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New York - Elie Wiesel: It'd Be Foolish to Call Obama anti-Israel |
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U.S. President Barack Obama, and holocaust survior Elie Wiesel make their way to pay their respects at a memorial during a visit to the former Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar in Germany. (AFP / Getty Images Photo / June 5, 2009)
"I can say with complete certainty that Obama does not hate Israel," said Wiesel, in response to rising criticism among U.S. Jews regarding the president's policies on Israel and West Bank settlements. "It would be foolish to say he is anti-Israel."
The Holocaust survivor and chronicler said that after spending a full day with Obama and conversing with him for hours, he was struck by the president's demeanor as an "attentive and understanding man. He is concerned with the suffering of the Jewish people and by what is happening in Israel."
According to Wiesel, Israel "can and should with Obama" on reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians."
Wiesel, meanwhile, has joined a campaign of intellectuals protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to rescind objection to the appointment of an anti-Israel Egyptian minister to head UNESCO.
Egypt's Minister of Culture, Farouk Hosni, recently retracted a number of anti-Israel statements made in the past, including a call to "burn all Hebrew books."
Still, intellectuals including Wiesel and French philosopher Bernard Henri-Levy wrote an open letter denouncing Hosni to Le Monde, in which they said: "Mr. Farouk Hosni is the opposite of a man of peace, dialogue, and culture; Mr. Farouk Hosni is a dangerous man, an inciter of hearts and minds."
Wiesel told Haaretz on Wednesday that he intended to continue the campaign against Hosni, regardless of Netanyahu's position.
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Read Comments (30) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 18, 2009 at 02:06 PM Anonymous Says:
Obama must be a great acter
2
Jun 18, 2009 at 02:05 PM A Courageous Man Says:
Elie Wiesel is a courageous man and I respect him. He is a man of conscience. I hope he holds the world's leaders to account for their deeds.
3
Jun 18, 2009 at 03:11 PM Anonymous Says:
He lost his money to Madoff. Now he loses his credibility to Obama. Pop goes the Wiesel.
4
Jun 18, 2009 at 03:05 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Obama must be a great acter ”
If it comes to that point that I need to rely on your or Elie Wiesel’s judgment, I will take his over yours any day of the week.
5
Jun 18, 2009 at 03:50 PM approval Says:
“ If it comes to that point that I need to rely on your or Elie Wiesel’s judgment, I will take his over yours any day of the week. ”
I think one is right first of President Obama has reneged on just about every campaign promise he has made. Secondly he might not hate the state itself but he certainly has no love for Klall Yisroel. He would love to see Hamas and the Palestenians own all of eetz Yisroel. He wants them to stop firing while Hamas keeps firing arms and so forth the list are too many to count. Eli Weisel is a great person however he is also needing President Obamas approval.
6
Jun 18, 2009 at 03:35 PM a Says:
Eli Wiesel must be blind. Obama yemach shemo who I hope fails greatly in all his plans to socialize America knows how to make himself look good and say the right things. This man is so full of himself he is such an anti-semite and a big Palestinian lover. He only went to Buchenwald to make himself look good but on the same trip he couldn't go to Israel. Going to concentration camps does not make up for the fact that he did not go to Israel so Elie Wiesel get your eyes checked.
7
Jun 18, 2009 at 04:35 PM Bernie Says:
Oyver Butel Hoyshiah nah
If we are looking for Holocaust survivors to lead us and teach us , we have Rav Y.M. Lau, not some bareheaded guy who left his yiddishkeit in the camps
8
Jun 18, 2009 at 04:37 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Eli Wiesel must be blind. Obama yemach shemo who I hope fails greatly in all his plans to socialize America knows how to make himself look good and say the right things. This man is so full of himself he is such an anti-semite and a big Palestinian lover. He only went to Buchenwald to make himself look good but on the same trip he couldn't go to Israel. Going to concentration camps does not make up for the fact that he did not go to Israel so Elie Wiesel get your eyes checked. ”
You sound like a raving ignoramus.
