Attacking and Defending Obama on Israel

[NYCGirl]

Just thought I'd post this, since a Hillarite brought the right wing Jewish Press article here yesterday.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Attacking_and_defending_Obama_on_Israel.html


The heated argument over Obama is continuing in pro-Israel circles, with a politically conservative New York Jewish weekly putting on its front page this week a story taken from the online publication WorldNetDaily that includes a hodgepodge of anti-Obama stuff, but focuses on the allegation that Obama has an adviser, Robert Malley, who's soft on Israel.

(The author of the article, is best known for his genre-setting pieces headed "Arafat endorses Kerry" and "Terrorists endorse Hillary.")

Anyway, the Jewish weekly is closely aligned with a Clinton ally in New York, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and so the choice to front that article is raising some eyebrows.

On the substance, Malley is a former Clinton aide and International Crisis Group official, and not a fringe character, though he's hated on the right. He appears in this long Washington Post list of Obama advisers.

An Obama spokesman, Tommy Vietor, says, "Rob Malley has no day-to-day advisory role in the Obama campaign. He is among many people who has given his advice to the campaign. The actual day-to-day Middle East advisor is Dan Shapiro."

Marty Peretz -- in his defense of Obama on Israel -- accepts the Obama explanation.

Per Peretz:

There are all kinds of spooky rumors that a man named Robert Malley is one of Obama's advisers, specifically his Middle East adviser. His name comes up mysteriously and intrusively on the web, like the ads for Viagra. Malley, who has written several deceitful articles in The New York Review of Books, is a rabid hater of Israel. No question about it. But Malley is not and has never been a Middle East adviser to Barack Obama. Obama's Middle East adviser is Dan Shapiro. Malley did, though, work for Bill Clinton. He was deeply involved in the disastrous diplomacy of 2000. Obama at the time was in the Illinois State Senate. So, yes, this is a piece of experience that Obama lacks.

[NYCGirl]

1. Kick

[jillan]

2. And this is another issue why I miss Biden.

He told the Israel lobby groups that he will work with both sides to work towards peace between both countries, and there would be times it would be necessary for him to make decisions that would not be popular with them.