A Huge Thank You to President Obama

As many readers of PZ know.. We are huge supporters of President Obama. Prior to the election we took on those on lunatic fringe who told us that the President was a secret Muslim, radical Jihadist, who just loved Political Islam (all while smacking them with increased drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan), was the Muslim Brotherhoods biggest fan and simply kept on insisting that the President hated Israel and the Jewish People. It was amazing. They then told us that the 70% of American Jews who voted for the President were deluded and supported the victimization of women, and the LGBT community throughout the Middle East (all while supporting a Party that wanted to do just that to American Women, I guess those American Women are simply not as important as women in Egypt or Tunisia).

On the Hard Left, (where it loops around to match the Hard Right) they are equally disappointed in President Obama. Over at the Hate Site known as Mondoweiss, we call it MondoFront (due to the fact that it mixes anti-Israel/Jewish rhetoric and could be easily confused with the Neo-Nazi website StormFront), the inmates are flipping out over how President Obama "betrayed" them (though he has never been anything but Pro-Israel) and how he and congress are owned by powerful Jews and Zionists.

Even after the President was instrumental in funding Iron Dome - which has saved many Israeli lives. And even though he has supported the Israelis in full in the U.N. and with increased security coordination and given the Israelis a Patriot Battery and taken the lead in helping the Israelis develop David's Sling, Magic Wand, and Arrow... Still the lunatic fringe on the Right didn't look at any of that AND the nutjob fringe on the Left obviously simply forgot to pay attention to reality.

SO.. that brings us to the President's re-election. A happy day for those of us who supported him AND it turns out a happy day for Israelis as well. As Israel was getting shelled by the Fascist Hamas Party in Gaza, the President stood up for Israel. In the faces of all of those who would not stand up, President Obama stood up tall for the Jewish People and for Israel.

From White House Spokesperson Jay Carney:

We strongly condemn the barrage of rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, and we regret the death and injury of innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians caused by the ensuing violence. There is no justification for the violence that Hamas and other terrorist organizations are employing against the people of Israel. We call on those responsible to stop these cowardly acts immediately in order to allow the situation to de-escalate.

In…conversations [with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi], the president reiterated the United States’ support for Israel’s right to self-defense. President Obama also urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties.

Hamas claims to have the best interests of the Palestinian people at heart, yet it continues to engage in violence that is counterproductive to the Palestinian cause. Attacking Israel on a near-daily basis does nothing to help the Palestinians in Gaza or to move the Palestinian people any closer to achieving self-determination.

From Ynet:

"The President urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to make every effort to avoid civilian casualties. The two agreed that Hamas needs to stop its attacks on Israel to allow the situation to de-escalate," the statement said.

"The two leaders agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days. Earlier today, Vice President Biden received a briefing from Prime Minister Netanyahu on the events in Gaza," the statement noted.

"The President also spoke with President Morsi given Egypt's central role in preserving regional security. In their conversation, President Obama condemned the rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and reiterated Israel's right to self-defense," it said.

The US on its part backed Israel's decision to launch Operation Cloud Pillar. "We support Israel’s right to defend itself, and we encourage Israel to continue to take every effort to avoid civilian casualties," Deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

Toner added that Washington "strongly condemns the barrage of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, and regrets the death and injury of innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians caused by the ensuing violence.
"There is no justification for the violence that Hamas and other terrorist organizations are employing against the people of Israel. We call on those responsible to stop these cowardly acts immediately."

It is pretty clear to see that the President and his administration are very supportive of Israel and the Jewish People. They understand that it was Hamas that started this mess and that the only way to finish it is that Hamas MUST understand that it's violence will beget nothing but violence in return.

Over at Daily Kos Diarist Assaf included links to the White House and to Israeli Consulates so that people could contact the administration to protest the Israeli action. I and others here immediately used those links to contact the administration and Thank them for the Presidents steadfast support. I hope you will do that as well.

Here is the info. Be sure also to contact the Israeli Consulates near where you live to give them a message of support to send back to Israel. I think we should take Assaf's advice when he says: "So please let President Obama know how you feel, both online and by phone, (202)456-1111."