9
Jun 18, 2009 at 04:54 PM Anonymous Says:
The only reason it would be foolish to call Obama anti-Israel is because of its political ramifications, not because it ain't true. It would be blatantly dishonest to consider him a friend of Israel. I wish he could prove me wrong.
10
Jun 18, 2009 at 05:13 PM Shua Says:
“ Oyver Butel Hoyshiah nah
If we are looking for Holocaust survivors to lead us and teach us , we have Rav Y.M. Lau, not some bareheaded guy who left his yiddishkeit in the camps ”
The following story was told by Dr. Isaac Steven Herschkopf when, as a teenager, he was introduced by his aunt to Rav Moshe Feinstetin, zt"l:
"She walked over to him. Surely she knew not to shake his hand. She didn’t. She kissed him affectionately on the cheek...Rav Moshe and his attendants turned and looked at me, I thought accusingly. I wanted to die. In a panic, I walked over to him and started to apologize profusely: “Rabbi Feinstein, I apologize. My aunt, she isn’t frum. She doesn’t understand…
He immediately placed his fingers on my lips to stop me from talking. He then softly spoke two sentences in Yiddish that I will remember to my dying day: 'SHE HAS NUMBERS ON HER ARMS. SHE IS HOLIER THAN ME.' "
Bernie (and all other commenters on this thread who dare to speak disparagingly of Elie Wiesel): learn from the late gadol ha'dor how to treat a holocausts survivor. Put your fingers to your lips and remain silent. If Elie Wiesel is holier than Rav Moshe, then Elie Wiesel is certainly holier than you.
11
Jun 18, 2009 at 06:03 PM Anonymous Says:
“ He lost his money to Madoff. Now he loses his credibility to Obama. Pop goes the Wiesel. ”
Wiesel is not that far off. Obama is not anti-Israel. He is an AMERICAN president looking out for what he believes are AMERICAN interests. His idea of what would be good for America is not so good for Israel; we can protest, and we don't have to like it, but it is downright idiotic to say that he is our enemy. Do you honestly think ANY American president, even Bush, has ever cared ONE WHIT about Israel's well-being? NO! They care about AMERICA, and sometimes it works out well for us, and sometimes it doesn't. We'd be much better off spending our time and energy crying out to the Aibishter that Obama shouldn't cause too much damage with his misguided policies, rather than crying accusations of "anti-Israel" and "anti-semite".
Wiesel is wrong in that he thinks Obama would be good for Israel, but he is spot on in that Obama is not anti-Israel in any way.
12
Jun 18, 2009 at 05:40 PM ?? Says:
ok he isn"t anti-israel but he is definitly PRO-ARAB.. sorry Eli i love your work but this is so clear as day..
13
Jun 18, 2009 at 07:34 PM Anonymous Says:
To anyone who speaks bad about Obama: He is YOUR President, respect him for who he is and what he is, He reached a position you could probably not reach. The more you have a negative attitude the more negative you will see him. I respect Obama and I believe he is a good person and good for our country so everyone, BRIGHTEN AND LIGHTEN UP NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
14
Jun 18, 2009 at 06:20 PM Anonymous Says:
and of course the satmerer rebbe zt"l told someone that was asking him for a broche: go to shul during schachris, and when u c someone putting on tfillin that has a # on their arm, he can give u a broche. tntzb"h.
15
Jun 18, 2009 at 09:17 PM Anonymous Says:
“ To anyone who speaks bad about Obama: He is YOUR President, respect him for who he is and what he is, He reached a position you could probably not reach. The more you have a negative attitude the more negative you will see him. I respect Obama and I believe he is a good person and good for our country so everyone, BRIGHTEN AND LIGHTEN UP NOW!!!!!!!!!!! ”
you respected bush?
16
Jun 18, 2009 at 08:28 PM Jewish mother Says:
President Obama understands something that most Jews used to know and that is that we do not need to negotiate with and appease our friends, only our enemies.
Yaakov Avinu sent angelic messengers and lavish gifts to appease Esau even though he knew that Esau wanted to kill him, his wives and children. This is the example that we are given from Hashem on how to deal with our enemies. We have to remember that we are Torah Jews and not Crusaders.
