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JARANDHEL

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Member Since: 2/2006Last Seen: 11/25/2009

Report: Activist claims Obama raised funds for Palestinian causes

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Mar 3, 2008 6:14 PM EST
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A Jerusalem-based investigative journalist and author says that in the 1990s Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was a speaker at several fundraising events for Palestinian causes, where he spoke out against the state of Israel.

Aaron Klein is the Jerusalem bureau chief for WorldNetDaily. He says a Chicago-based Palestinian-American activist named Ali Abunimah recently told an independent, syndicated radio and television political program, Democracy Now!, that he knew Barack Obama (D-Illinois) for many years, and that as a state senator Obama attended Palestinian events in the Chicago area.

"He says Barak Obama has made statements very supportive of American pressure on Israel and ... told him that when things calm down [he] can be more up-front about [his] positions on Israel," says Klein. "This is very alarming."

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{"commentId":1536347,"authorDomain":"jarandhel"}
Jarandhel

No dates, no places, no names of the fundraising groups. It seems that, like most of WorldNetDaily's reporting, there's a great deal of innuendo here and not much substance, but it's clearly been tailored to be picked up by the Dominionist echo machine and is presently making the rounds at OneNewsNow and presumably other Dominionist news services.

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  • 2 votes
Reply#1 - Mon Mar 3, 2008 6:19 PM EST
{"commentId":1536643,"authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
SteveHouse

And even if it is true, then I say, so what? I agree! If there's an independent state called Israel there should be an independent state called Palestine, and the US needs to stop turning a blind eye to every thing Israel does.

{"commentId":1536643,"threadId":"228741","contentId":"1341364","authorDomain":"stevehouse"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#2 - Mon Mar 3, 2008 7:35 PM EST
{"commentId":1536752,"authorDomain":"jarandhel"}
Jarandhel

Well, given the news sources, it's pretty clear that this is a propaganda piece tailored towards Dominionist groups and sympathizers, most of which believe that the state of Israel is blessed by God and that America shares in that blessing only so long as we support Israel. By stating Obama's support for Palestine, and more importantly stating that he believes we favor Israel too much, they are painting him as standing in opposition to God and potentially threatening America's "blessed" status. For believers of that stripe, it's a powerful message, which is why you'll see it being echoed by OneNewsNow and other Dominionist media.

{"commentId":1536752,"threadId":"228741","contentId":"1341364","authorDomain":"jarandhel"}
  • 1 vote
#2.1 - Mon Mar 3, 2008 8:11 PM EST
{"commentId":1536802,"authorDomain":"1stcontact"}
Pavilion
I agree! If there's an independent state called Israel there should be an independent state called Palestine, and the US needs to stop turning a blind eye to every thing Israel does.

Amen ... I read the headline and thought, "why is this a big deal"? I'd be thrilled to have a president who recognized why there should be a state called Palestine.

{"commentId":1536802,"threadId":"228741","contentId":"1341364","authorDomain":"1stcontact"}
  • 4 votes
#2.2 - Mon Mar 3, 2008 8:26 PM EST
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{"commentId":1536920,"authorDomain":"nau"}
NaughtenDeleted
{"commentId":1537665,"authorDomain":"cplmcl"}
Prospero1

My guess is that pretending it's some kind of a sin to advocate for the most conspicuous underdogs going is supposed to get him called an anti-Semite. I hope he holds up that advocacy as a badge of honor no matter what they call him.

{"commentId":1537665,"threadId":"228741","contentId":"1341364","authorDomain":"cplmcl"}
  • 4 votes
Reply#4 - Tue Mar 4, 2008 1:32 AM EST
{"commentId":1537679,"authorDomain":"jarandhel"}
Jarandhel

Other way around, actually... the anti-semetic label is not the goal, the sinful label is. The Dominionist media outlets echoing this article are trying to paint Obama as betraying Israel, and in so doing betraying God and putting America at risk of losing the blessings that Dominionists claim God has bestowed on America for backing Israel. They frequently quote Genesis 12:3 to support this viewpoint.

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you

For those who believe this theology, the idea that Obama's position is going to get this nation (and themselves and their families and friends) cursed by opposing Israel and supporting Palestine is a very powerful motivator. It's no wonder that this meme is making the rounds of the Dominionist echo-chamber.

{"commentId":1537679,"threadId":"228741","contentId":"1341364","authorDomain":"jarandhel"}
  • 3 votes
#4.1 - Tue Mar 4, 2008 1:46 AM EST
{"commentId":1539365,"authorDomain":"cplmcl"}
Prospero1

Excellent point Jarandhel. Either way, I sure do hope he doesn't consider it something to apologize for. Now that would be awful.

{"commentId":1539365,"threadId":"228741","contentId":"1341364","authorDomain":"cplmcl"}
  • 3 votes
#4.2 - Tue Mar 4, 2008 1:47 PM EST
{"commentId":1539584,"authorDomain":"jarandhel"}
Jarandhel

So far I haven't seen any reports of him apologizing for having held that position, though I understand he has stated and demonstrated support for Israel since holding those views. The claim that he still holds pro-palestinian views and is just waiting for things to calm down before making them public remains to be seen... given the level of journalistic integrity demonstrated in the rest of this piece, it could be entirely fictional.

{"commentId":1539584,"threadId":"228741","contentId":"1341364","authorDomain":"jarandhel"}
  • 2 votes
#4.3 - Tue Mar 4, 2008 2:42 PM EST
Reply
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