More Punches Coming?

Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a major address this morning outlining his ideas for Middle East peace. There are growing concerns after last week's outrageous U.N. vote that Kerry's speech is laying the groundwork for more gut punches against our ally Israel in Obama's closing days.

In his remarks, Kerry defended the U.N. vote as somehow representative of America's values and an attempt to preserve the two-state solution. Kerry said, "That's what we were standing up for: Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state, living side by side in peace and security with its neighbors."

That is simply a lie. Jews living in their historic homeland in their united capital of Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria are not impediments to peace or to a Palestinian state. The Palestinian jihadists are the obstacle to peace.

As I noted yesterday, the Palestinian leadership has rejected three previous peace deals. It simply refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state in any borders. And Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas just proposed forming a unity government with the terrorists of Hamas. Why isn't Obama condemning that?

My friends, this really is very simple: Can you imagine our reaction if any nation demanded we accept a peace deal with ISIS or Al Qaeda? That is essentially what Obama is demanding of our ally Israel.

All the pressure should be on the Palestinians to renounce terrorism and to act like a civilized society that can be trusted with its own state.

Unfortunately, there are rumors that the Obama Administration is planning to endorse a peace deal developed at a French conference next month. According to the Associated Press, "Israeli officials fear that the conference's recommendations may then be approved in another U.N. Security Council resolution just before Obama leaves office on January 20th."

Top government officials in Jerusalem believe that Obama is doing everything he can to handcuff the incoming Trump/Pence Administration. It seems they are right.

Trump Responds

President-elect Trump preemptively responded to Kerry's speech this morning. In a series of tweets, Trump wrote:
 

"We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly responded, "President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel!"

Congress Reacts

Members of Congress in both parties continue to express their outrage at Obama's betrayal of Israel. For example, Senator Lindsey Graham is threatening to cut off funding to the United Nations.

Graham told the Washington Post, "The U.N. has made it impossible for us to continue with business as usual. . . this is a betrayal of Israel and the only response that we have is the power of the purse."

Graham is not making idle threats. He is chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees the State Department's budget. I urge him to follow through.

Rep. Elliott Engel (D-NY) ripped the hypocrisy of countries like Venezuela censuring Israel.

House Democrat Whip Steny Hoyer blasted the Obama Administration for strengthening Israel's enemies.

I'm glad to see these public statements of shock and outrage, but there has been some willful ignorance by too many on the left for the past eight years. And it goes back to Obama's days in Chicago.

Why did Obama attend an anti-Israel church led by an anti-Semitic pastor? Why has he empowered some of the worst anti-Israel regimes in the world -- like Iran and Cuba? Why has he acted like homes for Jews in Jerusalem were more dangerous than bombs for jihadists in Iran?

Here is the dirty little secret that a lot of good people have been unwilling to acknowledge: Barack Obama is a product of the left-wing fringe that we see in Hollywood and on our college campuses. Radical professors routinely bash Judeo-Christian civilization, America and Israel.

Progressive students are more comfortable making common cause with radical Palestinian students than groups like Hillel. Obama's presidency has emboldened the anti-Israel movement in America and caused that part of the left-wing fringe to thrive.

Don't take my word for it. The growing anti-Israel views of the left have been measured in repeated public opinion polls -- here, here, here and here.

We also learned from leaked emails that Hillary Clinton's own staff was divided over Israel. When they were writing her presidential announcement speech the decision was made to drop references to Israel in order to avoid offending "Democratic activists."

Meanwhile, Here At Home. . .

While the Obama Administration is focusing all of its efforts on browbeating the Jewish state of Israel, the Washington Times reminds us that we have a major problem with Islamic extremism in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Nine residents of northern Virginia have been arrested in the past two years, charged with supporting ISIS. Far from being undereducated and impoverished, the Times reports, "They included a police officer, a Starbucks barista, Army soldiers, bankers and a cabdriver. Four of the nine graduated from Northern Virginia high schools, one with honors. Two attended Northern Virginia Community College."

As shocking as this news is, it shouldn't surprise us. In 2009, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to assassinate President George W. Bush. Ali is an American citizen and "valedictorian of his 1999 class at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Fairfax County [Virginia]" -- right outside of Washington, D.C.