Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Monday morning and was profuse in her declarations of love and commitment to the Jewish State. It helped her case tremendously that the media had been full of statements by various liberal Jewish groups vilifying her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, who is scheduled to speak there Tuesday night. It also helped that Trump has been peppering the news with statements that would actually appeal to those liberal Jewish groups, if they only paid attention, but were upsetting to the majority of the Jews crowding Washington DC this week.
Here are a few nuggets Hillary served up Monday, with a crafty glance over her shoulder at departing President Obama, and a deriding stare to the right at Donald Trump and the Republican party.
“One of the first things I’ll do in office is invite the Israeli prime minister to visit the White House,” Hillary promised — no doubt a comment on the chilly relationship between the current dweller in that edifice and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Then she sang a little bit of Hatikvah: “There is much Americans can learn from Israel, from cybersecurity to energy security to water security and just on an everyday people-to-people level. And it’s especially important to continue fostering relationships between American and Israeli young people who may not always remember our shared past. They are the future of our relationship and we have to do more to promote that.”
Followed by a stern rebuke to the anti-Israel forces: “Many of the young people here today are on the front lines of the battle to oppose the alarming boycott, divestment and sanctions movement known as BDS.” And, ” Anti-Semitism has no place in any civilized society, not in America, not in Europe, not anywhere.”
And a brilliant take on Trump’s bizarre statements regarding Israel: “Yes, we need steady hands, not a president who says he’s neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday, and who knows what on Wednesday, because everything’s negotiable.” … Wait for it, let the applause diminish and hit them with the punch line: “Well, my friends, Israel’s security is non-negotiable.”
Very well done, Hillary.
Next came her analysis of the Iranian threat in Syria, which could have been written for her by the IDF spokesman: “The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies are attempting to establish a position on the Golan from which to threaten Israel, and they continue to fund Palestinian terrorists. In Lebanon, Hezbollah is amassing an arsenal of increasingly sophisticated rockets and artillery that well may be able to hit every city in Israel.”
Will Trump show her level of detailed familiarity with Israel’s security situation on the ground? Possibly, if he gets good advice between Monday and Tuesday night. Hillary Clinton came across as a mature and seasoned politician, definitely prepared to take on the job of President of the United States. She’s still a little robotic, still not completely human — but oozing confidence and a clear expression of friendship to US Jews and to Israelis.
Let’s see if Trump can top it.
To play this thing fair, we’re enclosing the official RJC Statement on Hillary Clinton AIPAC Speech, from RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks: “Hillary Clinton’s rhetoric rings hollow. Actions speak louder than words and Hillary’s words can do little to paper over her disastrous tenure as Secretary of State. Under Secretary Clinton, the US-Israel relationship reached its lowest point and she supported the United States-brokered, ill-conceived and disastrous nuclear deal with Iran. At every turn when her actions could achieve real results and speak louder than words, Secretary of State Clinton chose instead to sit and do nothing. Pro-Israel voters have learned from painful experience that there is a difference between political speeches and governing priorities. Hillary Clinton has proven time and again that talk is cheap, and today was no different.”