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Michael Oren: Obama abandoned principles of U.S.-Israel relationship

(JNS.org) Former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and current Member of Knesset Michael Oren (Kulanu) accused President Barack Obama of abandoning Israel and deliberately damaging American-Israeli relations.

In an op-ed appearing in the Wall Street Journal, Oren said that Obama has “abandoned” two core principles of the U.S.-Israel alliance.

A noted historian, the American-born Oren served as Israeli ambassador to the U.S. from 2009-13.

“From the moment he entered office, Mr. Obama promoted an agenda of championing the Palestinian cause and achieving a nuclear accord with Iran,” Oren wrote, adding that Obama abandoned “two core principles of Israel’s alliance with America.”

According to Oren, the first principle was “no daylight.” Oren explained that the U.S. and Israel always can disagree, but never openly.

“The other core principle was ‘no surprises,’” he wrote, citing Obama’s 2009 speech in Cairo, which gave “unprecedented support for the Palestinians and its recognition of Iran’s right to nuclear power” without consulting Israel.

Oren added that Obama “surprised” Israel on two other significant occasions in May 2011— when he “altered 40 years of U.S. policy by endorsing the 1967 lines with land swaps,” and offered to sponsor both a U.N. Security Council investigation into Israeli settlements as well as an effort by Turkey and Egypt to force Israel to reveal its nuclear program.

Further, Oren said that the abandonment of the two principles “climaxed” over the Iranian nuclear program.

“The past six years have seen successive crises in U.S.-Israeli relations, and there is a need to set the record straight. But the greater need is to ensure a future of minimal mistakes and prevent further erosion of our vital alliance,” Oren concluded.

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