It is doubtful US President Barack Obama will rack up many tangible policy achievements during his upcoming Middle East trip. But if worse comes to worst, he won’t go home entirely empty-handed: President Shimon Peres on Monday announced that he will present his American counterpart with the Presidential Medal of Distinction during his March stay in Israel.
“It will be the first time in history that a serving president of the United States of America will receive an award of this kind from the president of the State of Israel,” the President’s Residence announced in a press release Monday afternoon — which makes sense, given the fact that the award was only created last year.
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The decision to award Obama the medal was taken by Peres on the recommendation of the award’s advisory committee, the President’s Residence said.
Thus, Peres will be awarding Obama a blue-ribboned medal less than a year after Peres himself received one in the White House: Last June, Obama, a 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, presented Peres with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.
US President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to President Shimon Peres in the White House, June 13, 2012 (photo credit: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO/Flash90)
“Barack Obama is a true friend of the State of Israel, and has been since the beginning of his public life,” Peres and the award committee said in explaining their decision. “As president of the United States of America, he has stood with Israel in times of crisis. During his time as president he has made a unique contribution to the security of the State of Israel, both through further strengthening the strategic cooperation between the countries and through the joint development of technology to defend against rockets and terrorism.”
Obama’s presidency is typified by “an unswerving belief and ongoing fight for equality without any regard for religion, race, sexuality or gender and the strengthening of the weakest in society in the United States; and for the fulfillment of the values of democracy, human rights, solidarity and peace across the world,” the announcement stated. “Through his personal story and his agenda as president of the United States of America, Barack Obama is a symbol of democratic values and he exemplifies the spirit of equality of opportunity in American society.”
President Shimon Peres presents the Presidential Medal to conductor Zubin Mehta (photo credit: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
According to the President’s Residence, the Medal of Distinction, which Peres is to present to Obama during a state dinner at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, is “comparable” to the French Legion of Honor and the Order of Canada.
The medal — which features the North Star, “to symbolize the right path,” and a menorah — is given to individuals and organizations “that have made unique and outstanding contributions to Tikkun Olam (Bettering the World), Israeli society and the State of Israel’s image around the world, and which constitute examples of initiative, innovation, creativity and vision,” according to the President’s Residence.
Previous awardees include former secretary of state Henry Kissinger; the music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta; Attorney Uri Slonim; Judy Feld Carr; the Rashi Foundation; and Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.
The advisory committee for the Presidential Medal of Distinction includes retired Supreme Court president Meir Shamgar, former president Yitzhak Navon, Professor Suzie Navot, Dr. Mohammed Issawi, Rabbi Ratzon Arusi, Gil Shwed and Professor Anita Shapira.
I'm confused.
Thank God......it's Friday!!!
Quoting deadlights86:Most of our congressmen have dual citizanship with Israel.
That wouldn't surprise me.
Thank God......it's Friday!!!
Quoting Friday:
Quoting deadlights86:Most of our congressmen have dual citizanship with Israel.
That wouldn't surprise me.
Nothing seems to surprise me with our government anymore.
VIVA LA DARYL DIXON
Quoting deadlights86:
Quoting Friday:
Quoting deadlights86:Most of our congressmen have dual citizanship with Israel.
That wouldn't surprise me.
Nothing seems to surprise me with our government anymore.
Quoting sweet-a-kins:VIVA LA DARYL DIXON
Quoting deadlights86:
Quoting Friday:
Quoting deadlights86:Most of our congressmen have dual citizanship with Israel.
That wouldn't surprise me.
Nothing seems to surprise me with our government anymore.
I luv how people just make stuff up.
Quoting deadlights86:
Most of our congressmen have dual citizanship with Israel.
Obama is in the same position as any other US president that has had to deal with Israel and the enemies Israel and its creation and subsequent attitude of entitlement has created: having to walk a very thin, somewhat meaningless line because nothing can be accomplished until Israel understands it is not deserving of any sense of "entitlement" to the land that was and is continuing to be forceably taken from people who had been living there for generations and this is still going on to this day. Israel exists and like it or not its neighbors need to accept its existance but Israel needs to start having some understanding about why its existance, its continued building of the settlements and its treatment of the Palestinians pisses everyone off or nothing will ever improve. Everyone acting as if Palestinians aren't justified in their anger is counterproductive and just fueling hate.
Look up the documentary "5 Broken Cameras". It is an unvarnished view of what happens when one Palestinian village tries to use nonviolence to protest the taking of their land by The Wall and new Israeli settlements. As your anger rises watching what happens as this documentary unfolds, try to put yourself in the place of the Palestinians who are in this situation and realize how angry they must be. How angry would any of us be? Israel's actions and the West's inaction regarding the injustices that are perpetrated every day against the Palestinians only further fuel the anger and lead to inevitable violence.
Men are so fucking stupid sometimes and I'm truly sick of the utter immaturity and toddler like thinking that happens at the highest levels of government (and no, I am not talking about Obama). Problem is, this kind of thinking among various leaders of governments/factions/organizations/gangs leads to people dying and suffering needlessly, all because most of the male species (and from my time on this site, many females as well), lack the ability to empathize.
The ability to understand other people's perspectives and the reasoning behind their anger is the only way( besides killing them, terrorizing them or deporting them) to reach a nonviolent solution and is essential for any effective negotiation.
The UN is unconstitutional. Israel is their own sovereign nation, just like every other nation. We have no business over there. And, Obama receiving a medal made me throw up in my mouth a little.
Quoting Billiejeens:
I luv how people just make stuff up.
Quoting deadlights86:
Most of our congressmen have dual citizanship with Israel.
Judge refuses to stop Arizona from denying driver's licenses to immigrants
- Friday
on Mar. 20, 2013 at 8:28 PM