Former Israeli Ambassador to the US MK Michael Oren (Kulanu), a member of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, released a particularly strong accusation against US President Barack Obama on Saturday.
Speaking on Saturday morning at a cultural event in Be’er Sheva, Oren accused Obama of “bringing in radical Muslim values into the White House.”
“Obama’s worldview would have been problematic to any Israeli government, including a leftist government,” asserted the former ambassador. “This is the first time that radical Muslim values reached the White House.”
The MK said, “Obama will never say the term ‘radical Islam,’ because Obama was exposed to the Muslim world and its values.”
His comment refers to the fact that Obama’s father was a Muslim Kenyan, and he spent many years in his childhood living in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world, after his mother re-married with another Muslim man.
“It is his right as president to bring into the White House a different worldview from those of his predecessors,” continued Oren. “Our responsibility is to recognize this fact and act in accordance.”
The former envoy argued that Obama “is viewed as weak in the world,” referencing the president’s lackluster foreign policy, and concluded by saying, “I won’t hide it – there’s no love story here” between Israel and Obama.
Oren added that the bilateral relations between Israel and the US comprise of enough levels that Obama’s worldview will not significantly affect the alliance.
The MK raised a storm over the summer after publishing a book accusing Obama of betraying the alliance with Israel. The book earned stern condemnation from the White House.