Irish-born Samantha Power had barely been announced as next U.S. ambassador to the U.N when the Israeli lobby launched major attacks on her.

Power, 42, who left Dublin at age 9, was named to the UN post by Obama but may face a tough nomination battle.

Questions are already being raised if right wing Republicans and the Israeli lobby will join forces to block her nomination in the senate.

The New York Times carried an excerpt from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz which includes a 3 minute You Tube clip which allegedly shows Power to be more pro Palestinian than any other senior American government figure. Haaretz wrote that Power “faces an uphill battle” to get nominated because of Israeli opposition.

The influential newspaper notes: “A 2002 YouTube video that is less than 3-minutes long is likely to play a prominent role in any campaign launched by right-wing Republican and Jewish groups against the appointment of Samantha Power as America’s next ambassador to the United Nations.”

She appears to be calling for an American imposed settlement in the Middle East backed up by American troops if necessary, even if that upsets the Israeli people.

Haaretz, however, notes that Power later “disowned her own comments, saying she didn’t understand them and that they sounded ”weird” even to her own ears.”

The Jewish Press newspaper noted that Power, “Although a darling of the left-wing, she is not shy to advocate all of the methods associated with tyrants.”

Power, they claimed, “has an itchy trigger finger.”

The American Thinker influential blog noted: “Samantha Power has been a notorious critic of Israel for years and that, naturally, makes her well-qualified under President Obama’s criteria to serve in such a crucial post. She will be welcomed with open arms at the United Nations.

We at American Thinker have been warning about her influence with Barack Obama since 2008 .But her bit of nastiness seems to be tinged with a bit of anti-Semitism as well.”

Townhall.com, a radical right publication, claimed “Power is anti-Israel, embraces the Palestinians and said (so) during an interview at the Institute of International Studies at UC Berkeley in 2002.”

Power however has her defenders. Senator John McCain called her well qualified, as does the Jewish anti Defamation League.

Moreover, Power has received support from  former New Republic editor Martin Peretz, who said in a  2008 article, “Samantha Power is a friend of Israel.”