After discovering he was featured in the ad, Dayan complained: “I never said I support Obama or his opinions … they interviewed me in early July and said the interview would be devoted to questions of Middle East policy that would be on the new president’s desk.… I don’t know what I’m doing in a campaign video.”
Like Halevy, Dayan requested a correction and asked to be removed from the ad. Last week both Halevy and Dayan were finally edited out of the video on JCER’s website.
Other voices, like those of Reserve Brigadier General Shaul Arieli and ex-Mossad agent Yossi Alpher, are also heard on the ad, which in addition to boosting Obama criticizes the Bush administration for alleged Middle East failures and asserts that a McCain administration would offer more of the same.
The issue here is not as simple as the manipulation of quotes taken out of context. The issue is intention – and the intention of this ad, and other ads like it on both sides of the aisle, is to alter reality. This particular ad attempts to exploit American viewers after having first exploited Israeli war heroes. That is wrong and immoral.
Are there no ex-generals or intelligence people who actually do support Obama’s worldview and policies? Are there no military types who would willingly and knowingly praise Obama? If there are, why would Obama supporters have to resort to trickery and chicanery and go all the way to Israel? It makes one wonder.