Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund

 There has been a noticeable shift in Jewish perceptions of President Barack Obama in recent days, with several op-eds noting his comments at the UN and his intention to vote against and even veto the State of Palestine proposal as being a big improvement in his relationship with Israel.

But is it really? Sure, the President said some fine words about the “historic homeland” of the Jewish nation and about the friendship between Israel and the United States being “deep and enduring”, but does that connote a reawakening on his part? Could it be that President Obama is now showing a greater understanding of the Israeli narrative than he has in the past?

 This is a president that benefited electorally in 2008 from a remarkable expression of support among American Jews, hauling in close to 80% of their votes. The excitement was palpable in the Jewish community, as a young, bright African-American ran for office, meriting support from a Jewish community that has always been in the forefront of civil rights causes. There were some murmurs of concern, however, late in the election campaign, as the revelations crept out about Obama’s strong ties with the anti-American, anti-Israel pastor Jeremiah Wright, with anti-Israel Palestinians and radical Islamic activists such as Rashid Khalidi and Khalid al-Mansour, but not enough to put a damper on his Jewish support. He wisely visited Israel as a candidate, putting a note in the Western Wall and expressing empathy with rocket scarred Israeli communities.

 After the election, a different Obama was revealed, as he chose Cairo, Egypt and Istanbul, Turkey as his maiden journeys overseas as president. There he proclaimed his deep reverence for what he called “the Holy Koran” and described the call to prayers from the minarets of the mosques as being “the prettiest sound” on Earth. Never mind that those loudspeakers are often used to shout out the cry of “Itbach al-Yehud”, or “Kill the Jews”, or that its loudspeakers from across the valley often wake up this writer’s terror victim children at 4 AM in the morning. Almost from Obama’s swearing in, he has made it clear that his sympathies lie with the Islamic world. He has exhibited this on multiple occasions, even strangely instructing NASA’s chief administrator, Charles Bolden, to engage in what the newly inaugurated president considered a highest priority mission – “to help the Muslim nations feel good about their historic contributions to science, to math, and to engineering.”

 Yes, this is the same president who scorned Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel on his second visit to Washington, lecturing him for, horror of horrors, allowing apartments to be built for Jews in Jerusalem, then leaving him alone in the White House, fending for his dinner. And yes, this is the same president who unceremoniously ambushed Netanyahu on a subsequent visit, calling for Israel to withdraw to its indefensible pre-1967 borders, which left-leaning former Foreign Minister Abba Eban had once poignantly referred to as “something akin to the borders of Auschwitz”. The analogy was clear to all.

 For the moment, we can put aside that President Obama bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, and that his apparently close connection to the Saudi royal family via notorious Islamic radicals in suits merits further investigation. We may also choose to ignore his blatant misinterpretation of the inter-Islamic infighting and the meteoric rise of the jihadist Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East as an Arab Spring that “will inspire us”, even though the so-called Arab Spring has been anything but auspicious for Israel, as Israel is threatened in this “new Middle East” as never before.

 It is an absolute contradiction and is quite disingenuous, to say, as President Obama did at the UN, that “America’s commitment to Israel’s security is unshakeable, and our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring.”, while at the same time pressuring Israel to agree to an independent, sovereign State of Palestine in Samaria and Judea (often referred to as the West Bank) and in eastern Jerusalem. Such a Hamas-Fatah-Islamic Jihad state established in Israel’s geographic/historical heartland would be a mortal threat to Israel’s existence. President Obama has begun his election campaign and is frantically seeking to stem the flight of Jewish voters from his camp. This president, who now is speaking soothing words to a Jewish public that has been beaten down for so long is similar to a wife-abuser who sends his spouse to the hospital, then comes back home asking for another chance. Perhaps the time has come for that proverbial wife to seriously consider seeking another spouse.

—————————————————————————————-

David Rubin is a former Mayor of Shiloh, Israel and Founder and President of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund. He is the author of two books including his latest, The Islamic Tsunami (Israel & America in the Age of Obama).

In a recent interview, former deputy Secretary of State Elliot Abrams said that President Barack Obama “sees Israel as a problem”, reminding us of the question that won’t go away. It’s a question that is being asked by many a political pundit, and not just on the island of Manhattan or in Israel. As an American-Israeli who is often interviewed by perplexed conservative talk show hosts and having written extensively about this President’s relationship with Israel, the recurring question of American Jewish support for Israel has become the question that I can no longer avoid.

