At the Official Obama Site: 'How the Jewish Lobby Works'

Sun, Jun 8, 2008 at 9:08:47 am PST

Here’s yet another disgusting antisemitic page at the official Barack Obama campaign web site, by a group calling itself “Socialists for Obama.” This group of Jew-haters has apparently been at his site since April, and there are numerous comments from Obama supporters that are indistinguishable from the hate speech you’ll find at neo-Nazi sites: Barack Obama : : Change We Can Believe In | Socialists for Obama: How the jewish lobby works.

The Republican Jewish Coalition today responded to the announcement that former Rep. David Bonior will be representing the Obama campaign at the Democratic National Committee meeting this weekend in Washington, D.C. As a Congressman, David Bonior was known for his strong opposition to pro-Israel policies, being called by some "the biggest supporter of the anti-Israel Arab lobby in Congress." The RJC cited Bonior as the latest in a string of advisors and campaign officials to Barack Obama that harbor anti-Israel views.

"Barack Obama's path to strengthening ties with the Jewish community is severely blocked when appointing an anti-Israel figure like David Bonior. While in Congress, Bonior refused to stand by Israel after repeated terrorist attacks, was known as a stalwart opponent to Israel, and is now a representative for Barack Obama. Bonior's appointment is the latest in a series that raises serious questions and doubts about Barack Obama's positions and judgments on the Middle East."

During his Congressional career, David Bonior repeatedly opposed pro-Israel legislation. In 1997, David Bonior was one of 15 Congressmen who signed a letter asking then-President Clinton to pressure Israelis into making concessions to the Palestinians. In 2002, David Bonior was one of only 21 Congressmen who opposed H.R. 392, which publicly affirmed Congress's support of Israel's right to self-defense and called for the dismantling of the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure. In 1990, David Bonior was one of only 34 Congressman to vote against a measure naming Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel. In 1989, Bonior was one of six House members to vote against a bill that prevented US funds from going to UN entities that granted the PLO membership. Throughout his career, Bonior repeatedly opposed US aid to Israel and supported arms sales to Arab states opposed to Israel's existence.

"The appointment of yet another anti-Israel advisor like David Bonior to represent Barack Obama speaks volumes to the Jewish community. The pattern including Tony McPeak, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Robert Malley continues with this appointment. It's no wonder the Jewish community remains deeply skeptical and troubled by Barack Obama."

Daniel had been communicating with another solider in Iraq who told him what the troops wanted including items such as toiletries and footballs among a host of additional items. In addition, the PTSA from Westwood Elementary School in Arvada helped with postage which was substantial.

Craig Silverman read a letter from Lieutenant Colonel Steve Mariano of the job that Daniel did toward this project:

“I think you’re going to be a great Marine. If you could organize a project like this, leading your classmates in the effort, and put a smile on the face of our warriors, then I’m sure you have what it takes.”

If you missed hearing the show, you can listen or download a copy of the show from the KHOW.com website. Be sure to forward to the last 15 minutes of this segment to hear his interview.

This project is in addition Daniel’s ongoing work with Operation Gratitude for the past 5 years, where he helps in an annual charity drive each Christmas with Toys for Tots.

It gives us great pleasure to see Daniel setting an excellent example for his fellow classmates in supporting our troops and reinforcing the concept of tzedukah as a young Jewish Republican.

Thank you Daniel!

The acrimony between Iran and Egypt stretches far beyond the much-publicized Shiite-Sunni tensions. After the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the mullahs of Tehran, then led by Ayatollah Khomeini, renounced all ties with Egypt when Cairo provided asylum to the deposed Iranian Shah, Mohamed Reza Pahlavi. Ties worsened further after Egypt inked a peace deal with the state of Israel.

Relations worsened further still with the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980, as Egypt backed its Sunni brothers in Iraq. In response, after the 1981 assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, Iran celebrated the occasion with a four-story mural on a large building in the Iranian capital that lionized Khaled Islambouli, the Islamic extremist who mowed down Sadat in cold blood with a hail of machine gun bullets.

