NJDC Proud of Vice President Biden

I choose to echo Defense Minister Ehud
Barak’s description of the announcement of settlement expansion in East Jerusalem as‘damaging.’ This seemingly purposeful action has diminished the US relationship with Israel quite significantly. President Obama has gone way out of his way to give great assistance to the creation of two states and this Israeli government has mindlessly attempted to destroy his heroic efforts. As an American and as a Jew I am totally outraged at the Israeli government’s action.

I am an avid supporter of President Obama and Vice President Biden’s.  Nonetheless, it is mind-boggling that they would “condemn” Israel in connection with the announcement of the building of these homes.  Such a serious diplomatic word has been and should be associated with far more egregious matters.

What is particularly stunning is that the Israeli government had already informed, and received agreement, that the Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem were not part of the building freeze.

Moreover, where is the condemnation of Fatah for planning to honor a terrorist who was responsible for the deaths of so many innocents?

The following is from a report by The Israel Project:

Senior Palestinian Authority (PA) officials at the last minute canceled plans to hold a ceremony Thursday (March 11) to dedicate a square in the West Bank city of Ramallah commemorating a female Palestinian terrorist who led a 1978 terrorist attack that killed 37 civilians including a U.S. citizen.[1]

The event would have coincided with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the region. Biden is in the Middle East to support indirect negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians agreed upon this week. The United States will act as mediator in these talks.[2]

The PA canceled the ceremony[3] after Israeli Information and Diaspora Minister Yuli Edelstein requested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ask the U.S. administration to put a stop to the event celebrating terrorist Dalal al-Mughrabi.[4] The square will still be named after al-Mughrabi.

The Fatah movement’s official spokesman, Faez abu Ita, said al-Mughrabi is a symbol of “our national struggle” and that the Palestinian people and Fatah are proud of her sacrifice.[5] He also said Palestinians have the right to celebrate al-Mughrabi in any way that they see fit and that they don’t need anyone’s permission to do so.[6]

Al-Mughrabi, who was a member of PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah faction, led a cell of terrorists that infiltrated Israel from Lebanon and hijacked a bus of vacationers. In all, the terrorists killed 37 civilians, 12 of them children and one a U.S. citizen. The American Gail Rubin, was the niece of former U.S. Senator Abraham Ribicoff, and a nature photographer.[7]

In the past two years, al-Mughrabi has been honored in numerous ways. Two girls’ high schools have been named after her, as have two summer camps. One of the schools was renovated using money allocated to the PA from USAID.[8] There is a Palestinian youth soccer tournament named the Dalal al-Mughrabi Football Championship and in May 2009 a computer center in Hebron was also named after al-Mughrabi.[9]

A crucial component of the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians is a commitment by both sides to desist from incitement. The Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (also known as Oslo II), signed in 1995, states, “Israel and the Council shall…abstain from incitement, including hostile propaganda, against each other and…shall take legal measures to prevent such incitement by any organizations, groups or individuals within their jurisdiction.”[10]

In addition, the Road Map states that as part of Phase I of the agreement, “All official Palestinian institutions end incitement against Israel.”[11]

In an effort to put an end to the Palestinian culture of hate, the Israeli government announced Wednesday (March 10) that it would officially begin monitoring the Palestinian media and establish a “Palestinian incitement index.”[12]

“People must know exactly what is happening on this issue, because for a peace agreement, education toward peace and acceptance of Israel are needed,” Netanyahu told the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee.[13]

This administration is hostile even when it tries to be nice. Let Israel be Israel and stop interfering in a democratic country’s right to run its own affairs. That is why I am a lapsed Democrat. Obama - Biden is the worst I have ever seen toward Israel since Carter and Eisenhower

I am not proud of Biden, who condemned Israel for building homes, but not the Palestinian Authority for honoring a terrorist and a murderer.

I would ask the NJDC, which I support, to be a voice for Jews, just not a cheerleader for this administration.

Honest criticism to those close to us works both ways. And maybe it’s time the administration heard some from its Jewish supporters.

Vice-President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both understand that to truly help protect Israel’s longterm security requires total honesty about the lethal effects of policies which contradict the principle of a Two State Solution as envisaged in previous agreements. There can be no doubt about Vice-President Biden’s honesty and loyalty to the State of Israel. During his decades as Senator (Dem. of Delaware) Joe Biden proved time and time again that Israel has a true ally in Washington. The longer both Israel and The Palestinian side avoid the inevitable the more infinitely precious lives will be lost! Peace may be risky, for sure, but the risk of avoiding peace is infinitely more risky and ultimately contrary to the true nature and interests of most people on both sides. I salute our Vice-President as an American Jew who understands what is really at stake. The Obama Administration’s commitment to Israel’s true security is unwavering.

To Jean-Pierre:
There is no contradiction between the two-state solution and the unity of Jerusalem.  I think from the recent behavior of the Palestinians in trying to cleanse the land of any and all Jewish history dating back millennia that they do not deserve to be the guardians of these holy sites.  If Obama/Biden keep on pushing this junk, I’ll have to look for an Anderson-type candidate in 2012.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.  Turns our Obama’s speech at AIPAC was one big lie, much as his promises on health-care reform have turned out to be lies as well.

As Jewish Democrats, we must remember that the Democratic party’s domestic agenda is progressive and consistent with Jewish values.  Whereas the GOP is against providing decent health care for Americans, and particularly women and children.

It is critical that we support the imperfect but critical first step in health care reform being put forward by Obama, Reid and Pelosi.  30 million more Americans and millions of children will benefit.

As for the incident, Bibi was clearly caught off-guard by the timing of the announcement and his government is investigating what happened and how to coordinate better.  It appears that the religious right in Israel may have issued the anouncement purposely to thwart negotiations.  If so, then the Obama administration was set up and fell for it.

Even though the Obama administration used unusually harsh diplomatic language in this matter, largely due to the impact it had on its fledgling effort to restart talks, the Obama/Biden/Clinton team still supports Israel.  They just have to realize that they can’t force negotiations.  They can only provide support for an effort that emerges from the parties themselves.

Of course, if negotiation means anything, it means compromise and, unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that the Palestinians are prepared to accept losing East Jerusalem in return for other concessions.  To the Palestinians disadvantage, that sticking point may prevent any final deal.

I am extremely disappointed that VP Biden failed to speak out about the PA honoring a mass murderer and that the administration failed to send a high level delegation for the re-dedication of the Hurva Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, whose destruction by Jordan’s Arab Legion in 1948 was a symbol of the expulsion of Jews from the Old City. The mere act of reasserting the Jewish presence there is viewed as an affront by a Muslim world that still refuses to accept Israel’s legitimacy. Why is the Obama Administration so tone-deaf, and why do you think this is a good thing?