Thaindian News

London, Jan 22 (IANS) A Jewish newspaper columnist has apologised for suggesting that Israel assassinate US President Barack Obama.

Andrew Adler wrote that ordering Obama’s assassination could be one of three ways to protect the people of Israel. He made the controversial statement in the Atlanta Jewish Times, a paper which serves the Jewish community in Atlanta, the Daily Mail reported.

Adler suggested that attacking Hezbollah and Hamas or ordering the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities were also a possibility.

In his article, the columnist wrote: “Yes, you read “three” correctly. Order a hit on a president in order to preserve Israel’s existence.

“Think about it. If I have thought of this Tom Clancy-type scenario, don’t you think that this is almost unfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel’s most inner circles?

“Another way of putting ‘three’ in perspective goes something like this: How far would you go to save a nation comprised of seven million lives…Jews, Christians and Arabs alike?

“You have got to believe, like I do, that all options are on the table.”

Adler was presenting a hypothetical situation from the perspective of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s potentially disastrous conflicts with the Arab world.

While issuing an apology, Adler said he only wrote the piece to provoke a reaction from his readers.