Opinion  Ron Ben-Yishai
Is Obama good for Israel?
Ron Ben-Yishai
Published: 06.11.08, 01:02
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1. don't worry about obama,worry about livni
chaim ,   brooklyn ny   (11.06.08)
worry about livni and ehud barak,because they are the ones who will destroy israel
2. This is so obviously true....and well put.
Andy ,   ramat hasharon   (11.06.08)
3. Don't You Know WHY Obama Was Elected?
MK ,   Philadelphia USA   (11.06.08)
Obama was elected, in large part, by people who want to WEAKEN the US. He was a vote for broadscale appeasement, in addition to other cultural reasons for his election. And Obama doesn't need the Jewish vote. Jews are less than 6,000,000 in the US. The Jewish vote is, in electoral terms, mostly meaningless. It carries some weight in Florida, but only because Florida is so evenly split. Just like certain counties in Ohio turn the state. Obama is bad for the US, bad for Israel, and bad for the world. The economic engine that has driven world advancement since WWII will be shutting down for a while. Who knows what emerges on the other side of that?
4. misses the point
ben Ish   (11.06.08)
Barack H. Obama is an extremely liberal attorney, and a very wealthy one at that. In addition, he has woefully little experience. Put this together and you have a politician who knows nothing but talking his way into or out of any given situation. He is a talker, not a doer. This means that when there is a problem that requires action, especially immediate action, you will instead see only talk, misdirection, wishful thinking, and procrastination. All the while, enemies will prosper due to lack of US intervention and mitigation. No more of this "best defense is a good offense" approach from the formerly unassailable US mainland. Another feature of his personality type which is even more critical to consider, is that extremists have a perception problem that precludes objectivity. Extremism is a self-reinforcing delusion. Bottom line here is that if events or information, including intelligence information, if any of these conflict with MR. Obama's world-view, then he will instinctively dismiss disagreeable information as fictional. This is OK if you are playing a low-stakes poker game, but when you are sitting across the table from Dmitri and Vladimir, with the fate of the free world in your hands, then you have a real problem. Barak is not even competent to manage Medvedev, and laughable against an opponent like Putin. Mr. Obama will do nothing but what his instincts tell him: To legislate his beliefs that government intrusion on every level of John Q. Public's life is the way to enshrine his own memory as historically great leader. The end result will be a tragic failure of epic proportions. While he is busily transforming the US into a psuedo-marxist-commune with back-channel access for the super-wealthy, Russia (and Islamic radicals everywhere) will be busy taking full advantage of US military retraction. Keep talking peace while your enemies build war machines. Sound familiar?
5. U gotta be kiddin'
Hussein Osama   (11.06.08)
Hussein good for Israel?
6. YES! Finally a rational view
Harel ,   USA   (11.06.08)
If Obama is good for America, he is good for Israel! The thought of the secret, Islamic terrorist manchurian candidate is laughable. Lets get behind our new president and give him a chance to get the US back on its feet before we judge him. We must unite for a better future!
7. Obama will be good for Israel if he abandons the Road Map
Darren ,   Oakland, CA   (11.06.08)
8. He has tried to cover up his pro-arab sympathies but that is
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (11.06.08)
just to get elected. He is as pro-arab as it comes but he won't be open about it.
9. #3, Obama crushed McCain and you feel hysterical about it ;)
Mike ,   Atlanta USA   (11.06.08)
10. #3 MK
Joel C ,   Boston USA   (11.06.08)
MK - Give me a freaking break. It is the Bush/Cheney administration that has dramatically weakened the US both domestically, as well as our standing in the world community to which has a direct impact on Israel. We are finally waking up from a "cowboy" regime that did everything in it's power to put us in the economic balagan we are in. Like FDR to Hoover and Clinton to Reagan/Bush, it will be yet another Democrat president that has to clean up and shore up fiscal responsibilities of a reckless "buy now, pay later" Republican President. Lastly, the pick of Rahm Emanuel as Obama's chief of staff sends a clear message that Israel indeed will have a friend in the White House
