OBAMA, THE LIBERAL JEW

Former President Barack Obama told a Jewish congregation in Manhattan Thursday that he is “basically a liberal Jew” as he defended his administration’s record on Israel and his decision to criticize Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria.

Ha’aretz reports

The event at Temple Emanuel in Manhattan marked the first time that Obama spoke publicly about Israel since leaving officeObama defended his decision to abstain at a December 2016 UN Security Council vote denouncing Israeli settlements. He explained that vetoing the resolution would have hurt “our credibility on human rights.” He also stated that “to be a true friend of Israel it is important to be honest about it, and the politics of this country sometimes do not allow for it.”