The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has criticized the glaring hypocrisy and inconsistency of President Barack Obama criticizing Mexican authorities for freeing a killer of an American while having pressured Israel, not only into freeing 104 terrorists who murdered, injured and maimed hundreds of Israeli men, women and children, but also a terrorist who murdered an American.
This week, a Mexican court released from prison Rafael Caro Quintero, a drug lord who was sentence in 1985 to 40 years in prison for the kidnapping, torture and murder of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent, Enrique “Kiki” Camarena. The Obama Administration immediately criticized the Mexican authorities, National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden saying, “We remain as committed today in seeing Quintero and others involved in this crime face justice in the United States as we were in the immediate aftermath of Kiki Camarena’s murder.”
The U.S. Justice Department described the Mexican decision to free Quintero as “deeply troubling and declared that it ‘will vigorously continue its efforts to ensure Caro Quintero faces charges in the United States for the crimes he committed.'” (‘White House denounces release of Mexican drug lord who ordered DEA agent’s killing,’ Fox News, August 10, 2013).
Yet, only days earlier, the Obama Administration pressured Israel to free terrorists, including Al Haj Othman Amar Mustafa, who in June 1989 murdered Steven Frederick Rosenfeld, an American and former Marine, while he was hiking in the Judean Hills.
ZOA National Chairman of the Board Dr. Michael Goldblatt said, “It is well known that the Obama Administration, despite a public position of seeking resumed Israeli/Palestinian negotiations without preconditions, strongly pressured Israel to accede to Palestinian demands to free Jew-killing terrorists in order to kick-start Israeli/Palestinian peace talks.
“As we argued at the time, freeing terrorists is contrary to justice, reason, deterrence and the security and safety of Israelis, many of whom have been murdered by terrorists freed in previous terrorist releases. For example, the former head of the Mossad, Meir Dagan, disclosed that 231 Israelis had been murdered by terrorists that were freed in 2004 in exchange for a kidnapped Israeli citizen, Elhanan Tenenbaum.
“President Obama and his Administration seem to have immediately grasped that the freeing of a Mexican drug lord responsible for the kidnapping and torture of an American is contrary to justice, reason, deterrence and the security and safety of Americans.
“If President Obama opposes Mexico freeing a criminal who murdered an American in 1985, why does he favor Israel freeing a criminal who murdered an American in 1989?
“Indeed, even if no Americans had been killed by the terrorists being released by Israel, why is he in favor of Israel freeing bestial murderers of Jews?
“We are appalled that President Obama and his Administration pressured a close ally, Israel, into releasing Palestinian Jew-killers in order to bring Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority to the negotiating table. Apparently, they thought nothing for the lives of Israelis who will be murdered by the terrorists to be freed.
“Israel should rescind its decision to free the terrorists.
“The ZOA calls upon President Obama to order the Department of Justice to pursue prosecution of Mustafa under the 1990 Antiterrorism Act for the murder of Steven Rosenfeld.”