Like the singin’ bird and the croakin’ toad, I got a name – and Israelis don’t like it

via memeorandum

Haaretz reports, Obama: Israelis suspicious of me because my middle name is Hussein

During the interview Wednesday, when confronted with the anxiety that some Israelis feel toward him, Obama said that “some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is Hussein, and that creates suspicion.”

“Ironically, I’ve got a Chief of Staff named Rahm Israel Emmanuel. My top political advisor is somebody who is a descendent of Holocaust survivors. My closeness to the Jewish American community was probably what propelled me to the U.S. Senate,” Obama said.

Yikes. Really, this has nothing to do with the color of his skin or the sound of his middle name; it really has to do with the content of his character.

When someone like Jackson Diehl, who can’t be classified as pro-Israel, wrote last year in “End the spat with Israel“:

The result of such posturing is that the administration now faces a choice between a protracted confrontation with Israel — an odd adventure given the pressing challenges from Iran and in Iraq, not to mention the disarray of the Palestinian camp — or a compromise, which might make Obama look weak and provide Arab states further cause to refuse cooperation. The White House, I’m told, still hopes Netanyahu will accept a construction moratorium, with a time limit and perhaps a waiver for some buildings under construction. But at this point some damage is probably unavoidable: If Barak and Middle East envoy George J. Mitchell agree on any formula short of that spelled out by Clinton and her spokesman, Arab media will trumpet it as an Obama cave-in.

the President’s singling out of Israel was obvious.

While last year’s poll showing Israeli support of President Obama in the single digits may not have been accurate, nonetheless Israeli suspicion of the President is a real phenomenon. No matter how much the President may think that it’s about who he is, the mistrust is a result of what he did.

Perhaps now things will be better between Israel and the United States – though I’d expect that change to last only until the mid-term elections later this year – but it will because President Obama will have changed his approach to the Middle East.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad.

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4 Responses to Like the singin’ bird and the croakin’ toad, I got a name – and Israelis don’t like it

  1. Pamela says:

    His name or skin has nothing to do with it.
    His lacking wisdom and common sense has a great deal to do with it.
    He needs a nice case of recurring boils and piles to bring him to reality.
    If that is at all possible.

  2. Herschel2 says:

    Obama and his advisers finally realized that Jews were beginning to question his left wing bias against Israel, and with the mid term elections just three months away began to throw some crumbs towards Israel supporting Jews. Nominating another Jew to the Supreme Court was the first crumb, second was a “cordial” visit with the Israeli prime minister. I personally do not trust him, or, his real behind the scene advisers like Samantha Powers and a host of other Israeli haters that have his ear. Mark my words, this rapprochement with Israel is strictly to help the mid term elections. Also, if Obama somehow gets re-elected in 2012, the gloves will really come off in his approach to Israel! The best we can hope for in 2010 is a Republican takeover of the House and Senate to keep his power in check! Someday we will see the LA Times video of his performance and speech during a Palestinian hosted dinner conference years ago, that will be a real eye opener for his current knee jerk Jewish supporters and validate our concerns.

  3. Tom Frank says:

    “…and perhaps a waiver…”

    Which makes it clear that to this Administration, such building is improper, but the ‘magnanimous’ Obama will allow some if Israel will bow to his will otherwise.

    Given that attitude, I wonder why there are any Israel’s at all who think positively of Obama; and if the US Jewish community continues to back the democrats, why they are surprised when bad things happen to Israel.

    Scratch that – most of them read the New York Times, which doesn’t report the news accurately…so they don’t know the why of what occurs.

  4. long_rifle says:

    So apparently all the Jews that supported him during the election didn’t know his full name?

    Brilliant! Why won’t anyone ever just call him on his stupid comments….

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