Obama to Rabbis: U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation Has “Never Been Stronger”

David Streeter — September 22, 2011 – 5:30 pm | Foreign Policy | Israel | Obama Comments (0) Add a comment

Washington Jewish Week’s Adam Kredo reported on a conference call held today between President Barack Obama and over 900 rabbis.

The conference call—which was coordinated by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism to coincide with the start of the Jewish holidays—lasted about thirty minutes and included rabbis from across the spectrum.

Obama restated that ‘a vote in the [United Nations] will not create a two-state solution,’ according to multiple participants and audio of the call.

‘Prime Minister Netanyahu knows he can count on the United States,’ Obama said. ‘We will not abandon the pursuit of a just and lasting peace that will end the conflict.’

Obama touted his commitment to the U.S.-Israel military alliance: ‘The bonds between the U.S. and Israel are unbreakable and the commitment of the security of Israel is ironclad. Since coming into office, I haven’t just talked the talk, we’ve walked the walk.’

Dishing up the pro-Israel red meat to the rabbis, the president added that ‘there’s never been a stronger security integration then there is right now’ between the two countries. ‘I’m very proud of this record.’...

The president added that ‘the U.S. relationship with Egypt is centered on their maintaining strong communications and maintaining the peace arrangement with Israel, and they’ve gotten the message.’

The threat Iran poses to Israel also came up during the conversation.

‘The biggest threat Israel faces from a security perspective is Iran’s nuclear program,’ Obama said, reminding the rabbis that he leveled harsh sanctions against the Iranian regime.

Click here to read Kredo’s full report. 

 

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