Last year, the Obama administration and State Department promoted the Global Counterterrorism Forum, but acquiesced to Turkey’s demand that Israel be excluded from the forum. Apparently, as seen by his repeated endorsements of Hamas, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan believes that terrorism is always bad, unless directed at Israelis.
Last July, Rick Richman and Jonathan Tobin noted that long after Secretary Clinton had promised to do what was necessary to win Israel’s inclusion, forum meetings were going ahead without the Jewish state’s presence. Well, it’s happened again.
According to CNS’s Patrick Goodenough, the State Department has acquiesced to the forum again excluding Israel. Goodenough reports, “Six months after the Obama administration said it was ‘committed’ to involving Israel in its flagship international counter-terrorism initiative, there has evidently been little progress….”
The issue is not simply Israel’s exclusion, or the State Department’s belief that more intolerant states like Lebanon and Turkey might stay away if Israelis were at the same forum. Rather, the problem is that these radicals believe that U.S. acquiescence to their refusal to allow Israel’s inclusion is an implicit U.S. endorsement of their drive to delegitimize Israel completely. Clinton’s refusal to pull the carpet out from under the meeting by putting U.S. participation on the line not only undercuts global counter-terrorism by signaling that terrorism against Israel needn’t be on the table, but also convinces the Erdoğans of the world that momentum is on their side.
Almost makes you what would happen if President Obama were NOT the best friend Israel ever had in the White House. Repeat after me: Barack Husein Obama is the kindest, bravest, warmest human being . . . ____
Two things come to mind: n n1) Omitting Israel from a counter-terror summit is it's own punishment. n2) If you're omitting Israel from a counter-terror summit, then the summit isn't actually about improving your country's policies and tactics, it's about political grandstanding and a junket for the attendees.
Exactly. Other things come to mind too. Like, Israel need not share information with those who have problems with its attendance, since they will not be sharing with it anyway. Or, that not having to share info and helpful tips with enemies, like Lebanon and Turkey, is a very good thing. And, Israel can finally do what's right and begin backing the Kurds, or at least shrugging when the PKK does its stuff.
The sad fact is that under this administration, the momentum of the Israel-haters is on their side. n nWorse things may happen yet, like Israel getting tossed out of FIFA.
Time for Israel to break off relations with the Turkey regime and throw its support–military, intelligence, and financial–behind the Kurds. n nLet's see how happy the Turks are to have the Kurds armed with Israeli anti-aircraft and anti-tank weaponry and possibly even drones.
Obviously, no one should put faith that Obama would be even-handed or be a friend of Israel; especially since he won re=election. He has never been a friend of Israel. All Americans, expecially American Jews should realize what his true views are and see that he not only genuflected before the Saudi king; but his low bow signaled to all the Muslims where he stands. So sad!