Obama Signs Israel Bill Ahead of High-Profile Romney Visit
Did Signing Steal Mitt's Thunder in Courting Israeli Support
With very little in the way of issues being talked about so far in the presidential campaign, President Barack Obama and former Governor Mitt Romney seem to be centering their foreign policy debate on who can more successfully suck up to Israel.
So with Mitt Romney just one day away from a very high-profile visit to Israel, President Obama’s heavily publicized signing of a new bill promising more funding for Israel is taking on a political feel.
Israeli officials were even quoted in their own press yesterday as saying that the White House had timed the signing explicitly to “counterweight” Romney’s visit. Surrounded by US Jewish leaders, Obama promised at the signing an “unshakeable commitment” to Israel.
Romney will make several visits to Israeli leaders while in the country. Shortly thereafter, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will visit Israel as well to discuss “tensions” in Syria.
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Robert Shule
July 28th, 2012 at 12:21 am
Did it ever occur to either candidate that quite possibly they'd actually get more votes if they didn't suck up to Israel?
richard vajs
July 28th, 2012 at 3:58 am
I am old enough to remember when Southern politicians campaigned hard for the Segregation vote. One time, George Wallace lost an election to an opponent who stressed the importance of segregation even harder than Wallace did. In defeat, Wallace swore that he had been "out-ni—-ed" and that he would never allow that to happen again. Looks like Obama and Romney are playing a version of that old game.
JDonald
July 28th, 2012 at 6:33 am
It amazes me how giving more money to Israel (obviously from cash borrowed from China or somewhere) passes by in the country with hardly any comment. While Americans have to tighten their belts because of previous fiscal mismanagement, our yearly donations to Israel continue to soar above 3 billion dollars per year. Could it be that allowing dual citizens, and in particular Israeli-US citizens, into our Congress deminishes the concerns for American needs. I'm all for an amendment which states that only those with single citizenship (US) qualify for election to the House or Senate. That would do away with Schumer, Cantor, Lieberman and the several other pro Israeli voices in the Congress.
Karl
July 28th, 2012 at 7:05 am
Shame on him and Romney, they put Israels interests above the US just to win some misguided Jewish votes. Wasn't it Netanyahoo who said 911 was good for Israel and Israel's Mossad agents that were arrested celebrating the collapse of the Twin Towers? Some ally. Its time for Obama to stop getting on his knees to pleasure the Israelis, and do whats right for America – make these lobby groups illegal, stop funding Israel until it stops acting aggressively to its neighbours and complies with UN resolutions, and make peace with Palestine.
rwe2late
July 28th, 2012 at 9:15 am
Amazing (or maybe not) that Obama & Congress have approved legislation that commits the USA (a self-professed defender of equal rights and separation of church and state)
to unreservedly defend apartheid Israel as a "Jewish state",
and to maintain a military superiority of that Jewish state over all its neighbors combined.
to quote HR4133:
It is the policy of the United States:
(1) To reaffirm the enduring commitment of the United States to the security of the State of Israel as a Jewish state.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr4133/…
Budd Weiser
July 28th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
The filthy pigs are tripping over each other trying to please the masters.
Cora Jones
July 28th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
What dirt have the Israelites got on Obama?
(Yes, they are like their primitive ruthless bronze age predecessors)
Bahloulun
July 28th, 2012 at 4:34 pm
Thats a wishful thinking Karl.