Obama and Waxman’s Boo-Boo with Bibi

I cannot think of a grosser and more ghastly blunder on the part of this nation’s chief executive than refusing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during these fractious times. Iran continues its dash toward nuclear capability, while Muslim riots break out throughout the Middle East, including the sudden sacking and murder of US embassies and their ambassadors. The President non-action and disinterest on these matters sends the signal of weakness and arbitrary reduction to our Middle East allies, a perception which must be changed.

Instead of sitting down with the leader of our one sure ally in the Middle East, Obama went on o chat with desperate New York housewives from The View, then made another guest appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. President Obama’s priorities are disturbing in their gross negligence of or ghastly indifference to the fraught Arab-Israeli conflict with its looming existential threat to Israel, both along her borders and from potential airstrikes.

It was bad enough that the vocal popular vote during the Democratic National Convention sought the removal of God and Jerusalem as capital of Israel from the party platform. However, Obama moved in suddenly to block the hostile policy move, yet the damage has been done. From the 2010 shellacking of Congress to the 2011 flip of New York’s 8^th Congressional District from disgraced Democrat Anthony Weiner to Republican Bob Turner, to the chilly talks between Obama and Bibi, the President and the Democratic party are losing ground as they continue sending at best a mixed message regarding the United States’ relationship with Israel.

Unfortunately, Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) has now stepped into the growing political fiasco, adding insult to injury, from claiming that Jewish voters will support Romney because they “want to protect their wealth” to connecting Netanyahu’s aggressive diplomacy with meddlesome intervention in the United States Presidential election. Regarding the first comment, House Majority leader Eric Cantor properly faulted Waxman’s assessment, indicating that Jewish voters understand all too well Obama’s foreign and fiscal policies, both of which are failing.  

In no way do I claim that Mr. Waxman is anti-Israel or anti-United States. Like many of his Jewish colleagues, he has voted on resolutions supporting Israel’s right to exist, and he also acknowledges the measured two-state solution to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. He even assiduously asserted his patriotism in response to 2010 primary Congressional candidate Marcy Winograd’s invidious remark that Waxman was “pro-Israel” at the expense of the United States.

Still, Mr. Waxman has joined with his  House Jewish colleagues to indict Prime Minister Netanyahu for presumably meddling in this country’s presidential election. Outgoing Congressman Barney Frank has even alleged that Netanyahu is pro-Romney and wants to help tip the election in the challenger’s favor. Notwithstanding these rumors, the Israeli Prime Minister has repeated on news programs that he is motivated by the “Iranian nuclear calendar” as opposed to the “American political calendar.”

Sadly, Mr. Waxman is paying more attention to the latter:

I think there are some Jewish voters that are voting Republican. They've been moving in that direction. And those that would be most influenced to vote for Romney because of [President Obama's decision not to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] are probably already voting for Romney.

Iran is taking steps toward nuclear capabilities, yet the President of the United States has failed in soft power and hard-liner diplomacy to take a stand against the fanatical religious theocracy in Tehran. Israel has taken charge in the face of existential threats, with the Prime Minister highlighting in bold his stern stance against a nuclear Iran proliferating in the Middle East. Mr. Waxman prefers to stand with his President and his party instead of supporting the Israeli Prime Minister’s rational yet final determination to thwart and Iranian nuclear holocaust.

President Obama and Congressman Henry Waxman have made a boo-boo when it comes to Bibi, accusing the Prime Minister of playing politics and pushing President Obama’s abysmal record on foreign policy to the forefront in demanding a red line for Iran.

Mr. Waxman, repudiate your stance against the Israeli Prime Minister. President Obama, put politics aside and stand by our ally in the Middle East before Iran arms itself with nuclear weapons. Our country and the international community deserve nothing less.