Romney Should Visit Israel

 

By Bradley Blakeman
Newsmax.com

Candidate Obama did not make clear when he was running for president that Israel would be getting no special treatment and in fact would play second to Obama’s “outreach” a.k.a. “apology tour” to the Muslim nations of the world if he became president.

When Obama did become president he wasted no time in sending signal after signal to the Arab world that there is a new American sheriff in town and that Israel would no longer play the role of our closest and most dependable ally in the Middle East and the world.

Instead of going to Israel on his first trip to the Middle East, President Obama went to Egypt in the spring of 2009. He hoped that by showing disrespect to Israel that would somehow buy him credibility within the Arab world and radical Islam.

In fact, the White House as a peace offering to the Arab world billed Obama’s Cairo speech as” a new beginning.”

This is some of what he said:

“I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles — principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.”

The facts are that many Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, the Palestinian Authority, etc. do not even recognize Israel’s right to exist.

What “principles of justice and progress” was Obama talking about?

He chose in the beginning of his presidency to marginalize a friend and ally and to give credibility and comfort to those who seek Israel’s destruction and are no friend to the U.S. either.

Obama’s anti Israel campaign was further advanced in May of 2011 when he sandbagged Israel on the eve of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to America by stating that no Middle East peace deal could be made without Israel first agreeing to ‘67 borders. Israel was forced to rebuke the president of the United States by stating that a return to ‘67 borders would leave Israel “indefensible.”

Obama has made clear his public contempt for Israel, but perhaps the most telling feeling toward Israel and its leadership came in November of 2011 when French President Sarkosy told Obama in a “private conversation” picked up by press microphones that “I cannot bear Netanyahu, he is a liar,” to which Obama replied “you’re fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day.”

With all Obama’s “outreach” what did it get America? Is the Middle East any safer today than it was when Obama took office?

Has Iran given up its nuclear weapons program? Are we any closer to seeing an Israeli/Palestinian peace? Have oil prices been positively affected? Has radical Islam beaten their swords into plowshares?

The answer is clearly “no” to all of the above.

Now is the time Romney can show some real leadership by visiting Israel this summer.

Candidate Romney must be bold and must send a clear message to the Middle East — particularly to rogue states like Iran, the Palestinian Authority and members of Hamas, Hezballah, al-Qaida, etc. that a Romney administration stands first and foremost with Israel.

The fact that Romney chooses to visit Israel when Obama has never been there as president will speak volumes.

Our enemies respect strength and exploit weakness. The fact is that enemies of Israel are enemies of the U.S.

In addition to visiting Israel, Romney would be smart to visit Canada and Mexico as well.

We have taken our closet neighbors, valued trading partners and friends for granted.

With the Obama administration ignoring Mexico and running guns there or telling Canadians to shove their pipeline, and with the Supreme Court ready to rule on immigration visa vi a state’s rights to secure its own borders, now is the time to show some needed attention to Canada and Mexico.

America can no longer afford to disrespect our friends and reward our enemies.

Romney can send a powerful message to our friends and our enemies around the world.

A Romney administration will stand first and foremost with our friends, and America will no longer pander, or apologize as a tool of foreign policy.

Peace is only achieved and maintained through strength, a fact that Obama has never believed or achieved.

Bradley A. Blakeman served as deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001-04. He is currently a professor of Politics and Public Policy at Georgetown University and a frequent contributor to Fox News Opinion. Read more reports from Bradley Blakeman — Click Here Now.

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