The Obama administration pushed back on Friday against critical comments made by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y) accusing the president of having a “counterproductive” policy on Israel.
Asked by the Huffington Post about the remarks during the morning’s gaggle, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs replied: “I don’t think it is a stretch to say we don’t agree with what Senator Schumer said.”
The night before, Schumer rebuked the administration’s approach to Israeli settlements in Jerusalem. “This has to stop,” he told the politically conservative Jewish Nachum Segal Show. “I told the president, I told Rahm Emanuel and others in the administration that I thought the policy they took to try to bring about negotiations is counterproductive, because when you give the Palestinians hope that the United States will do its negotiating for them, they are not going to sit down and talk.”
The remarks were, far and away, the toughest Israel-related criticism leveled at this administration to come from a congressional Democrat (and White House ally) to date. A hawkish Israel supporter, Schumer also charged the Obama administration with having a less-than-firm commitment to Israel; that cabinet officials (namely Sec. of State Hillary Clinton) had demanded too many concessions of the Jewish state, and that the White House had been overbearing and one-sided in its demands during the nascent peace process.
Gibbs acknowledged seeing a write-up of the remarks, though not hearing them.
“We have an unwavering commitment to the security of Israel and the Israeli people,” he said. “You heard General Jones speak about that earlier in the week. We have said that from the beginning of the administration.”
Click HERE to listen to Nachum Segal interview Schumer.
(Source: Huffington Post)
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11 Responses
The majority of Americans disagree with Obama, we should gain the support of the right wing to back Israeli concerns AS a major front for Anti-leftist/obama policy. The right should push Israeli/Jewish concerns as a foremost strategy to fight leftism in America.
Huffington Post is full of Pritzus and Nivel Peah. By posting an article from them, to those who don’t know to avoid that site, I believe that you may be over L’fnei Ever or maybe worse.
Really Gibbs does not show the world and especially the Palestinians that you care about Israel
It was a total disgrace that the President of the United States who is supposed to represent the American public totally insulted the President of Israel and snubed him when he was here for dinner. Never in the history of Presidential office has this ever happened where a digninatory from another country was visiting and snubbed. This shows you how one sided the President and the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is towards Israel. I am totally not voting for any Democrat at the coming elections. It’s time for a change. what a difference between President Bush and Obama
apologies i meant to say the Prime Minister of Israel and not the President of Israel
BH
I don’t think anyone should be shocked by this article. The subject (President vs. Israel) is old news. Just take a look at most articles written about the President and the subject, or listen to his comments and speeches – and it is very clear to me that we are dealing w/ someone that clearly does not like having a Jewish presence in the Middle East or elsewhere. Oh, just wait for his re-election campaign – he and Mrs. Clinton will be out there declaring their allegiance to Israel and the Jewish People. Using the big lie theory that if you say it enough times, the audience will begin to believe it. It is the liberal Jewish factions that fail to understand this situation. WE need to start our own campaign NOW to defeat the President’s attempt for re-election – in the primaries – so he loses his national stage prior to the national vote. This President will do almost anything (or possibly anything) to debunk Israel & the Jewish People. He’s coy & sly at times, uses Mrs. Clinton to make his opinions known so if it backfires, it’ll fall onto her and not onto him.
WAKE UP and smell the coffee. We’ve had several anti-Israel / anti-Jewish Presidents – but none have been so brazen as to publicy voice their opinions, and in the end scheme, always concluded that Israel is indeed our only ally in that part of the world, so whether or not they personally liked us, they understood the importance of supporting us. We can no longer afford to let the President get away with his views toward Israel. We have to show him that we are committed and a united group – so first we need to convince the far left to unite w/ us, and then we have to get out of our seats and do something about this. Don’t forget the old saying that united we stand and divided we fall. He wants us to remain divided b/c he knows that when Jews are divided on these kinds of issues that they cannot achieve victory. Let’s prove him wrong. Let’s begin now and not wait until the Presidential primaries are finished. We cannot afford to wake up at the end of the day – it will be too late to make a difference.
There is should become a strong political alignment between right america and Israeli policy. Perfect time.
#2 – Good point. I would not advise clicking on that link.
#6 – “it is very clear to me that we are dealing w/ someone that clearly does not like having a Jewish presence in the Middle East or elsewhere”
Really? Do you honestly believe that Obama wishes to ensure that there are no jews on this earth? Are you accusing the president of the United States of America of wanting to wipe the jews off the face of the earth?
This is an extraordinarily serious accusation, and therefore, requires some proof. So I challenge you – show me one quote from Obama that shows any antisemitism at all, forget a diabolical desire to exterminate us all.
(Not that Obama is anti-Israel – that has unfortunately been made crystal clear by Obama. But there is a massive difference between wanting Israel to make impractical and dangerous concessions in the name of “peace” and the blatant and vicious anti-semitism of which Obama stands accused by comment #6)
8, There is no doubt Obama was influenced by his galach the rev jeremiah wrong. Wrong is a sonay yisroel par excellence and proves it whenever he moves his lips. Your Obama sat in his kloist for OVER TWENTY YEARS but claimed he didnt hear anything. Well I say Bull!
Oo, oo, oo! The White House is getting annoyed with the senior Senator of New York. Not a good sign!
Edited, and reposting without links:
“…we should gain the support of the right wing to back Israeli concerns as a major front for Anti-leftist/obama policy. The right should push Israeli/Jewish concerns as a foremost strategy to fight leftism in America.”
Sad to say but a larger percentage of Xtian Americans supports Israel than do Jewish Americans.
And if we want to keep and increase that support from the non-Jewish right, we need to remember that its a two-way street.
Politically conservative Jews have to start showing up at Tea Parties, join the NRA, and work with pro-life Groups, and give $ to conservative candidates running for office, especially for Congress this November (i.e, Col. Alan West in Florida and John Faulk in Texas).
These are only a few of the many Conservative Republicans who actively support Israel, and they are running against leftist Democrats who are saying NOTHING about Obama’s tilt to the muslim world.
“I regard Israel as America’s most important ally in the Middle East region. I strongly support Israel’s right to exist and efforts to defend itself. Israel must be able to defend their country. I will support providing federal funding for Israel’s defense systems, including missile defense.” – John Faulk
“I do not support any creation of a Palestinian state, to do so would be to create a terrorist state. There is already a state for the Arabic people residing in the region called Palestine, Jordan. If the Arabs can build an indoor ski slope in Dubai, they can resolve the issue of their Arab brothers and sisters. Instead, they use them as pawns in an international game of extortion and use the subsidies provided not for humanitarian gain but for more weapons, for jihad.” – Col Alan West.