Bipartisam objections to Obama on Israel

Have your representatives and senators spoken up yet?
BIPARTISAN RESPONSES


Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) described the State Department's tough criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an "irresponsible overreaction" that suggested a pro-Palestinian bias by the administration. "Where, I ask, was the administration's outrage over the arrest and month-long incarceration by Hamas of a British journalist who was investigating arms smuggling into Gaza?" she asked. "Where was the outrage when the Palestinian Authority this week named a town square after a woman who helped carry out a massive terror attack against Israel? It has been
the PA who has refused to participate in talks for over a year, not the government of Israel."
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) embellishing on a brief response over the weekend has weighed in as well:The Administration's decision to escalate its rhetoric following Vice President Biden's visit to Israel is not merely irresponsible, it is an affront to the values and foundation of our long-term relationship with a close friend and ally. The Administration has demonstrated a repeated pattern since it took office: while it makes concessions to countries acting contrary to U.S. national interests, it ignores or snubs the commitments, shared values and sacrifices of many of our country's best allies. If the Administration wants to work toward resolving the conflict in the Middle East, it should focus its efforts on Iran's behavior, including its pursuit of nuclear weapons, its state-sponsorship of terrorism, its crushing of domestic democratic forces, and the impact its behavior is having, not just on Israel, but also on the calculations of other countries in the region as well as on the credibility of international nonproliferation efforts. House Republicans remain committed to our long-standing bilateral friendship with Israel, as well as to the commitments this country has made.
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) called on the Obama Administration to support Israel and to avoid dividing strong allies. "It's hard to see how spending a weekend condemning Israel for a zoning decision in its capital city amounts to a positive step towards peace," Brownback said. "Rather than launching verbal attacks on our staunch ally and friend, it would be far more worthwhile for this Administration to expend the effort planning for the transfer of our embassy to Jerusalem and tackling the growing Iranian nuclear threat."
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) "To say that I am deeply concerned with the irresponsible comments that the White House, Vice President, and the Secretary of State have made against Israel is an understatement. In an effort to ingratiate our country with the Arab world, this Administration has shown a troubling eagerness to undercut our allies and friends. Israel has always been committed to the peace process, including advocating for direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians, in effort to bring this conflict to an end. Unfortunately, the Palestinian Government continues to insist on indirect talks and slowing down the process. ...
While it condemns Israel, the Administration continues to ignore a host of Palestinian provocations that undermine prospects for peace in the region. Where is the outrage when top Fatah officials call for riots on the Temple Mount? Why does the Palestinian Authority get a pass when it holds a ceremony glorifying the woman responsible for one of the deadliest terror attack in Israel's history? Surely, the Administration's double standard has set back the peace process. ...
Israel continues to be a world leader in the fight against terrorism and speak out against the prospects of a nuclear Iran. For this Administration to treat our special relationship with Israel, one of our closest and most strategic Democratic allies, in this fashion is beyond irresponsible and jeopardizes America's national security."
Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) said the response had been "disproportionate" and added that "we all have to take a step back."
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said that while the timing of Israel's announcement was "regrettable, it must not cloud the most critical foreign policy issue facing both counties - Iran's nuclear threat."
Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) called for lower voices. "The Administration, to the extent that it has disagreements with Israel on policy matters, should find way to do so in private and do what they can to defuse this situation."
Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) "The United States should focus more on Iran's nuclear drive and less on Israeli "zoning issues...I urge the administration to spend more time working to stop Iran from building nuclear bombs and less time concerned with zoning issues in Jerusalem...As Iran accelerates its uranium enrichment, we should not be condemning one of America's strongest democratic allies in the Middle East..History teaches us that a divided Jerusalem leads to conflict while a unified Jerusalem protects the rights of all faiths." Kirk had helped draft a US law calling for moving Washington's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. (SEE ALSO JOINT LETTER WITH CHRIS CARNEY)
Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL) "At a time when the Palestinian leadership continues to incite violence and threatens to impede negotiations at every step, the United States must stand with its ally, Israel, in its quest for peace. The actions that the Administration expects of the Palestinians may be less measurable than the actions that are expected of the Israeli government; however they are nonetheless crucial to moving negotiations forward. Unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority has fallen short of expectations, and incitement continues. I call on the administration to urge the PA leadership to strengthen their commitment to fighting incitement. Incitement obstructs U.S. efforts to encourage peace in the region and could, understandably, make Israel reticent to negotiate."
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CN)
[The U.S.-Israel relationship is] one of the strongest, most important, most steadfast bilateral alliances we have in the world because it is not based on the temporal, that is matters that come and go, or politics and diplomacy. It's based on shared values, shared strategic interests in the world and unfortunately now on the fact that the United States and the Israelis are also targets of the Islamic extremists, the terrorists who threaten the security of so much of the world... this is "an area of Jerusalem that is today mostly Jewish" and that while the Israeli government contends that Jews have the right to build and live anywhere in its eternal capital, "this particular part of Jerusalem is in most anybody's vision of a possible peace settlement going to be part of Israel."
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
McCain asked (from a rough transcript) if it really helps to "have public disparagement by the secretary of state, by the president's political adviser on the Sunday shows," and whether it wouldn't be better to "lower the dialogue, talk quietly among friends, and work together towards the mutual goals that we share." said the escalation "may be giving the impression to the wrong people, the neighbors of Israel have stated time after time that they are bent on Israel's extinction."
Kendrick Meek (D-FL) "What started off as an internal, domestic disagreement within the Israeli government has turned into an unnecessary international dispute complicated by some undiplomatic language from U.S. administration officials...Opponents of peace, nations and terrorist organizations that wish to do harm to Israel will always seize an opportunity to create a wedge between our nation and Israel. They seek comfort watching these recent events unfold. To give our enemies the false impression that the United States and Israel disagree on fundamental issues within the region sets the peace process back. I urge restraint and a resumption of talks that result in a lasting peace that ensures Israel's security."
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) "Since taking the oath of office, President Obama has repeatedly extended a hand of cooperation to our enemies while pushing aside the concerns and interests of our allies. This disturbing pattern has been displayed time and again in our dealings with Israel over the past year. The recent rhetoric by the Obama Administration threatens the stability of Israel at a time when it faces terrorist threats on its borders and the possibility of a nuclear Iran just over its border...The United States of America knows no greater friend in the Middle East than Israel. House Republicans will continue to stand by our most cherished ally, and we will hold the administration accountable for the words and actions it takes toward the people of Israel and their democratically elected government."
Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) urges White House to Stop Isolating Israel. "Even close allies will at times have their differences, but the Obama administration's adversarial posture toward Israel defies understanding," said Congresman Price. "The combination of rebukes for Israel and conciliatory words for her enemies sends a very dangerous signal to the world. One has to wonder whether folks in the White House understand just how much damage this type of rhetoric is doing. Isolating Israel will make the goal of peace in the Middle East absolutely impossible. If members of the Obama administration believe otherwise, the likes of Hamas and Ahmadinejad will quickly disabuse them of their falsenotions. It's time the White House stopped condemning our allies and started aggressively cracking down on those who sponsor terrorist groups and are ruthlessly pursuing nuclear weapons."
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), the ranking Republican on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, states, "U.S. condemnations of Israel and threats regarding our bilateral relationship undermine both our allies and the peace process, while encouraging the enemies of America and Israel alike. I am also deeply concerned about the Administration's softer approaches towards the Palestinian Authority, Syria, and Iran, which are being carried out in conjunction with hard-line tactics against our key democratic ally, Israel. Our nation's security cannot afford a foreign policy which isolates our allies and moves towards appeasing enemies of the U.S.
Rep. Todd Tiahrt,R-Kan. "I call on President Obama to censure Secretary Clinton's rebuke of Prime Minister Netanyahu and reaffirm our longstanding friendship with Israel. Past U.S. administrations have recognized the unique relationship between Israel and the United States and made support for Israel a cornerstone of our foreign policy. The United States has a moral and strategic obligation to support this beacon of democracy in the Middle East. For the Obama administration to question the internal decisions of one of our closest allies is both disrespectful and unhelpful. Prime Minister Netanyahu has the authority and responsibility to care for the people of Israel, and it is inappropriate for Secretary Clinton to openly question these decisions. I hope her statements do not weaken the vital U.S.-Israel relationship. Any attempt to cut or restrict military aid to Israel by the administration would severely damage both U.S. and Israeli security. And any effort to cut aid would lead to fierce resistance in Congress."
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) comes to the point, "The appropriate response was a shake of the head - not a temper tantrum...Israel is a sovereign nation and an ally, not a punching bag. Enough already."

