Presidential visit
Criticizing those who are sounding a voice against President Obama not visiting Israel during his first term, and comparison to President George W. Bush not doing so until his second term, is unfair.
The reason is President Obama’s speech in Cairo, which he titled “A New Beginning.” It was a speech praising Muslim culture and disavowing approval for Israel’s policies, including Jewish settlements (no mention of Arab settlements) and the establishment of Israel as being created from the Holocaust, not from ancient times. In that speech, he praised civilization as being in debt to Islam, that it was Muslim innovation that developed algebra, mastery of print, understanding of disease and medicine, timeless poetry, and music. All from one culture.
He showed less caring and loyalty to Israel than the speech President Bush made, showing his clear attachment to Israel.
It is not that President Obama has not stepped foot on Israeli soil; it is that when he visited other Mideast nations, he reached out solely to the Muslim world. We all saw photos of his low bow before the Saudi King Abdullah. The White House explained that the president was taller than the king, and he bent over to shake his hand. There are other, shorter leaders, but I never saw him bow to any of them. It is due to our president’s words and actions that he has been criticized for not visiting Israel. I, for one, wish that he would during his campaign. If he really wanted to earn the Jewish vote and not take it for granted, wouldn’t that be a good thing to do?
Beverly Yoskowitz
Livingston
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