If true, this is a huge blunder by the Israeli embassy. Why on earth — even in assumed confidence — would Israeli ambassador Michael Oren tell Debbie Wasserman Schultz — the woman responsible for getting Democrats elected — that the GOP was “dangerous” for Israel? That isn’t the type of thing that stays secret for long.
I am willing to give Oren the benefit of the doubt here that he didn’t actually say it, mainly because DWS a.) isn’t exactly known for sticking to the truth, and b.) has been insisting to every Israeli official in earshot for the past year that GOP criticism of Obama is bad for Israel, and it could be that she interpreted a polite non-response from Oren as an endorsement of that view. But judge for yourself. Phil Klein reports:
Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz claimed on Monday that Israel’s ambassador to the United States has accused Republicans of being “dangerous” to Israel by criticizing President Obama’s record.
The Florida congresswoman made the charge at a training session for Jewish Democrats held by the Obama campaign here at the Democratic National Convention, aimed at teaching Jewish Democrats how to convince their fellow Jews to vote for Obama. …
As she was wrapping up her remarks, she claimed that, “We know, and I’ve heard no less than Ambassador Michael Oren say this, that what the Republicans are doing is dangerous for Israel.”
Unfortunately, we only have DWS’s word to go on this for now. The Israeli embassy apparently turned down the Washington Examiner when asked to comment:
The Washington Examiner could find no such public reference by Oren accusing Republicans of being “dangerous” to Israel. The Israeli embassy would not respond to a request for comment.
Even if DWS’s allegation is bunk, Oren probably doesn’t want to be on record directly contradicting the chair of the DNC. While that’s understandable, imagine if the roles were reversed. If RNC chair Reince Priebus claimed Oren trashed the Democrats to him in private, there would be a mob of Democratic leaders (publicly and behind the scenes) calling for the Israeli embassy to respond to the allegation. Oren needs to either own up to it, or acknowledge that DWS’s comment is inaccurate. Whether or not he actually said the GOP is “dangerous,” it’s still going to be taken as a slap in the face of Republicans, who have been vocal defenders or Israel and friends of the embassy. They deserve an answer.
nAnyone want to bit that Much Mouth Wasserman-Schultz has miss quoted Michael Oren? n n n
Miss quoted? Don't you mean ms. quoted?
It could be Oren is playing both sides with concerns of an Obama re-election.
I'm sure DWS lied — but Israel must say so (not call her a liar, but at least state that the ambassador has no clue what she misinterpreted to think he was saying that, but Israel does not interfere or take sides in their ally's elections, but is sure that whether Obama is re-elected or Romney is elected, the United States and Israel will remain allies). He must say something! If Israel lets this go, they are saying it is true — and that admission throws every single thing Israeli leadership has said into question. Everything! n nFor what reason would they let this stand???
In a sense, I have no business commenting on this since the closest I've come to being a diplomat is walking by the State Department, but it seems to me that diplomats are very good at saying things that mean whatever their listener wants to hear – and that has been the case since the first diplomat walked the planet. I can imagine, therefore, that it isn't going to be as easy for Amb. Oren to deny the truth of what DWS said. I can imagine a discussion in which he tried to appease her by suggesting that maybe on occasion some of the things said by some Republicans regarding some of Obama's policies towards Israel could be perceived by some as being, perhaps, somewhat harmful, maybe, to Israel. Maybe he even coughed and sputtered while saying it. The problem is that DWS is a political hack, not a diplomat, and she'll, you know, stretch the truth. Whatever he said, I'm sure he didn't mean what she says it means, but how does an ambassador undo what a desperate Democrat has done?
My suggestion of what he could say was meant to imply that Israel spokespeople could very easily say something that only says that their nation is not on the record saying anything so divisive, end of story, and sorry for however you took whatever it was you took. I believe it would be very simple to say that the ambassador said no such thing. n nI would also suggest that DWS is nobody in Obama's administration (any more than Pelosi or Reid are) — such that it is very reasonable for the ambassador to roll his eyes metaphorically at what she said, smile, and shrug and say, "Not so." Certainly Obama does not have DWS negotiating American foreign policy with foreign dignitaries?!
As sholem Aleichem might have written, "So I have heard from Beryl Issac." n n(For those unfamiliar with the short story, Beryl Isaac was a notorious teller of outrageous tall tales; according to Sholem Aleichem, someone who wanted to say "That's a lie" without getting beat up for his honesty would say "So I heard from Beryl Isaac.")
I like this!
Thanks for the update!!
seriously, did any of you really think Oren would be stupid enough to say this, especially to DWS? even if he thought it? and why would he think it–it's the opposite of the truth. n nhmmm…the opposite of the truth…yeah, that sounds like the Democrats.