17
Jun 19, 2009 at 06:58 AM Anonymous Says:
“ The following story was told by Dr. Isaac Steven Herschkopf when, as a teenager, he was introduced by his aunt to Rav Moshe Feinstetin, zt"l:
"She walked over to him. Surely she knew not to shake his hand. She didn’t. She kissed him affectionately on the cheek...Rav Moshe and his attendants turned and looked at me, I thought accusingly. I wanted to die. In a panic, I walked over to him and started to apologize profusely: “Rabbi Feinstein, I apologize. My aunt, she isn’t frum. She doesn’t understand…
He immediately placed his fingers on my lips to stop me from talking. He then softly spoke two sentences in Yiddish that I will remember to my dying day: 'SHE HAS NUMBERS ON HER ARMS. SHE IS HOLIER THAN ME.' "
Bernie (and all other commenters on this thread who dare to speak disparagingly of Elie Wiesel): learn from the late gadol ha'dor how to treat a holocausts survivor. Put your fingers to your lips and remain silent. If Elie Wiesel is holier than Rav Moshe, then Elie Wiesel is certainly holier than you.
”
Kissing Rav Moshe Feinstein did not harm Klal Yisroel or help delegitimize Eretz Yisroel. Rav Moshe was able to be Mochel on his Kovod
18
Jun 19, 2009 at 03:04 AM Anonymous Says:
Someone who was so naive as to invest with Madoff, has no right to tell people how to think or who to believe, let alone to stick his nose in the affairs of EY. Indeed, R' YM Lau Shlita is a true leader of and from the shearis hapleita. Weisel, by making money from the Shoah, gives fuel to Holocaust deniers and the likes of Finkelstein.
19
Jun 19, 2009 at 08:54 AM rabjayg Says:
“ If it comes to that point that I need to rely on your or Elie Wiesel’s judgment, I will take his over yours any day of the week. ”
Elie Wiesel is a brilliant and sensitive author. Nevertheless, he has no polticial credentials or savvy. Obama is a magnetic snake oil salesman who could sell you and Wiesel, the Brooklyn Bridge. Wiesel is probably correct that Obama does not have any strong anti-Israel sentiment per se. However, his education, upbringing and dedication is from and to the ultra-left. He is an adherent of the chimerical Foreign Policy School of Liberal Internationalism which holds that negotiation is always necessary (à la Neville Chamberlain) , war is to be abhorred, and that the UN is the greatest instrument of peace in the world. Anyone with that ideology will, if allowed, dangerously weaken Israel to the point of near destruction. He has surrounded himself with left wing anti-Israel personnel (don't be fooled by Rahm Emmanuel). If you have read critical biographies of Obama you know that Obama has a compulsive need to please the Far Left. He will always place Left Wing pro-Palestininian agendas over the defensive needs of Israel.
20
Jun 19, 2009 at 09:09 AM rabjayg Says:
“ President Obama understands something that most Jews used to know and that is that we do not need to negotiate with and appease our friends, only our enemies.
Yaakov Avinu sent angelic messengers and lavish gifts to appease Esau even though he knew that Esau wanted to kill him, his wives and children. This is the example that we are given from Hashem on how to deal with our enemies. We have to remember that we are Torah Jews and not Crusaders. ”
Yaakov Avinu prepared in three ways : 1) a gift, 2) he prepared for war, and 3) he prayed. Israel, since Oslo, has made countless concessions with the so-called Palestinian Arabs and has received nothing in return for those concessions except the self-imposed destruction of Gush Katif, 2 wars and thousands of dead and maimed Israelis. Melech Dovid was one of the greatest Torah Jews who ever lived and the woman of his time sang about him: "If Saul killed his thousands, Dovid has killed his tens of thousands." The Talmudic imperative of: "if one comes to kill you, get up early and kill him first still applies." The fundamental Islamic world whether Wahabi Sunnis, Shiites, etc., has made it very clear that their intent is the total destruction of the State of Israel. If you believe otherwise, you are as naive as Obama and Wiesel. I would suggest that you begin your education with some books like Brigette Gabrielle's "Because They Hate," Dore Gold's "Kingdom of Hatred," and Robert Spencer's collection "The Myth of Islamic Tolerance."