11. Obama can't be worse than our own leaders.
Terry ,   Eilat, Israel   (11.06.08)
Our politicians use American pressure as an excuse. Appeasement, bad deals, delusional policies, all have a local address. That address is the Knesset. It is the typical Israeli political mentality - pass the buck, cover your butt, shift responsibility, cover-up the real source of our deteriorating strategic position. Many of our politicians, aside from their usual self-interest, have a severe case of ''Osloitis" - a severe mental condition whose symptoms include loss of contact with reality, memory loss, & self-deception. In a very real sense, they have infected much of the country with a potentially terminal case of appeasement. Many are hypnotized with empty slogans which they repeat endlessly, a mantra of ''peace'' based on nothing but their own wishful thinking. Stop worrying about Obama & worry more about our own lack of leadership. America will survive Obama. Will we survive our own politicians?
12. #3, furthermore
Danny   (11.06.08)
Jews habitually vote Democrat. There has never been a republican candidate that got more than 30% of the Jewish vote...
13. #10
mark ,   ca   (11.06.08)
With friends like Emanuel,who needs enemies...
14. #13
Joel C ,   Boston USA   (11.06.08)
He still has a lot of family and friends in Israel and is very active in his shul in Chicago. Do you really think he is going to let Israel get destroyed?
15. time will bring all answers. TODAY ! WE KNOW NOTHING.
atilla karagözoğlu   (11.06.08)
16. probaganda works always. BUT I HATE IT.
ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU   (11.06.08)
17. Hamas' forum calls Obama a "dog"
Zion   (11.06.08)
I'm going to be laughing if Obama thinks Hamas can become peace activists.
18. Duh...I don't know?
Larry Geller ,   Hamilton, Canada   (11.06.08)
How can anyone honestly begin speculating whether or not Barack Obama is good for Israel when nobody really knows who the hell he is!!!! This man has refused to release his: educational records (Occidental College, Columbia University, and Harvard University), medical records, law practice list of clients, law practice billing records, history as Barry Soetoro (his mother's second husband Lolo Soetoro who adopted Barack and during this time his name was legally changed to Barry Soetoro), original typed up long form birth certificate, disclosure of travels and/or business done under any foreign passport(s) (possible he could be in possession of a Kenyan and/or Indonesian passport) and list of personal charitable contributions. If this subject wasn't as serious as it is, you could make jokes out of it! I'm a Canadian but the precedent has been set; now even I can change my name, refuse to show where I was born, legally seal all my educational records, refuse to release my medical records, prevent my previous employment records from being released and then run for president of the United States! The current running joke for the impossible is if Americans could land a man on the moon, why can't they...(do whatever it is). Now that will be replaced by if Americans could elect Barack Obama president of the United States, why can't they...(you fill in the blank)?
19. 18..Good smart Jew from steel town.
Al   (11.06.08)
Last Sep as I was driving down to Niagra to throw some money down the casino crap hole, I said to my friend " look at that smoke pouring out of Hamilton." I never thought a Jew with a brain can be there. Congrats Welcome to this TB. I'll enjoy reading your TB's. You're spot on about Obama..he is an empty suit and I'm afraid the entire western world will in very short time want him out. He is an absolute danger to the west including Israel. The probelm is that in Israel, the jews there have adopted the american approach of dummying themselves down to nothing. They love the idea of wanting to be accepted. Much like the Jews of old. They are in deep trouble as they dont want to make waves, in efect they dont want to be there. I've invited many israelis to come to montreal to buy my dive and to settle in quebecstan, but I havnt had any takers. When I was in TO I got a call from a real estste agent about a Lubavitcher who was interested in my dive. When I returned back home, he visited and stated the house doesnt meet his standards..IE He doesnt have a pot to piss in. I am now in the process of selling it to a Philippino, who makes 800/wk washing the toilet in a Jewish home. We here pay the househelp more than we can earn ourselves...We Jews are soooo dumb.
20. 95% of blacks voted for Obama, the other 5% knew what he was
(11.06.08)
a fraud with anti-semitic, anti-American, communist friends that supports abortion.
21. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth reading the crap ...
