![Golda Meir: Beware the allure of “lies wrapped up in sweet words.” [Jerusalem Post Archives]](https://sarahhonig.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/golda-meir-beware-the-allure-of-e2809clies-wrapped-up-in-sweet-words-e2809d-jerusalem-post-archives.jpg)
Golda Meir: Beware the allure of “lies wrapped up in sweet words.” [Jerusalem Post Archives]
US President Barack Obama probably knows the same which is perhaps why he laid the blarney on so thick in his recent interview with The Atlantic‘s Jeffrey Goldberg, who himself couldn’t have been more cloying.
It’s undeniably in Obama’s interest to sweet-talk American Jews – whom he must perceive mostly as sycophant dilettantes – into trusting that some of his best friends are Jews.
Nevertheless, here in Israel, Obama’s latest heaping ration of sweet words was weighed up with utmost gravity. Left-leaning opinion-molders were quick to extract the bitter pill – Obama’s caution that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s misbehavior “will have consequences.”
Obviously we may all expect unkind comeuppance for having insubordinately reelected the PM Obama hates. Let’s not forget: Obama did his darndest to defeat Netanyahu, thereby impudently and imperiously interfering in the domestic politics of a fellow democracy.
But all that was liberally sugarcoated in The Atlantic. Reading Goldberg’s full fawning commentary, followed by the treacly transcript of his conversation with Obama became a true test of intestinal fortitude – not recommended for anyone with a queasy disposition.
Goldberg flattered Obama as “America’s first Jewish president.” To Goldberg’s ear Obama “sounds like a rabbi in the progressive Zionist tradition.” He even got his own rabbi, Gil Steinlauf, to considerately sign off on that. After all, as Goldberg ingratiatingly reminded Obama, the Pres was due to visit his synagogue. He then announced shamelessly, in the schmaltziest tradition of Catskill kitsch, that “this is the biggest thing that’s happened there since the last Goldberg bar mitzvah.”
Our upchuck reflexes were further provoked by Goldberg’s toadying input that Obama received the support of 70% of American Jews in the last election. Thereupon Obama chummily chimed in: “70% is pretty good.”
There were more statistics from the objective interviewer, who remarked that Israel is “a 61/59 country right now.” Subtext: Netanyahu isn’t all that convincingly the people’s choice.
The implication wasn’t lost on Obama who complained about “a very concerted effort… to equate being pro-Israel, and hence being supportive of the Jewish people, with a rubber stamp on a particular set of policies coming out of the Israeli government… If you express compassion or empathy towards Palestinian youth, who are dealing with checkpoints or restrictions on their ability to travel, then you are suspect in terms of your support of Israel.”
Our bosom bud in the White House not only loves us but he also knows what’s best for us – way better than we conceivably can. Hence he wishes to get our internal political debate “back on a path where there’s some semblance of hope and not simply fear, because it feels to me as if… all we are talking about is based from fear.” And here we get a major influx of Obamaesque slogans for the thinking-shy masses.
Fear, Obama pontificates, is bad medicine: “Over the short term that may seem wise—cynicism always seems a little wise—but it may lead Israel down a path in which it’s very hard [for Israel] to protect itself [as] a Jewish-majority democracy.”
Inspired by “Israel’s traditions and its values—its founding principles,” Obama waxed nostalgic about his stage-managed visit to our backwoods in 2013.
“When I was in Jerusalem and I spoke,” he recalled, “the biggest applause that I got was when I spoke about those kids I had visited in Ramallah, and I said to a Israeli audience that it is profoundly Jewish, it is profoundly consistent with Israel’s traditions to care about them. And they agreed. So if that’s not translated into policy—if we’re not willing to take risks on behalf of those values—then those principles become empty words, and in fact, in my mind, it makes it more difficult for us to continue to promote those values when it comes to protecting Israel internationally.”
Don’t panic.
The above threat is near-identical with what Obama declaimed two years ago in Jerusalem. Both he and Goldberg, though, omitted mention of the fact that Obama’s local audience consisted of left-wing students who were scrupulously sifted a priori. It was anything but a representative sample of the Israeli aggregate.
The screening process assured Obama of a friendly if bogus forum. Beside the affectation of straight-talking to the commoners, it’s obvious why the Knesset was a far less desirable option for his purposes. At least some of our parliamentarians weren’t likely to obsequiously acquiesce to the sham.
Simplistically deceptive, Obama’s saccharine sloganeering seemed goodhearted: “the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and justice must also be recognized. Put yourself in their shoes – look at the world through their eyes. It is not fair that a Palestinian child cannot grow up in a state of her own, and lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the movements of her parents every single day.”
