President Barack Obama said people who attack Jews who support the Iran nuclear deal are like African-Americans who differ with him on policy and then conclude he’s “not black enough.”
Obama, in an interview with the Jewish newspaper “Forward,” was asked whether it hurt him personally when people say he’s anti-Semitic.
“Oh, of course,” Obama said. “And there’s not a smidgeon of evidence for it, other than the fact that there have been times when I’ve disagreed with a particular Israeli government’s position on a particular issue.”
The president added, though, that he’s “probably more offended when I hear members of my administration who themselves are Jewish being attacked. You saw this historically sometimes in the African-American community, where there’s a difference on policy and somebody starts talking about, ‘Well, you’re not black enough,’ or ‘You’re selling out.’ And that, I think, is always a dangerous place to go.”
Obama didn’t mention any specific critics or targets by name.
Asked to whom the president was referring, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Monday mentioned former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s charge that the nuclear deal was like “marching the Israelis to the door of the oven,” a reference to the Holocaust. Earnest added: “It’s certainly not the only example of the kind of political rhetoric that certainly the president and others find objectionable.”
Obama’s Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, who is Jewish, was heckled this summer at a Jewish-themed conference in New York when he defended the nuclear deal and spoke of the administration’s support for Israel. Dan Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, has received “threatening letters related to the Iran deal,” according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the issue and spoke only on condition of anonymity.
Obama, in the “Forward” interview, said that while those who care about Israel have an obligation to be honest about what they think, “you don’t win the debate by suggesting that the other person has bad motives. That’s, I think, not just consistent with fair play; I think it’s consistent with the best of the Jewish tradition.”
On a lighter note, Obama was asked about his bagel of choice.
He described himself as “always a big poppy seed guy.” As for toppings, he added: “lox and capers OK, but generally just your basic schmear,” referring to a smear of cream cheese.
The interview was conducted Friday, and released Monday.
(AP)
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9 Responses
This mamzer is offended? It is not about him, it is about protecting Jewish and American lives.
The Obama can’t be offender his hate for Israel is a lot greater, we can see the real Obama hiding behind the kappo Jews next he will ask the kappo Jews to sulit him when ever they see him
Obama says there’s “not a smidgen of evidence” that he’s antisemitic. He’s right, there’s a plethora of evidence of his anti Jewish stand. Raised a Muslim, sat in a church with a blatant anti Jewish preacher, always sides with the radical Muslim(I’m still waiting to see a non radical Muslim):sided with the Muslim Brotherhood against ally Mubarak, bowed to the Saudi king, but people forgot about this, treats Bibi like an enemy, criticizes Israel defending itself while sympathizing with Hamas, now this joke of a “deal with Iran. I’ll take it a step further, he’s not only anti Jewish, he’s anti American. This is understandable since he may not be American. He is for sure no friend of Israel but he thinks he’s covered himself by surrounding himself with “court Jews”. It doesn’t take a genius to see through this tactic. In the end, he has no right to be “offended”, we should be offended by his presidency, and we should vote out any of these political fools who vote for the deal, especially the Jewish representatives. Shame on them!
I guess this is a good news article, i wasnt sure if it was officially illegal to support Iran’s nuclear rights.
I generally support Muslims, Hindus, Bhudists or anything else playing around with as much nuclear technology as possible, simply because i view the west as a far greater threat to everything on earth(including what’s left of Jews) than anyone else… by far.
Can someone please explain to me why everyone is ignoring 1) the large number of Israeli security officials (former heads of Shabak and the Mossad) who are urging that Israel accept the deal as its best (if imperfect) option, 2) ignoring the petition signed by dozens of retired Israeli generals and other security officials urging Bibi to stop fighting the deal, which they say is a fait accompli, and saying he should focus on rebuilding relations with the White House so that he’ll have more input into how the deal is implemented, 3) ignoring the official Israeli Military Intelligence report which spoke of the deal as having quite a few significant positive features? If one holds that American Jews who support the deal are traitors, one should also be attacking all these high Israeli officials, not to mention explaining why their expertise (which is far greater than those of all the politicians and Jewish activists who are opposing the deal) is to be ignored. Can someone please explain this to me?
That’s the ways of an egomaniac narcissist. It is inconceivable to them that they aren’t universally loved, since they view themselves in such a high esteem, how can someone not love them and not agree with them on anything. This is what really offends him, people speaking the truth about him.
por #5 is guilty of a fatal error. YOu cannot paint the target around the arrow and claim credit for a bull’s eye. That is what your comment does.
The deal is a bad deal, and everyone knows that. Including Obama. The belief is that this deal succeeds in placing some form of a written obstacle to block Iran from achieving the nuclear weapon during his term of office ( a tactic he has used before). However, we know that the written word is as valuable as the spoken promise for a Muslim – worthless. They ascribe positive value to violating commitments to achieve their perceived goals of bloodthirstiness and destruction of israel, Jews, and whoever else they classify as infidels. Obama knows this, too. He is a closet Muslim, and has stated that publicly. He is so obsessed with his “legacy” that he has wantonly thrown Israel under the bus (as he has done many times over his years as president). He is also throwing America under the bus, the second target of Iran’s nuclear weapons. If he feels offended by our recognizing the truth and speaking out, tough. I would not even offer him a tissue to wipe away his tears. He has committed a cataclysmic error of judgment, and wants to blame the world for it. Sorry. I won’t buy it. And from someone who has managed to manipulate to inflict other legislation on our country, his track record makes trusting him impossible.
Oh, poor Obama, he’s “offended”, we hurt his feelings , isn’t that bad?
BTW, former intelligence experts are totally irrelevant A:they don’t have up to date info B: they might be politically biased- does a retired doctor who hasn’t worked for a decade have any say in modern life and death situations?
Now Barack Insane Obama really is, in his own words, “just a big fat poppy seed guy”
well said, #3.
I don’t get his whole point. If the Jews supporting the Iran deal are indeed “Jewish enough” and pro-semitic, then it’s not a race issue, but a politics issue. Why does he have to change that?