David ,   Karmiel, Israel   (11.06.08)
on YnetNews talkbacks! You all have much to say but no real solutions. OK, so Obama is half Afro-American. OK, so he is a liberal. So what? Those American supporters of the FOXNews Channel type conservatism should remember that if it was not for the "Liberals" Blacks would still be picking cotton and Jews would be second class citizens. Obama is the President Elect of the United States of America. He is not the PM of Israel and his job is to do what is best for the USA. If he doesn't then his political future will be decided by Americans and Americans alone. To those Americans and others who constantly run our self-seeking fiddling politicians down, well my friends, that is our business! Get you own countries sorted out and if you want to meddle in ours, well then make Aliyah and live here, laugh with us, cry with us and moan and groan about what is bad here. Then look around at the world and see what is good here! Until you do this you don't have the right to meddle in our affairs so shut up!
22. To #11 Terry: Osloitis? What about Wye Wye Wye?
David ,   Karmiel, Israel   (11.06.08)
Yes Terry, you are right but we are stuck with the "system". Politicians would have to change the system and if you were an MK would you vote for a law that would cost your your Knesset Seat? Actually, our biggest problem is Law and Order. We have a President of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Beinish, who just cannot see that the people of our little land have no confidence in our legal system. We have a police force that is incompetent and ineffective and prosecutors who are too lazy to prosecute! Law enforcement is a joke, Have you ever thought that if Israel was Utopia, what we would do all day if there was nothing to criticize? Obama, he will probably do what all American Presidents have done in the past. Say nice things to the Jews and kowtow to the Arab Oil Sheikhs. That's life.
23. clueless author
david ,   new york   (11.06.08)
is obama good for you? is cancer good for you? clearly, the author is living on another planet. the fact that 78% of american jews voted for this horrible person DOES NOT mean that he has something to lose by being anti-israel: the vast majority of american jews are liberals first and have no jewish of zionistic identity. also, obama has 35 million blacks who will vote like zombies for him and give him 100's of million of dollars. obama is a pacifist and a socialist. neither of those characteristics are a good thing for america. he can do some serious damage to america.
24. Change? Oh Yeah.
Gideon Reader   (11.06.08)
A President who has stated; vowed to reduce the USA's military in actual forces, research and development, systems and it's ability to project power, as well as negotiate(with preconditions)tyrants across the world, is NOT going to be restoring Americas power in any fashion or sense. Zerobama will not be good for the USA, no less good for Israel. Believe in the changes he has talked loudly and longly for. It bodes no good.
25. First I thought author has been in a cave, then I realized
Rob Stevens ,   USA   (11.06.08)
he is just a leftist ["iraq quagmire"]. obama has stated he will project LESS power in the region, not more!
26.  US presidents haven't all been pro-Israel
Michael Dorman ,   Jerusalem   (11.06.08)
Ben-Yishai is wrong. All U.S. presidents were not "ultimately pro-Israel." Eisenhower was certainly not, nor, of course, was Carter. And Nixon was not a "less sympathetic president." Indeed, Nixon was undoubtedly -- after Reagen and the current President Bush - the most pro-Israel U.S. president. Moreover nixon was the president who assured that we were supplied with vitally needed weapons with the emergency arms airlift during the Yom Kippur War.
27. Pro/Anti silliness
Ben ,   Monroe USA   (11.06.08)
It's pure speculation re Obama's "pro-Israel" leanings. Ben-Yishai can believe what he will, but only time will tell. To define Bush as pro-Israel is nonsense. His actions did not aid Israel. Simply put, other than Truman who by recognizing Israel placed his political future in doubt, the US leadership first considers what is best for the US, then acts for/against Israel. The Israeli PM certainly determines what is best for Israel prior to any action vis a vis another nation.
28. Ron Ben-Yishai’s analysis
Ricky Greenfield   (11.06.08)
How silly.....it gives analysis a bad name. The new president has said nothing that would lead to Yishai's conclusions. In fact, the opposite might be true. Cutting defense spening for example, something he's very clear about, would reduce America's power and ability to protect herself. That will neither help economic growth or diplomatic prowess.
29. Obama will be good for the elite,
Rich ,   Toronto, Canada   (11.06.08)
not the average Israeli.
30. Rich from Toronto
Ben ,   Monroe USA   (11.06.08)
Have you heard your own leadership promise anything for the average Israeli? No?? Then why would you expect Obama to promise anything to the average Israeli? Your post is a lot of crap and you know it.
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