According to most analysts, the recent anti-Netanyahu blitz by President Obama has been nearly unprecedented in the US-Israel relationship. It seems that the Obama administration viewed the Israeli election results as a tragedy that they simply couldn’t cope with. First came silence, then denial, and now vicious anger and rage. In case you missed it, Obama chose the Huffington Post, which is the equivalent of Al Jazeera regarding Israel, to give his first major statement on Netanyahu’s election win. Within a 36 hour period, the president said that the US needs to “reassess” certain aspects of their relationship with Israel, threatened to withhold support at the UN and openly declared he doesn’t believe Netanyahu regarding his support for a two state solution. If you saw the interview, you know that he meant it. Pat Buchanan has said that the current crisis is the worst between the US and Israel since Dwight Eisenhower ordered the Israelis to leave the Sinai.
Why? He was not this bad until now, what changed?
Some have said that this is simply payback for Netanyahu’s speech to Congress that did not have the president’s approval. Others have suggested that he’s trying to minimize Israel’s world image in order to increase the chance of a successful deal with Iran. Those who feel that way seem to think that once negotiations with Iran end (successfully or not) he will snap out of it and pivot somewhat back towards Israel. I personally feel that he always had a dislike towards Israel which he masked for political reasons, and now, with no need for re-election, he no longer feels restrained by political consequence – hence we are now seeing the unfiltered true worldview of Obama. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, Israel is feeling the wrath of an angry president with no end in sight.
The reaction from the GOP has been wall to wall, 100%, unapologetic, pro-Israel remarks. Marco Rubio gave a blistering speech on the senate floor defending Israel from these attacks. GOP lawmakers from every state, including Iowa, Missouri, Arizona and beyond have launched an aggressive counterattack defending Israel. While I do think some of it is partisan politics, I do not think too much would have changed had Obama been a Republican.
That leads us to Chuck Schumer, the Jewish senior Senator from NY. NY is home to the largest Jewish community in the world outside of Israel. One would think that he would be the voice of Israel, and lead the counterattack against the administration. As a senior senator from NY, his opposition carries enormous weight in the White House. The senator, though never known to be short on words, has simply not stood up to the administrations most recent rant. This from The Weekly Standard:
“Asked Thursday afternoon to respond to the administration’s anonymous threat, New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer told THE WEEKLY STANDARD: “I’m not going to comment on that.” But is there anything Congress could do to ensure the United States continues to back Israel at the UN? “I’m not gonna comment on that,” Schumer replied.
Hardly a vigorous defense of Israeli interest.
To be fair, I do consider Mr. Schumer a strong supporter of Israel. He’s a reliable pro-Israel vote and my feelings are that he’s sincere about it. Yes, he votes for Israel, although of late he has not been outspoken enough, the way the Republicans have and most notably Democratic Senator Robert Menendez.
So why won’t Schumer be more outspoken on this issue?
According to Gallup, nearly 7 in 10 Americans support Israel when asked to choose between Israel and the Palestinians, which is roughly the same as it was in 2005. What happened though is that support for Israel in the GOP ranks rose to over 80% from around 60% and for the Dems, while still ok, dropped to around 50%. The problem Pro Israel Dems are facing these days is that those who say they don’t support Israel are not just indifferent on the issue, they are becoming increasingly anti-Israel , European style. In other words, Mr Schumer cannot defend Israel too aggressively or he will actually offend the increasingly vocal anti-Israel Democratic base that supports him on most other issues. Mr. Schumer wants to “kinda love Israel”. Chuck it seems wants to love Israel and eat it too.
It’s time for Chuck Schumer to speak out loudly and clearly for Israel against Barack Obamas aggressive attitude towards Israel. If Mr. Schumer and other mainstream Dems continue down this path, I think it’s time for the Pro Israel community to “reassess” our relationship with the Dem party, even Dems such as Chuck Schumer.
