Romney Comes Close

During his bus tour through Pennsylvania yesterday, Mitt Romney took time out to address a meeting of religious leaders in Washington. The news from that address came when he spoke of American relations with Israel. Romney's main point was this, "I think, by and large, you can just look at the things the president has done and do the opposite." He then spoke about Iran and Israel and said of Obama, "He's almost sounded like he's more frightened that Israel might take military action than he's concerned that Iran might become nuclear."

Romney came close to the truth in what he said, but he needs to tell the whole story. Obama has not "almost" sounded like he's more concerned about Israeli military action to stop the Iranian bomb that about that bomb itself. Indeed, Obama has definitely made clear through his words that his biggest fear is that Israel might take action to derail the Iranian nuclear program some time before the November election. Just imagine, Obama would then actually have to make a presidential decision on what to do with Iran. Were the Israelis to attack, Obama would have to pick a side, something he dreads doing. After all, the far left of his party would not want to help Israel in any way, while the majority of Americans would expect the USA to help stop the Iranian bomb.

I thought the response from the Democrats to these statements by Romney were truly funny. According to the AP, "Democrats accused Romney of distorting Obama's record on Israel. Spokesman Ben LaBolt said Obama has given Israel more security assistance than any other administration and has stood with Israel at the United Nations."

Only someone with no memory could actually say that Obama has given Israel more security assistance than any other administration. Both Richard Nixon and George W. Bush should get that accolade. In 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, the USA under president Nixon ran a massive airlift of weapons and supplies that allowed the Israelis to keep fighting and eventually to win that war. Absent American help, the outcome might have been different. After 9-11, the USA gave Israel massive assistance to combat terrorism, and that was under president Bush. Obama, on the other hand, has not increased security assistance to the Israelis in any way at all. Of course, if the Obama campaign can claim that Obama increased government spending less than any other post-war president, I guess they can also lie about support for Israel.

And it is far from true that America has stood with Israel at the UN. Just start with our UN ambassador, who came to the job as an outspoken critic of the Jewish state. Then think about Obama's efforts to force a halt to "settlements" by the Israelis. Much of that effort was undertaken at the UN. Maybe the Democrat spokeman can tell us all how trying to keep sections of Jerusalem, Israel's capital, free of Jews is supporting Israel. But that was the American position at the UN.