Obama’s Israeli Fans Sing His Praises

Josh Nathan-Kazis August 15, 2012

“Tank you Mister Obama, about everyting.”

So says a random Israeli interviewed in an exceptionally strange new video out today from the National Jewish Democratic Council.

The video opens with jaunty music playing under images of missile batteries. Then Israelis stopped on the street say nice things about the president.

One woman in a shopping mall laughs “Viva, Obama!” Residents of Sderot, the southern Israeli city that’s faced rocket attacks from Gaza, praise him. An older, bearded man standing on a sidewalk calls the president “a very bright man.”

Obama is apparently being thanked by Israelis for the Iron Dome system, which was designed to intercept missiles form Gaza. That’s strange, too, because the Iron Dome system is built in Israel. The United States partially funds the program.

The new ad comes a week after Sheldon Adelson initiated a libel suit against the NJDC.

Josh Nathan-Kazis is a staff writer for the Forward. He covers charities and politics, and writes investigations and longform.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward. Discover more perspectives in Opinion. To contact Opinion authors, email opinion@forward.com.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO