Did Obama Give Permission to Publish Prayer?

Well how about this? The Israeli newspaper which published Obama's Wailing Wall prayer claims to have done it on his directon.

Ma'ariv issued a response Sunday, saying that "Obama's note was published in Ma'ariv and other international publications following Obama's authorization to make the content of the note public. Obama submitted a copy of the note to media outlets when he left his hotel in Jerusalem.

Ma'ariv added further:

Moreover, since Obama is not Jewish, there is no violation of privacy as there would be for a Jewish person who places a note in the Western Wall.

Is this true? That doesn't sound right.

SIDE NOTE: I tried to get a quote directly from Ma'ariv, but it's published in Hebrew only as far as I can tell.

PREVIOUSLY:

Israeli Newspaper Publishes Obama Wailing Wall Prayer

UPDATE: Allahpundit calls shenanigans with solid reasoning.

(a) I can’t find any English language version of the story at the Ynet website, (b) if they did have it, they might very well have gotten it from the same kid as Ma’ariv, and (c) if [Ma'ariv] had gotten it from the campaign, respecting Obama’s privacy wouldn’t have been a concern.

All true, but none if this excludes the possibility that Obama may have set this up. He has made such calculated moves before.

Comments

[AProudVeteran]

1. Prayers are supposed to be private (as in, between the pray-er and his/her deity). Giving your prayer to the local paper to publish casts doubts on the sincerity of said prayer.

2. He's not Jewish - should he be depositing prayers at their wailing wall? Not sure of the protocol there. Have other non-Jews put prayers there?

[baldilocks]

From what I can tell, Christians do it all the time. Makes sense since Christians and Jews believe in the same God.

[Phelps]

If he published it to the press himself, then my opinion flips 180, and that would make it Obama that is the despicable pariah, not Maariv. I would definitely need to see some evidence, though (at least the text on Obama letterhead or something.)

[DragonLady]

I would think that if you are a politician/celebrity publicly visiting a famous site of such historical significance during a campaign, you would not be so naive to think that anything you write on a piece of paper and leave behind is going to stay between you and the wall. Plus, any true Christian wouldn't leave a prayer in a wall as that is idolotry. The whole affair reeks of nothing more than a PR stunt to me.

[Tully]

OK, so I wasn't even remotely too cynical. :-)

[baldilocks]

"any true Christian wouldn't..."

Christians stick prayers in the Wailing Wall all the time.

As far as I know there's only one criterion used to determine who is or isn't a true Christian.

[Khaki Elephant]

Personally, I have no problem with a Christian leaving a prayer at the wailing wall. First) we both worship the God of Abraham and B) Christians have been placing prayers at holy spots for 2,000+ years.

Frankly, I also don't have a problem with publishing prayers. The scriptures are filled with them as are countless non-canonical books written by men and women of God trying to provide healing and inspiration to the rest of us on our walk (Try not to be inspired by Howard Thurman). What troubles me if this story is true is Obama's audacity to think that his public relations prayer warrants our attention.

[Ben-David]

1) Ma'ariv's distinction between Jew and Gentile in this matter has no basis in Jewish religious law/philosophy. In fact in the same article the Rabbi of the Wall lambasted them and totally discards their weaseling.

As King Solomon himself said when this site was first consecrated:
(1st Kings, Chapter 8)

(41) Moreover concerning the stranger that is not of Thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for Thy name's sake-- (42) for they shall hear of Thy great name, and of Thy mighty hand, and of Thine outstretched arm--when he shall come and pray toward this house; (43) hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know Thy name, to fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and that they may know that Thy name is called upon this house which I have built.

2) The behavior of the so-called "seminarian" who retrieved the note is so atypical as to be suspect in my eyes.

The typical reaction of "ultra" Orthodox Jews who are regulars at this site to similar visits is pointed, studied indifference.

And Obama really does not have the star power or volume of media attention here that he has in the States. So why would anyone bother?

The only people caught up in the hype here in Israel are journalists eager to ape the left-liberal style of their European and American counterparts.

[DragonLady]

True, I stated that wrong. A true Christian, however, shouldn't write a prayer and leave it in the wall believing that they it is a more direct line to God. Jesus is our messenger to God, not a wall. That was the point I meant to make. Private prayer to God is only made in your heart via Jesus. A written prayer is subject to be read by someone, right or wrong.

[IronMike]

DragonLady,
I don't think God or Jesus care if I write down a prayer and leave it somewhere. Perhaps I want to write down a prayer, or quote a nice religious poem and leave it at the grave of a loved one. Who cares? It certainly isn't idolotry.

How about wedding rings with a prayer imprinted on the inside? How about religious medallions?

To quote baldi: "[T]here's only one criterion used to determine who is or isn't a true Christian," and you ain't part of that criterion, DL! ;)

[baldilocks]

Easy, Mikey. She's Okay.

(Yeah, I think you-know-who has us on edge. And, no, not Obama. Well, not just him.)