(Editor’s Note: David Farer is a resident of Sderot — the Israeli town on the border of the Gaza Strip that has suffered relentless missile attacks since Israel pulled all military and Jewish residents from the Gaza Strip in August 2005.
On August 15 of last month, the National Jewish Democratic Council released a video and accompanying press release titled “What Do Israelis Think of President Obama?” The press release included this quote from NJDC President and CEO David A. Harris:
President Barack Obama’s strong support for Israel has been recognized by Israeli leaders such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, as well as many pro-Israel leaders here in the United States. … Today, we’re hearing what Israelis living on the front lines think.
Farer recognized his friends and neighbors in the video.He believed their comments were misleadingly edited or dishonestly encouraged. Farer re-interviewed the subjects and found his suspicions were correct. Some highlights:
– One participant, Sasson Sara, was emphatic: “I do not support [Obama].” Sara claims the video omitted several words he spoke, thus giving his statement the appearance of conveying the exact opposite message Sara had intended.
The video shows Sara saying in Hebrew: “Sderot is important to him. The Jewish people are important to him. The state of Israel is important to him.”
Sasson claims he actually spoke the following in Hebrew: “If Sderot is important to him, the Jewish people are important to him, the state of Israel is important to him, then Obama should do more about Iran.” [Read more]
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