P U L S E

Obama has so far shown a reflexive tendency to cave at the slightest hint of opposition. No one expects much from Obama’s speech. Tony Karon has convincingly argued that the speech today is aimed at a domestic audience, not the Arab world. Yet, the lobby has rushed to ensure that Obama does not entertain the thought of making even a rhetorical concession to the Arabs. The Wall Street Journal has just published the following article, with the headline ‘Jewish Donors Warn Obama on Israel.’ (A note of caution here: MJ Rosenberg suggests that articles like these are being placed in the press by AIPAC because they know that their support base has shrunk. This Jerusalem Post article seems to confirm MJ’s view).

Here is part of what it says:

Jewish donors and fund-raisers are warning the Obama re-election campaign that the president is at risk of losing financial support because of concerns about his handling of Israel.

The complaints began early in President Barack Obama’s term, centered on a perception that Mr. Obama has been too tough on Israel.

Some Jewish donors say Mr. Obama has pushed Israeli leaders too hard to halt construction of housing settlements in disputed territory, a longstanding element of U.S. policy. Some also worry that Mr. Obama is putting more pressure on the Israelis than the Palestinians to enter peace negotiations, and say they are disappointed Mr. Obama has not visited Israel yet.

One top Democratic fund-raiser, Miami developer Michael Adler, said he urged Obama campaign manager Jim Messina to be “extremely proactive” in countering the perception in the Jewish community that Mr. Obama is too critical of Israel.

He said his conversations with Mr. Messina were aimed at addressing the problems up front. “This was going around finding out what our weaknesses are so we can run the best campaign,” said Mr. Adler, who hosted a fund-raiser at his home for Mr. Obama earlier this year. [...]

Robert Copeland, a Virginia Beach, Va., developer, who has given large donations to many Democrats, has already decided he won’t vote for Mr. Obama in 2012. “I’m very disappointed with him,” he said. “His administration has failed in Israel. They degraded the Israeli people.” [...]
Malcolm I. Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said he saw potential for the discontent to affect Mr. Obama’s fund raising.

“It’s that people hold back, people don’t have the enthusiasm and are not rushing forward at fund-raisers to be supportive,” he said. “Much more what you’ll see is holding back now.” [...]

Some of the misgivings among Jewish supporters can be traced to specific incidents that resonated in the Jewish community. Last year, for example, Israeli media suggested Mr. Obama had snubbed Mr. Netanyahu and an Israeli delegation by leaving a White House meeting early.

The White House and Israeli officials disputed that characterization. But the incident left a lasting impression. “It was a snub,” said former New York Mayor Ed Koch, who campaigned for Mr. Obama in 2008. “My feeling was that the president was hostile to Israel.”

Mr. Koch, a Democrat, said he had been considering voting Republican in 2012, but then he saw the House proposal for privatizing Medicare for people under age 55, which he opposes. He now expects to support Mr. Obama again.

Still, Republicans see an opening. In April, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney told a gathering of the Republican Jewish Coalition that Mr. Obama should have delivered criticism of Israel’s settlement policy privately. And last year, a poll by McLaughlin & Associates, a Republican polling firm, found that 46% of American Jews said they would consider voting for someone other than Mr. Obama.

Obama’s Jewish Democratic allies are having none of it.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D., Fla.), chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, said the speech on Sunday should help set the record straight. “There’s nothing like hearing it straight from the president of the United States—his expression that he is strongly pro-Israel.” Some say the appointment of Ms. Wasserman-Schultz, who is Jewish, to run the DNC, is helpful in itself.

Tagged: Obama, Tony Karon