President
Obama sat down yesterday
with a cadre of far-left foreign policy writers,
several of whom regularly lambast the state of Israel,
to get advice on a range of critical foreign policy
issues, among them Afghanistan, Israel, and NATO,
according to press accounts.
The
group of nine included several writers who promulgate
fringe views about the state of Israel, advocate in
favor of divestment from Israel, and describe the
Jewish State as an “apartheid” state—views that are
also endorsed by the most extreme anti-Israel
advocates.
Liberal
author Peter Beinart—who has compared Israel
to the segregated South and advocates boycotting areas
of the country that he deems “non-democratic”—is
reported to have joined forces with several other
Israel bashers, such as the New Yorker‘s
David Remnick and Time magazine’s
Joe Klein, for a powwow with the president. Left-wing
activist Jane Mayer of the New Yorker also
attended the meeting.
“The
group is also notable for the inclusion of writers
with radically different views on the Israel
debate,” observed Politico’s Dylan Byers.
Remnick
has described Israel
as undemocratic and akin to Syria and Egypt, while
Klein is known for penning a series of misleading
articles chastising the Jewish state. He also
has expressed sympathy for
Iran, a country run by Holocaust-denying anti-Semites
who are intent on developing a nuclear weapon.
Bienart,
however, might be the most surprising name on the list
given his outspoken and vociferous criticism of
Israeli policies. Those viewpoints place him far
outside the mainstream of Jewish public opinion.
The
former TNR editor recently advocated divestment from
Israel at a J Street event, a technique employed by
activists who aim to destroy Israel’s economy and
thereby the tiny state.
The
meeting also raises questions about how Obama might
approach the issue of Israel in a more flexible second
term.
“If
President Obama believes Peter Beinart’s opinions are
credible or anywhere near mainstream thought, then
that is a five alarm fire for Israel supporters all
across the world,” said one senior GOP adviser. “It’s
completely irresponsible to have the president meet
with a radioactive writer and anti-Israel activist who
has been shunned, alienated, and isolated by even the
most left wing factions of the organized pro-Israel
community.”