By Varda Epstein
I am in the U.S. on business, touring children’s summer camps sponsored by the nonprofit I work for, Kars4Kids. At least my physical presence is here. My heart, on the other hand, is in Israel, where my beloved country is at war and where my son has been called up to the reserves. My heart doesn’t seem big enough to contain both my love for my country and my umbrage at the audacity of the current White House incumbent.
What is it now, you might wonder. This time it’s a phone call. President Obama called Bibi yesterday and read him the riot act. I hate the way the President tries to boss my Prime Minister around. I hate the way he’s always kicking Israel in the you-know-whatsies. Usually, the Prez tells Bibi to jump, and Bibi asks, “How high?”
But things have been different lately. Let’s hope they stay this way. I prefer this Bibi to the other one.
What’s really interesting however, is the juxtaposition of the contents of this recent phone call to that of a transcript dating back to 2008, when then Senator Barack Obama visited Israel. Let’s take a look:
On Sunday, July 27, 2014, President Barack Obama called the Prime Minister of Israel, Benyamin Netanyahu. According to the readout of the phone call released by the White House:
“The President made clear the strategic imperative of instituting an immediate, unconditional humanitarian ceasefire that ends hostilities now and leads to a permanent cessation of hostilities based on the November 2012 ceasefire agreement. . .The President underscored the enduring importance of . . . enacting a sustainable ceasefire that both allows Palestinians in Gaza to lead normal lives and addresses Gaza’s long-term development and economic needs, while strengthening the Palestinian Authority.”
Now for the 2008 transcript. Funny, what a difference 6 years and two presidential election victories can make. Read it and weep.
