Michael Oren: Sanders should apologize for Gaza ‘blood libel’

[ericson00]

http://www.timesofisrael.com/mk-oren-sanders-should-apologize-for-gaza-blood-libel/

rnie Sanders should retract and apologize for his “libelous” suggestion that Israel killed more than 10,000 innocent Palestinians during the last Gaza war, MK Michael Oren said Thursday, asserting that the Democratic candidate’s misrepresentation ultimately serves the interests of Hamas and other terrorist groups.

Oren, who served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States between 2009 and 2013, argued that the presidential candidate’s comments delegitimize the Jewish state and endanger its security.

....

“He accused us of a blood libel. He accused us of bombing hospitals. He accused us of killing 10,000 Palestinian civilians. Don’t you think that merits an apology?” Oren went on.

[oberliner]

1. I wonder where Bernie got that 10,000 number from

It is 5 times higher than the actual number.

I would be curious to know what his source was.

[ericson00]

3. probably from the nutcases on the internet

who make up his base.

[shira]

7. That may be those who were injured. n/t

[oberliner]

8. He said: "my recollection is over 10,000 innocent people were killed in Gaza"

He said killed, not injured.

[shira]

15. Right. He got it mixed up.

He probably learned somewhere that there were 10,000 injured but got his facts confused somehow.

I don't think he pulled 10,000 out of his ass.

I have a bigger problem with Bernie's contention that Israel indiscriminately killed civilians.

[oberliner]

18. Today on MSNBC he said over 2,000 civilians were killed in Gaza

Which is also incorrect.

He cited the UN figure which represents the total number of people killed, out of which only a percentage were civilians. The highest estimates of civilian casualties is around 1,500.

He also did not seem to have any actual position on what an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal should look like.

[shira]

19. That's not good. n/t

[safeinOhio]

2. Times of Israel

is a propaganda rag.

[oberliner]

6. True

But in the NY Daily News interview, Sanders did say that 10,000 civilians were killed in Gaza in 2014 and the actual number is around 2,000.

I wonder where he got the incorrect information from.

[dr60omg]

4. Oren is a putz accusing a Jew of saying blood libel. Oren is a right wing whack job

Oren is a horrible human being to use as a source. Do you du people understand what blood libel signifies ... he never said blood libel he said libelous and he should be able to say what ought to be said about Israel. Maybe it takes a Jew to say what needs to be said to Israel. Sanders worked on a kibbutz, he gets what happened. He gets what precipitated the PUDDING WAR. If, you don't know what that is then please don't try to appropriate what some crazy right wing nut former ambassador says about an American presidential candidate

[shira]

5. What a load of shit. Name one position of Oren's that makes him rightwing.

I'm betting you can't.

[dr60omg]

9. Want to make a bet sorry I did not answer earlier

OK here goes: that game with Iran: He also laid into the White House, repeating his charge that Obama put daylight between the U.S. and Israel as a matter of policy when he spoke in Cairo in 2009. Under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, the two countries tried to keep their problems behind closed doors, he added.
By contrast, any mistakes Israel has made, any surprises, he reiterated, were “honest,” as in 2010 when the Jewish state announced a plan to expand settlement housing in East Jerusalem when Vice President Joe Biden visited the country
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/michael-oren-new-book-obama-iran-deal-119317#ixzz45AnjSuj3

Sorry PEACE is an issue and Oren has always been anti-President Obama

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/06/michael-oren-interview-obama-israel/396896/
http://www.newsweek.com/2015/07/10/michael-oren-anti-obama-memoir-347759.html

Want more? Did you notice as I did how newsweek said
"Oren who renounced his U.S. citizenship and now serves as a lawmaker in Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition, transforms from a measured historian into a breathless polemicist."
http://www.thenation.com/article/michael-oren-and-the-end-of-liberal-zionism/

[shira]

10. 57 House Dems had to be convinced personally by Obama to sign onto the Iran deal....

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/11/politics/obama-congress-democrats-iran-nuclear-deal/

And HRC has campaigned on closing the daylight between the US and Israel.

As to serving in Bibi's government, Oren has been pretty critical of Netanyahu after he was done being ambassador.

Many on Israel's Left have been critical of Obama too.

========================

Lastly, you make it appear that anyone disagreeing with Obama must be rightwing. Do you support Obama 100% on everything? Because if not, then according to your train of thought you're rightwing.

[dr60omg]

12. I don't support anyone blindly but to see Oren is not right wing is like saying Dermer is NOT

Really you have to be kidding me. He is exceptionally right wing http://forward.com/opinion/editorial/310749/michael-oren-you-hardly-know-us/
http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/michael_oren/

http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/michael-oren-is-tired-of-american-jews-and-so-am-i/2015/07/05/
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.663364
http://www.acjna.org/acjna/articles_detail.aspx?id=655
http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/05/15/a-jewish-state-vs-the-jewish-state/
The book was after he left Netanyahu's cabinet
http://www.jewishmediaresources.com/1758/michael-oren-and-the-decline-of-american-jewry

You want to discuss the bulletin boards and the commercials leveled at 1/2 Israeli 1/2 American kids http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/israel-pulls-dont-marry-a-us-jew-ads/story-e6frg6so-1226212973938
You know why they did this don't you

[shira]

14. Dermer is rightwing, Oren is centrist at worst.

You know who Isaac Herzog is?
Ari Shavit?
Aluf Benn?

They cannot possibly be described as rightwing, and yet they opposed Obama's Iran deal.

Just as the 57 House Dems originally did.

That doesn't imply they're all rightwing.

[grossproffit]

11. Disgraceful.

[bemildred]

13. They are getting desperate. nt

[grossproffit]

16. Since when are facts considered desperate?

If someone is going to discuss something they should either know what they're talking about or not comment. Pulling numbers out of ones ass is unacceptable and should be called out.

[bemildred]

17. I didn't say the facts are desperate. Facts are not people, they don't have feelings. nt

[leftynyc]

20. Who is getting desperate?

Those who want the truth told?

[bemildred]

21. Oren would certainly be one of them?

So him and his friends, basically, he's a jerk, I remember him.

[Little Tich]

22. Sanders: “Who is Mr. Oren?”

Asked about criticism from Oren, Sanders asked, “Who is Mr. Oren?” Told who Oren is, Sanders said, “I see. And he’s attacking me for a statement I did not make.”

Source: http://www.timesofisrael.com/clinton-hits-back-at-sanders-over-gaza-comments/

[bemildred]

23. That's why they're desperate, nobody is paying them any attention any more.

"I keep pulling the lever and nothing happens."

[shira]

24. Not knowing Oren doesn't speak well for Sanders' knowledge of foreign policy. n/t