Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

There is an old quote that the former Secretary of State James Baker used to say about the Jews during election time, “F—k the Jews, they won’t vote for us anyway.” I can just imagine President Obama and his team of anti-Israel supporters chime in unison, “‘F—k the Jews, they will still vote for us anyway.”

Today’s hot story is probably something that most Jews would ever take notice of, but not this one!

The time: August 5^th, 2011. The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) decided to file what is better known to attorneys as, “amicus” a “friend of the court” brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a man named Benyamin Zivotofsky, who happens to be a native-born Jerusalemite and an American citizen. Since he was born in Jerusalem, the U.S. Government denied his right under American law to have “Israel” listed on his passport.

Any normal person might wonder why this might be a problem? According to our wise leaders in the State Department, listing “Israel” in conjunction with “Jerusalem” might interfere with President’s Middle East Foreign policy.

The ZOA’s brief responds to the substance of the State Department’s claim. To begin with, many government agencies in the Executive branch—including the Executive Office of the President –routinely refer to Jerusalem as part of Israel, without any evident impact on any presidential power, and thus listing “Israel” on a passport would have no such impact either. Recognizing the persuasive power of this aspect of the ZOA’s argument, the White House has engaged in a shameful and outrageous tactic, this week suddenly changing references to “Jerusalem, Israel” on its Web site to “Jerusalem” only, with no mention of Israel.

The rest of the news story reads:

Among the many governmental references to “Jerusalem, Israel” described in the ZOA’s amicus brief were several photos posted on the White House Web site, which were taken on the trip that Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, made to the Middle East last year. One photo was captioned: “Vice President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Israel, March 9, 2010” (emphasis added). The caption to another photo read: “Vice President Joe Biden laughs with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, Israel, March 9, 2010” (emphasis added). The caption to a third photo said: “Vice President Joe Biden has breakfast with Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair . . . in Jerusalem, Israel, March 10, 2010” (emphasis added). Each of these photos is described as an “Official White House Photo.”

Today, the New York Sun reported that the White House has removed these references to Jerusalem being in Israel. Indeed, on the White House Web site, the captions to these photos now refer to “Jerusalem” only. The reference to Israel has suddenly been deleted.

Morton A. Klein, ZOA’s National President, and Susan B. Tuchman, Esq., the director of the ZOA’s Center for Law and Justice, condemned the White House for altering the references to “Jerusalem, Israel” on its Web site: We are appalled that the White House would resort to such a transparent and shameful tactic in an effort to diminish the strength of the ZOA’s argument in its amicus brief to the Supreme Court. But suddenly removing the White House’s references to ‘Jerusalem, Israel’ on its Web site will not help the U.S. government’s case before the Supreme Court.

If anything, the White House’s actions show that the government recognizes the strength of the ZOA’s argument: Given how frequently and routinely the White House and many U.S. departments and agencies have referred to Jerusalem as part of Israel, it is simply absurd to suggest that permitting Menachem Zivotofsky and other Americans born in Jerusalem to have ‘Israel’ listed on their passports will have any impact on any presidential power to make foreign policy or recognize foreign sovereigns. If Jerusalem-born Americans wish to identify with Israel by having it recorded as their birthplace on their passports – which is plainly their right under legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush – that right should be upheld and enforced.

President Obama and his administration should be ashamed of themselves for taking these outrageous actions which will surely do nothing to help the government’s case.”

President Obama is the first American President to declare Old Jewish Jerusalem (which was originally conquered by Jordan in 1948, only to be liberated in 1967), as an “Occupied territory.” Incidentally, after Israel liberated the holy city, King Hussein of Jordan sent the keys to Hadassah Hospital to its rightful owners–the Jews. In addition, Hadassah Hospital has always had a long tradition of serving both Israelis and Palestinians since the time of its inception.

Mr. Obama, we find your policies regarding Israel foolish, ideologically driven, and disturbing, to say the least. You eagerly bow down in obeisance to dictators and strongmen, but choose to personally insult Israeli leaders like Shimon Perez and Bibi Netanyahu. Why haven’t you not even once visited Israel? You know the answer; we all know the answer.

The simple truth is that you act like you wish Israel never existed. Funny, many of us Jews and Christians feel exactly the same about you and your presidency; don’t worry, we will do our best to make sure you have only a one term in the White House and send you back packing.