Israel – Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman issued surprising praise for the policies of US President Barack Obama’s administration Tuesday at a pre-Rosh Hashana toast for activists of his Yisrael Beytenu party at Jerusalem’s Shalom Hotel.
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Liberman’s comments came at a time when Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been issuing veiled public criticism of Obama’s Iran policies, using the sanitized term “the international community” as a euphemism for the president of the United States. While the foreign minister did not mention Obama by name, his comments could aide Democratic efforts to market Obama as pro-Israel.
“To the credit of the United States, it is the only country that stood by our side in our struggles in the United Nations, the Security Council, and UNESCO, he said. The US increased funding for Iron Dome. Even if we disagree sometimes and even if there is commentary that suggests otherwise, we must say we that have no better friend than the US,” said Liberman.
Liberman hinted at support for a possible Israeli strike on Iran when he said that Yisrael Beytenu’s presence in the coalition makes the government “more serious and determined to defend the interests of Israel.” He warned that if Iran obtains nuclear weapons it would result in a nuclear arms race and the end of international anti-nuclear proliferation agreements.
Turning to Egypt, Liberman praised the appointment of a new ambassador to Israel but said it was not enough. He called upon Egyptian president Mohamed Morsy to acknowledge the ties that have continued between Israel and Egypt on diplomatic, economic, and military levels.
Paraphrasing former Mossad chief Meir Dagan, Liberman said “Israel cannot be the whore of the Middle East who everyone enjoys but with whom no one admits their connections.”
Liberman mocked the Hebrew press, saying that he reads “the nonsense that poses as commentary in Israeli newspapers” when he wants a good laugh. Criticizing newspapers that say he recently adopted the Palestinian issue to help his next campaign, he said there were many good reasons to highlight Palestinian incitement against Israel and support for terror.
He said Yisrael Beytenu was the most ready party for elections, but that he preferred that the next election would be held on time in October 2013, both as a matter of principle and because of the changes taking place in the Middle East.
While stressing that Yisrael Beytenu would continue to act as “a stabilizing factor in the government,” he said the party would push three key issues: Recognition of the college in Ariel as a university, low income housing, and universal service.
Yisrael Beytenu will begin a new campaign Wednesday to put the issue of haredi service back on the national agenda. The campaign will urge Israelis to note with pride where they served on Facebook and Twitter. The party will also bring its universal service bill to another vote in the Knesset as soon as legally permitted.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
Former Congressman Wexler of Florida, now head of the Israel lobbying group, just made essentially the same points in his speech to the Democratic Convention. The Republicans will have to find some new issue to complain about where perhaps the victim of their outrage says is true. Lieberman is no left wing shill and if he says Obama is supportive of EY, I’d tend to believe him over Romney any day.