by Amir Oren Published 00:57 26.07.10
Israel Navy chief Rear Admiral Eliezer Marom. One man who uses his acquaintance with Marom as proof of his concern for Israel's security is three-star admiral and Congressman Joe Sestak, the Democratic candidate for senator from Pennsylvania.
A conservative alliance of Jewish Republicans and messianic Christians attacked Sestak as as a hater of Israel. In response, he fondly recalled his six visits to Israel when he was in the navy. In 2003, ahead of the war in Iraq, he protected Israel from Iraqi missiles as a commander of a naval task force.
In Congress he consistently votes for bills to assist Israel and thwart the Iranian nuclear program. Last year he discussed protection from missiles with senior officials in the Defense Ministry. And to top it all off, during Hanukkah 2007, Sestak was a guest at the home of the Israeli ambassador in Washington for a talk with Marom.
About five years ago, Sestak was ousted from his post as a deputy chief of naval operations and pushed into retirement and politics. The man who removed Sestak, in his first week as Chief of Naval Operations, was Admiral Michael Mullen, current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a friend of Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Ashkenazi.
The Democratic Party considers Sestak a member of the Bill and Hillary Clinton faction; that does not necessarily bring him closer to President Barack Obama.
That is how it happened that in Pennsylvania and other swing states, the attitude of Obama and the Democrats to Israel has become a contentious issue in the election campaign. This is a game all sides know very well how to play. Obama hid his sharp teeth behind a forced smile in his meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This could be the right time to get some security achievements out of Obama, such as a discount on the F-35 fighter aircraft (reducing the surcharge the Pentagon unloads on the manufacturer's price ) and installing Israeli systems in it . . . (as long as there are no Israeli) political concessions.
The direct talks, to which Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will agree, do not necessarily mean only bilateral, without American presence in or near the room. And the essence will not change . . .
Netanyahu's petty politics undermine the serious statesmanship that Israel is in dire need of.
Rightardia comment: If the US were to sell the F-35 to Israel, it would probably use the stealth aircraft to attack Iran. It is inconceivable that the US would do this without enraging the Russians who have refused to sell its S-300 air defense system to Iran.
We do not believe Netanyahu will make any political concessions to Washington. We look forward to the day Bibi is kicked out of office. We don't believe peace is possible in the middle east until then.
A conservative alliance of Jewish Republicans and messianic Christians attacked Sestak as as a hater of Israel. In response, he fondly recalled his six visits to Israel when he was in the navy. In 2003, ahead of the war in Iraq, he protected Israel from Iraqi missiles as a commander of a naval task force.
In Congress he consistently votes for bills to assist Israel and thwart the Iranian nuclear program. Last year he discussed protection from missiles with senior officials in the Defense Ministry. And to top it all off, during Hanukkah 2007, Sestak was a guest at the home of the Israeli ambassador in Washington for a talk with Marom.
About five years ago, Sestak was ousted from his post as a deputy chief of naval operations and pushed into retirement and politics. The man who removed Sestak, in his first week as Chief of Naval Operations, was Admiral Michael Mullen, current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a friend of Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Ashkenazi.
The Democratic Party considers Sestak a member of the Bill and Hillary Clinton faction; that does not necessarily bring him closer to President Barack Obama.
That is how it happened that in Pennsylvania and other swing states, the attitude of Obama and the Democrats to Israel has become a contentious issue in the election campaign. This is a game all sides know very well how to play. Obama hid his sharp teeth behind a forced smile in his meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This could be the right time to get some security achievements out of Obama, such as a discount on the F-35 fighter aircraft (reducing the surcharge the Pentagon unloads on the manufacturer's price ) and installing Israeli systems in it . . . (as long as there are no Israeli) political concessions.
The direct talks, to which Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will agree, do not necessarily mean only bilateral, without American presence in or near the room. And the essence will not change . . .
Netanyahu's petty politics undermine the serious statesmanship that Israel is in dire need of.
Rightardia comment: If the US were to sell the F-35 to Israel, it would probably use the stealth aircraft to attack Iran. It is inconceivable that the US would do this without enraging the Russians who have refused to sell its S-300 air defense system to Iran.
We do not believe Netanyahu will make any political concessions to Washington. We look forward to the day Bibi is kicked out of office. We don't believe peace is possible in the middle east until then.
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