Hillary Clinton’s Advisers Gave Nothing But Anti-Israel Advice
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Anne Marie Slaughter Israel Anne-Marie Slaughter Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton emails Hillary Clinton Israel Sandy Berger Israel Sid Blumenthal Israel
Hillary Clinton. Photo: State Department
It’s already been established that one of Hillary Clinton’s most trusted advisers, Sid Blumenthal, sent her dozens of anti-Israel articles, ideas and pieces of advice during her time as secretary of state. But the stream of anti-Israel advice received by Hillary was much more comprehensive than that which came from just one adviser. In the entire batch of Hillary’s emails, you will be hard pressed to find a single email that is sympathetic towards the Jewish state, from any of the people on whom she relied.
The negative, poisonous approach towards Israel throughout this cache of emails shows the atmosphere that Hillary had established around herself. These emails seem to demonstrate that a huge segment of her close advisers and confidants were attacking Israel, condemning Netanyahu, and strategizing about how to force Israel to withdraw from Judea and Samaria at all costs.
Take a look at a sampling of the advice being sent to Hillary from her many advisers.
Sandy Berger was Hillary’s foreign policy adviser during her 2008 presidential campaign. In September 2010, he sent Hillary ideas on how to pressure Israel to make concessions for peace. Berger acknowledged “how fragile Abbas’s political position [is],” and how “Palestinians are in disarray,” and “Failure is a real possibility.” Berger was well aware, and informed Hillary, of the very real possibility that Israel would be placing its national security at grave risk in a deal that would very likely fail and lead to a Hamas takeover. But Berger felt the risks to Israeli lives were worth it. He advised of the need to make Netanyahu feel “uneasy about incurring our displeasure…”
Berger emphasized the need “to convince the prime minister — through various forms of overt persuasion and implicit pressure — to make the necessary compromises” and talks of the “possibility — to turn [Netanyahu’s] position against him.”
Astoundingly, Berger seemed to accuse the Jews in America of racism towards Obama. He writes, “At a political level, the past year has clearly demonstrated the degree to which the US has been hamstrung by its low ratings in Israel and among important segments of the domestic Jewish constituency…” He then added, “domestically, he faces a reservoir of skepticism on this issue which reflects many factors, including inexcusable prejudice.”
Anne Marie Slaughter was Hillary’s director of policy planning from 2009-2011. She wrote Hillary in September of 2010 and devised a scheme to encourage wealthy philanthropists to pledge millions to the Palestinians (which no doubt would have been embezzled by Abbas and his cronies as were other funds).
She wrote to Hillary, “This may be a crazy idea… Suppose we launched a ‘Pledge for Palestine’ campaign… Such a campaign among billionaires/multi-millionaires around the world would reflect a strong vote of confidence in the building of a Palestinian state…”
She added, “there would also be a certain shaming effect re Israelis who, would be building settlements in the face of a pledge for peace.”
Hillary’s response to this email: “I am very interested-pls flesh out. Thx.”
Robert Russo, one of Hillary’s aides and currently her campaign’s “director of correspondence and briefings,” sent an email in April 2012 informing Hillary of Netanyahu’s father’s passing, and advised her to phone him to offer her condolences. Included with Russo’s email is an extremely biased article attacking both Netanyahu and his father, describing them as virulently racist warmongers, and calling the elder Netanyahu “a behind-the-scenes adviser to his son, the most powerful person in Israel.”
The article notes, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly denied that his father was a one-dimensional ideologue. He further emphasized that he himself was a different person from his father.” But then it goes on to say, without providing any proof whatsoever, “Israelis seemed in the dark about the extent of paternal influence on their leader,” and “To understand Bibi, you have to understand the father.”
One might be forgiven, then, for questioning Hillary’s sympathy and sincerity when she later placed the call and extended Netanyahu her condolences.
Thomas Pickering, former US Ambassador to Israel, wrote Hillary on December 18, 2011 and suggested a secret plan to stir up major Palestinian protests in an attempt to force the Israeli government into peace negotiations. He stated that the protests “must be all and only women. Why? On the Palestinian side the male culture is to use force.”
Pickering’s goal was to ignite protests that would engulf the West Bank, “just like Tahrir square.” He added that the Palestinian “leadership has shied away from this idea because they can’t control it,” and they are “afraid of being replaced.”
This idiotic reasoning that somehow only women would participate and things would stay peaceful is obviously absurd. As Pickering himself noted, “Palestinian men will not for long patiently demonstrate — they will be inclined over time and much too soon to be frustrated and use force. Their male culture comes close to requiring it.” Regardless, Pickering wrote that the protests could be used against Israel “to influence the political leadership.”
