Nathan Guttman
The Jewish Daily Foreward
6/5/2012
Weeks before George Washington’s historic letter to the Jewish community goes on display at the National Museum of American Jewish History, President Obama received a copy of the document from a delegation of Orthodox rabbis and communal leaders visiting the White House.
The letter, in which President Washington promises America would give “to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance” was sent in 1790 to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island. The congregation was based in the Touro Shul, an Orthodox synagogue. As such, the Orthodox Union takes special pride in the letter and decided to present President Obama with a copy at the conclusion of their meeting on June 5. A similar copy was given to President George W Bush when he was in office…
…The President described Israel’s government as having been extreme right and said that Netanyahu, just like any other world leader, does not want “any restraints,” and does not want to be seen as a weak leader. On the Palestinian side, Obama sounded even more pessimistic, telling the audience President Mahmoud Abbas may not want to close a deal and that his views “have deteriorated” to the point at which the window of opportunity for a peace agreement may have already closed. Obama did pledge, however, that the United States would keep trying to promote peace…
Read the entire article at The Jewish Daily Foreward.
H/T Weasel Zippers: “Apparently wanting to ensure your country doesn’t get annihilated makes you extreme.”