It goes something like this – Is President Obama really hostile to Israel, and if he is, why does he still have massive Jewish support? Furthermore, will there be a lateral shift in 2012? Concerning the first question, I believe that the answer is clear to almost all Israelis. There have been three major opinion surveys taken in Israel in the past two years that have posed the question, “Is President Obama pro-Israel?” The results have ranged from only 4% answering affirmatively in the first poll to 15% in the most recent one, taken at the onset of the 2012 presidential campaign. With few exceptions, Israelis have been appalled ever since that very first confrontational White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when, after receiving a stern lecture from the president about the illegality of Israeli settlements, the Prime Minister was ungraciously left alone fending for his dinner. Furthermore, most Jewish Israelis, whatever their views, were offended by President Obama’s unprecedented political ambush this past May, when he publicly demanded that Israel return to its precarious pre-1967 borders as Netanyahu was boarding his plane for a visit to Israel’s best friend and ally in Washington.

But most Jewish Israelis are not Jewish Americans and that is where the difference lies. Having lived in the United States for 35 years before immigrating to Israel almost 20 years ago, I know as well as anyone that Jews are not monolithic supporters of Israel. I wish it were otherwise, but as with any American voters, there is a process of prioritization that occurs when selecting Presidential candidates and for most American Jews, Israel is not at the top of the list. In short, the litmus test of American Jewish support is not Israel. Liberal positions on issues such as Abortion, Gay Marriage, School Prayer, and Health Care are what determine the vote in the core of the American Jewish community. Obama’s confrontational positions on Israel may be a problematic gut issue for many American Jews, but it is easily rationalized away by Democratic talking heads who insist that most Israelis actually support the pre-1967 borders, even though Israel’s undoubtedly left-leaning former Foreign Secretary Abba Eban once referred to those borders as “the borders of Auschwitz”, cynically referring to the notorious Nazi concentration camp, where over a million Jews were slaughtered. The implications of his statement to such a potential Israeli withdrawal from its historic heartland are obvious.

The sad fact is that most American Jews, while not necessarily economic liberals are definitely social liberals who would find it socially and culturally difficult to support a staunchly pro-Israel conservative candidate like Michelle Bachmann for president. The term knee-jerk liberal or knee-jerk Democrat certainly applies here and while most American Jews would decry such a characterization of them as close-minded ideologues, the facts validate the veracity of such a categorization. In 1980, Ronald Reagan ran against the incumbent Jimmy Carter, whose anti-Israel credentials certainly rival those of Obama. When Reagan succeeded in capturing 35% of the Jewish vote, it was considered a major accomplishment, as many independent-minded Jews for whom Israel was a high-priority issue shifted to the other side of the aisle, but the majority of Jews remained faithful to the overall Democratic agenda and rationalized away the anti-Israel feeling and lack of genuine warmth for Israel that Carter conveyed.

Obama is a similar case in point. This president, whose sympathies clearly lie with the Islamic world that he claims to be so inspired by, is no friend of Israel. His lack of appreciation for the Israeli narrative has been obvious since long before his victory in 2008. It’s no coincidence of nature that his first major foreign policy speech was given in Cairo, Egypt, during which he repeatedly proclaimed his deep respect for the religion of Jihad, or Holy War. It’s also no coincidence of nature that he bowed down to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Last but not least, it’s certainly no accident that he has chosen not to visit Israel even once during his term of office. Ideological litmus tests aside, the time has come for American Jews who truly care about Israel to remove their rose-colored Democratic glasses and to consider an alternative.

—————————————————————————————-

David Rubin is a former Mayor of Shiloh, Israel and Founder and President of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund. He is the author of two books including his latest, The Islamic Tsunami (Israel & America in the Age of Obama).

We have all had the dubious privilege of reading in the news about the latest Islamic pirates, who eagerly sail to Israel with humanitary aid for the “Palestinians” in Gaza. Let it be clear to all —- Those who travel without identification, with thousands of dollars, knives, and crowbars in each hand and pocket are not coming on a peace mission.

