Liz Cheney: Obama isolating Israel, says there is 'no middle ground' on flotilla raid

Liz Cheney – the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney – sharply criticized President Barack Obama for his handling of the Gaza flotilla incident. 

Cheney, who heads a conservative foreign policy group called "Keep America Safe" said in a statement Friday that the president needs to "unequivocally support" the Jewish state. 

"President Obama is contributing to the isolation of Israel and sending a clear signal to the Turkish-Syrian-Iranian axis that their methods for ostracizing Israel will succeed and will be met by no resistance from America," she said. "There is no middle ground here. Either the United States stands with the people of Israel in the war against radical Islamic terrorism or we are providing encouragement to Israel's enemies – and our own."

Cheney's comments come in response to Obama's interview with CNN's Larry King on Thursday night, when he called the loss of life aboard the ships "tragic" and said the incident does not bode well for Israel's long-term security. 

The White House has taken a measured tone in the aftermath of the conflict, which left nine pro-Palestinian activists dead and several Israeli soldiers injured. Obama and White House officials have said their position matches the U.N. Security Council's stance, which condemned the loss of life while calling for an investigation to find the facts. 

But Cheney called for a more vocal support of Israel from the president to stand out from European countries and Turkey, which have condemned Israel's actions. 

Cheney, who has often found herself the target of liberals, said the flotilla's true intentions was to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, an Islamic extremist organization bent on Israel's destruction. 

"The Israeli blockade of Gaza, in order to prevent the re-arming of Hamas, is in full compliance with international law," she said. "Had the Turkish flotilla truly been interested in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, they would have accepted the Israeli offer to off-load their supplies peacefully at the Israeli port of Haifa for transport into Gaza."

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