Snap Fact #233 - How Many Times Does a Man Have to Hear That Obama is a Committed Friend of Israel?

Post date: Jun 29, 2012 10:14:6 PM

Snap Fact #233

How Many Times Does a Man Have to Hear That Obama is a Committed Friend of Israel?

On May 29, 2012 President Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to social poet and music icon Bob Dylan, among others. One of Dylan’s most memorable songs was his brilliant common sense call for peace and sanity in the confused and confusing world of 1962.

How many roads must a man walk down

Before you call him a man?

Yes, ’n’ how many seas must a white dove sail

Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes, ’n’ how many times must the cannonballs fly

Before they’re forever banned?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind

How many times must a man look up

Before he can see the sky?

Yes, ’n’ how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, ’n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind

One of the other people presented with this prestigious award in the same ceremony as Dylan was Israeli President Shimon Peres. What’s the connection?

Israeli President Peres added his voice to all the other top political and military leaders of his country. The Israeli President addressed himself to the American President and, among other acknowledgements of the President's Israel program, Peres firmly stated, Mr. Obama: ‘We support you’ on Iran”

The following excerpt from Yahoo News reports on some of the collegial ambiance and the remarks made during the festivities. These statements of appreciation of the two country’s mutual support is neither new nor are they controversial among Israel's leadership. The Rational Majority has been reporting on the unwavering record of America’s friendship with Israel under Obama since Snap Cap #3 where we published video statements by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on the subject.

President Barack Obama formally bestowed the nation's highest civilian honor — the Presidential Medal of Freedom — on visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres late Wednesday. Peres thanked Obama and said Israel supports his policy on Iran.

Guests at a gala dinner in Peres' honor included Israeli Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren, Bill and Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, as well as Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel. Dalia Rabin, daughter of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was also present.

"They are trying to build a nuclear bomb," Peres said. "It is our responsibility to our own people, to our friends throughout the world, to posterity, that the Iranian threat must be stopped, and it cannot be delayed."

"Mr. President, you worked so hard to build a world coalition to meet this immediate threat," Peres said. "You started, rightly, with economic sanctions. You made it clear — rightly, again — that all options are on the table. Clearly, we support you and your policy. "

Obama, who himself faces an uphill fight to reelection, has seen his support among Jewish voters slip between his historic 2008 campaign and 2012. While his edge over Romney is robust, at 64 percent to 29 percent, it's also off 10 points from his lead over McCain four years ago, when Jewish voters favored Obama 74 percent to 23 percent.

Republicans have accused Obama of short-changing Israeli security and being weak on Iran. Top Israeli officials have said military and intelligence ties have never been stronger.

"The security of the State of Israel is non-negotiable, and the bonds between us are unbreakable," Obama stressed.

To paraphrase Mr. Dylan:

How many times must the leaders of Israel praise Obama

Before people hear what they say?

How many Israeli leaders must call him a friend

Before the nay-sayers call it a day?

How much must Obama do for Israel

Before the sunshine erases the gray?

The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind.

How many things must Obama give Israel

How much must America pay?