21
Jun 19, 2009 at 09:58 AM Reb Yid Says:
“ The following story was told by Dr. Isaac Steven Herschkopf when, as a teenager, he was introduced by his aunt to Rav Moshe Feinstetin, zt"l:
"She walked over to him. Surely she knew not to shake his hand. She didn’t. She kissed him affectionately on the cheek...Rav Moshe and his attendants turned and looked at me, I thought accusingly. I wanted to die. In a panic, I walked over to him and started to apologize profusely: “Rabbi Feinstein, I apologize. My aunt, she isn’t frum. She doesn’t understand…
He immediately placed his fingers on my lips to stop me from talking. He then softly spoke two sentences in Yiddish that I will remember to my dying day: 'SHE HAS NUMBERS ON HER ARMS. SHE IS HOLIER THAN ME.' "
Bernie (and all other commenters on this thread who dare to speak disparagingly of Elie Wiesel): learn from the late gadol ha'dor how to treat a holocausts survivor. Put your fingers to your lips and remain silent. If Elie Wiesel is holier than Rav Moshe, then Elie Wiesel is certainly holier than you.
”
I think you're misinterpreting the story. Rav Moshe said not to criticize her, he didn't say that what she did was muter. Wiesel isn't infallible just b/c he is a survivor.
22
Jun 19, 2009 at 10:28 AM Shua Says:
“ I think you're misinterpreting the story. Rav Moshe said not to criticize her, he didn't say that what she did was muter. Wiesel isn't infallible just b/c he is a survivor. ”
Reb Yid: Thanks for your comment. By no means am I suggesting that anyone who disagrees with Wiesel's viewpoint shouldn't express that disagreement. Of course Wiesel is not infallible. His opinions about Obama and Israel are personal to his own life experiences and his insights into people and events -- as is true for all of us. Wiesel's views may carry greater weight with some people (myself included), but certainly we are free to disagree with him.
But, if you read carefully what I wrote, you will see that my comment was NOT directed at people who disagree with Wiesel, but only at people who "speak disparagingly" of him. Rav Moshe's point was that Holocaust survivors are due ABSOLUTE RESPECT and HONOR, regardless of their level of frumkeit. Therefore, a comment which denigrates Wiesel as some "bareheaded guy who left his yiddishkeit in the camps" (as written by someone, above) would surely be unacceptable to Rav Moshe...and therefore should surely be unacceptable to any G-d fearing Jew who honors Reb Moshe's ethical teachings.
23
Jun 21, 2009 at 06:31 AM Milhouse Says:
“ President Obama understands something that most Jews used to know and that is that we do not need to negotiate with and appease our friends, only our enemies.
Yaakov Avinu sent angelic messengers and lavish gifts to appease Esau even though he knew that Esau wanted to kill him, his wives and children. This is the example that we are given from Hashem on how to deal with our enemies. We have to remember that we are Torah Jews and not Crusaders. ”
You fool. Yaacov didn't offer Esav territory, or anything that would put him in a better position to harm the Jews. If the Arabs wanted to be paid off, we could talk about it; though ultimately paying danegeld is a very bad idea, sometimes you have no choice. But with the Arabs' demands there is no possibility of compromise, and therefore nothing to talk about. Remember that Yaacov also prepared for war; he was no pushover, and if Esav would not take the gifts and leave he was ready to fight to keep him far away.
24
Jun 21, 2009 at 06:26 AM Milhouse Says:
“ To anyone who speaks bad about Obama: He is YOUR President, respect him for who he is and what he is, He reached a position you could probably not reach. The more you have a negative attitude the more negative you will see him. I respect Obama and I believe he is a good person and good for our country so everyone, BRIGHTEN AND LIGHTEN UP NOW!!!!!!!!!!! ”
Why should we respect him? Don't forget that he's a personal friend of PLO members Rashid Khalidi and Edward Said, Jeremiah Wright was his personal mentor, and he has close ties to the Nation of Islam; how can such a person possibly NOT be presumed to be anti-Israel.
