Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
U.S. Blatant Anti-Israel Policy is Unconscionable
More than likely you remember the evidence against the IRS for targeting US conservative groups that were applying for 501 (c) (3) status. To date, no actions have been taken against the organization as they stonewall inquiries for documentation.
You may not be aware, however, that the IRS was also targeting pro-Israel groups. An op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal yesterday described how the pro-Israel group Z Street learned that its 2009 application was being held up due to a “special screening” for groups connected to Israel. In 2010 Z Street sued the IRS for discrimination. The article further explained:
The IRS has maintained that Z Street’s application was flagged because the group might be working with organizations inside Israel. IRS Exempt Organizations Determinations Group manager Jon Waddell denied that there was an Israel special policy and said in a December 2010 sworn declaration in federal court in Pennsylvania that flagging Z Street was “appropriate” because “Israel is one of many Middle Eastern countries that have a ‘higher risk of terrorism.’”
You read that correctly. Of course, Israel was and is the victim of terrorism, not the perpetrator.
When you put this story in context, the U.S. over the last several years has had an ongoing strategy of embarrassing, denigrating and pressuring Israel to acquiesce to U.S. demands. Some of the more egregious demands include, but are not limited to, the following, as described by Ben Shapiro on Breitbart:
May 2009: Obama tells Netanyahu that “settlements have to be stopped in order for us to move forward.” Netanyahu announces a settlement freeze to comply. The Palestinians refuse to negotiate. Obama then slams Israel: “they still found it very hard to move with any bold gestures.”
March 2010: Obama follows up on his threatening language about settlements by deploying Vice President Joe Biden to Israel, where Biden rips into the Israelis for building bathrooms in Jerusalem, the eternal Jewish capital. Hillary Clinton then yells at Netanyahu for nearly an hour on the phone, telling him he had “harmed the bilateral relationship.” David Axelrod calls the building plans an “insult” to the United States. When Netanyahu visits the White House a week and a half later, Obama makes him leave via a side door.
May 2011: The State Department labeled Jerusalem not a part of Israel. The same month, Obama demanded that Israel make concessions to the Palestinians based on the pre-1967 borders, which Israelis call the “Auschwitz borders” thanks to their indefensibility.
March 2013: Obama forces Netanyahu to call Islamist Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan to apologize for Israel’s actions to stop a terrorist-arming flotilla from entering the Gaza Strip to aid Hamas. Erdogan had recently labeled Zionism racism.
June 2014: Three Jewish teenagers are kidnapped, including an American, and murdered by Hamas. The Obama administration immediately calls on Israel for restraint, and says it will continue to work with a Palestinian unity government including Hamas. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki says that the Obama administration wants “the Israelis and the Palestinians continue to work with one another on that, and we certainly would continue to urge that… in spite of, obviously, the tragedy and the enormous pain on the ground.” Throughout the ensuing Gaza War, in which Hamas fired rockets at Israeli civilians and tunnels were uncovered demonstrating Hamas’ intent to kidnap Israeli children, the Obama administration criticized Israel’s prosecution of the war.
January 2015: Obama deploys his campaign team to defeat Netanyahu in Israel. A group titled “One Voice,” funded by American donors, pays for the Obama campaign team, led by Obama 2012 field director Jeremy Bird. The announcement comes days after Speaker of the House John Boehner’s invite to Netanyahu to speak before a joint session of Congress. Obama quickly announced he would not meet with Netanyahu, making the excuse that the meeting would come too close to the election.
March 2015: Netanyahu wins. Obama refuses to call him to congratulate him for two days. When he does, he threatens to remove American support in the international community, even as he moves to loosen sanctions and weapons embargoes on Iran.
And let’s not forget the Iran deal and its inherent dangers to Israel.
Some may say that these policies are only “anti-Israel,” not anti-Semitic. But there is no other nation in the world that the U.S. and United Nations openly and aggressively criticize for human rights violations and continuous military strife. Only Israel warrants that unique attention.
Let’s hope that the current suit by Z Street is prosecuted before Obama completes his term. I have serious doubts whether either candidate as President is capable of turning this dangerous and destructive policy around.
Published in Foreign Policy
Obama stated his support for Israel also.
Hillary represents the party responsible for the Iran agreement while rebuffing Netanyahu; the party that refuses to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. She was the secretary of state for the period with the most antagonistic policy toward Israel in our nations history. She says she’ll continue this administrations policies. And you think characterizing the two candidates positions or future performance as comparable is reasonable?
Trump at his most unreliable would be an improvement. Watch the video in comment #47 and get back to me. Who do you think the Likudniks are praying for?
