Ominous': Israeli Officials Speak Out on Dems. Dropping Jerusalem Language From 2012 Platform

Israel's Speaker of the Knesset Reuven Rivlin is openly questioning whether the Obama administration understands the realities of the Middle East, after the Democrat Party chose to eliminate a commitment to keep Jerusalem the capital of Israel from its 2012 platform.

Not only that, the platform also removed the assertion that Hamas-- an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood-- must recognize Israel's legitimacy and commit to peace.

"The fact that the Democrats removed a united Jerusalem as Israel's capital from their platform is more worrying than the argument over Iran," Rivlin told The Jerusalem Post. "The change may have far-reaching consequences."

Israeli MK Uri Ariel, chairman of the Knesset Caucus for Jerusalem, added Wednesday: "finally, Obama's true face is revealed."

Former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman expressed similar opinions on Fox News:

“I’m obviously, as most Israelis are, very disappointed and very worriedbecause this is not just forgetfulness," he began.  "This is not omitting Jerusalem; this is removing Jerusalem... Jerusalem was always there.  Jerusalem was, indeed, at the heart of the matter...in the Democratic platform four years ago.  It was stated very loudly and very clearly by President Obama even before he was elected.  I was there in the front row of the AIPAC annual conference, where he made it very clear how [important] Jerusalem is, and how it will forever be the capital of Israel."

"Removing it is, to me, a very ominous sign and a very negative message to the Israelis, to whom Jerusalem is so important, [and] to every citizen of the world-- Christians, Muslims, and Jews, to whom Jerusalem is the holy city.  I just...find this very worrying, and very, very disappointing," he concluded.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency spoke with several individuals who helped craft the new Democrat platform and, apparently, "there was no discussion on it" and no one seemed to know why the language had been removed.

"It's a good question," one remarked.

Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat dismissed the entire matter as irrelevant, saying: “The fact that Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel is not a subject for debate, and its status is not affected by foreign political platforms or elections.”

(H/T: Gateway Pundit)