Philadelphia Jewish Voice. Groen wrote:

[Obama] stands by Israel, which is under attack by rockets from Gaza, which sees an Iran threatening her security, and which sees an Arab Spring that brings deep uncertainty to the region.  And the President stands by Israel not just with his words, but with his deeds.

Just look at military co-operation between our two countries - it’s never been better than it is today.  The President strongly believes that the Israeli Defense Forces should maintain a qualitative military edge over those who seek to destroy it.  That’s why he made sure Israel got the vital security funding it needed to build the Iron Dome system to shoot down rockets from Gaza.

And the President has done much more.  When others tried to isolate Israel in September, President Obama strongly declared to the United Nations that he, and the United States, would always have Israel’s back. Then he did what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a ‘badge of honor’: He blocked Palestinian attempts to get around direct negotiation with Israel and pursue statehood unilaterally.

President Obama has always opposed attempts to delegitimize Israel. He has repeatedly supported Israel’s right to negotiate with a Palestinian government that recognizes Israel’s right to exist and pledges to forgo violence and honor previous agreements.

The President understands that a nuclear Iran constitutes an existential threat to Israel and has forcefully stated so in public and private discussions with our allies. Then he backed up those words with action, signing the toughest sanctions against Iran to date, while encouraging our allies around the world to implement tougher sanctions as well.

I’m not the only one who knows that our President stands with Israel.  Israeli ambassador Michael Oren has frequently called President Obama a true friend of Israel.  Defense Minister Ehud Barak has repeatedly praised the President’s efforts on behalf of Israel.  And Prime Minister Netanyahu echoed those same sentiments in his speech to Congress last year.

So next time you hear someone questioning President Obama’s commitment to Israel, tell them to look at the facts. We can’t forget how lucky we are to live in a country that institutionally shares our commitment to Israel’s safety, welfare and survival. That commitment has stayed true for decades. Today, because of President Obama, it is stronger than ever.

Click here to read Groen’s full op-ed. 

 

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