As part of its bid to counter Republican attacks on its “pro-Israel” record, the Obama Administration has publicized its first campaign video directly addressing its treatment of Israel entitled: “America and Israel: An Unbreakable Bond.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izUkZpTft2w[/youtube]

The fact that the Obama Administration feels it must recruit the Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Israeli Ambassador — all of whom are responsible for the continued policy of discrimination, occupation, inequality and deceitful rhetoric that directly contradict stated American positions — to vouch for him is nauseating and infuriating.

Why do they need this video anyway? After all, most American Jews – even those unsatisfied with Obama’s relation to Israel – vote democrat anyway and the ones who vote republican surely won’t convert because of this video.

And besides, Obama has not done anything to challenge Israel’s rightwing agenda and policies so there is no actual reason for anyone to question his support (read: condoning) of Israeli actions. The fact that they do is a result of decades of “pro-Israel” bullying and occupation whitewashing – the hard work of organizations like AIPAC and figures like Josh Block. As my colleague Yossi Gurvitz just wrote following the Atlanta Jewish Times editorial calling for the assassination of Obama , there is no lack of examples of people prioritizing Israel’s rightwing agenda:

The fact that there is a debate on this issue – that such people [“Israel firsters”] exist – is silly to the extreme and assumes we are people with no sense of history. To put it in one word: Pollard. In two: AIPAC espionage. But we seem to be having just such a debate.