Friday, December 5, 2014
From: Gary L. Bauer
Obama Readies Sanctions — On Israel?
Haaretz, a leading Israeli newspaper, is reporting that the Obama Administration is considering “punishing” Israel for constructing homes in Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem. Obama continues to insist that the construction activity, including in Jerusalem, threatens the “two-state solution.”
Obama seems to see home construction for Israelis as a bigger threat to peace than missiles from Gaza.
Obama seems to see Israeli homes as a bigger threat than Hamas tunneling underneath Israeli neighborhoods and planning to murder hundreds, if not, thousands of innocent civilians.
Obama seems to see these homes as more dangerous than the constant incitement to hatred and violence by Palestinian leaders.
When Haaretz contacted administration officials they did not deny the report but refused to provide details.
Note: If we can secure adequate funding, in cooperation with Christians United for Israel, we are planning a major increase in our pro-Israel, anti-Islamic extremism work here in Washington.
Clinton Empathizes With Enemies?
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a likely 2016 presidential candidate, spoke this week at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Initially her address made headlines because she spoke to a half-empty auditorium. leaving the impression that a key demographic of the left’s base (liberal college students) might not be “ready for Hillary.”
But what should really make headlines is the substance of her remarks. During her remarks on the use of “smart power,” Clinton described her foreign policy philosophy this way:
“Using every possible tool and partner to advance peace and security. Leaving no one on the sidelines. Showing respect even for one’s enemies. Trying to understand, in so far as psychologically possible, empathize with their perspective and point of view. Helping to define the problems, determine the solutions. That is what we believe in the 21st century will change — change the prospects for peace.”
Should we have shown respect for the Nazis and the Japanese warlords? It can be reasonably said that too much deference to the aggressors in the 1930s helped lead to World War II.
Should we have shown respect to the Soviet Union, which held millions of political prisoners in forced labor camps?
How does one empathize with the mullahs in Iran who are promising a second Holocaust or the butchers of ISIS who cut the throats of babies?
This sort of self-delusion cannot define problems, cannot determine solutions and, thus, will not lead to peace. Our enemies have no interest in empathizing with us — that’s why they are enemies. And they will perceive our attempts to understand them as weakness, just as Hitler perceived Chamberlain to be weak.
Ronald Reagan, who helped bring down one of the worst tyrannies in human history, once said, “Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.” Reagan understood that peace is achieved through strength.
Officer Hit, Students Cheer
Here is a disturbing indication of just how much the left has poisoned the minds of our nation’s youth. Not content with watching the riots in Ferguson or the mass protests in New York or Washington, some Denver high school students decided that they wanted to get in on the action too.
Without permits from the city or permission from the school, several hundred students walked out of class and staged their own demonstration in downtown Denver Wednesday, snarling mid-day traffic. Of course, police were sent to the scene to make sure the situation remained calm and that the students were safe.
Unfortunately, four Denver police officers were struck by a vehicle during the protest. One officer was critically injured and underwent six hours of surgery. According to the Denver Police union, several students were overheard chanting, “Hit him again!”
The union released a statement denouncing the unlawful protests and the disgusting student behavior. Here is an excerpt of the statement from the Denver Police Protective Association:
“This group of high school students not only broke [Denver Public School] rules . . . but broke laws of the City and County of Denver and State of Colorado regarding traffic regulations and the right to assemble with a permit. . . .This, however, was not a lawful assembly, which ultimately cost four Denver Police Officers a trip to the hospital. One of which is in critical condition.”
The left needs to understand that its overheated rhetoric — largely based on a false narrative — is creating a very dangerous climate. I hope and pray that in the days ahead the spirit of the season will calm tensions and allow cooler heads to prevail.
Where’s The Order?
More questions are being raised about the legality of President Obama’s executive amnesty. Beyond the question of whether Obama legitimately possesses such power, which he has repeatedly said he did not have, it seems members of Congress should be asking whether such an order has even been actually issued.
A National Archives librarian confirmed to WorldNetDaily yesterday that no executive order from the president has been submitted to the National Archives. The last executive order listed in the Federal Register was signed by Obama on October 17th and dealt with consumer financial transactions.
It appears that the order most directly related to Obama’s announced amnesty policy is one issued by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson signed on November 20th regarding prosecutorial discretion in immigration cases. It’s unlikely that Secretary Johnson possesses powers that the president didn’t believe he had.
Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch said, “In my view, there is a serious question whether Jeh Johnson should be impeached for taking this action, and a criminal investigation should be initiated to determine how and why federal funds are being misappropriated.”
We will continue to follow this development and keep you posted.
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