The idea was as dangerous for the Palestinians as it was for Israel. As Pickering himself admitted, widespread protests could overthrow Abbas’ government, and if Palestinian men joined in, widespread violence would inevitably break out. It would obviously be impossible to prevent men from participating in these demonstrations.
Yet Pickering felt this extreme risk was worth taking, even if it meant replacing Abbas with another Hamas-styled government. And even if it meant the outbreak of violence across the West Bank, leading to a third intifada and the murder of countless Jews. He also emphasized the need to hide all US involvement in this plot. Hillary forwarded this email to Monica Hanley and asked her to “pls print.”
Clandestinely stirring up potentially violent protests in an attempt to try and force Israel to go against its best interests? Advice like this was par for the course when it came to Hillary’s advisers.
In a follow-up column, I will illuminate even more anti-Israel advice that was given to the then-secretary of state. Sadly, there was just so much of it.
Shmuley Boteach, “America’s Rabbi,” is the international bestselling author of 30 books including his upcoming The Israel Warriors Handbook. Follow him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.
10:12 pm
Birds of a feather…the Clintons have received huge sums from Arab potentates, and as everyone knows their loyalty is always for rent.
6:04 pm
When one votes Party, this is what you get! How one would vote for this carpet bagger, Lord only knows! The Senator from NY was a joke! The Secretary of State? A tragedy!
4:59 pm
A User’s Guide to Presidential Candidates
Hillary: Press “delete”
Sanders: Press the red button.
Trump: Press “back space”
Cruz: Press SAVE – congratulations, you have voted correctly!
1:05 pm
Hilary, an Alinsky’s child says EVERYTHING. Isn’t her son-in law on the far-left?
If they could they would water-board Bibi or anybody on the right of center.
But the fact is that as long as the West refuses adamantly to force the Pal into a compromise, the West is considering the possibility of a 2nd Jewish holocaust.
6:51 am
The only thing worse than Hillary as POTUS would be Bernie Sanders. I don’t even want Bloomberg or any other Jew as POTUS. A Jew will lean over backwards to be ‘even handed’ and we all knows that means forcing Israel into suicide.
4:33 am
You repeatedly fall into the slightly paranoid idea that whoever disagrees with your opinion is your enemy, and wants to harm you.
Hillary Clinton, and MANY Israelis, and MANY Jews or friends of Israel, world wide, believe that Israel’s settlement policy is deadly dangerous to the continued existence of the Jewish state.
They may well be acting in Israel’s best interest by trying to force a solution on those whose actions indicate they believe that NO solution is the best solution. Today, this mistaken approach is blowing up in our faces.
If someone tries to prevent a friend from causing themselves deadly harm, they are not trying to harm.
8:40 am
Paul, are you saying that Jews cannot live wherever they wish? Are they the only people whose choices are circumscribed? Are you for a Judenfrei PA? These questions are asked in sincerity.
1:17 am
So it’s paranoid to take seriously the destructive intent spelled out in the PA charter, in top Fatah speeches, in “How To Kill Jews” videos, and in Arab-sponsored surveys (all of which make no mention of settlements, btw)? So you think the Palestinians and their backers are just big bluffers? No, you actually don’t think this, otherwise there would be nothing “deadly dangerous” in store for your friend Israel.
So here’s a thought: why don’t you and Hillary spare Israel your great friendship and bestow it instead on the Pals. Tell them to cut the eliminationist approach to peace. That’s what a friend would do. How’s that for a radical – and moral – approach?
12:23 pm
More to say, Paul…
The settlements may be wrong (I don’t know; and unless you’re an international law scholar, you don’t either). But given the atrocities committed worldwide, if Israel has to face “deadly destruction” for a possibly wrong home construction policy, this is the true problem; whether or not there are Jews who don’t see it.
There’s a reason the world isn’t ganging up North Korea, and it’s not because its offenses don’t warrant it; it’s because everyone knows the danger that would ensue. Thus, if Israel (previously “The Jews”) were really the big immoral world menace that people pretend, it would not even be viable to pressure and damage them, as has always been done. And a true friend wouldn’t want to see more of same.
2:45 am
“Hillary Clinton’s Advisers Gave Nothing But Anti-Israel Advice”
Imagine what they would do if she ever became President.
But surely the American electorate can not be deceived into electing a liar such as she. Especially after their Obama fiascos.
2:10 am
As far as I can see a ‘good’ USA president must be a good anti Semite. Instead of looking to the good and progress of people in the USA Clinton can spend her time seeing how to kill God’s people, the Israelis.
