Israel Matzav

As US embassy staff meets with group trying to influence Israeli elections, Obama speaks about avoiding partisanship

POTUS: "The way to preserve [US-#Israel relations] is to make sure it doesn't get clouded in what could be perceived as partisan politics."
— Michael Wilner (@mawilner) February 9, 2015

Yes, Obama really said that. Unfortunately, the actions of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv (not Jerusalem - another sore point) don't reflect it.

Top officials at the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv met in late January with one of the main progressive groups working to tip the upcoming Israeli elections against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and helped facilitate the organization’s visit to the United States this week to learn political organizing techniques.

The State Department helped the nonprofit group Givat Haviva secure last-minute visas for a delegation of Arab-Israeli mayors, which is in the United States this week meeting with civic leaders and attending discussions on voter outreach and community organizing. The delegation arrived on Feb. 4 and is in Washington, D.C., through Wednesday.

Givat Haviva is part of a coalition of U.S.-funded progressive groups working to influence the Israeli elections, the Washington Free Beacon reported last week. The organization, which has chapters in both the United States and Israel, is leading an effort to increase voter turnout among Arab Israelis, who traditionally oppose right-leaning parties such as Netanyahu’s Likud.

Top American diplomats met with Givat Haviva and the Arab-Israeli mayors at the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv on Jan. 29, where they discussed the plans for this week’s visit. U.S. officials at the meeting included the deputy mission chief, the CIA station chief, and the cultural attaché, according to an attendee.

The Givat Haviva Institute’s co-executive director Mohammad Darawshe, the main organizer of the delegation, told the Free Beacon that the meeting was just a “farewell greeting from the embassy staff after they helped with getting the visas.”

The State Department said it would provide a summary of the meeting to the Free Beacon last Wednesday, but as of Monday afternoon had not provided one.

I guess in Obama's book, the only partisanship that exists is partisanship that opposes the interests of Barack Hussein Obama. Sorry Mr. President. Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

There's much more. Read the whole thing. 

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli elections, Knesset elections 2015, partisanship, V-2015

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:14 AM