What does 'say otherwise' mean in this sentence?

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Dapeng Zhang

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'President Obama claims to be a supporter of Israel, but his repeated refusals to help our struggling ally in the Middle East, despite rising tensions and continued attacks in the region, say otherwise.'
Does it mean that Obama's refusals prove in fact he's not a supporter of Israel?
Thanks!
 
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I am not a teacher

It means his repeated refusal does not support his claim that he is a supporter of Israel.
 

Dapeng Zhang

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So it means to the opposite of his former claim. Thanks!
 

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So it means to the opposite of his former claim. Thanks!

No. His claim (according to the quote) was that he was a supporter of Israel. The opposite of that might be considered to be an opponent of Israel. The quote says that his actions suggest he does not support Israel. This could be a middle ground where he followed a neutral attitude.
 

SoothingDave

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Yes, it means that his claim to support Israel is shown to be false by his actions.

Whether or not his lack of support is "neutrality" or "hostility," the basic claim is contradicted.
 
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