1:51 am
The level of depravity that these emails represent infuriates me! Just despicable conduct.
1:19 am
It says a great deal about Hillary Clinton.
If we thought that Barack Obama’s administration was bad for Israel, I would hate to think what a Clinton administration attitude towards Israel is going to be.
12:08 am
very sobering article. of course, it shows the moronic calculations of advisers who think of themselves as clever, subtle, sly. real operators: ridiculous conceit. a contemptible demonstration of irremediable intellectual and moral impoverishment.
if it weren’t so serious, these vile machinations would be hilarious.
these careerist-mutts take themselves so seriously and they are so committed to themselves; they will do anything to anyone to elicit the approval of their patron and to advance themselves.
if she doesn’t know anything else, doesn’t clinton know that blumenthal is toxic? it doesn’t take a genius to know that. it will rub off on her. and, it should.
9:33 pm
Pickering is the same guy who led that whitewash of Benghazi. They didn’t even interview Hillary.
And if there is a man lower than Sidney Blumenthal, it is his son, Max.
9:13 pm
Thank you Rabbi Boteach for this very important information about a story that people need to know. I have some questions as I would like to bring to your attention a related story that has received very little press coverage. This involves the blocking of tax exempt status for a pro-Israel group, “Z Street” (not to be confused with “J Street”), that happened in 2009 when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. This is very important because Lori Lowenthal Marcus, the founder, has so far, bravely fought the IRS for approximately 5 or 6 years and has recently been successful in court in bringing this to the discovery stage. The last hearings that i read about were in June of 2015 and I have heard nothing since. Lori Lowenthal Marcus, an excellent writer and attorney, stated in an article in June of 2015 that “Z STREET looks forward to using the discovery process to learn more about the precise nature, origin and effect of this policy, which the DC Circuit has now made clear is a violation of essential Constitutional rights”. My question is what has happened with this case. Are we any closer to knowing if Secretaries Clinton and Kerry, President Obama, and who else may have given the orders to block pro-Israel groups from tax exempt status? Is this information in any of the Hillary Clinton emails? Is anyone being called into court to testify on this? Is the administration blocking all action on this? What is happening to this case and why is no one reporting on it?
Thank you.
9:12 pm
This column should go to every Synagogue, JWV post, Jewish group etc. Let’s not forget Bill Clintons’ role in Oslo, his lies that the PA/plo amended its charter, Refused to back Israel in 2000 when arafat walked away from the talks and the second intifada started. Also look at the $ to the Clinton Foundations
8:50 pm
From those wonderful folks who brought us the Putin reset, the Iraq withdrawal, Benghazi videos, and the ISIS JV.
Can’t say ignorant because at this level these people know that Abbas rejected the 2005 deal brokered by W. Bush and Arafat rejected the 2000 deal brokered by Clinton. They know Israel left Gaza and what happened. They know who Hamas and who the PA are.
They wish it isn’t Jihad and pretend its “workplace violence, jobs, and videos.
Pathetic lazy, un-visionary, un-talented, easy-road, dangerous people that have caused the world to be a more ugly place.
8:42 pm
Whether by Hillary Clinton, Sandy Berger, Thomas Pickering or
any other State Department operative, this all amounts to
flagrant interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign,
democratic state. Which other country does the U.S. so brazen-
ly interfere? Which other country but Israel would tolerate
this?
8:24 pm
Finally, someone is doing the homework of actually studying the released e-mails, to discern how Clinton’s State Dept. operated and how it affected U.S. foreign policy. It is this fact-based analysis that we so badly need, in this election year. I am sick of hearing the endless claims of Clinton’s massive experience and proven expertise. . .These claims are never linked to the PARTICULARS of what she did, in office, or to the ideological underpinnings of her Department’s flailing work, under her stewardship. Thank you, Shmuley, not only for revealing the tremendous hazards that the Clinton State Department risked, but also for setting an example for HOW voters should evaluate candidates’ often wild and spurious accounts of their own records.
7:50 pm
She’d sell her mother to become president, but one wonders why the pro-Israel camp allowed the anti-Israel camp to outnumber the material.
Fact is – and especially so if we knew about the deluge of ant-Israel material Clinton was receiving – that ‘the Israel Lobby (!!)’ let the side down….. as they continually do.
I’m far away from the US, have never stopped wondering how American Jews could support Obama, whose views were obvious from the start, and hope that American Jews have finally woken up to themselves and:
1. are providing Republicans with appropriate material,
2. vote for a president whose HISTORY indicates their longstanding pro-Israeli stance.