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Washington - Obama Mulls ex-ambassador to Israel, Orthodox Jew, as Special Mideast Envoy |
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Former US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer Addresses OU/RCA Solidarity Mission in 2001
Obama's decision to appoint a special envoy reporting to him directly, rather than to the secretary of state, indicates that the president-elect attaches special importance to the regional peace process. Reportedly, several of Obama's advisers recommended the appointment.
The special envoy job could infringe on the prestige of Hillary Clinton, who was appointed secretary of state on Monday. On the other hand, it could ease any apparent conflict because of Bill Clinton's close ties with the Gulf States.
Kurtzer, 59, joined Obama's primary and presidential campaigns as a senior member of the president-elect's foreign advisers. He also helped prepare Obama's visit to the region and was among the main writers of Obama's address on the Middle East to AIPAC in June 2008, which was seen as one the candidate's most important speeches on international affairs.
Kurtzer refused to be interviewed on Monday.
An observant, Hebrew-speaking Jew, Kurtzer has filled several positions on the State Department's Middle East desk and was on the Clinton administration's peace team, headed by Dennis Ross.
In the mid-1980s Kurtzer served as political adviser in the United States' embassy in Tel Aviv. At the end of the '90s Clinton appointed him U.S. ambassador in Egypt and in 2001 President Bush appointed him ambassador to Israel. He held the post until 2005.
In an interview with Haaretz at the end of his term, Kurtzer said he believed that the Arab world was gradually moving toward coming to terms with Israel and that terrorists are "on the losing side of history."
Asked whether the road map would be implemented and the Palestinian state be established in the near future, as President George W. Bush promised, he said "the diplomatic infrastructure exists but the implementation depends on the sides fulfilling their obligations."
During his term in Israel, Kurtzer constantly protested against the settlements and the separation fence route. Consequently, his relations with then-prime minister Ariel Sharon were quite cool.
In a lecture in Tel Aviv in July 2002 Kurtzer said that the question where the U.S., Israel and the Palestinians were heading reminded him of a quote by the legendary baseball player Yogi Berra, whose sayings are considered a national asset in America - "You have to be careful if you don't know where you're going because you might not get there."
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Read Comments (27) — Post Yours »
1
Dec 02, 2008 at 02:30 PM Eli Says:
Obama's image in my mind has totally changed, I see the people he has chosen to be around him, and I know whats on his mind, way to go Obama, I'm sorry I didn't vote for you, but I'm sure glad you won.
2
Dec 02, 2008 at 03:01 PM menachem Says:
Oh man, this guy (despite the fact that he is frum) is a horrible, horrible pick for Israel, particularly the settlements.
3
Dec 02, 2008 at 02:57 PM Anonymous Says:
Obama is going to have a minyan in his cabinat
4
Dec 02, 2008 at 02:47 PM WONDERING Says:
WILL he really be good for ISRAEL it doesn't seem so from his past stances on SETTLEMENTS ETC.
5
Dec 02, 2008 at 03:24 PM Tehillim Zuger Says:
I guarantee all of Klal Yisroel a general better situation b'chol inyonim with just one more kapital tehillim said each day.. but you all knew that! Hatzlocho b'chol guys!
6
Dec 02, 2008 at 03:18 PM Anonymous Says:
oy vey we need rachamy shomayim. its just like putting the thieve to guard ...and this is in fact a rip off for the clintons .he begins to put her on the side b4 she even started her work . I think this will backfire on him
7
Dec 02, 2008 at 03:18 PM anonymous Says:
wow. didnt he work for bush ? he was bush's ambassador to israel when he tried to sell his failure road map down its throat.
8
Dec 02, 2008 at 03:16 PM Charlie Hall Says:
“ Obama's image in my mind has totally changed, I see the people he has chosen to be around him, and I know whats on his mind, way to go Obama, I'm sorry I didn't vote for you, but I'm sure glad you won. ”
President elect Obama is confirming the confidence that people like me who voted for him had shown.
For the record, I believe that McCain would have been just as supportive on issues of interest to Jews.
BTW, the White House and almost all government office buildings are within the downtown Washington, DC eruv.
9
Dec 02, 2008 at 03:16 PM Anonymous Says:
As much as many of us are in favor of the "settlements", I cannot imagine any elected official state in public that they are in favor of expanding them.
10
Dec 02, 2008 at 03:41 PM huh Says:
“ oy vey we need rachamy shomayim. its just like putting the thieve to guard ...and this is in fact a rip off for the clintons .he begins to put her on the side b4 she even started her work . I think this will backfire on him ”
what do you mean? kurtzer was bush's ambassador to israel!
FYI he was also a dean at yu at one point.
the fact remains that although the article main spin it as possibly undermingn clinton the fact is that both clinton and kutzer are alot more to the right on middle eastern policies than obama. so he he is doing the right and good thing by appointing people like Clinton. Kurtzer and Gates in this regard!
11
Dec 02, 2008 at 04:24 PM Anonymous Says:
Kurtzer has a reputation of being left of center on the Israeli - Palestinian issue.
For Israel he will be a bad chice.
12
Dec 02, 2008 at 05:02 PM Anonymous Says:
He is awful for Israel. He will force them into dangerous security compromises - as he has done in the past.
13
Dec 02, 2008 at 05:01 PM historian Says:
“ Kurtzer has a reputation of being left of center on the Israeli - Palestinian issue.
For Israel he will be a bad chice. ”
that is because he was working for pro palestinian bush plan!