Cairo and Tehran remained at odds for the next 30 years. Tehran, the rogue state, continued to test the patience of Washington policy makers, while Egypt, a valuable U.S. ally, reaped a multibillion dollar windfall in foreign aid for merely maintaining a frigid peace with Israel. Indeed, Egypt and Iran appeared to hold diametrically opposed positions on U.S. policy in the Middle East.

The rift between the two countries came into sharp relief amidst the crisis surrounding the ongoing violence in post-Saddam Iraq. Sunni Egypt grew alarmed over Iran's influence among Iraq's radical Shiites, and the potential for that influence to spread through the "Shiite Crescent" from Iran to Lebanon. President Husni Mubarak's regime grew even more alarmed over Iran's influence in Palestinian affairs. Iran, by sponsoring the violent 2006 coup that brought Hamas to power in Gaza, brought instability to Egypt's doorstep.

Responding to reports of Hamas operatives training at military camps run by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Egypt worked quietly in 2006 and 2007 to bolster Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction. Reports emerged that Cairo began training at least one Fatah battalion to be stationed in the Gaza Strip.

In late 2007, though, the Iran-Egypt dynamic shifted dramatically. As Israel and the U.S. — with the backing of the international community — moved to isolate Hamas in Gaza, representatives from Cairo and Iran began to meet frequently.

Even as Iran continued to supply weapons to Hamas through subterranean tunnels it helped build and finance between the Sinai Peninsula and southern Gaza, the mullahs publicly implored the Arab world to ease the isolation of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian trade minister visited Iran on an official visit, and the speaker of the Iranian parliament, the Majles, came to Egypt for high-level talks.

Did Iran effectively lobby Egypt? Questions arise over the way in which the Mubarak regime allowed Palestinians to stream into the Sinai Peninsula after the Hamas breach of the Gaza-Egypt border in late January 2008. According to the Egyptian daily al-Masry al-Youm, for 12 days the Egyptians allowed Palestinians to cross the border freely and without documentation, effectively ending the siege of Gaza. Given the chaos, it would have been possible for these individuals to smuggle additional weaponry across the border into Gaza for a terrorist attack.

It quickly became clear that the fate of Hamas, Iran's new favorite client, was in Egypt's hands. The mullahs reached out to Cairo through the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which offered Egypt "assistance" and funds to help "control" the border.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — reviled in Israel for threatening to wipe the Jewish state "off the map" — soon made a direct call to Husni Mubarak, offering to restore ties between the two countries, while pleading for aid to Hamas. "The time is ripe for assisting the Palestinians to survive this intolerable situation," Ahmadinejad reported told his Egyptian counterpart.

Ali Asghar Mohammadi, a high-ranking Iranian diplomat, also visited Cairo to discuss the world sanctions isolating Hamas in Gaza. Iran's news agency and television confirmed that discussions were ongoing, publicly signaling that ties could be renewed.

When Omar Suleiman, Egypt's top spy, made plans to visit Israel in February 2008, it was clear that he held the key to enforcing sanctions against Hamas or allowing it to arm. Iran has since made a concerted effort to influence Egypt policy on how to police its crucial seven-mile border separating Egypt from Gaza. Indeed, Iran knows that Egypt will determine whether or not Hamas stocks up on arms for its next Iran-sponsored conflict with Israel.

According to recent news reports, Mubarak is still wary of Iran's growing influence in the region. Moreover, Egyptians widely believe that the enmity between the two countries is too entrenched to overcome. Nonetheless, there is cause for concern. Iran continues to lobby Egypt on behalf of Hamas.

This article was courtesy of Jonathan Schanzer, a former terrorism analyst for the U.S. Treasury Department, is director of policy for the Jewish Policy Center and author of the forthcoming Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine.