Chris Christie calls Jewish towns in Judea and Samaria 'occupied territories'
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who sees himself as a possible Republican Presidential candidate in 2016, used the term 'occupied territories' to describe Judea and Samaria in a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition on Saturday.Invoking a 2012 trip he and his family took to Israel, Christie recalled “I took a helicopter ride from the occupied territories across and just felt personally how extraordinary that was to understand, the military risk that Israel faces every day.”
While the story was intended to forge common cause with Adelson and the several hundred donors to the Republican Jewish Coalition to which Christie was speaking, his use of the term “occupied territories” set off murmurs in the crowd.
Let's go to the videotape.
Christie apologized for the gaffe.
Not long after his speech, Christie met with Adelson privately in the casino mogul’s office in the Venetian hotel and casino, which hosted the RJC meeting.
The source told POLITICO that Christie “clarified in the strongest terms possible that his remarks today were not meant to be a statement of policy.”
Instead, the source said, Christie made clear “that he misspoke when he referred to the ‘occupied territories.’ And he conveyed that he is an unwavering friend and committed supporter of Israel, and was sorry for any confusion that came across as a result of the misstatement.”
Adelson accepted Christie’s explanation, the source said.
...
Before the meeting, Adelson ally Morton Klein, president of the hawkish Zionist Organization of America, had confronted Christie about his use of the term, telling POLITICO he explained to the New Jersey governor that “at minimum you should call it disputed territories.”
Christie was non-committal, said Klein, who concluded afterwards that the governor “either doesn’t understand the issue at all, or he’s hostile to Israel.”Hmmm.
Labels: Chris Christie, Judea and Samaria, Morton Klein, occupation, Republican Jewish Coalition, settlements are legal, Sheldon Adelson, US presidential campaign 2016
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:39 PM
2 Comments:
Chris Christie having hugged Obama right before the 2012 election, even though he needed to kiss his ass to get $$ from him after a hurricane, puts him off my list. I get shaky with RJC supporting big govt Republicans, when what we actually need is a Recovery of the U.S. Constitution. The big govt supporters are doing things like having the Chamber of Commerce (I dropped membership in that about 10 yrs ago, because of their approach) drum for the Govt to push their huge-business members' small-business competition around, if not out of business.
Using the Govt as a bludgeon in private sector business is a Marcuse Marxist thing to do, even if it is Republicans doing it or going along with it for unknown reasons.
PS Even if Israel takes these kinds of people up to see the set up in a helicopter, they need to be taken at ground level around the north with Leb and Golan looming and from Tiberias/Beit She'an, down the Jordan Valley highway and up into Jerusalem from the East.
Christie is revolting for many reasons and I will never vote for that man under any circumstances.
Post a Comment
<< Home