This could not be further from the truth. Obama is committed to Israel’s security and survival. Why else would he make nuclear arms control a cornerstone of his foreign policy? Did Huckabee miss the recent passage of sanctions against Iran by both the House and the Senate? Has Huckabee not seen the video from a few days ago in which Obama defended Israel publicly at his Florida town hall gathering?

But even if Huckabee or anyone else has not seen Obama’s statement at the town hall, his first year in office has been nothing short of pro-Israel. But don’t take a longtime pro-Israel activist’s word for it; also take Osama Bin Laden and Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah’s bemoaning of Obama’s policies. 

There is not one shred of truth to Huckabee’s rant; he is just continuing the GOP’s recent trend of recklessly smearing Obama with whatever ridiculous statements they can dream up.

Huckabee also accused Obama of applying excessive pressure on Israel. How can he make this charge when Obama and his administration stood up against the biased Goldstone report and simultaneously increased strategic cooperation between the United States and Israel? How can he defend this when Ambassador George Mitchell just told the Palestinian Authority to “stop finding excuses” about not returning to the negotiating table with Israel?

Huckabee has made it abundantly clear in his statements that as a Fox News employee, he too is a participant in their deliberate misinformation campaign.

But Huckabee’s coup de grace, as reported by CBN was:

Israelis need to know their best friends in the world right now may not be the current administration, but it certainly remains evangelicals in America.

Huckabee has said this before and his recent statements are part of a long record of him pretending to understand and speak for American Jews. When Huckabee employed this insulting canard in August, David A. Harris, NJDC’s president, said:

Mike Huckabee completely misread the American Jewish body politic ... It may be that Evangelicals think alike or with one mind, but American Jews know full well that if we gather three Jews together in one room, you get five different opinions.

Huckabee should probably quit trolling for votes from the extreme right and stick to playing his bass during his television show.

**Update 2/4/10 10:15 am**

After this entry was posted, Arutz Sheva released a video of Huckabee in which he continued his false platitudes and scare tactics about Obama’s Iran policies. Reportedly, Huckabee labeled the administration’s approach to Iran “disturbing” in an address to members of Israel’s Knesset—placing him at odds with Israeli leaders who have agreed with Obama’s approach to Iran. For someone so focused on restoring civility to American politics, Huckabee seems to be deliberately ignoring the long standing protocol of politics stopping at the water’s edge.

Kirk is particularly good at manipulating the emotions of pro-Israel voters. He spoke at my synagogue a couple of years ago, and even I almost applauded. But when both candidates have essentially the same position on Israel, we should vote based on where the candidates clearly differ. Both candidates support Israel. Both parties support Israel. Why? Because the American people support Israel and recognize the shared values that tie our countries together.

The fate of the U.S.- Israel relationship does not hinge on Mark Kirk, and it never has. We should not let anyone manipulate our legitimate concerns about Israel to win an election. The Senate is fine on Israel without Kirk, and it will continue to be fine on Israel whether Kirk wins or loses.

But Kirk’s other stances are cause for concern. You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows—if you’re Mark Kirk, all you need is a pollster. As Giannoulias has noted, ‘Like a weather vane, Mr. Kirk’s votes on the issues can be predicted by the direction the political winds are blowing at this time’ ...”

Sheffey then dissected each of Kirk’s positions on issues, including:

• His move to the right on a woman’s right to choose and gay rights
• His vote against equal pay for women
• His vote in support of Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), who accused Israel of practicing “apartheid” policies
• His office’s threat to withhold funding from Tel Aviv University
• His refusal to condemn Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC) for shouting “You Lie!” at President Barack Obama

Sheffey concluded:

Kirk’s record is not a ‘moderate’ voting record, at least not when it comes to the key votes—it’s a right-wing Republican voting record that contrasts with the mostly moderate rhetoric Kirk employed when running for re-election in the Tenth District. If you’re a pro-Israel Republican, then Kirk’s your guy.

But if you’re a pro-Israel independent or a Democrat, if you’re glad the Bush/Cheney years are over, you might want to think again before voting for Mr. Kirk.

Congratulations to State Senator Ted Deutch. State Senator Deutch is an accomplished lawmaker who has led the fight to strengthen economic security for Florida’s middle class families, protect seniors and improve health care in Florida. We are confident that the people of Florida’s 19th district will elect Ted Deutch as their next representative because they know that he will stand on their side and against special interests. We look forward to working with him over the months ahead to ensure that he is elected the next Congressman from Florida’s 19th District.

‘The time has come to stop finding excuses for avoiding a return to the negotiating table ...’

Ashar Alaswat, a leading Arabic language newspaper, reports:

Well-informed official French sources have revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that US Envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has called for French and European officials to pressure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to return to the negotiating table with the Israelis. The source that spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity revealed that Mitchell was taking a ‘hard-line’ position towards the Palestinians, as he believed that ‘the time has come to stop finding excuses’ for refusing to sit down at the negotiations table. The French official source also quoted Mitchell as saying that the Palestinians ‘are content’ with the current situation, which they believe is less risky than returning to negotiations without securing international guarantees.

