President Barack Obama is sending a "mixed" message regarding foreign policy toward Israel, 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee and former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman said on Fox News.
On the one hand, Lieberman told "Fox & Friends" that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the U.S. had been "terrific" during their crisis with the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza. Conversely, he said, talks between the Obama administration and Hamas supporters were cause for concern.
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"I think the Israelis feel, and a lot of pro-Israel Americans feel, that the administration has not seemed to be totally with Israel — defending Israel's right to exist, and yet beginning to negotiate with Qatar and Turkey, who are open supporters of Hamas, which naturally infuriates the Israelis," Lieberman, who is now an independent, said Monday. "It's more mixed with the Obama administration."
Holding negotiations with Hamas also upset U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and Egypt, who Lieberman said feared Hamas might "come out of this conflict stronger than they are now."
On broader U.S. foreign policy issues, Lieberman said the Obama administration's attempts to withdraw from global problems appeared to be an effort to "keep us back from the world's trouble spots." However, he said the United States "can't do that when you're a great power."
The United States is "in danger of" being disloyal to allies around the world, Lieberman said, adding many now believe "they can't rely on us." He said that strategy was "bad for them" and "bad for us."
The foreign policy decisions that have enabled thousands of illegal aliens to enter the country from Central America were also sending a message that "the doors are open, and if you get here, you're going to stay here."
Lieberman said he would have liked to have seen Congress act on a workable immigration plan.
"I'm really upset that my former colleagues in Congress didn't come up with a bipartisan program that would raise security, and then try to make exceptions when people really seem to be fleeing abuse or persecution," he said.
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