Opinions About the Security of a Nation

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“Many American supporters of Israel who voted for Barack Obama now suspect they may have been victims of a bait and switch. Jewish Americans voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Obama over John McCain in part because the Obama campaign went to great lengths to assure these voters that a President Obama would be supportive of Israel. This despite his friendships with rabidly anti-Israel characters like Rev. Jeremiah Wright and historian Rashid Khalidi. [...] There may be coming changes in the Obama administration's policies that do weaken the security of the Jewish state. Successful presidential candidates often soften their support for Israel once they are elected. So with Iran's burgeoning nuclear threat, it's important to be vigilant for any signs of weakening support for Israel's security -- and to criticize forcefully any such change. But getting tough on settlement expansion should not be confused with undercutting Israel's security.” [emphasis added]
 — By ALAN M. DERSHOWITZ, law professor at Harvard.

Alan Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. He is known for his career as an attorney in several high-profile law cases and commentary on the Arab-Israeli conflict. He has spent most of his career at Harvard, where, at the age of 28, he became the youngest full professor in its history. As a criminal appellate lawyer, he has won thirteen out of the fifteen murder and attempted murder cases he has handled, and he was the appellate advisor for the defense in the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Mr. Dershowitz is undoubtedly an eminent legal scholar and a very successful lawyer. What he is not, sadly, is infallible. In my humble opinion, therefore, his opinion (as well as the opinion of any other individual) about confusion concerning Israel's security is of negligible import to the lives of millions of Israelis and the destiny of their Nation.

Millions of well-meaning, intelligent, and decent Americans voted for President Obama in the belief that his campaign promises and slogans were sincerely spoken and solemnly pledged. So, my question (and that of many others whose cautious skepticism appears to have been prudent) is, "How's all that hope-and-change working for you?"

Post #823 Opinions About the Security of a Nation