Jewish Dems tout PM’s gratitude to Obama

Netanyahu thanks US president for loyalty in opposing PA statehood bid at the United Nations, military, economic, security cooperation.

By HERB KEINON
obama watches netanyahu 311 (photo credit: REUTERS)
obama watches netanyahu 311
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Within seven hours of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu expressing gratitude to US President Barack Obama Saturday, the National Jewish Democratic Council corralled his warm words in an e-mail blast that had the obvious aim of showing American Jewish voters that Obama does indeed care for and about Israel.
Following the drama at the Israeli embassy in Cairo over the weekend, Netanyahu told the nation in a televised announcement Saturday night that special thanks were due Obama.
RELATED:Obama sees US crisis, pushes $447 bln jobs planCongressman shows support for Israeli W. Bank sovereignty
“I would like to express my gratitude to the president of the United States, Barack Obama,” Netanyahu said.
“I asked for his help. This was a decisive and fateful moment. He said, ‘I will do everything I can.’ And so he did. He used every considerable means and influence of the United States to help us.
"We owe him a special measure of gratitude.
“This attests to the strong alliance between Israel and the United States. This alliance between Israel and the United States is especially important in these times of political storms and upheavals in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu made those remarks at about 9 p.m. Seven hours later they featured prominently in an e-mail sent out by David Streeter, senior communications and research associate for the National Jewish Democratic Council, under the headline “ICYMI [in case you missed it]: What Netanyahu said today.”
“This event,” the e-mail read, “is just one of myriad examples of the close security cooperation between President Obama, his administration and Israel’s leaders.” The reader is then directed to a fact sheet titled “President Obama: Ensuring Israel’s Security during the summer of 2011.”
The sheet quoted from remarks Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak made recently praising Obama for his friendship, support and the level of security cooperation between the two countries; noted the Obama administration’s commitment to a major joint military exercise in 2012 called “Juniper Cobra;” discussed US support for the Iron Dome; pointed out the administration’s opposition to the PA move at the UN; and mentioned that the administration stood firm against the Gaza flotilla.
At Sunday’s cabinet meeting Netanyahu again thanked Obama for his efforts in resolving the Cairo embassy saga, saying, “I must also note the actions of US President Barack Obama, who became involved at a critical time in order to use America’s influence on the issue.”