Obama’s crude one-dimensional depiction might have sufficed to sway American know-nothing liberals, but Israelis should have at least experienced acute nausea.
Did Israel prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state? Did the so-called Palestinians not violently reject the UN Partition plan of 1947 geared to set up both Jewish and Arab states in this land? Did the Arab world not launch a bloody war to destroy the day-old Jewish state? Was their purpose to found a Palestinian state or to obliterate the Jewish state? Why did Obama’s tendentious ramble include no reference to the repeated Arab onslaughts on Israel?
And why on earth was that purportedly coveted Palestinian state not created between 1948 and 1967 when Arabs held all the territory now piteously squawked about? Who impeded Palestinian self-determination for 19 whole years?
Instead of relevant answers Obama dished up soppy mawkishness about the child, her parents, their curtailed movement, the foreign army, the frustrated farmers and the alleged displacement of families – all damningly the product of arbitrary Israeli callousness. Yet, despite the semblance of factual accuracy, Obama’s demagoguery was detached from any context
The absence of any causality leads to outright distortion. Whenever historical background is opportunely deleted, deep suspicions must arise. Endearing as Obama occasionally strives to be – when political needs so mandate – he twists and warps the truth. By dramatically reiterating Palestinian propaganda, divorced conveniently from any perspective, Obama misrepresents our reality.
We Israelis, at least, mustn’t become gullible saps. All of us know full well that until terror was unleashed in our streets, Arabs from the so-called occupied territories entered Israel utterly unhindered every day. No roadblocks or checkpoints interfered with anyone’s routine.
Things only changed when buses started exploding here, when going to the supermarket or school became perilous, when family outings could mean gruesome carnage. But did Obama appraise Palestinian inconvenience versus Israeli lives? He knows why things are the way they are. He knows that Mahmoud Abbas’s schools, media and mosques all glorify mass-murderers and incite to hate. By pretending not to be aware, Obama proves himself disingenuous in the extreme.
And, for Obama’s edification, there are no ruthless expulsions of Arab families, but there are ruthless expulsions of Jewish families. Moreover, were Obama’s wishes to come true, hundreds of thousands of Jews would be rendered homeless because they reside beyond the Green Line. This includes entire densely inhabited Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem.
Feigning innocence right here in Jerusalem, Obama argued: “Of course, Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with anyone who is dedicated to its destruction. But while I know you have had differences with the Palestinian Authority, I believe that you do have a true partner in President Abbas.”
Really? The adamant refusal to at all recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state betrays the perception of Israel as a temporary de facto entity to be Arabized in future via inundation by millions of hostile “repatriated refugees.” This doesn’t betoken peace but another route to our destruction.
And who does Abbas speak for? He has lost Gaza. He’s now into his eleventh year of a four-year term and postures only because Israel props him up. He is as much a peace partner as an effigy of our making would be.
Yet, with ostensible high-mindedness, Obama felt free to tell his handpicked Israeli audience to override their democracy: “political leaders will not take risks if the people do not demand that they do. You must create the change that you want to see.” Needless to stress, the risks are to the people’s continued survival.
Obama’s message couldn’t have been more transparent. Without much ado he urged Israeli students to go up against Israel’s elected leadership. He serially forgets that Meretz, whose platform Obama appears to ardently endorse, was repeatedly relegated to the opposition as a fringe Knesset faction. By going over the head of Israel’s government, Obama disrespected if not disparaged our democracy during his visit.
He now repeated the disrespect despite telling Goldberg: “I care deeply about preserving that Jewish democracy, because when I think about how I came to know Israel, it was based on images of… Kibbutzim, and Moshe Dayan and Golda Meir and the sense that not only are we creating a safe Jewish homeland, but also we are remaking the world. We’re repairing it. We are going to do it the right way. We are going to make sure that the lessons we’ve learned from our hardships and our persecutions are applied to how we govern and how we treat others.”
Here’s where Obama gets lucky – he’s so lucky he never encountered the formidable Golda. She didn’t gladly suffer hypocrites. She’d have sent him and his honeyed blandishments packing and tossed his two-state mantra out the window.
The Golda for whom Obama seemingly yearns famously said: “There is no Palestinian nation. Palestine was a Roman name specifically invented to humiliate defeated Jews. The Arabs only learned the name from the British in 1918 and couldn’t even pronounce it correctly at that, distorting it into Falastin. There’s just as much substance to that degrading Roman name as there is to what the Romans called Jerusalem – Aelia Capitolina.”
Bucking the Trend ... 
As always, another Masterful description and analysis of who and what Obama represents.
Does Sarah Honig ever miss a single beat or the absolutely perfect turn of phrase.
