You might have missed this – it didn’t get much coverage. But you know how Republicans are all, hey, Obama’s no friend of Israel?
The Israelis would beg to differ. At least, one of them would, and that one is the one whose job it is to keep the country safe: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak. CNN, 2 days ago:
Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Ehud Barak said the Obama White House has been the most supportive administration throughout the two countries’ diplomatic relations on matters of Israeli security, in an interview to air Monday on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”
Barak – also a former prime minister of Israel – said that though historically administrations from both political parties have supported the Jewish state President Obama’s support, security-wise, is unparalleled.
“I think that from my point of view as defense minister they are extremely good, extremely deep and profound…. I should tell you honestly that this administration under President Obama is doing in regard to our security more than anything that I can remember in the past.” …
Pressed if the Obama administration has been the most supportive ever, throughout history of U.S.-Israeli relations, Barak affirmed, saying that from his recollection of President Carter forward – “the defense relation between Israel and the United States are extremely stable and good.”
So the next time some Republican tries to tell you that President Obama isn’t a good friend to Israel, you can laugh in his or her face and point to this post.
whosmindingdemint says
you had to insult 5 countries on two continents to get a photo-op at the Wailing Wall?
sabutai says
I hadn’t heard this, and Barak is pretty hawkish in Israeli terms. He’s the one who invaded Lebanon (which turned out to be a not good idea), so he’s clearly not afraid to through military weight around.
petr says
Ariel Sharon, a thoroughly repugnant person, was the defense minister in 1982 when Israel invaded Lebanon. It was Ariel Sharon who invaded Lebanon. Ehud Barak was in the military at the time and may have played a part but he was not in a position to say yes or no to the invasion.
Ehud Barak did not enter politics until the mid 90’s after serving as head of the Israeli intelligence and the Israeli equivalent of the chiefs of staff in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Ehud Barak had, politically speaking, nil to do with invading Lebanon. But you are correct, it turned out to be not so good an idea…)
Ehud Barak is not as hawkish as Ariel Sharon was… and is well to the left of Netanyahu… and in fact, it was Ehud Barak as the prime minister of Israel in 2000 who was willing, finally, to make a true peace with the Palestinians. It was Yasser Arafat who could not go that last mile and scrod the deal at the last minute. Bill Clinton blames Arafat extremely and praises Ehud Barak fulsomely.
methuenprogressive says
My Facebook lit up today with all kinds of ‘Liberals hate Israel’ posts connected to – of all things – Gore Vidal’s death. The batcrapcrazy wingnuts are increasingly, well – batcrapcrazy.
The Right-Wing Effort to Smear Obama and Liberals as ‘Anti-Israel’ | The Nation
http://www.thenation.com/blog/166592/right-wing-effort-smear-obama-and-liberals-anti-israel#
johnd says
if this guy didn’t like Obama his words would be… worthless, irrelevant?
You can’t have it both ways so please tell me if the comments of members of foreign governments matter? So if I go find someone from the Israeli government dumping on Obama it will be meaningful or will that be “different”?
David says
as I’m sure you actually understand but are reluctant to acknowledge, is that Barak is the Israeli defense minister. His job is to keep the country safe. He thinks that Obama has been extremely helpful in that respect – as much or moreso than past administrations.
You’re usually a good, if misguided, contributor. Don’t get sucked into trolling just because someone in Israel said something that doesn’t help your candidate.
johnd says
My point is IF he said the opposite, would it mean something to you David or would you (and BMGers) dismiss it. Of course it means something but I’m trying to ask an honest question.
Ryan says
isn’t that the point?
johnd says
Mine was more about events being judged in the eye of the beholder… as in a poll shows Scott Brown ahead and it is meaningless but a poll showing EW ahead is a great sign. The pools should be meaningful or meaningless but not because of the results. I was simply “predicting” that if the Israeli defense Minister was critical of Obama, folks hewer would dismiss his remarks as meaningless. that’s all.
whosmindingdemint says
from your curiosity?
David says
I’m no expert on Israeli defense policy. If the defense minister says he thinks Obama’s been an awesome ally, I believe him. I might have been unhappy if he had said the opposite, but I’d have had no basis for questioning what he says.
Ryan says
isn’t that the important point.
There are, of course, many points… including trivial hypothetical that have no bearing in real life. The Archangel Michael could come swooping down from the heavens and admonish Obama for not doing enough to banish the infidels, but we don’t speculate what would have happened then… because it didn’t happen.
Questioning what would have happened if XY or Z occurred is fantasy land absurdity, and certainly doesn’t take away from the legitimacy of what *actually happened,* as if that fantasy land absurdity was somehow a counter weight to reality.
Would you dismiss an endorsement because hypothetically, in some alternative universe that isn’t this one that we’re living in, the endorser could have endorsed differently? What you’re arguing for makes absolutely no sense.
johnd says
Me?
David says
😉
kbusch says
Why would we believe that an honest Israeli observer would say anything different from what Ehud Barak said? How is your hypothetical even conceivable?
Of course, Mr Obama has been teh awesome. Is there some reason to quote misguided observers who think otherwise? Why would we do that?
whosmindingdemint says
explains the “why” of it.
whosmindingdemint says
the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense does “like” Obama.
Christopher says
This is in response to your comment asking johnd what outcome he expects and like you at least sometimes, I use IE and can’t nest my comments.
I point this out because you are still fairly new. What johnd is trying to do is catch us in an inconsistency, hypocrisy, whatever you want to call it. That’s his schtick. He is certain that we are just blindly partisan in everything we say, and assumes that if the shoe were on the other foot we’d say the exact opposite of what we are saying now. I think we do have principles here, though he does seem to forget we are a Democratic blog, hence BLUE Mass Group.