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President Obama at a White House Hanukkah Dinner: I Am ‘Jewish in My Soul’

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In an overheard conversation at the recent White House Hanukkah Dinner, it’s been reported that when someone commented on the event saying they didn’t realize President Obama was Jewish, Obama stated in a lighthearted manner while walking away:

“I am, in my soul.”

In light of that statement, let’s take a short walk down memory lane and review a few of his comments and actions regarding Israel. Breitbart News reports on one of Obama’s first actions as president. It notes him reaching out to the Palestinian National Authority (PA or PNA) president.

Obama’s first call in office was to PA’s Abbas. He still has not cut off aid to the PA, even after their peace deal with Hamas.

But that is not all. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) notes, among other things, that in July 2009 Obama said he wanted to put “daylight” between the United States and Israel because during the Bush years

There was no light between the United States and Israel, and nothing got accomplished.

His claim is patently false, but let’s move on to September of that year. Speaking to the UN, Obama said, to much applause:

“America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.” He went on to draw a connection between rocket attacks on Israeli civilians with living conditions in Gaza. There was not a single unconditional criticism of Palestinian terrorism.

In March 2010 when new construction in Jerusalem was announced by Israel, the WSJ goes on to report that Obama “launched an unprecedented weeks-long offensive against Israel.” Then when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went to the White House 10 days later, he was given a very frosty reception that included “no photo op, no joint statement, and he was sent out through a side door.”
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Image credit: The White House

Then we have the infamous speech in May 2011 in which Obama praised the Arab Spring and suggested Israel, in the name of peace, return to its indefensible pre-1967 borders.

Let’s now jump ahead to March 2014. In an interview for Bloomberg View, not only did Obama make eerily similar comments to the “apartheid state” comments that got Kerry in trouble, but he also made what the writer considered to be a veiled threat.

If you see no peace deal and continued aggressive settlement construction — and we have seen more aggressive settlement construction over the last couple years than we’ve seen in a very long time. If Palestinians come to believe that the possibility of a contiguous sovereign Palestinian state is no longer within reach, then our ability to manage the international fallout is going to be limited.

So, as one publication asked, is Barack Obama the first “Jewish president“? We don’t know, but here are some other things people claimed Obama is:

The first “gay” president (Time)
The first “female” president (Washington Post)
The first “Muslim” president (Washington Times)
The first “post-racial” president (LA Times)
The first “post-partisan” president (Washington Post)
The first “African American” president (History.com)

With so much ‘historicness,’ it’s hard to keep track. How about just being an American president? That would work for most people.

 

source: ijreview

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