Like James Bond himself: “Nobody does it better.”
Elected the first time because the “masses” yearned for “Change”, fell for the “speil” delivered with a Silver Tongue, and finally –because having the Former Governor of Alaska just one heartbeat away from the Red Button was simply too big a risk to take.
Elected the second time no longer for any disillusions of “Hope”, but simply because the alternative candidates were so completely unacceptable. Candidate Romney “Parking” millions in Secret bank accounts in the Cayman Islands ?? Please- after all there are limits.
Obama becomes more desperate every day, as his clock is winding down, to be able to say that it was he that brought about a so-called “Two State Solution” and “Peace” to the Middle East.
Never mind that the entire Middle East is imploding all around the only Democracy in the region.
Never mind that the Isis juggernaut is expanding like an out of control Cancer everywhere and whole cities and armies are being crushed under it and burned like so much terrorized fodder.
As all throughout history, when there are problems, when one needs a hook on which to hang his shabby hat, when one needs a ready scape goat to divert attention from himself and the real problems and issues: There is always “the Jews” and since 1948, the State of Israel, to blame for all that is wrong in the world.
Never mind that a so-called, misnamed “Palestinian” has more Civil Rights and more chance of making a better life for himself and his children in the State of Israel than virtually anywhere else in the Middle East. None of that matters. Israel is still the cause of all the problems. Israel is still the “Bad Guy”. Always was, always will be.
And playing out his sad history, his basically failed Presidency, his clearly failed attempt at earning another Nobel Prize for succeeding at what all his predecessors failed to achieve, we have Mr. Obama, arms and Silver Tongue now desperately flailing in the wind, trying to shore up his non–existent “Legacy”. With the help of all his back room Spin Masters and toadying, sycophantic, groupie, pencil pushers in the Press and “Media”, we see him for what he actually and really is.
The former Chicago Neighborhood “Organizer” who loved the sound of his own voice just a little too much and who over-reached way, way, too far.
The great Poet, Robert Browning wrote:
“Ah but a Man’s reach should exceed his grasp;
Or what’s a Heaven for ?”
But then President Abraham Lincoln, one of the few Presidents in American History who actually penned all his own words, without resorting to Speech writers said:
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
I wonder who President Lincoln was thinking about and gazing at in his proverbial Crystal Ball ?
No, he doesn’t expect Israel to negotiate with anyone dedicated to its destruction. He expects Israel to capitulate, acquiesce to and cooperate in its own destruction.H He bloody well knows abbas is NOT a “partner” of any sort. Abbas himself has made it abundantly clear but it doesn’t fit the “great leader’s” narrative or agenda so let’s ignore the arab agenda since 1947.
“Of course, Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with anyone who is dedicated to its destruction. But while I know you have had differences with the Palestinian Authority, I believe that you do have a true partner in President Abbas.”
Sarah, your insight iinto ‘Obama’s “Lies wrapped up in sweet words” as Israel’s iconic great PM Golda Meir would so prophetically profess. Certainly ‘falls into line’. with his ‘narcissistic individual selfy’ and political history. His ‘God given ‘talent’ of a ‘convincing voice and rhetoric’ has lulled the uninformed ‘traditional leftist Jews’ who continue to cling onto their past shortsighted beliefs, only to find themselves ‘fawning’ to the ‘lies, innuendos and to the lack of historical past facts by the sly cunning smooth character of Barak Obama.
One only needs to research Obama’s past and current political associations to become aware of the necessity to mentally ‘shut down’ the ‘Con-Man’ that he is, and always has been.
To mention a few of his ‘Well Known Friends’ and ‘Buddies’ with whom he hung around with, and continues to this day to be ‘provided with the derision and hate that has inculcated his thinking, decisions, influence and ‘movement throughout his life and political career:
Louis Farrakan; Hater of Whites, America, Jews
Al Sharpton: Demagogue, Hater of Whites, America , Jews…Frequent visitor at the White House
Bill Ayers: Bomber, America hater, rabble-rouser
Jeremiah Wright: Black Marxist, America hater, Jew hater, White hater (Obama’s 20 association)
Van Jones: Rowdy Black Nationalist
Rashid Khalidi: PLO spokesman
Tony Rezko: ‘Fixer’ real estate developer.
The list is much longer, but does one need more negative evidence of the ‘So Called Leadership’ of Barak Obama, representing America in the White House for Eight Years???
How very sad for American Jewishs voters to have helped Barak Obama ‘promote his agenda of both a clandestine and overt show of ‘Hate for the state of Israel, and Jews to be included’ during his all powerful presidency of the United States of America?
