[There is extensive coverage of this back and forth in the current Israeli papers — something to do with competition with McCain. Ed Kent]
……………………
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/rosnerBlog.jhtml?itemNo=865078
Obama the hawk
As if Obama did not have enough troubles with the pro Israel camp, the left is now starting to hammer him for supporting Israel too much. Look at this article from Tikkun:
Earlier in his career, Obama took a relatively balanced perspective on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, aligning himself with positions embraced by the Israeli peace camp and its American supporters. For example, during his unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2000, Obama criticized the Clinton administration for its unconditional support for the occupation and other Israeli policies and called for an even-handed approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He referred to the “cycle of violence” between Israelis and Palestinians, while most Democrats were referring to “Palestinian violence and the Israeli response.” He also made statements supporting a peace settlement along the lines of the Geneva Initiative and similar efforts by Israeli and Palestinian moderates.
During the past two years, however, Obama has largely taken positions in support of the hard-line Israeli government, making statements virtually indistinguishable from that of the Bush administration. Indeed, his primary criticism of Bush’s policy toward the conflict has been that the administration has not been engaged enough in the peace process, not that it has backed the right-wing Israeligovernment on virtually every outstanding issue.
Rejecting calls by Israeli moderates for the United States to use its considerable leverage to push the Israeli government to end its illegal and destabilizing colonization of the West Bank and agree to withdraw from the occupied territories in return for security guarantees, Obama has insisted “we should never seek to dictate what is best for the Israelis and their security interests” and that no Israeli prime minister should ever feel “dragged” to the negotiating table.
1.23.2008
Obama: Israel was forced to close Gaza
The letter from the Senator to the Ambassador speaks for itself:
Dear Ambassador Khalilzad,
I understand that today the UN Security Council met regarding the situation in Gaza, and that a resolution or statement could be forthcoming from the Council in short order.
I urge you to ensure that the Security Council issue no statement and pass no resolution on this matter that does not fully condenm the rocket assault Hamas has been conducting on civilians in southern Israel…
All of us are concerned about the impact of closed border crossings on Palestinian families. However, we have to understand why Israel is forced to do this… Israel has the right to respond while seeking to minimize any impact on civilians.
The Security Council should clearly and unequivocally condemn the rocket attacks… If it cannot bring itself to make these common sense points, I urge you to ensure that it does not speak at all.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator
—
“A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope.” (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
—
Ed Kent 212-665-8535 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CollegeConversation
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PeaceEfforts
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EndingPoverty
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/440neighborhood
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentConcerns
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AcademicFreedom
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PrivacyRights
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Israel_Palestine
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FindingHumaneJobs
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurStupidEconomy
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
10 users commented in " Where Does Barack Obama Stand on Israel/Palestine? "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackEmail is being sent questioning Obama’s relationship to the Rev.
Farakhan and other religious figures in the African-American community
community and the suggestion that anti-semitism plays a part in his
in his philosophy. This could alienate a good number of
potential voters, as well as limit their contributions.
I think it to be in Sen. Obama’s best interest for him to
make a clear and uequivocable statement re his position on
the Israeli/Palestinian situation, and reaffirm his support
for a just solution to the problem, ensuring Israel’s
security, and his pledge to continue America’s promise to
protect the State of Israel.
I would like to know in laymen terms. Is Obama a true supporter of Israel? Does he believe that the land of Israel belong to the Israelis and that the Israelis should not be forced to give up the land? This is an issue very dear to my heart.
I believe that Obama supports a REAL peace with the Arabs. Until this is achieved )if ever), I believe he supports Israel’s efforts to protect itself from destruction for no other reason than that is not a Moslem State.
Because obama believes in abortion and gay marriage,i cannot vote for him.Any “Christian”who votes for him,is a vote for evil because the Bible teaches against these things.
Israel via 1948 does not have any right to this land. Is so, then perhaps the natives 9erroneously called Indians) have a right to their land; actually, they have more of a right than the Israelis because the Zionists come from various areas.
Moslems have the right in this land.
and Israel doesn’t have any right to this land.
with or without support from Obama, we (moslems) will win !
I believe that
I believe if God intended for Israel to exist, then it would have under peaceful conditions. This has not ever been the case. Therefore if Israel continues to practice violence against the native people of Palestine then eventually if God wills he will deal with Israel and their unfair aggression once again as He has done in the past, or perhaps on an even grander scale. Furthermore, the Jews hated Jesus, Gods messenger so much that they attempted to crucify him. According to the Bible, perhaps King James version, and Giddeons version for sure, Jesus was a man from Palasting, a Palestinian, and no wonder the Jews still massacre the Palestinians. God will punish them as in the past. May God punish them and their supporters as in the past with a unbearable blow here and in the hereafter. So while there is time (if God has not already decided), let there be peace and let there be some other land for the Jews, or whatever God Himself wills. Peace to all.
The Israelis have been running an illegal and violent occupation of Palestine for over 60 years. It is immoral and mind boggling that a country like the United States would allow something like this to continue. Not to mention the second attack against Lebanon in 2006. This attack against civilian territory’s that piled up a death toll of 1,200 in one month. UNICEF estimated that 30% of the civilians killed were under the age of 13. This travesty was not only televised but highly accepted by the american people who support mainly support Israel simply because their Public Relations are allies with the american media. The fact that Israel can basically do what ever they want to the people of Palestine and surrounding neighbors is a total flaw. Israel needs to be stopped.
Just trace the historical background of the Palestinians and that of the Israel, the question here is that how can Palestinians so myopic in their thinking claimed Jerusalem as the capital city of Palestinian, how could that be possible? Why and how could all the Arabs & the muslim world gang up in their millions against Israel? Who do they think they are? Let me assure the Arabs world that even if no any country support Israel, God will always be there for them, this is God’s promised to the children of Israelite. America or no America, Israel will continue to exist.
I pity all the Arab world especially Iran (so-called Islamic Republic) even they continue to support Palestinians with millions of dollars to cause hostilities or with their evil intention to wipe Israel from the surface of the earth, Israel will definitely see their back. And for you that can not think by using your brain, you allowed yourself to commit suicide bombing in the defending Islam, why can you asked yourself those sponsoring you not killing themselves? you can give yourself the answer.
Leave A Reply