Israel Matzav

Biden's false logic

Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden went on attack Tuesday against the Bush administration's record on Israel.

Biden, Obama's vice presidential running mate, laid out his own history on Israeli issues for the audience of several hundred at a Broward County retirement community and emphatically said Obama stands right along side him on Israel.

Biden said he had fought the sale of sophisticated weapons to Arab nations, had known every Israeli prime minister since Golda Meir and has co-sponsored legislation to fight Palestinian terrorism.

"I am chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee," Biden said. "I give you my word as a Biden - I would not have given up that job to be Barack Obama's vice president if I didn't in my gut and in my heart and in my head know that Barack Obama is exactly where I am on Israel. And he is."

Biden told the crowd to ignore the "scurrilous" things said about Obama on the Internet, including rumors that the Christian Obama is a Muslim. "To the extent you trust me and understand where my heart is, I promise you the stuff you're getting on the Internet is simply not true," he said.

He also said the terrorist threat to Israel had increased, along with the threat from Iran as it tried to develop nuclear weapons.

"By any objective fact, Israel is less secure today in the world than it was eight years ago," Biden said. "I promise you ... we will make it more secure.

Biden is off base. George Bush is not running for re-election. Yes, Israel is less secure today than it was eight years ago, but that has to do with the world's failure to respond to Iran's belligerence, and with our allies' insistence of forcing Israel to cut off its flesh in a bid to reach a false 'peace' with a false 'people.' Is 'talking to Iran' going to change its belligerence? I think not. Is Biden or Obama going to be the one to stop trying to make Israel cede its strategic assets in Judea and Samaria? Let's look at Biden's record.

During that committee hearing, at the height of the Lebanon War, Sen. John Biden (Delaware) had attacked Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and threatened that if Israel did not immediately cease this activity, the US would have to cut economic aid to Israel.

When the senator raised his voice and banged twice on the table with his fist, Begin commented to him: “This desk is designed for writing, not for fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think that because the US lends us money it is entitled to impose on us what we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats. Take note: we do not want a single soldier of yours to die for us.”

Will Biden make Israel more secure? Don't hold your breath.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:23 AM