By ABRAHAM KATSMAN, KORY BARDASHsarah silverman 88 224(photo credit: Courtesy)A JPost.com exclusive blog
"A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can even get its boots on," Mark Twain reportedly once said. Perhaps that concept explains the strategy behind the breathtaking dishonesty of the latest propaganda pieces disseminated by Barack Obama's most vocal Jewish supporters.
Two slickly produced videos are circulating over viral email. They both contain segments of interviews and footage with prominent Jewish and Israeli personalities apparently endorsing Barack Obama and seemingly putting their stamp of approval on his policies related to Israel. And both are so replete with misinformation and omissions that they have been termed by interviewees themselves as "deceit."
The first of these was produced by the Jewish Alliance for Change, run by Gidon "Doni" Remba, veteran left-wing Peace Now activist. And what are the political leanings of the prominent Israelis featured? Are they just mainstream Israelis? Hardly. You wouldn't know it from the film, but Naomi Chazan, labeled only as former Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, belonged to the Meretz party, members in good standing of the Socialist International, far-left in advocating territorial withdrawal, and proponents of the de-Judaization of Israel. Amos Schocken, labeled only as publisher of Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, has called for the abolition of Ha'tikva as Israel's national anthem because it is too Jewish, and employed as editor David Landau, who told United States Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice that Israel was "a failed state," and that it was his "wet dream" that America "rape" Israel into succumbing to a peace agreement which the Israeli government felt was against Israel's interests. General Amnon Lipkin-Shahak is nowhere mentioned as advocating turning the Golan Heights over to Iran-backed Syria. Ladies and gentlemen, here are your Israeli Obama supporters.
The film also falsely implies an Obama endorsement from Nathan Diament of the Orthodox Union. The implication was strong enough that the OU had to issue a disclaimer and statement of non-endorsement. It also has Obama declared "100% kosher" by Congressman Robert Wexler (D, FL) - the man who started the outrageously false and un-kosher charge that VP candidate Sarah Palin had backed "Nazi-sympathizer" Pat Buchanan for President in 2000 (she was, in fact, an official in the Steve Forbes campaign) and that her candidacy was "an affront to all Jewish Americans."
The second video is even worse. In it, several Israeli generals and security personnel ostensibly endorse Obama. Several generals, however, now having seen the film, have called it "misleading." Uzi Dayan, a retired army general and former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy said they were misled. On Monday, the three said they were unaware they were being interviewed for a political campaign and were given the impression they were simply commenting on the regional strategic affairs that will face the next US president.
All insisted they have not endorsed either US presidential candidate and their comments had been taken out of context and dishonestly edited - for example falsely attributing to Dayan support for Obama's promise to unconditionally meet with Iranian President Ahmadinejad, as Dayan holds the exact opposite position. Dayan is a former deputy military chief of staff and national security adviser. "I never expressed support for Obama, his approach or his opinions. I've also never expressed support for McCain. I think that these are respectable people, but we should not interfere in the American elections," Dayan said.
Not by coincidence, that second video was created just in time for "The Great Schlep," a celebrity-endorsed effort to encourage young Jews to travel to Florida and "educate" their grandparents into voting for Obama. Also not by coincidence, the eight-minute video was produced by the Jewish Council for Education and Research - the pro-Obama group behind the "Schlep," disseminating the video and other talking points.
The group's co-founder, Mik Moore, is no more honest when it comes to discussing his video. Once confronted with the generals' charges of deceitfully creating the appearance of endorsements, he offered a defense: "It's a film to educate and mobilize the Jewish vote," he said. "It's not to encourage people to vote for Obama." Oh. OK, then. So, why does the video conclude with a black screen reading: "The people who have kept Israel alive offer you their choice"? Just how gullible does Moore expect us to be?
Why must their promotion of Obama be based on such easily uncovered lies and deceit? Can't they make any pro-Israel case for Obama more honestly? It is telling that they feel a need to bolster the security credentials of an Obama administration regarding Israel. It is also telling that they need to hide the radical agendas and political orientations of the leftist Israelis supporting Obama, and misrepresent the positions of the generals interviewed in order to give some Israeli "street cred" to Obama's Mideast policies.
The truth? They can't handle the truth. At least not honestly.
Could it be that those Florida grandparents-and mainstream Israelis-are worried about Obama for legitimate reasons? Maybe it is precisely because Obama is supported by those hard-left Israelis who would like to see the US pressure-or "rape"-Israel into a dangerous settlement that he inspires unease. Or that he was endorsed by Hamas. Or that the Obama campaign had to return $33,000 in donations when it was revealed they had come from Hamas-controlled Gaza. Or that there is an independent Gaza-based call center calling Americans to promote Obama's candidacy. Or that for 20 years he worshipped in and drew inspiration from that sewer of anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism that was Reverend Jeremiah Wright's church, only quitting once politically necessary to do so. Or that his friends include former PLO spokesman Rashid Khalidi and unrepentant Weather Underground terrorist William Ayers. Or that his past and current foreign policy team (e.g., Daniel Kurtzer, Robert Malley, Samantha Power, Zbigniew Brzezinski) have, to be charitable, a troubled relationship with the pro-Israel community. Or that he has made remarks disparaging the Likud Party, likely to be in power again within months. Or that so many elements hostile to Israel are in his corner. Or that John McCain is projected to get upwards of 80% of the vote from Americans actually in Israel-tens of thousands of patriotic Americans who might know a thing or two about the implications of America's Mideast policies.
With these videos, the lies are already halfway around the world. Is there enough time for the truth to catch up by November? Who knows-maybe some wise Florida grandparents armed with the truth might turn the tables, educating and changing the minds of their young visitors. That would make the schlep worthwhile.
Kory Bardash is the co-chairman of Republicans Abroad Israel; Abraham Katsman is counsel to RAI
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