Nietzsche has this line about how the best way to damage a cause is to deliberately defend it with faulty arguments. I already flagged how Obama’s Cairo defense of a Jewish state seemed all but intentionally awful. One of the standard eliminationist tropes – regularly trotted out by Ahmadinejad and his ilk – is that a European Holocaust only justifies a Jewish State in Europe. And yet:
[Obama said] “The second major source of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the Arab world. America’s strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.”
[This was] a much better choice than, say, “… the recognition that Israel has the same legal and moral right to exist as any other nation, and has enjoyed that right for decades.” Because appealing to the stereotypes of your audience is just good public persuasion.
Luckily the lack of any potentially persuasive justification for a Jewish homeland – which is to say, anything that wasn’t already assumed by Obama’s mostly anti-Israel audience – was “not a deliberate omission.” Maybe the White House just didn’t have time to carefully edit the speech:
The official acknowledged that Obama may have missed an opportunity during his speech to speak about the Jews’ historical connection to Israel, framing Israel’s legitimacy instead only within the context of persecution and the Holocaust. He stressed that Obama had spoken about the Jews’ historic connection to the land in the past. “It was certainly not a deliberate omission this time,” he said.
As gratifying as it is to be reminded that Obama mentioned Jews’ historical connection during speeches to Jewish groups, it would be even better if he did it in a forum where it mattered.
References:
* Obama: We Must Achieve Peace By Forcing Israel To Give Up Jerusalem And Open Its Borders [MR]
* Iranian president: If the Holocaust happened, why must Palestinians pay? [Ha'aretz]
* US official to ‘Post’: We can find deal on West Bank settlements [JPost]
Previously:
* Top Obama Adviser Explains Iraq War: Turns Out, It’s The Jews’ Fault. Again. (Plus: Ha’aretz Political Correspondent’s Pro-Obama Apologism Getting Increasingly Desperate)
* Pro-Obama Jewish Group’s Anti-RJC Smears Are Asinine, False
* Pro-Obama Jewish Groups: The Pre-1967 Arab Stranglehold On Israel Was "Pretty Wonderful"