Comment #47
With all due respect, both Trump and Hillary are pathological liars. Trump can talk all day, it proves nothing. Hillary, as was pointed out in an earlier post, has had a long history of supporting Israel. I detest both of them. I don’t want either of them in the White House, but I certainly wouldn’t use anything Trump said as opposed to actual action as a basis for making a choice between them. Neither is qualified. The fate of Israel would likely be safer in Hillary’s hands, but I certainly do not believe that that one issue in anyway overwhelms the host of deficits in her portfolio. Using what Trump as said as a reason to vote for him rather than any actual actions is the act of a naif.
Thanks so much for putting this post together. I learned “stuff”!!
Thank you for the post Susan.
This might be old hat to you but one of my favourite writers, Melanie Phillips, had a book out showing the correlation between leftish thinking and anti-Israeli sentiment. This video is a talk on it at the AEI. Skip to twenty minutes in for where she makes the relevant point.
Excellent piece @susanquinn.
As seen with the latest brouhaha over the DNC platform, those who criticize Israel are no longer just found on the far left but within its base. Liberal America quietly – or not so quietly (Bernie’s troglodytes) – consider Israel as an occupation force perpetuated by the single greatest threat to peace: ‘right-winger’ Bibi Netanyahu. The audacity of the Israeli government which led a fight against Obama’s Iran deal caused a split among Congressional Democrats, once the bastion of unconditional support for Israel. Now we see Pew polls proving Democrats have yielded their support for the Jewish state to the Leftist anti-Zionist, BDS supporters -sadly many of whom are Jewish themselves (in name only).
Pretty snarky comment.
Not necessarily, and I think clearly in this case you are misreading ill intent where there is none.
Did you see how Susan responded? She took it at face value. Also, cdor’s subsequent comment, before Susan’s response, makes it clear that he is not snarking at her but having a respectful discussion.
*This* Likudnik is praying that G-d in His infinite mercy will continue to spread His protection over the State of Israel, the beginning of the sprouting of our Redemption.
I don’t pray to political candidates.
Thanks so much, Mr. Nick. Phillips is very impressive and I plan to check into her writing, too. I hope I’ll have more time later to view more of the video. Outstanding resource!
I find this kind of shift alarming, Dave. As I think you do, too. I’m concerned about Israel’s security, since the world seems to be intensifying it’s criticism and resentment toward this tiny country.
Thank you @CBToder, you are correct. Susan obviously was unhappy with the direction of the discussion. It was her post and I wished to honor that. Sorry you misinterpreted @jdfitzpatrick.
And I thank you for honoring that, @cdor. I truly do.
Well first of all, I would like to see our next President re-affirm our bond to Israel in clear and certain terms.
The United States was founded by people escaping tyranny and wishing for freedom. Israel was founded by people escaping annihilation and wishing for the ability to defend and secure themselves, also wishing for freedom. As President, I will have Israel’s back against any foe wishing to destroy her. I am certain that sentiment is mutual. Both our countries have been blessed by God to be able to sustain a citizenship of free and prosperous people. Both our countries wish for the same freedom, prosperity, and peace for all peoples on our planet. As such we stand together as brothers and sisters ready to help all others who wish to follow a similar path to freedom, peace, and prosperity. To Israel’s neighbors, let us begin our reconciliation. But know one thing clearly…that reconciliation can only begin by acknowledging Israel’s right to exist.
Great piece, Susan.
Substitute (Iran) for Obama Administration personnel I’ve put in parentheses to see who is calling the shots.
and so on. All Obama Administration members fell in line, not personally guilty because they were just following orders, right?
This parsed message, par excellence demonstrates that clearly, (anti-Semitic) Democrats need the Jewish vote.
I am so impressed with your eloquence and clarity. Thanks so much, cdor.
Both your comments are spot on, BR. When Jews are willing to break away from the Leftist ideology long enough to see what’s going on, maybe they will wake up. Thanks.
Trump is unlikely to declare Jerusalem neighborhoods to be “settlements” and negotiable in Israel’s return to the 1967 borders. Obama/Kerry just did. Why?
One take: Obama is letting Europe know that whatever they do to Israel, he’s good with it:
Maybe Obama’s campaign for UN Secretary General is underway?
Thank you so much for the link to the Abrams article. An excellent assessment, and more reasons to be very worried about Israel. The Europeans have been anti-Israel on the whole for a while; this will just give them more ammunition.
Hillary has held to the party line of American support for Israel.
However, she is not reliable. Her friends and donors are the sort of Leftists who will be willing to cut Israel loose in order to try to make nice with Muslim leaders.
She has a Leftist Europhile element to her close network, and they will sell Israel down the river at the soonest opportunity.
Hey, my bad.
No worries!