Purim Celebrants, Jerusalem, 2014
Strange Bedfellows update, March 5th, following Netanyahu’s speech to Congress regarding Iran:
The Israeli Prime Minister got a vote of confidence from an odd source following his recent address to the US Congress. While Nancy Pelosi found herself near tears, “saddened by [Netanyahu’s] insult to the intelligence of the United States, “Al-Arabiya‘s English edition editor-in-chief Faisal J. Abbas wrote a surprising op-ed on Tuesday, calling on US President Barack Obama to listen to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.”
“What is absurd, however, is that despite this being perhaps the only thing that brings together Arabs and Israelis (as it threatens them all), the only stakeholder that seems not to realize the danger of the situation is President Obama, who is now infamous for being the latest pen-pal of the Supreme Leader of the World’s biggest terrorist regime: Ayottallah Ali Khamenei,” Abbas wrote.
Good grief, even Israel’s sworn enemies see the foolishness and shortsightedness of this deal. (Al-Aribiya editor demands Obama listen to Netanyahu)
Original Post:
March has arrived, a critical election looms in Israel and here in Jerusalem it seems that Chicago, not spring, is in the air. The New York Times reports...
Jeremy Bird, the architect of the grass-roots and online organizing efforts that powered President Obama’s presidential campaigns from Chicago, is advising a similar operation in Tel Aviv. But this time it is focused on ousting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.
Jeremy Bird
The Times goes on to suggest that the White House’s apparent intrusion into the upcoming Israeli elections is nothing special, arguing on the administration’s behalf, “American strategists have for decades signed on to work in Israeli political campaigns,” but, given the negativity Mr. Bird has ushered into the contest while directing the sudden political phenomenon, V15, and considering the disturbing sources of V15’s funds (see below), this effort fails to pass the smell test when compared to the past involvements of other American election advisers in Israel.
Of V15, the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, wrote on January 26…
“…with the help of American money and a former campaign adviser to President Barack Obama, V15 is trying to replace Israel’s government. The money and organization comes from V15’s partnership with OneVoice…an international grassroots movement that amplifies the voice of mainstream Israelis and Palestinians, empowering them to propel their elected representatives toward the two-state solution.”