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well said my friend above, I don’t need to add to that really, but I must confess I find Obama actually quite offensive now, I am not Israeli or Jewish, but this man sincerely insults your collective intelligence, that he has the audacity to preach to the Israeli’s in this manner, he knows no limits, which is an indication of lack of tact and intelligence, how did he manage a degree from Harvard?, It really does not say much for the ivy league…I am some what heartened by the fact that it would appear that not only Israeli’s, but many american’s and their former allies in the ME, have really had enough of this person, but could you imagine the same scenario in any other country where he would come to a local interview and undermine the ruling PM? and purport to know whats best for that country? its really outrageous that this person would even think to do this let alone do it, and then perhaps the equally disturbing part of this is that he has so called Jewish people assisting him in His goals, if American elected this man twice, Israel- you do not need these people as your primary allies, they appear to be lacking judgement, when a nation abandons God this should be expected, but oh how quickly this has all happened!, Thank you Sarah, you really are a bright light thru all of the spin, this spin is really sickening, its so obvious, so patronizing, its sickening, how can anyone fall for this man’s BS anymore, or does he actually believe what he is saying?….perhaps that would be even more worrying,
Your writing is truly a joy to read, thank you Sarah, you are gifted.
Obama & Goldberg are really two sugarcoated sweethearts…I DESPISE them !
In 19 months from now, the ILLEGAL occupant of the White House will be nothing more than a past NIGHTMARE, in the meantime Israel must stay it’s course.
I just wonder, why so many weak minded lackeys are obsessed with KOWTOWING to Americas worst president ever.
Thank you so much Sarah, for debunking again Israels most dangerous ENEMY !!!!!!
***SARAH IS THE BEST***
Yes, she really is.
Dear Sarah,
Thanks a lot for once again provoking my “upchuck reflexes”.
שבת שלום
And yet we might be better off with Obama.
With Romney or McCain, it would be Death by a Thousand Cuts. A complete lack of knowledge and understanding of our enemies and Islam in particular. A further and prolonged brainwashing of the populace. RINOs, Republicans In Name Only.
With Obama, people are finding out relatively early what foul betrayal is. With Obama, its like sticking your hand in the fire and getting burned right away. Here we have a mortal enemy becoming more obvious for all to see.
Yes, Obama might “come to our rescue” in a war, but he would only do so after carefully timed delay to the purpose of great destruction with the objective of when he finally steps in, he makes himself seem a hero by “saving” a mortally wounded Israel with the intent of making her a vassal state.
Real cute this Obama, his supporters and his chosen company. Perverse, yes.
Real sharp, the [temporarily] useful idiots who support him. Those useful idiots of today, when they are seen to be finally figuring out the foul betrayal, and then start to scream, they will be the first to go, one way or the other.
Excellent as always Sarah, and most appreciated.
To see what Obama would actually do, for those who still look for some shred of integrity from him, look at how he failed to achieve a status of forces agreement with Nouri al-Maliki, that led to the creation of ISIS. Look at how he’s bowed to Iran, and made it so much easier for them to get nuclear weapons. Israel will now probably have to fight ISIS, and strike Iran, sooner than later, courtesy of Obama. He also put details of Israel’s defenses on the US Dept. of Defense web site, and betrayed details of Israel’s fly-over agreement with Azerbaijan. This is how Obama “has Israel’s back.” Golda Meir? She wouldn’t have let him into Israel.
I do not agree.
The RINOs would be clueless if not also hostile. ISIS would still form. There is no “achievement of status” with Islam, only taqqiya, kitman, and hudnas.
Iran’s nuclear program would still proceed at all costs to the purpose of our destruction.
I have considered each of your points to the end of your comment. I do not agree with your arguments. I shant speak of all my reasons why.
I am on the other hand in vehement agreement with your conclusion that Obama (and company) is our mortal enemy and that of western civilization in general.
Golda Meir? I will agree with you on the essence of your point there as well.
In Sarah’s words, Obama “must perceive American Jews as sycophant dillettantes,” with good reason. Referring to Obama’s failure to mention Israel, when on January 15, 2010, he thanked six nations for their support of Haiti(for the earthquake that devastated that country on January 12, 2010); an article by Ron Kampeas, of JTA, titled “Obama’s latest wooing of Jews not working,” (6/12/2015, Jewish Journal) states that “…the President’s statement was made before Israeli relief crews landed in the country.” Not true. Israeli relief crews were on the way to Haiti on January 13, the day after the quake, and landed there late that same day, and on Jan. 14th. Obviously, Obama snubbed Israel, and just as obviously, he has a big problem with Israel. American Jews need to face that. However, the article also says that 56 percent of American Jews still support Obama.