New York – Israeli politicians lined up Thursday to voice their support for US Secretary of the Treasury Jacob Lew after Lew was booed by the crowd at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York on Sunday.
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The crowd jeered as Lew, an observant Jew himself, defended the Obama administration’s commitment to Israel’s security and adamant stance that Iran not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
National Infrastructure Minister Yuval Steinitz, who took the stage at the conference following Lew’s speech, said that the US treasury secretary had been instrumental in helping Israel become a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky also came to Lew’s defense during his own speech to the conference, saying that as an aide to Senator Tip O’Neill in the late 1970s, Lew had played a major part in bringing about the release of Soviet Jews.
Sharansky said that the crowd should take into account how pro-Israeli speakers are treated on hostile college campuses and give a respectful reception to those with whom you may disagree.
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid made a personal appeal to Lew in a meeting on the sidelines of the conference, telling US treasury secretary, “The boos that were directed at you represent an ugly and embarrassing act. Israel greatly appreciates the relations with US administration.”
Lapid added: “If we want to maintain good relations with the US administration we need to know how to behave politely to all senior members of the administration, and once again, we have failed and fallen at this.”
אם החרש תחרישין כעת הזאת, Obama is trying to sell out Israel and is using Jewish faces to do so, those Jewish faces should stand up for Israel, not offer Obama legitimacy.
Obama has been a disaster on foreign policy, G-D forbid should Israel listen to him, they can look like Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon or Syria.
He has snubbed the leader of Israel, way before this Saga.
Forgot to add Russia, Ukrain and Turkey, all continuous examples of his pacifist approach. .
Secretary Lew is a member in the Riverdale Jewish center under the esteemed Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt. Ask Rabbi Rosenblatt for his opinion, he is not ashamed to tell you all.
Rabbi Rosenblatt has other reasons to be ashamed these days. If I was Secretary Lew I would not want R’ Rosenblatt as a character witness.
Lew is a Foyer Ready jew. All shabbas and kosher and no beard or kippah. He is probably a bit phony.
Typical liberal buts liberalism before his religion and people.
When u get a job like this ,you know going in there is going to be issues.
This issue he did not handle well
Lew should have told the president Behaima find someone else to be a shill for this insane policy
.What does treasury secretary have to do with Iran?
He should have reclused himself on this one,just like a frum IRS auditor will do when he is involved with a frum company auditing their books
This reminds me of the Hungarian Jews before WW 2 who continuously assured the Jews that nothing will happen to them because we have a “great relationship” with the Hungarian government. History repeats itself Ad Yimai Moshiach
Kapo!