And the way he treated the Chrysler bond-holders shows that he is not a good person, he's a common street thug.
25
Jun 21, 2009 at 10:07 AM Shua Says:
“ Why should we respect him? Don't forget that he's a personal friend of PLO members Rashid Khalidi and Edward Said, Jeremiah Wright was his personal mentor, and he has close ties to the Nation of Islam; how can such a person possibly NOT be presumed to be anti-Israel.
And the way he treated the Chrysler bond-holders shows that he is not a good person, he's a common street thug. ”
Milhouse said: "And the way he treated the Chrysler bond-holders shows that he is not a good person, he's a common street thug."
I am no fan of Barack Obama, but I do believe in fighting his policies with truth, and not with name-calling and anti-Obama knee-jerk accusations.
For those truly interested in the Chrysler bankruptcy story and the treatment of the company's bond-holders, please see the article by Floyd Norris (the chief financial correspondent of The New York Times) entitled: "Why Chrysler’s Bondholders Should Stop Whining." You will read an explanation that is measured in tone, and intelligent in content, Mr. Norris being a highly regarded financial expert and journalist.
Mr. Norris' conclusion: "There is an argument to be made that bondholders have a better claim than the retirees, but it seems to me that a reasonable person could make the choice Mr. Obama made. The president chose to emphasize the contrast by calling the hedge funds, which bought the bonds at discount, speculators. That sounds nasty to some, but it is accurate."
The bond-holders fought in the courts to see Chrysler liquidated; Obama (to his credit) was interesting in saving the company -- and the jobs of two hundred thousand workers. A very conservative Supreme Court agreed. I guess they all must be "common street thugs," aye Milhouse?
26
Jun 21, 2009 at 01:58 PM Milhouse Says:
“ Milhouse said: "And the way he treated the Chrysler bond-holders shows that he is not a good person, he's a common street thug."
I am no fan of Barack Obama, but I do believe in fighting his policies with truth, and not with name-calling and anti-Obama knee-jerk accusations.
For those truly interested in the Chrysler bankruptcy story and the treatment of the company's bond-holders, please see the article by Floyd Norris (the chief financial correspondent of The New York Times) entitled: "Why Chrysler’s Bondholders Should Stop Whining." You will read an explanation that is measured in tone, and intelligent in content, Mr. Norris being a highly regarded financial expert and journalist.
Mr. Norris' conclusion: "There is an argument to be made that bondholders have a better claim than the retirees, but it seems to me that a reasonable person could make the choice Mr. Obama made. The president chose to emphasize the contrast by calling the hedge funds, which bought the bonds at discount, speculators. That sounds nasty to some, but it is accurate."
The bond-holders fought in the courts to see Chrysler liquidated; Obama (to his credit) was interesting in saving the company -- and the jobs of two hundred thousand workers. A very conservative Supreme Court agreed. I guess they all must be "common street thugs," aye Milhouse? ”
1. What part of "secured" don't you understand?
2. I'm not interested in anybody who is the NYT's chief correspondent. And no reasonable person can justify outright theft.
3. The Supreme Court didn't make criminal threats. Nor did it decide anything on the matter. Or are you unaware of how Obama coerced the hedge funds into agreeing to his terms?
27
Jun 21, 2009 at 02:59 PM Shua Says:
“ 1. What part of "secured" don't you understand?
2. I'm not interested in anybody who is the NYT's chief correspondent. And no reasonable person can justify outright theft.
3. The Supreme Court didn't make criminal threats. Nor did it decide anything on the matter. Or are you unaware of how Obama coerced the hedge funds into agreeing to his terms?
”
1) What part of bankruptcy law are you an expert in? The Chrysler bankruptcy court judge, Arthur Gonzalez, dealt with two of the most complex bankruptcies in U.S. corporate history, Enron and WorldCom. He is acknowledged by attorneys of all political stripes as being both brilliant and fair. I'll defer to his expertise in bankruptcy law over yours any day.