That’s right; Mitchell and President Barack Obama are pressuring the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table. They have called the PA’s bluff and are taking a stand against their recent stall tactics. Israel has stood ready to enter peace talks and Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad appears ready to do so as well. Now it’s Abbas’ turn to come to the table.

• 39% of respondents believed that President Barack Obama should be impeached. 29% were not sure.
• 36% were certain that Obama was not born in the US and another 22% believed the matter is open to discussion.
• 24% believed that “Obama wants the terrorists to win,” while another 33% were not sure.
• 31% believed that “Obama is a racist who hates white people,” while 33% were not sure.

These results may reflect some of today’s toxic political discourse fueled by malicious right-wing pundits. The totals for some of the questions are indicative of a party that appears to be completely divorced from reality:

• 57% of Republicans in this survey do not believe that Obama is completely committed to fighting terrorism.
• 64% of the GOP in this survey believe that Obama is racist.
• 68% of the Republicans in this survey do not believe 100% the proven truth that Obama was born in Hawaii.

Obama was right when he told the GOP’s meeting in Baltimore last week that the rhetoric spewed by politicians and pundits is creating an environment in which cooperation is a fantasy. With a base that includes people who believe these ridiculous lies, how can Democrats expect to work with Republicans on important issues? As Kos noted in his post, “it’s no wonder the GOP is the party of no.”

• Last week, CIA Director Leon Panetta visited Israel during his trip to the Middle East. Israel’s Yediot Ahronot reports that Panetta met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Mossad chief Meir Dagan to discuss Iran and other regional security issues. 
• National Security Advisor General James Jones also visited Israel to discuss Iran. Over the weekend Reuters reported:

Jones said the United States and Israel are in close coordination over how to handle Iran. ‘We have very good dialogue with Israel, continual dialogue,’ he told The Jerusalem Post. ‘We’re working very closely with them.’

Asked whether Washington was concerned about Israel trying to take on its arch-foe alone, Jones said: ‘Our Israeli partners are very responsible.’

These recent visits are further proof that the US-Israel relationship remains strong and that President Barack Obama and his administration are committed to Israel’s safety and security.

NYT: Is There an Ecological Unconscious?

Newsweek: The Return of the Neocons 

WPost: In Obama’s decision-making, a wide range of influences

NYT: This Article Is Not Yet Rated

TNR: For the Love of Culture

FA: Disarming Hezbollah

Slate: Kidney Mitzvah

New Yorker: The Movement

Bits of Torah:

Parshat Beshlach: Nothing is Unchangeable, Singing on the Way, and Packing for the Road

Parshat Beshlach Haftorah: Judge Dread

Shabbat Shalom!

Israel is one of our strongest allies ... It is a vibrant democracy. It shares links with us in all sorts of ways. It is critical for us and I will never waver from ensuring Israel’s security and helping them secure themselves in what is a very hostile region… So I make no apologies for that.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

As the world marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp this week, Americans will also sadly look back at 2009 as the year that the memory of the Holocaust was abused and misused in politics like never before. Politicians, pundits, and protestors freely compared President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats to Hitler, the Nazis, and other evil historical figures. Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck consistently labeled Democratic reforms “Hitlarian” and laughed all the way to the bank as demagogic politicians and Tea Party activists bought their heinous rhetoric hook, line, and sinker at the expense of real reform.

Now is the time for action. Now is the time to send a message to 2010 House and Senate candidates that abusive Holocaust rhetoric and anti-Semitic language will not be tolerated in our political discourse.

The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) has created an online petition where fed-up citizens of all political stripes can add their names to the majority of Americans who are disgusted by this deeply divisive trend in American politics. This petition calls on all federal candidates to add their names and condemn this caustic and outrageous language when they see it on the campaign trail. President Barack Obama rightly urged a higher level of political dialogue in his State of the Union address; you can help make that wish a reality by supporting this effort today.

Members of the House GOP leadership did not condemn truly obscene Holocaust rhetoric during their November 5th Capitol Hill press conference, where—among other heinous signs—one banner compared the Dachau concentration camp to health care reform and another declared that “Obama takes his orders from the Rothchilds” [sic]. It was not until we called out House Minority Leader John Boehner and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor that they acknowledged that those signs were even there. How could they miss them? The cameras didn’t!

Regardless of where a candidate stands on policy matters, every candidate should be willing to stand up for what is right and for the memory of those who perished and survived the twentieth century’s greatest horror. This caustic rhetoric is a national embarrassment, and it has to stop. Now is the time to take action and tell candidates enough is enough when it comes to abusive Holocaust rhetoric and anti-Semitic language. Take action today by signing our petition and demanding a higher level of public discourse.