Speak up Chuck, I can’t hear you
Contact Chuck Schumer www.twitter.com/ChuckSchumer
Email: http://www.schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck
Name withheld upon request.
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18 Responses
The same thing is true for Kirsten Gillibrand. Not a word from her yet spanish immigrants (cruz, rubio) do
Chuck is Baracks lap dog he is no shomer yisroel, he is like a capo.
nothing new; obama was always a muslim
Schumer will pay a heavy price for his silence.
Very well said. Chuck will listen when it’s time for re election. It’s all about politics. He’s a shomer Yisroel when it suits his own personal interests
It was a majority of unthinking Jews in NY State, that replaced D’Amato, with this opportunist.
D’Amato would have stood up to Obama with fire and brimstone speeches.
Instead, we have this fearful lapdog masquerading as a senator.
He routinely gives inanely trite speeches on matters that concern few of us.
The man’s principles are left at the door, whenever he has to make difficult political decisions. Possibly, he has no principles other than keeping his seat.
What a wimp.
A valuable has been learned. Remember it before we vote for Jewish senators.
Party and power always come first.
What a slimy excuse of a senator this spineless lick-spittle has turned out to be.
This latest non_support from chuck just proves how accurate sen. Damato’s description of him truly is.
Its clear that with chuck schumer his priority’s are 1. to be obamas lap dog 2.on the back burner jews and Israel
Everyone here is forgetting that Chuck Schumer attended & endorsed Netanyahu’s speech to Congress when Obama & meant fellow Democrats were against it. Lets give credit when due.
Actually HuffingtonPost has writers with a wide variety of opinions regarding Israel, even including some Orthodox rabbis.
I am no great Chuck Shumer fan but to be fair, he did sign on to the Menendez Bill yesterday as a cosponsor.
#1 Cruz and Rubio aren’t immigrants. Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father so he is a natural-born US citizen. Rubio was born in Florida to parents who had left Cuba prior to Castro’s takeover so he, too, is a natural-born US citizen. (Yes, there were Cuban refugees in America from pre-Castro regimes; the most famous may be the family of the late actor Desi Arnaz, who like Cruz’s father and Rubio’s parents fled Batista’s regime).
“According to Gallup”
According to Gallup, Obama has a higher favorability rating among US voters than does Netanyahu, whose favorability was damaged by his speech before Congress.
#13
http://www.gallup.com/poll/181781/netanyahu-favorability-2015-trends.aspx
Bibi 45-24 / fav/unf
Obama 45-51 fav / unf
How do you figure?
If Sen. Schumer becomes leader of the Democrats in the US Senate (in accordance with the wishes of the outgoing leader, Harry Reid, as reported in YWN), do any of you political analysts (i.e, commenters 1 – 8) want to withdraw your comments and make nice to Mr. Schumer?
He’s a fake a fraud and a phony who cares only about himself and his microphone. He likes to talk how he’s a protector of Israel as his name Schumer indicates: a shomer (guardian) of Israel but talk is cheap. What has he done as the bum in the Whitehouse has acted with impunity running roughshod over Eretz Yisroel? I haven’t heard a thing from him. He’s a liberal left leaning democrat first and a Jew last and let not his speeches fool you.
Actually HuffingtonPost has writers with a wide variety of opinions regarding Israel, even including some Orthodox rabbis
Chuck Schumer is ONLY interested in his own advancement. He was resoundingly clear about that when he was only the Congressman for the Flatbush-Midwood area. Now he is being touted a the successor to Harry Reid as leader of the Senate Democrats, he is being even more careful to follow the new Obama Doctrine. Actually, both Obama, Schumer and their fellow travellers are doing the Republicans a favor. By the time, Obama completes his term of office, only Jews that are super-Far-Far-Left, will even consider voting for Democrats. In his next election, Schumer WILL BE SWEPT AWAY IN A LANDSLIDE. As it is, Obama is a President in search of a legacy. Unfortunately for him, there is none – EXCEPT for his failures.