Blessings and Shalom,

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel

As predicted here in an earlier blog, the US imposed freeze on building in at least one important Jerusalem neighborhood is now official. According to American governmental sources, Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu has caved in and agreed to freeze building in the strategic Ramat Shlomo neighborhood in northern Jerusalem. In exchange, the Palestinian Authority has pledged for the umpteenth time to stop incitement against Israel and Jews, and it will be “honored” in the same way as all the other promises were.

There are those who talk and those who do. Netanyahu has sadly proven himself to be the former as he adds another flimsy feather in his cap in his pandering to the great King Barack Hussein Obama. I am waiting to see Bibi’s first actual bow to the king. Obama already bows to the Saudi king, who bows to the fictional moon god called Allah, and Bibi bows to Obama, at least figuratively. Does anyone bow to the Real King, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who brought the Israelites out of Egypt? Does anyone bow to the Real King, who helped Israel to recapture all of Jerusalem in the miraculous Six-Day War in 1967 (and on the seventh day we rested!)? Building by Jews in Samaria and Judea was temporarily frozen seven months ago. Now Jerusalem, Israel’s capital is being gradually added to the list.

It’s not too late to reverse this terrible trend. Sincere belief in the Almighty G-d of Israel would give Israel the backbone to take the simple Zionist action of ending this bizarre self-discrimination against Jews. Bibi needs to start saying “No” to all unreasonable, immoral pressure, without fear of the UN, the EU, or Obama. And then to follow through on it with more than meaningless words. Enough with the declarations. It’s time for action.

Barack Obama is a big problem for Israel. The secret is out and no matter how hard the Democrats try, they won’t be able to hide his pro-Islamic pandering and anti-Israel sentiments, but that isn’t our biggest problem. Israel currently has a Prime Minister, Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu, who either lacks a backbone or lacks convictions concerning our right to the Land of Israel. It was reported yesterday that in recent days, he had quietly offered the Holocaust-denying leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, 60% of Samaria and Judea (the so-called West Bank which is really the historic Biblical heartland of Israel) as a temporary state. Of course, Abbas rejected the offer, as he will reject the next offer of 70% and the next of 80%. Let me state clearly what Bibi and the past and current spokesmen for Israel aren’t getting or are afraid to say. There will be no peace for Israel until we state to Obama, Biden, Clinton, and their cohorts the uncomfortable truth, which is as follows:

1. The Land of Israel was given to the Nation of Israel as a divine inheritance, confirmed repeatedly throughout the Bible.

2. We do not have the moral right to give it away, not 60%, not 20%, and not 10%, and certainly not to unrepentant Muslim terrorists who want to destroy, not just Israel, but all of Judeo-Christian (Western) Civilization. 

3. Any negotiations beyond discussing peace in exchange for peace will go nowhere and only invite more pressure and terrorism.

Once Bibi wakes up to this reality, all the pressure from Obama will be for naught. With the exception of those who have already been indoctrinated by Obama’s thought police, the American people as a whole stand with Israel in its valiant struggle for its Land and for the liberties that we all cherish and that the Islamic terrorists want to take away from us all. Let us all stand strong, be courageous, and not be afraid to speak truth to power.

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel

Today is Yom HaZicharon, Israel’s Memorial Day, when we honor the memory of the many thousands of soldiers and terror victims who have been killed by Islamic terrorists. It always confirms for me that what we are doing with the children here in the Biblical heartland is the most correct response to terrorism.

The terrorists seek to kill, to frighten, and to intimidate anyone who doesn’t share their extreme Islamic views. Those who have fallen in the struggle for Israel’s return to the Land are deserving of honor and that is why we have this special day. But they have also fallen for the cause of freedom and liberty, for that is the ultimate target of Islamic terrorism and war.

The  affirmation of life is what we are all about. They want to kill us, so we will live! They want us to flee, so we will stay, and they want us to be frightened, so we will be courageous. By helping the children and rebuilding the Biblical heartland of Israel, we are doing the exact opposite of what the Muslim terrorists and their armies intended. Those who assist us in that struggle are actually responding to the terrorist threat of death and destruction with an affirmation of life and liberty. 

Tomorrow we will celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut, celebrating Israel’s independence and miraculous rebirth as a sovereign nation once again. I call on all of our friends, all those who disdain Islamic terrorism and murder, and value liberty and life to join with us in celebration!