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Rep. Christopher P. Carney (D-PN) sent a letter to President Obama calling the U.S.-Israel relationship "an extraordinary relationship unlike any other in American history" and urging the administration to "refrain from further public criticism of Israel and to focus on more pressing issues affecting this vital relationship, such as signing and enforcing the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act when it comes to your desk."

We write today to reaffirm our strong commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship - an extraordinary relationship unlike any other in American history.The unbreakable bond that ties theUnited States and Israel roots itself in our shared democratic values of personal freedom and political liberty. In a region filled with brutal dictatorships and terror-sponsoring regimes, Israel stands with the United States on the frontier of freedom -two nations bringing a spark of hope to a region darkened by the despair of repression. And we know that no entity - from Gaza City to Ramallah to Damascus to Tehran - can ever hope to undermine the US-Israeli friendship. In reaffirming our extraordinary relationship, we recommit ourselves to the following principles:
1. The State of Israel remains the preeminent democracy in the Middle East;
2. The United States has no stronger ally in the Middle East than the State of Israel;
3. Under the J~rusalem Embassy Act of 1995, official United States policy
recognizes Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the State ofIsrael;
4. The national security of the United States is directly tied to the strength and security of the State ofIsrael - ensuring Israel's continued military qualitative advantage in the region and completing the U.S.-IsraellO-year Memorandum of Understanding for military assistance remains a key American national security priority; and
5. A nuclear-armed Iran would pose an existential threat to the United States, Israel and democracies around the world - collective action to counter this emerging threat remains the most important issue of our time.

As we write today, Iran's uranium enrichment and ballistic missile programs are accelerating. A nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize the Middle East and pose a direct threat to both American and Israeli citizens. Meanwhile, Iran continues to sponsor global terrorism, undermine U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and transfer advanced weapons to its proxies in Syria and Lebanon.