Middle East News
Obama: Jerusalem must not be "sliced up" (2nd Roundup)
Jul 23, 2008, 16:53 GMT
Jerusalem - US presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday Jerusalem should not be 'sliced up,' making a 30-hour visit to Israel during which he voiced strong support for the Jewish state, but also took pains to travel to the West Bank.
Speaking in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, the Democratic contender called himself a 'friend of Israel', said rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip were 'intolerable' and rejected talks with Hamas, which he said 'uses terror as a weapon' and does not recognize Israel's right to exist.
Obama also spoke out against a nuclear Iran, which he called a 'grave threat' and warned could spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
Throughout the day, he highlighted his 'deep' and 'abiding commitment' to Israel's security, a message aimed s much at Jewish voters at home as at his Israeli hosts.
'We stand with he people of Sderot and of Israel,' Obama told a joint news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in the rocket-stricken town just miles from the Gaza Strip.
'America must always stand up for Israel's rights to defend itself,' he said.
'In terms of knowing my commitments, you don't just have to look at my words, look at my deeds,' he said. In the US Senate, 'vote after vote I've demonstrated my support for Israel.'
Asked about his remark of last month, in which he said Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel, from which he later backtracked, Obama said:
'I didn't change my statement. I continue to say that Jerusalem will continue to be the capital of Israel. It's important that we don't slice it in half.'
But he added Jerusalem was a 'final-status issue' to be dealt with directly between Israel and the Palestinians in their negotiations on a two-state solution.
And he called for supporting moderate Palestinian leaders 'who share this vision, including the Palestinian leaders I met today.'
He also reiterated that as president he would engage with Iran, arguing his 'carrot and stick' policy would put the US in a stronger position to mobilize international support behind tough moves if Iran rejected such overtures.
Israelis, who regard Iran as an 'existential threat', have been wary of that element of Obama's platform and, according to a recent opinion poll, many seem to favour Republican candidate John McCain.
Palestinians for their part angrily remember Obama's undivided Jerusalem remark. When asked, many express mainly apathy to the US presidential race, charging that any US president would show 'bias' toward Israel and would have to accommodate the Jewish vote.
But they nevertheless show a clear preference for Obama to McCain, whom they regard as someone who would continue the 'extreme-hawkish, anti-Arab' policies of President George W Bush.
Although some were unhappy about the tight schedule, Palestinians also expressed contentment that Obama, unlike McCain during his visit in March, took time to visit the West Bank.
Obama allocated one hour of his 15-hour work day to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
He had earlier begun his packed day discussing Iran with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak over breakfast, sounding out opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, touring Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum and meeting Israeli President Shimon Peres.
He then made the short journey to Ramallah, just nort of Jerusalem, before joining Livni on a helicopter tour to Sderot, to be followed by dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and a visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall.
The retaining wall, a remnant of the Jewish Biblical Temple, is the holiest still-standing monument in Judaism.
'Excellent' was the single word Obama used to describe his one- hour talk with Abbas, as he emerged from the parley in Ramallah which left no time for joint statements to the media.
Saeb Erekat, a senior official in Abbas' Fatah party, said the Palestinian president briefed Obama about the peace process and explained the difficulties and obstacles created by Israel's construction of settlement blocks, its security barrier and military arrest raids in the West Bank.
Obama said he would be a 'constructive partner in peace' between Israelis and Palestinians if elected and would 'not waste a minute' because time is of the essence, he said.
'We appreciate very much that Senator Obama is committed to working with us in pursuing a two-state solution and he shared the hopes for peace before the end of the year,' Erekat said.
Asked about the short time Obama spent with the Palestinians, he said 'it is not the time that counts, but the substance. He left us feeling very well, reassuring us about his commitment to peace.'
Obama's visit comes a day after an attack in which a Palestinian construction worker ploughed a bulldozer into traffic in the city centre, injuring at least 16 people.
The attack, which took place yards from his Jerusalem King David Hotel and mirrored a similar incident just three weeks ago - an incident in which three Israelis were killed. 'There are no excuses,' Obama said, condemning the attack on landing in Tel Aviv from Amman late Tuesday.
