Shmuel Rosner did his best yesterday to defend Obama's foreign policy advisers, producing something that's rare for him - a post that we not only disagree with, but one that's also weak and badly argued. He suggested that Bob Malley may not be a total disaster because even though he blames Israel for Camp David II and advocates dialogue with Hamas. Two arguments: first, Obama presumably has other advisers on Israel - except we apparently don't know who they are because they're never named. And second, Obama doesn't always sound like Malley - though when he does. And then there's Obama's big name foreign policy guru, the the man who lost Iran to radical Islam:

As for Brzezinski, Obama's circle is saying he does not advise the candidate about Israel-related issues. But Brzezinski could not have placed such a restriction on himself. A few months ago, he associated himself with a group that is calling for dialogue with Hamas... Obama's detractors were only too happy to find an article in the New York Sun recently which said Brzezinski went to visit Damascus to head a delegation from the RAND Corporation. The timing of the publication was somewhat embarrassing, as it coincided with the news of the assassination of Imad Mughniyah in Damascus. But the people who informed the paper of the trip forgot to mention just one small detail: Brzezinski was scheduled to visit Israel, too, and not only Damascus.

Even if Brzezinski was staying mum about Israeli-Palestinian issues - which he's not - he's still Obama's adviser on Egypt, Jordan, Syria, etc. And if you accept Brzezinski's own logic that Israel is the source of Middle East tensions, then, ummm, presumably his advice is going to have something to do with Israel. As for Brzezinski going to Israel after he led a craven mission to Damascus on the same day that arch-terrorist Mugniyah got made dead? We're not sure how that would be reassuring - it's not like hostile diplomats don't show up to Israel all the time - but at least it would have been a gesture of something other than terrorist appeasing anti-Israel loathing. And yet:

And guess who did not show up? Friday and again in this morning's print column I reported that "Brzezinski was scheduled to visit Israel, too, and not only Damascus". This is true, but not the whole truth: Actually Brzezinski didn't show up. He was "recalled to the U.S." The U.S. ambassador put together a group of Israelis to meet with the Rand board, and everyone was there, but Brzezinski.

It seems like he really, really just kind of hates Israel. Democratic Jews should keep supporting Obama. This is going to work out great.

References:
* The row over Obama's stance on Israel is a dispute between Jews [Ha'aretz]
* Obama May Or May Not Think That Israel Is An Important US Ally [MR]
* Adviser to Clinton Meets With President of Syria [NY Sun]
* Rosner's Blog [Ha'aretz]
* Beginning of the End for Israel? [HuffPo]

Previously:
* Terrorist Apologist James Zogby: It's Totally Awesome How Democratic Jews Boost Arab-American Political Platforms
* Least Persuasive Pro-Obama Appeal Yet
* Obama Complains About Smears From Jewish Groups... And He's Not Totally Wrong (Plus: He's Still Kind Of Wrong)