DNC?s Israel debacle

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By Josh Mansour

Created:
5 hours ago

Last updated:
4 hours ago

On a night when former President Bill Clinton galvanized the Democratic base, describing the ?mess? that President Barack Obama was charged with cleaning up when he took office, it was Clinton who was the ultimate cleaner, limiting the stench made earlier in the day by an administration that continues to show its disinterest in the state of Israel and its Jewish people.

Earlier Wednesday, Obama and party leaders frantically attempted to recover from an embarrassing decision to remove language from the platform that recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

According to the Huffington Post, it was Obama who personally made sure to strengthen the wording to support Israel, but the situation deteriorated further when Los Angeles Mayor and convention Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa asked for approval from the delegates and was met with resounding boos.

As a result, Villaraigosa asked for votes to change the language three separate times and made the unpopular decision to announce that the required two-thirds of the delegates supported the amendment, despite the overwhelmingly negative response and the lack of clarity about whether the booing was in response to the language, or the initial gaffe by the administration.

The out-of-control circus was captured on video and, according to the Huffington Post, was uploaded to YouTube by Republican National Committee staffers within minutes.

Now, for the sake of transparency, I am both Jewish and an Obama supporter, but this administration has been one of the weakest supporters of Israel in U.S. history.

As Jewish party leaders, such as Obama?s former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz gave interviews defending the process, the embarrassment only grew, with Wasserman Schultz?s response to CNN prompting Anderson Cooper to lampoon her description of the events as being from ?an alternate universe.?

Yet for members of the Jewish community the situation is hardly surprising, as questions about Obama?s support of Israel began before his presidency and have only intensified with time.

With the Jewish community being made up largely of democrats, Obama?s indifference and occasionally flat out disrespect toward Israel, especially in comparison to former President George W. Bush, has been alarming and hurtful to many.

A country with Israel?s limited size and support from surrounding nations requires a staunch and consistent defense from its greatest ally.

The fact that the United States? tone regarding Israel has changed so dramatically in just four years is terrifying for a minority so often targeted with persecution.

Thus, Obama leading the way in changing the language was not only necessary, but merely a required first step.

There is considerable work that needs to be done to repair a relationship that has become increasingly strained in the past four years with a group that historically has been a foundation for the Democratic Party.
Jews too often have been disregarded as unimportant and insignificant in global history, and no presidential administration in recent memory has furthered those thoughts more than Obama?s.

If that?s not how he truly feels, as he and members of his administration have repeatedly said, it?s time for him to prove his loyalty to a minority group that desperately needs his help more than most.

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