Thursday, July 24, 2014
From: Gary L. Bauer
Victory!
As you know, the Obama Administration imposed absurd travel restrictions on Israel Tuesday when the FAA banned flights into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. The ban was supposed to last only 24 hours, but the FAA renewed it yesterday.
Senator Ted Cruz blasted the restrictions, saying, “The facts suggest that President Obama has just used a federal regulatory agency to launch an economic boycott on Israel.” I too criticized them in yesterday’s daily report.
Tom Rose (of the Bauer & Rose Show), writing at Breitbart.com, took up the fight as well, quoting statements from Senator Cruz and my criticism of the FAA restrictions.
In case you missed it, I wrote that by tightening the screws on Israel, the administration was holding its tourism industry hostage. That was not just speculation. Even the Washington Post agrees, writing, “The United States on Wednesday put the most direct pressure yet on its ally Israel to cut short its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.”
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg protested the FAA’s ban by boarding an El Al flight to Ben Gurion Airport. He was greeted at the airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a statement Bloomberg said, “The flight restrictions are a mistake that hands Hamas an undeserved victory and should be lifted immediately.” Michael Bloomberg and I don’t agree on much, but he got it right this time.
I’m pleased to report that the FAA backed down and lifted the travel ban just before midnight last night. I believe our pressure played a role. But make no mistake: This administration damaged Israel at a time when it is locked in a struggle against Hamas, one of the worst terror groups.
Iran’s “Final Solution” — Destroy Israel
I wrote yesterday that the fight taking place right now between Israel and Hamas is a fight between good and evil. As Winston Churchill once said, “I decline utterly to be impartial as between the fire brigade and the fire.” Why are we, as the Washington Post reports, putting direct pressure on our ally Israel to stop fighting evil?
Hamas does not want peace with Israel. It is refusing to negotiate or accept any ceasefire agreements. And why should it? All of the pressure is on Israel.
You won’t see stories about the Obama Administration putting pressure on Hamas or news reports about the State Department threatening to cut off foreign aid — your hard-earned tax dollars — to the Palestinian Authority. You won’t see those stories because Obama isn’t pressuring Hamas; he is pressuring Israel.
Land will not satisfy the Islamists’ bloodlust. Israel gave up Gaza, and look what Hamas has done to it — filled it with rockets and “terror tunnels.”
Hamas and its Islamofascist allies have one objective — to destroy the Jewish state. Discussing the current conflict in Gaza before an audience of students, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, said:
“The only solution is to destroy this regime. … What is the solution until this regime is destroyed? Allah willing, the day will come when this regime is destroyed. So long as this false regime is on its feet — what is the solution? The solution is total armed resistance against this regime. This is the solution.”
Speed Up, Slow Down, Do Nothing
If you want a good example of the gridlock in Washington, look no further than the dueling prescriptions for dealing with the current crisis at our southern border.
House Republicans released a list of recommendations yesterday largely focused on border security. Among their recommendations: Deployment of the National Guard, “aggressive messaging campaigns in originating countries and the U.S. to dispel immigration myths” and speeding up hearings and deportations to days and weeks rather than months, years or never. They are proposing to spend $1.5 billion, offset with spending cuts.
Senate Democrats offered a $2.7 billion bill with no policy changes that would allow for faster deportations. The Wall Street Journal notes that the Senate bill includes more than three times the amount of money to pay for lawyers for unaccompanied minors than the White House requested.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama is promising members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that he will do everything he can to slow down or stop deportations of illegal immigrants.
Given the huge differences that exist between the House and Senate bills, the most likely outcome seems to be that Congress will do nothing anytime soon to address the crisis.
Free At Last!
Meriam Ibrahim, the Christian woman who gave birth in a Sudanese prison while awaiting a death sentence for apostasy, is free. Meriam and her family landed in Rome this morning, where they met with Pope Francis.
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