Obama Official Blasts Israel Envoy's 'Unfortunate' J-Street Remarks

[Purveyor]

By Jordan Fabian - 12/26/09 04:50 PM ET

An Obama administration official criticized as "most unfortunate" remarks made by Israel's ambassador to the U.S. about a liberal Jewish lobbying group.

Hannah Rosenthal, head of the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, said that Ambassador Michael Oren's refusal to serve as keynote speaker at J-Street's inaugural conference was damaging to the group.

"It is not 1939," Rosenthal, who used to sit on the group's board, told the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz, said. "We have the state of Israel. We have laws in countries that are holding people accountable."

J-Street was established several years ago as a pro-Israel lobby that would have a different mission than the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a well-established influential group that some liberals have criticized as being too far to the right on the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Rosenthal's words come as Israel and the Obama administration have engaged over a deep disagreement over the group. The administration has offered support to the group. National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones (Ret.) spoke at its inaugural conference.

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THE HILL: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/73641-obama-official-blasts-israel-envoys-unfortunate-j-street-remarks