From the Palestinian Authority Daily: "Twenty-three-year old Ibrahim Abu Jayyab sits by the computer in the Nusairat refugee camp (in the Gaza Strip) trying to call American citizens in order to convince them to vote for the Democratic candidate for president, Barack Obama..."
Like many Palestinians, Abu Jayyab is excited about the prospect of an Obama presidency. (By the way, the Gaza Strip is completely under the control of Hamas. Why then do they persist in speaking of "refugee camps"? But of course, we know why.) If Abu Jayyab and many others in the Palestinian areas are delighted, why are so many American Jewish voters feeling the same way? One side or the other has the wrong man. Which is it?
I've heard from some American Jews that they do not believe Obama is sincere in his leftism. They believe/hope that the anti-Israel sentiments and associations of his past were purely opportunistic; that once in the White House he will shed them like yesterday's fashions. That's quite a leap of faith.
Many politicians have distanced themselves from positions and associations of their youths. But in Obama's case, he is distancing himself from positions staked out as recently as 2003. As National Review Online has reported, the Los Angeles Times is apparently sitting on a videotape showing Obama's remarks at a farewell dinner that year for Rashid Khalidi, the one-time PLO spokesman who now heads the Middle East Studies Department at Columbia. (Columbia University's shame is a subject for another column.) Khalidi is not distancing himself from his past. Consistent with what you'd expect from someone who justified PLO attacks on civilians in Israel and Lebanon from 1976 to 1982, Khalidi routinely refers to Israel as a "racist" and "apartheid" state, and professes to believe in a "one-state" solution to the conflict. Guess which country would have to disappear for that "one" state to come into existence?
The Khalidis and Obamas were good friends. In his capacity as a director of the Woods Fund, Obama in 2001 and 2002 steered $75,000 to the Arab American Action Network, the brainchild of Rashid and Mona Khalidi.
According to an L.A. Times account of the dinner, Obama mentioned that he and Michelle had been frequent dinner guests at the Khalidi home (just another guy in the neighborhood?) and that the Khalidis had even baby-sat for the Obama girls. Like William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, the Khalidis held a fundraiser for Obama in their living room when he unsuccessfully sought a House seat. At the farewell dinner, according to the L.A. Times, Obama apparently related fondly his "many talks" with the Khalidis. Perhaps that's where he learned, as he told the Des Moines Register that "Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people." Obama told the crowd that those talks with the Khalidis had been "consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots . . . It's for that reason that I'm hoping that, for many years to come, we continue that conversation — a conversation that is necessary not just around Mona and Rashid's dinner table" but around "this entire world."
Even less attention has been paid to the man Obama appointed as his emissary to the Muslim community in the U.S., Mazen Asbahi. Asbahi, it turned out, had ties to the Islamic Society of North America, which in turn was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case. The Holy Land Foundation was accused of being a front group for Hamas. When news of these associations became public, Asbahi resigned from the campaign to "avoid distracting from Barack Obama's message of change." And don't forget hope!
Many American Jews preparing to pull the lever for Obama have never heard of Asbahi. But they surely know about Jeremiah Wright. They know that he gave a "lifetime achievement" award to Louis Farrakhan; that he supported efforts to get U.S. businesses to divest from Israel; that he gave space in the Trinity Church bulletin to Hamas; and that he has accused Israel of "genocide" against the Palestinians. They are preparing to vote for a man who tamely tolerated all of that (and more) for 20 years.
Someone is making a big mistake — and it isn't Abu Jayyab.
To find out more about Mona Charen and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
 Email updates
 RSS Feed
|
|
 |
|
|
3 Comments | Post Comment
|
|
“ FOR SECURITY REASONS, & AMERICA'S FUTURE, THERE'S NO TIME TO GIVE OBAMA
‘ON-THE-JOB TRAINING'!”
If you love America, Vote for John McCain! His military background,courage, character,
integrity, honesty and common sense should tell you he's the one that should be President!
Obama has no concept of what it takes to run a business, let alone our Country! America
doesn't have time to give Obama on the job training, let alone ‘try' to help him figure out
what it takes to make America prosper! Obama isn't a beacon of hope! Obama is another
disaster waiting to happen! He's never been in military, has no concept of military and wars
and thinks by sitting down with the terrorists, who wants to kill Americans, to discuss his
‘plans to stop the wars' that he'll create some sort of understanding. This would be the way
to bring about another 9/11! Next time it might be worldwide!
Taxpayers, of all races, have lost respect for Democrats who've done nothing constructive!
The ‘bailout' of Fannie, Freddie, and AIG put the final icing on the cake for bankrupting
America. The disaster started in 1977! Taxpayers have a right to blame Carter, Clinton and
the ‘Tax & Spenders' who've borrowed trillions from foreign countries thus putting
Americans further at risk. Let's not forget about ‘Nafta' and ‘Cafta' and the shifting of
America's jobs overseas!
Taxpayers have been reading about this ‘new movement and more informed voters these
people call themselves'. If you think school loans, insurance, social and welfare benefits
are going to be a free ride from Obama, let me be the first to burst your bubble. Obama's
pockets are deeper than McCains! So guess which candidate will help you? Time's up!
WON'T BE OBAMA! Millions of dollars just sent to Chicago and you want Taxpayers to
believe that you're more informed?
By the way, where did the money come from for Obama's campaign? WAKE UP, AMERICA!
Comment: #1
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:32 AM
|
|
You said
If Abu Jayyab and many others in the Palestinian areas are delighted, why are so many American Jewish voters feeling the same way? One side or the other has the wrong man. ""
Did it ever occur to you that both Palestinians and Jews can, for once, have the same aspirations, the same goal f having a man such as Barack Obama to President? You are awfully wrong on that one side or the other has the wrong man. It is apparent now to both Jews, Palestinians and indeed anyone who wishes on America and the world well, that the election of Obama will usher in a new era. One of non-belligerence (submission to America's enemies, I hear you say?), peace, and hopefully a peaceful solution to the Middle -East problem.
As a Palestinian residing in the US, I find it despicable that you think I and a Jewish person (though not you) cannot agree on one thing, since we me just MUST be at odds with everything. Abu Jayyab, you intolerant mockery of journalism, is just like any other 23 year old person in the worl. Tired and disgusted by politics and by instability, and wishes on himself and the world someone who he hopes (yes, hopes), will bring in something new. God forbid that that someone be Barack Obama. You must think he's Muslim, don't know.
Comment: #2
Posted by: H. Alsharif
Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:31 PM
|
|
Re: H. Alsharif
As an Israeli-American who resides in the US, I agree with the spirit of your comment.
Furthermore, since I am very concerned with the future well being of Israel, I believe and hope that the new adminstration under Obama's leadeship will progress a middle-east solution.
Unlike the author (Mona), there are many scholars and experts who share my view.
A good factual summary can be found at:
www.israelisforobama.org
Comment: #3
Posted by: Shmuels
Sun Nov 2, 2008 6:10 PM
|
|
|
|
