Much of the Jewish community feels ‘voters’ remorse’ as a result of President Barack Obama’s lack of action in support of Israel as well as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s perceived anti-Israel platform, panelists at Harvard University Hillel told more than 100 students and faculty members Tuesday.
Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz and his former research assistant Joel Pollak discussed the scrutiny Obama has faced regarding his lack of dedication to the Israeli interests. Dershowitz’s July Wall Street Journal editorial ‘Has Obama Turned on Israel?’ became a catalyst for debate, suggesting that many American supporters of Israel who voted for Obama now suspect they may have been victims of a bait and switch, after Obama has failed to follow through on campaign promises
‘I think for many Jewish voters . . . the answer is yes, [Obama] has turned his back on Israel,’ Pollak said.
With Dershowitz taking a liberal stance and Pollak a more conservative one, each presented causes of the Jewish community’s frustration.
‘The thing that troubled most of us was his explanation of how Israel came to being,’ Pollak said regarding Obama’s early June speech in Cairo, Egypt. ‘It was based not on the Jewish connection to the land of Israel, not on the Jewish contribution to building Israel, but solely as a response to the Holocaust: a sort of Jewish affirmative action program.’
In accord with his article, Dershowitz reiterated his staunch opposition to expansion of Israeli settlement in the West Bank. However, he conceded that this should not be considered the core of the Israeli-Palestinian divide.
‘ ‘Obama has placed too much emphasis on the role of settlement policy in the peace process,’ he said. ‘Military security’ should remain the central issue.
Dershowitz also said Israel has the right to defend itself.
‘I strongly support Israel’s activities in Gaza and Lebanon [and] an attack on Iran as a last resort, ‘ he said.
Pollak chose to apply the plight of another typically liberal base, the gay community, to the Israeli issue.
‘There has been discussion about whether President Obama has let the gay community down,’ Pollak said. ‘There was thinking that Obama would repeal ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ thinking he would legalize same-sex marriage . . . He has done neither.’
‘They are facing the same question we are,’ Pollak said. ‘What do we get for our vote?”
Despite contention over most issues covered, both panelists agreed Obama has indeed turned his back on Israel to some degree. But whether the pro-Israel community should turn their back on Obama remains to be seen, they said.
Boston University students were divided on the issue.’
College of Arts and Scienecs sophomore Teddy Mazurek, who has been involved in Hillel at BU, said he disagrees with the panelists.
‘I like the direction it’s going,’ Mazurek said. ‘I’m glad Obama is taking an initiative in Israel safety and making it one of his priorities to help Israel to become a safer place.’
School of Management sophomore Leigh Pressman, also a BU Hillel participant, said Israel’s situation is ‘complicated’ and cannot be entirely blamed on Obama.
‘If Obama intervenes too much, we’ll have another Iraq or Afghanistan. Too little and he’s anti-Israel,’ Pressman said. ‘It’s hard to find a balance.’
Staff reporter Yue Huang contributed reporting to this article.
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