With Blessings and Shalom,

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel

Since his embarrassing dressing down in the Principal’s office in Washington last month, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu seems to be holding firm in not giving in to President Obama’s unreasonable demands. The litmus test will be whether he agrees to extend the current building freeze in post 1967 Israel — Samaria and Judea.

In an earlier blog, I compared Netanyahu to the misguided Neville Chamberlain, for agreeing to the current building freeze. I hope that my perhaps harsh comparision was exaggerated and that Netanyahu will stand firm against all attempts to pressure Israel into submission. Pressure will only lead to more pressure, until he takes a page from Nancy Reagan’s unwritten book - “Just Say No!”

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel

My apologies to those of you who have wondered why I haven’t been blogging recently. I’ve been writing my second book and most of my creative energies and much of my time have been going into that!

Lots happening in Israel as always. As we’ve discussed previously, the Israeli government, under heavy pressure from the Obama Administration, agreed to a misguided temporary (ten month) freeze on Jewish building of homes in Samaria. Thank G-d, it hasn’t yet  affected our children’s projects. In fact, we are continuing to have a great impact on the ground in the lives of the children, and the demand for our services is growing all the time. Our successful projects, which are supported by our friends around the world, are actually making the demand for a rapid end to the building freeze even greater!

With Blessings and Shalom from Shiloh,

David Rubin

I often try to find the delicate balance between my current events commentaries and my reports about the latest  happenings with our children’s projects. As the saying goes, there is never a dull moment in Israel. Yet, despite the fact that people enjoy reading my news updates,  sometimes my urge to comment on the latest news reports takes over. It often takes a gentle reminder from a friend/supporter to blog about what’s new with the children (so thank you Michelle!).  Feedback from the readers, whether through comments on-site or off, is always welcome.

The Music Therapy program is literally bursting at the seams! While I would be very happy if the need for this program would disappear, the recent increase in terror shooting attacks on the roads, as seen in the recent murder of a kindergarten teacher, a father of seven children, has only increased the demand for our services, and the therapy with music program is one of the most popular. We have close to one hundred children being treated in that program alone in the course of a month, which has necessitated the evacuation of a storage room to enable the creation of a second Music Therapy Room in the Center, so we can have simultaneous music treatments in two separate rooms designed specifically for music. This of course will increase our equipment and infrastructure needs, as we will need to duplicate most of the instruments, as well as acoustically insulating the rooms so they won’t disturb the treatments in the other rooms. This will require the partnership of our beloved friends and supporters and, as always, a little help from above, but we will get there!

Here in Israel, we celebrate our New Year on Rosh HaShanah, which usually falls in September. Obviously, most of the Western world celebrates New Year’s Day on January 1st, and therefore, I want to wish all of you a happy, a healthy, and a spiritually uplifting year!

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel

The Israeli Cabinet decided tonight to support Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s call for a ten-month building freeze in Judea and Samaria. This pusillanimous move by a weak leader under pressure is a blatant capitulation to the evil, implicit demand of American President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton that Israel surrender its Biblical heartland to the hostile Muslim terrorists. This is a surrender in the spirit of the notorious Neville Chamberlain whose capitulation to the dictates of Adolf Hitler were the beginning of the end for European Jewry.

Netanyahu, whose Likud party was  elected with (unfortunately) strong support from the  Israeli communities in the liberated territories (reestablished after the miraculous Six Day War of 1967), has now officially betrayed those pioneers in the Biblical heartland by freezing all building, including building needed for natural growth. His fellow Likud cohorts have proven to be men and women lacking in principles as well, as they backed this immoral and discriminatory policy, which officially halts all Jewish building while allowing and even encouraging Arab Muslims to expand and grow their cities and towns with the blessings of Obama, Clinton, and George Mitchell. 

But we can’t just blame the Obama Administration or even Netanyahu and his Likud party. Every resident of Judea or Samaria (and those who identify with us) who voted Likud or Yisrael Beitenu had better do some serious self-reckoning. This evil decree was indirectly created by those foolish voters who voted Likud or Yisrael Beitenu rather than for the (Land of Israel faithful) National Union, thinking that by voting Likud, they would somehow have influence over the Likud government’s policy.

We are today reaping the rotten fruit of that misguided thinking.

David Rubin

Shiloh, Israel