2) Said the chief judge of the Court of Appeals: "the bankruptcy court had no alternative" but to uphold Obama's plan. The panel then unanimously upheld Judge Gonzalez's decision. I guess they're just a bunch of know-nothing thieves too, aye?
3) The Supreme Court (the same ultra-conservative court that handed Bush the presidency in 2000) refused to hear an appeal, without dissent, stating that the secured creditors (who you are so in love with) "had not carried the burden of proving that their grievances merited the court's attention." Wow, nine justices of the Supreme Court apparently don't understand "secured" either. Must be that you're the ONLY ONE clued in.
4) I don't care if he writes for the Village Voice. At least Mr. Norris recognized that reasonable people can disagree on the legalities of the issue. In this case, the federal courts at every level agreed with Mr. Norris that Obama's plan was "reasonable" within the law.
But, I guess you insist that you are the ultimate expert in bankruptcy law! (I would love to know your credentials). Everyone else -- including thirteen federal judges -- are nothing but thugs, thieves and fools. Yeah, right.
28
Jun 22, 2009 at 01:08 AM Milhouse Says:
“ 1) What part of bankruptcy law are you an expert in? The Chrysler bankruptcy court judge, Arthur Gonzalez, dealt with two of the most complex bankruptcies in U.S. corporate history, Enron and WorldCom. He is acknowledged by attorneys of all political stripes as being both brilliant and fair. I'll defer to his expertise in bankruptcy law over yours any day.
2) Said the chief judge of the Court of Appeals: "the bankruptcy court had no alternative" but to uphold Obama's plan. The panel then unanimously upheld Judge Gonzalez's decision. I guess they're just a bunch of know-nothing thieves too, aye?
3) The Supreme Court (the same ultra-conservative court that handed Bush the presidency in 2000) refused to hear an appeal, without dissent, stating that the secured creditors (who you are so in love with) "had not carried the burden of proving that their grievances merited the court's attention." Wow, nine justices of the Supreme Court apparently don't understand "secured" either. Must be that you're the ONLY ONE clued in.
4) I don't care if he writes for the Village Voice. At least Mr. Norris recognized that reasonable people can disagree on the legalities of the issue. In this case, the federal courts at every level agreed with Mr. Norris that Obama's plan was "reasonable" within the law.
But, I guess you insist that you are the ultimate expert in bankruptcy law! (I would love to know your credentials). Everyone else -- including thirteen federal judges -- are nothing but thugs, thieves and fools. Yeah, right. ”
Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. How Obama got the hedge funds not to contest the theft of their assets: by threats and blackmail. He is a thug, a common hoodlum, and anyone who makes excuses for him is probably one too, at heart. He should end up in prison, where he belongs.
29
Jun 22, 2009 at 12:42 PM Shua Says:
“ Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. How Obama got the hedge funds not to contest the theft of their assets: by threats and blackmail. He is a thug, a common hoodlum, and anyone who makes excuses for him is probably one too, at heart. He should end up in prison, where he belongs. ”
Milhouse said: "He is a thug, a common hoodlum, and anyone who makes excuses for him is probably one too, at heart. He should end up in prison, where he belongs."
So now I am a "thug" and "common hoodlum," too? Wonderful! This is the thought and language of (Torah) Jew? I don't think so. Your comment is not worth the dignity of a response.
30
Jul 17, 2009 at 07:15 PM Faith Says:
I am so shocked to see such dislike for The President of the United States. Even though I am not a Jew. I have a lot of respect for your heritage , knowledge and culture. I remember wishing that I too was part of a choosen people. I was so inspired to see the specialness of your race. It inspired me to find the uniqueness of my own race. I am an African American. I too can relate to the word Disporio I hope I am spelling this correctly. Excuss my intrusion into this blog. I was following Eli Wiesel. I am saddened to see such careless comments. Hats off to you Shua Says.
America has always in the past stood up for Isreal..What say you?