'Obama only put J'lem back in platform for votes'

Knesset Speaker Rivlin says Democrats' reinstatement of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in party platform too little too late.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Obama at Kotel 370 (photo credit: reuters)
Obama at Kotel 370
(photo credit: reuters)
The addition of language calling Jerusalem Israel’s capital to the Democratic platform does not make up for the party’s original intentions, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin said on Thursday.
“I have no doubt that [US President Barack] Obama put Jerusalem back in his party’s platform out of political and electoral considerations and because of the sharp criticism from Israel and the US,” Rivlin said.
Democrats changed their platform on Wednesday afternoon to include support for Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, following criticism from Democratic members of Congress after the language, which was included in the 2008 platform, was removed from the 2012 text. Some sources said Obama personally intervened in the matter.
The Knesset speaker said that the Democratic National Convention did not remove Jerusalem from the platform “by mistake or because of forgetfulness,” and the change was not a coincidence that can be explained away by not paying attention.
“This is a problematic sign, indicating the gradual reduction of the American government’s strategic commitment to Israel,” he explained.
Before the reinstatement of the passage supporting Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in the DNC platform, Rivlin said on Wednesday that the Obama administration does not understand the realities of the Middle East.
“The fact that the Democrats removed a united Jerusalem as Israel’s capital from their platform is more worrying than the argument over Iran,” Rivlin told The Jerusalem Post.