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Thursday, June 24, 2010 Israel Today Staff

Jon Voight, US senators rip Obama over Israel

Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight this week again demonstrated his deep commitment to the Jewish state by publishing an open letter to US President Barack Obama blasting him for "putting Israel in harm's way."

Published in The Washington Times, the letter accused Obama of being "the first American president that lied to the Jewish people, and the American people as well, when you said that you would defend Israel… against all their enemies."

Instead, Voight wrote that Obama is aiding the Jewish state's enemies in "propagandizing Israel," and in so doing is "promoting anti-Semitism throughout the world."

Voight insisted that the US and the rest of the West owe Israel much more.

"You have brought this to a people who have given the world the Ten Commandments and most laws we live by today," he concluded.

Voight, a Bible-believing Christian, is an longtime, outspoken supporter of Israel. He visited the Jewish state in 2008 to participate in Israel's 60th Independence Day.

In their own letter to President Obama, 87 out of 100 US Senators took a more diplomatic approach, but also chided the commander-in-chief for not being more supportive of Israel in a time when its enemies are starting to circle.

"Israel’s opponents have developed clever diplomatic and tactical ploys to challenge its international standing," read the letter.

The senators singled out the exaggerated focus on Israel at the recent Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty summit, which Obama publicly criticized, but ultimately was responsible for. They also suggested that Washington should be backing up Israel in the Gaza flotilla controversy, rather than trying to ride the fence.