Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Tuesday that President Obama’s relationship with Israel is a “series of calculated insults.”
Cole called Obama’s policies toward Israel “reckless,” when asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” if he thought the president was supportive of Israel during his two terms.
“I think he has certainly been supportive in terms of defensive weapons and those kinds of things. But no, you look at the Iranian agreement, I think that was very reckless and I think it endangered Israel,” Cole said Tuesday. “So no, I think it’s been series of calculated insults.”
Cole also slammed the Obama administration’s decision to abstain from voting last week on a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The resolution passed 14-0, and the U.S. did not use its veto power like it has in the past.
“No, it didn’t do the right thing. Frankly, it’s a break in our long-term policy, not on the settlement issue, but making sure the U.N. resolutions are not one-sided,” Cole said.
He added: “To do it [in] the last 30 days of your presidency, when you know the incoming administration holds a different position, I think was reckless, and reprehensible and I am going to be interested to see whether or not the Israeli charge that the Unites States actually colluded in this is true. I think it’s too early to tell.”
The move by Obama “shows a certain pettiness” toward Israel, he said.
“I think this was a last insult on the way out the door. And I don’t think it makes the president look very well, and certainly to do something that you know is deliberately at odds with what the incoming president is going to do on a stage this big I think shows a certain pettiness that I am surprised to see in President Obama,” Cole said.
