Posted on 03/20/2013 12:51:51 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Last year, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney attacked the Democratic convention platform for its shameful decision to omit a reference to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. But in a sign of how U.S. politics have changed in 40 years, President Richard Nixon complained in 1972 of the Democrats dishonest platform language declaring the city Israels capital.
Nixons national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, agreed with his condemnation during a previously unreported taped conversation from June 29, 1972. To make Jerusalem the capital of Israel is not the platform of a major American national party, Henry Kissinger told Nixon. That is what I find so revolting here. The tape is one of a collection housed at the University of Virginias Miller Center.
On Wednesday, Barack Obama is arriving in Israel for his first visit there as presidentabout six months after telling Democratic Party officials to reinstate language from previous convention platforms stating Jerusalem is the Israeli capital. But on Tuesday in Washington, Obamas administration argued in a federal appellate court that a law allowing Americans born in Jerusalem to have their place of birth listed on their U.S. passports as Israel infringed on the presidents foreign policy powers. The United States, during administrations of both political parties, has refused to recognize any nations sovereignty over Jerusalem since Israels creation in 1948.
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
In other words, Obama is in line with Nixon. Not just on that, either.
The Nixon era was a very strange time. Foreign policy was out the door and Kissinger assembled a coherent policy from a large set of small parts. Any mis-step could have resulted in the end of the world.
When looking back at giants it no surprise pygmies wish to reduce those giants’ stature.
The WOT is a problem, but compared to the Cold War it is an annoyance (not that 3K is a small issue — but we humans could have destroyed the entire planet)
Nixon on his tapes never came out favorably in his views towards the Jews I don’t think.
But he did support them publicly and with lots of foreign aid. A friend of mine (Airborne) was sitting on a plane waiting to take off to Israel in 1967(?). IIRC he said something like “I’m glad those Israeli’s ended it on the 7th day - ‘cuz we would have dropped in on the 8th.”
The 1967 war was LBJ
The 1973 war was Nixon
If youd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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The State News Media is so desperate, they now resort to using Pres. Nixon as a character witness for Obama’s actions.
The AP is pretty blatant in its worship of Obamugabe.
Jerusalem wasn’t officially made the capital of the State of Israel until 1980, and no US president has ever recognized it as such.
I don't know what you mean by "officially made the capital." Jerusalem was certainly at least the de facto capital of the State of Israel since its founding in 1948. That's where the Knesset and the chief government administrative offices have been located, no matter who recognizes that as a fact or not.
Notice the praise of Obama, who is now coming to Israel "about six months after telling Democratic Party officials to reinstate language from previous convention platforms stating Jerusalem is Israel's capital." Of course, this Frommer isn't mentioning who might have been involved in dropping the language from their original platform in the first place.
Left out of the article entirely is the very salient fact that Nixon, despite his flaws, helped Israel most significantly with military aid during the Yom Kippur War a year after Kissinger made the comment about Jerusalem. To this day, Nixon is remembered as a hero among the Israelis, because actions - especially during a time of need - speak louder than words.
You’right on all counts.
Well yes. But (leaving out Nixon and Ford) Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush had a combined 16 years, and George H. W. Bush had four years, to declare the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Presidents get to determine foreign policy as per the Constitution.
Thanks justiceseeker93. Partisan Media Shills ping.
Nixon was getting the Watergate colonoscopy at the time, and reportedly feeling lousy because he was ill and hungover — and yet, in answer to what level of commitment to make with the airlift, he said, “you will send everything that will fly.” The apparent ease with which the US delivered just-in-time (and just what was needed) supplies 8000 miles, and in one case, just to test (and show off) delivered an entire tank, ready for fueling and loading, and the inability of the USSR to come close to matching it despite a headstart and much shorter routes, helped fracture the political structure there, and — along with the earlier trip to Mao’s China — opened the door for detente and, ultimately, arms reduction treaties, economic implosion, destruction of the Warsaw Pact “alliance”, and disintegration of the Soviet Union.
well put, VERY well put.
Obama isn’t fit to shine Nixon’s shoes, and not just on that, either. Oops. I said something racist by accident. Must hurt self. Must hurt self. Ow. Ow. Ow. Dobbie is a bad house elf.
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