Obama's Participation in the U.N.s Alliance of Civilizations Summit: by Jerrold L. Sobel

There is a great deal of concern in both Israel and the U. S. over President Obama’s participation of the U.N.’s Alliance of Civilization summit recently held in Turkey; and rightfully so. As an offshoot of the Dialogue of Civilizations, this group, formed in 2005 is composed of the former President of Iran Mohammed Khatami; China; the Organization of the Islamic Conference; the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; the Arab League; and Turkey. At last year’s meeting, a proclamation was issued stating that freedom of speech “should be balanced with respect for religion.” I wonder which religion these stalwarts of freedom were speaking about. Surprisingly, they came up with the idea that the Western media should no longer use the term terrorism when describing; terrorism. How coincidental, our President also came to the same conclusion just recently. Even more surprising, these libertarians disproportionately focused their attention upon Israel and casts most of the violence in the Middle East upon the Jewish State’s shoulders. In a voluminous report issued in 2006, this same group endorsed the Arab Peace Initiative which calls for Israel to withdraw to the indefensible 1949 borders; relinquishment of the Golan Heights; the total withdrawal from the West Bank, and east Jerusalem; including the Western Wall, Judaism’s most holy site. In one of his first interviews as President this past January, Obama lauded this initiative as “important.” The question is, important to whom, certainly not Israel.