14
Dec 02, 2008 at 04:57 PM Ben Says:
I am impressed. I voted for Mccain but I am happy with the result
15
Dec 02, 2008 at 06:10 PM m.mendy@gmail.com Says:
“ Oh man, this guy (despite the fact that he is frum) is a horrible, horrible pick for Israel, particularly the settlements. ”
Who is not against the settlements? These villages are against human understanding.. They risk there lives for non-scence..... They are considered "hameabed atzmo lodaas".... would you live in harlem? These settlemets are against the law in isreal and of course against the understanding of the western world... These CRAZY people have no poltical support what's so ever...
I know you guys will yell now anti semt..... i hate isreal..... these people are doing the fighting with the arabs for us. G-D gave us the land....... and all other shtisim...
G-D gave us the land and kicked us out 1900+/- years ago, so stop talking about "our" land... Yermia hanovie wrotes that it's not "our" land, until moshiach arrives.. until then we got to listen what the poltical world tells us..
I'm a shomer shaboos and i understand the "holy" land just like you...
16
Dec 02, 2008 at 06:43 PM Hudy Says:
“ Obama is going to have a minyan in his cabinat ”
With Obama the Shabbos goy among his minyan.
17
Dec 02, 2008 at 06:43 PM ystud Says:
maybe you dont like him because he worked at YU.
18
Dec 02, 2008 at 06:39 PM anonye Says:
this is so funny how people on this blog react. Kurtzer was the Bush ambassador for several years. but now he is bad because he worked for obama?
so that makes Gates and Kurtzer. Who else? how many more cross party picks are you people going to dismiss as bad?
sick.
19
Dec 02, 2008 at 07:53 PM Anonymous Says:
Danny Kurtzer is not to be trusted. He's out there on the left and is willing to sell out Israel to make peace with his pals the Arabs. Kurtzer with all his time spent in the Mideast still is a staff State Dept employee and tries to think down the middle. Being Jewish means nothing to him. Was a bad YU Dean and was similarly bad in the State Dept. Wish Obama could place him somewhere he couldnt harm Israel. Beware of this appointment!
20
Dec 02, 2008 at 07:32 PM Anonymous Says:
So, Whats wrong with Kurtzer? That he spoke his mind? That he said what every diplomat says?
The Israeli Government themselvs are against the settlements. At least some people in the Israeli Govt are against it. All except the extremely right wingers.
Now com on.
21
Dec 02, 2008 at 09:00 PM Oy Gevald Says:
“ Obama's image in my mind has totally changed, I see the people he has chosen to be around him, and I know whats on his mind, way to go Obama, I'm sorry I didn't vote for you, but I'm sure glad you won. ”
Eli, did you read this? "During his term in Israel, Kurtzer constantly protested against the settlements and the separation fence route. Consequently, his relations with then-prime minister Ariel Sharon were quite cool."
Doesn't really sound like someone I want to celebrate right now. Hashem yerachem!!!
22
Dec 02, 2008 at 08:45 PM what Says:
“ Danny Kurtzer is not to be trusted. He's out there on the left and is willing to sell out Israel to make peace with his pals the Arabs. Kurtzer with all his time spent in the Mideast still is a staff State Dept employee and tries to think down the middle. Being Jewish means nothing to him. Was a bad YU Dean and was similarly bad in the State Dept. Wish Obama could place him somewhere he couldnt harm Israel. Beware of this appointment! ”
so why did bush make him ambassador to israel? why did he he have him all those years? was it ok for him to work for bush but not obama?
23
Dec 02, 2008 at 09:33 PM huh Says:
“ Eli, did you read this? "During his term in Israel, Kurtzer constantly protested against the settlements and the separation fence route. Consequently, his relations with then-prime minister Ariel Sharon were quite cool."
Doesn't really sound like someone I want to celebrate right now. Hashem yerachem!!! ”
Bush and Rice were against settlement exapnsio and he was working for them. plus many of the settlements have been nothing but headaches.
Even so that doesnt mean its bad having someone so knowlegable and experienced acting as a liason and envoy.
24
Dec 02, 2008 at 09:51 PM not sleeping at night Says:
The national and global events that are happening in the last few months all point thatsomething serius is changing in the world. This is not something to be taken lightly, and I don't know why no yom tefilla with a fast was decleared. Let's all pray and hope that there will not be another catasrofe and shefichas dam for the jewish people. May hashem have rachmones on us and our families.
25
Dec 02, 2008 at 09:49 PM not sleeping at night Says:
The national and global events that are happening in the last few months all point thatsomething serius is changing in the world. This is not something to be taken lightly, and I don't know why no yom tefilla with a fast was decleared. Let's all pray and hope that there will not be another catasrofe and shefichas dam for the jewish people. May hashem have rachmones on us and our families.
26
Dec 02, 2008 at 10:53 PM anti zionist jew Says:
What a pity on those who put their hopes on an orthodox jew to be their savior thru OBAMA, the country and its people especialy the orthodox zionist who killed and still kills frum jews, the zionist regiem is an absolute disgrace and horror to hashem and his nation.
27
Dec 03, 2008 at 12:14 PM Matt Says:
This fellow is NOT Orthodox- or modern orthodox for that matter. I spoke with him personally, a few years ago, at the Young Israel of Ave. J. He together with his family flagrantly violate Shabbos. He has absolutely no respect for Torah, or religious rabbis, and is entirely anti-orthodox in his viewpoints, demeanor and lifestyle.
He will continue to denigrate our Holy Land, embarrass Judaism, and exacerbate problems in Israel. Not only is a Leftist but proudly so. If you were satisfied with E. Olmert, you'll love this guy.
President Obama, please don't hire Kurtzer.