Obama: There’s Not ‘a Smidgen of Evidence’ I’m Anti-Semitic
Barack Obama is pushing back against allegations that he’s anti-Semitic, telling a Jewish publication there is not “a smidgen of evidence” that he personally hates Jewish people.
After many foreign policy observers, including several members of the Jewish community, opposed his deal with Iran, the president warned of a “well-financed” opposition that seemed bent on destroying Middle Eastern peace.
Dr. Ben Carson wrote in The Jerusalem Post that Obama’s rhetoric “was replete with coded innuendos employing standard anti-Semitic themes involving implied disloyalty and nefarious influences related to money and power.”
Obama responded by telling The Forward that “there’s not a smidgen of evidence” that he is anti-Semitic, “other than the fact that there have been times where I’ve disagreed with a particular Israeli government’s position on a particular issue.”
The choice of words is interesting. Obama used the exact same phrase in a bit of truth-twisting when he told Bill O’Reilly that there is “not even a smidgen of corruption” in the IRS scandal, when the department denied tax-exempt status to Christian, pro-life and Tea Party organizations. The head of the division, Lois Lerner, took the Fifth Amendment during testimony.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the Iran deal will unleash a nuclear holocaust that will destroy the Jewish state for all time.
Obama praised his ability to implement sanctions, which he admitted had been “on the books” for years, and hyped the fact that Iran will receive $56 billion, rather than the $150 billion the administration previously said.
Critics like Ted Cruz have said Iran will use this money to fund anti-Israeli—and possibly anti-American—terrorism.
Obama defended his rhetoric, saying, “I’ve said before, and I will continue to say, that if you care deeply about Israel, then you have an obligation to be honest about what you think, the same way you would with any friend.
Asked if he bore any fault for contributing to the toxic rhetoric by, for instance, hinting that everyone who opposes the deal wants war, Obama replied, “Not at all.”
He also told The Forward, “You don’t win the debate by suggesting that the other person has bad motives.”
Obama’s party has said for years that all Republicans are waging a “War on Women,” that Christians who refuse to participate in gay “marriages” are motivated by animus, and all the president’s enemies oppose him solely because of his skin color.
I delved into the anti-Semitism charge a bit here.
Hypocrisy aside, what do you think about Obama’s statements?
