Victoria Denholm
A Tough Talk on Mending Iran
CHARLOTTE - Barack Hussein Obama’s latest rift with the Israel comes after the dispute over settlements and the accusation that the U.S. is not ready to defend Israel from Tehran. And it comes at the worst time: two months before the U.S. elections. Furthermore, there is silence from the administration about Jerusalem as the capital throws yet another shadow on an unstable relationship between the U.S. and Israel in the midst of the so-called relaxation.
Everything seemed set for the official visit of Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak. His visit was supposed to precede Bibi Netanyahu’s arrival at the regular meeting of the U.N. Last year, in fact, there were sparks with the Bibi-Show. In order to put the brakes on the Israelis, who are again ready to hit the Iranian leadership over their nuclear program, Obama has been preparing to speak even louder with Tehran. This is backed up by a military training exercise that is about to begin in the Persian Gulf.
That is how international politics goes of course. However, for the White House what really matters is the deciding vote of American Jews. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee plastered the benches of the Democratic Convention with the blue and white of the Israeli flag, trying to hide the deteriorating diplomatic situation.
The secretary of the party, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, kept repeating, “The natural political home for Jewish voters in this country is with the Democratic Party.” Additionally, Delaware Governor Jack Markell coined the slogan: “I’m here because I’m a Jew and I support the president and I support Israel.” Obama’s former right hand, Rom Emanuel, a man who in his day left Israel to its military, also spoke at the Convention. In the end, however, it’s the numbers that count. The Republican Jewish Coalition has raised $6.5 million to lobby those undecided in their community. The JTA, the Jewish news agency, estimates that a drop from the 75 percent of the vote- that Obama got from the Jewish community in 2008- to 65 percent would cost 85,000 votes in Florida, 41,500 in Pennsylvania, and 19,000 in Ohio. This would be enough to influence those states that hang in the balance in deciding the election. Yes, at this point Jerusalem could really become a capital question for Barack Obama.
Everything seemed set for the official visit of Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak. His visit was supposed to precede Bibi Netanyahu’s arrival at the regular meeting of the U.N. Last year, in fact, there were sparks with the Bibi-Show. In order to put the brakes on the Israelis, who are again ready to hit the Iranian leadership over their nuclear program, Obama has been preparing to speak even louder with Tehran. This is backed up by a military training exercise that is about to begin in the Persian Gulf.
That is how international politics goes of course. However, for the White House what really matters is the deciding vote of American Jews. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee plastered the benches of the Democratic Convention with the blue and white of the Israeli flag, trying to hide the deteriorating diplomatic situation.
The secretary of the party, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, kept repeating, “The natural political home for Jewish voters in this country is with the Democratic Party.” Additionally, Delaware Governor Jack Markell coined the slogan: “I’m here because I’m a Jew and I support the president and I support Israel.” Obama’s former right hand, Rom Emanuel, a man who in his day left Israel to its military, also spoke at the Convention. In the end, however, it’s the numbers that count. The Republican Jewish Coalition has raised $6.5 million to lobby those undecided in their community. The JTA, the Jewish news agency, estimates that a drop from the 75 percent of the vote- that Obama got from the Jewish community in 2008- to 65 percent would cost 85,000 votes in Florida, 41,500 in Pennsylvania, and 19,000 in Ohio. This would be enough to influence those states that hang in the balance in deciding the election. Yes, at this point Jerusalem could really become a capital question for Barack Obama.