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Older Talkback
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'America must always stand up for Israel's rights to defend itself,' Obama said
Pity Obama doesn't think the Palestinians have a right to defend themselves. Pity Obama doesn't think the Iranians have the right to defend themselves. In his eyes the thugs of the middle east are the only ones allowed to defend themselves. Perhaps Obama and the Israelis would be happier if everyone in a thousand mile radius of Israel's borders were killed off to provide the Israeli's a comfort zone. It sounds like the Israeli's are planning a final solution to assuage their paranoia. Here I thought Obama might be another Kennedy and it turns out he's just another Nixon. America and Israel have no honour left. Both have Nukes and don't want anyone else to have them. They both wanted a classless society and that's what they got, only not in the way they expected. I think the Palestinians should be armed to the teeth with all the weapons in the Israeli/American arsenal so they can fight Israel on a level playing field. The IDF had their asses handed to them by the poorly armed Hezbollah fighters so I don't think they would have a prayer in a fair fight, not that I see the Israelis having the courage to get into one.
Here are some questions:
1. Is it the job of a candidate running for the highest position of leadership of his country to appeal to foreigners who can't vote in his country's elections?
2. Are Jews such a heavy percentage (2.5%) of the American population that it is worth pandering to them for the national Presidential election?
3. What does your average American gain from Israel surviving another day?
4. If American politicians realized that most Israelis aren't white people with pseudo-European names, would our government take Jews off the list of endangered species?
Barack Hussein Obama, please come home and take care of our own interests. That old Irish Jew with a trophy wife can waste his time on the fruitless politicking that you are getting dragged into!
If Obama has to be a real American President, who can change the image, reputation and prestige of America in the Globe, he must be an honest, just, fair and humane in dealing with all parties, whites, blacks, jews, hispanics and Muslims too.
He should not repeat the zionists slogans day and nights that Jerusalem will be undivided, Israel will be protected by all means and Iran is the evil empire and the greatest threat to Israel.
In reality, Israel is the greatest threat to Iran and almost all the Arab and Muslim Nations. Israel has carried out more genocides, mass killings, war crimes, destruction of civilization in Palestine and Lebanon and occupied lives of 5 million human beings for the last 60 years. History of Israel is shameful and barbaric. Israel has been condemned by the U.N. 23 TIMES!
Too much closeness with this goons will restrict him to be a fair, real and humane President.
Obama should not worry about 3 million jewish votes and neglect 5 million Muslim votes. Even without these both groups, he will be a winner.
Hope, Obama and his team will take a note of this view and stop coziness with unwanted groups and make him handicapped since day one.
LOL... the funny thing is that the jews don't even believe him.
Hey Barack,
If you care to win my vote, please stop pandering to Israelis' baser interests in keeping Palestine under its perpetual occupation.
I thought you are smart and confident, as you seemed early on in the campaign. So stop pandering. It ain't goin' to land you anywhere.
The comments of Marge, Nite Owl, John Bhatt,good going kiddo & Lazarus Plato make sense and I believe all fair minded Americans support their views, so do I. The important thing is how to convey these fair oppinions to Senator Obama before he starts sliding down this slippery slope. Will 'm & c' convey such views to Mr. Obama?
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margeJul 23rd, 2008 - 18:18:57
Obama is a disgrace to the black side of his parentage and oppressed people everywhere. During his press conference, Obama verbalized consideration and compassion for Israel which has nuclear weapons and is quite capable of defending itself from any situation. Obama verbalized no consideration or compassion for the Palestinians who have no state and are without nuclear weapons or sophiscated weapons to protect themselves from the atrocities of Israel, which occurs on a daily basis. Obama states he will not pressure Israelis to make concessions to the Palestinians or do anything they don't want to do. This gives Israel the 'Green Light' to continue ignoring UN Resolutions and continue with its illegal settlements on Palestinian land and land stealing, as well as enslavement and genocide of the Palestinians.
I remind Obama that slavery in the US would still exist today if not for blacks and whites with a sense of fairness and justice who pressured the US gov't. to change its policies. Civil Rights Laws in the US which he reaps the benefits of were passed because of black people's sacrifices, along with some whites. Moreover, apartheid in South Africa was abolished because of pressure at home and abroad. I wonder what happened to Obama's sense of fairness and justice, or if he just loses it when he is around Jews!!!
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