OBAMA: WRONG ON ISRAEL

As Obama Heads To Israel, How Will He Defend His Weak Record On Issues Important To The Country?
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In His Remarks To The Annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Obama Said That Jerusalem Should Be The Undivided Capital Of Israel, But Later Said The City's Future Should Be Negotiated By Israel And The Palestinians:

Obama Said Jerusalem Would Be The Undivided Capital Of Israel. Obama: "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At The Annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Arlington, VA, 6/4/08)

One Day Later, Obama Said The Future Of Jerusalem Would Have To Be Negotiated By Israel And The Palestinians. CNN's Candy Crowley: "I want to ask you about something you said in AIPAC yesterday. You said that Jerusalem must remain undivided. Do Palestinians have no claim to Jerusalem in the future?" Obama: "Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 6/5/08)

"Facing Criticism From Palestinians, Sen. Barack Obama Acknowledged Today That The Status Of Jerusalem Will Need To Be Negotiated In Future Peace Talks, Amending A Statement Earlier In The Week That Jerusalem 'Must Remain Undivided.'" (Glenn Kessler, "Obama Clarifies Remarks On Jerusalem," The Washington Post's "The Trail" Blog, www.washingtonpost.com, 6/5/08)

NOTE: Middle East Advisor Dennis Ross, Who Is Accompanying Obama In Israel, Said Israel Would Have To Give Up Its Insistence On An Undivided Jerusalem To Achieve Peace:

Ross Said Israel And The Palestinians Would Have To Give Up Some Of Their "Animating Principles" To Achieve Peace, Including Israel's Insistence That Jerusalem Be Its Sole, Undivided Capital. "Ross said Clinton's outline was based on meeting the fundamental requirements of both sides: for Israel, security and a normal life; for the Palestinians, freedom from Israeli control. But both sides had to give up some of what Ross called the 'animating principles' of their national movements. For Israel, that included Jerusalem as the sole, undivided capital of the Jewish state; for the Palestinians, that included the right of return. 'To make peace, you ha ve to be prepared not to reconcile slogans but to reconcile needs,' he said." (Eric Black, "Former Mideast Envoy Offers Insight Into Last Year's Talks," [Minneapolis] Star Tribune, 5/6/01)

"Most Of The Arab Neighborhoods In East Jerusalem Have No Jews Living There, Noted Former Top U.S. Peace Negotiator Dennis Ross, Questioning Why Israel Would Want To Absorb Nearly A Quarter Of A Million Arabs Who Live In Parts Of The City Where Jews Don't Visit." (Douglas Bloomfield, Op-Ed, "Dividing Jerusalem - When, Not Whether," The Jerusalem Post, 3/16/08)

Ross Acknowledged That The Clinton Administration Proposal To Divide Jerusalem Was Not In Line With The Views Of Pro-Israel Groups In The U.S. NPR's Steve Inskeep: "Tell me something that you did that - and let's say the American- Israel Public Affairs Committee, to name one huge organization that's seen as part of the Israel lobby - something you did that they strongly, strongly opposed."... Ross: "In the Clinton administration, I can assure you that the - when we put on the table a proposal that would have divided East Jerusalem, that was not something that the Israeli government wanted. In the end they were prepared to accept it if it was going to produce an agreement." (NPR's "Morning Edition," 7/7/06)

Obama Received Jimmy Carter's Endorsement After Failing To Condemn The Former President's Meeting With Hamas:

"Former President Jimmy Carter Said He'll Endorse Democrat Barack Obama After The Polls Close On The Final Primary Contests. 'The Fact Is The Obama People Already Know They Have My Vote When The Polls Close Tonight,' Carter Told The Associated Press..." ("Former President Carter: I Will Endorse Obama," The Associated Press, 6/3/08)

"Defying Opposition From The Bush Administration And Israel, Former President Jimmy Carter Met For Several Hours Friday Night In Syria With The Exiled Leader Of Hamas, The Militant Islamist Group, To Discuss Efforts To Resolve The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." (Robert F. Worth, "Defying Israel, Carter Meets Hamas Leader," The New York Times, 4/19/08)

"'Why Can't I Just Eat My Waffle?' [Obama] Said When Asked About Former President Jimmy Carter's Meeting With Hamas Officials." (Jeff Zeleny and John Broder, "On Eve Of Crucial Primary, Clinton Ad Invokes Bin Laden," The New York Times, 4/22/08)

NOTE: "The Campaign Of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), The Presumptive Republican Nominee, Was Quick To Blast Carter's Plans [To Meet With Hamas] And Called On Both Obama And Clinton To Condemn The Meeting With What The State Department Lists As A Terrorist Group." (Glenn Kessler, "Former President Carter To Meet With Hamas Chief," The Washington Post, 4/10/08)

"Both Clinton And Obama Issued Statements With Milder Language, Saying They 'Disagreed' Or Did 'Not Agree' With Carter's Plans." (Glenn Kessler, "Former President Carter To Meet With Hamas Chief," The Washington Post, 4/10/08)
Jewish Voters Expressed Concern About Obama's Remarks On The Suffering Of The Palestinian People:

Obama: "Now, in the interim, nobody's suffering more than the Palestinian people from this whole process."
(Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Muscatine, IA, 3/11/07)

"[I]n The Halls Of The AIPAC Policy Conference ... There Was No Denying That The Members Of The Pro-Israel Group -- Largely Democrats, Though They Tilt Right -- Feel A Real, If Kind Of Inchoate, Skepticism About The Illinois Senator." (Ben Smith, "Obama's Jewish Problem," The Politico's "Ben Smith's Blog," www.politico.com, 3/13/07)

Iowa Democrat David Adelman Wrote To Obama Seeking Clarification On His Comments. "Now, an Iowa Democrat and AIPAC member, David Adelman, has written Obama a letter asking for clarification of Obama's remark to the Des Moines register that 'nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people,' a statement Adelman writes he found 'deeply troubling.'" (Ben Smith, "Obama's Jewish Problem," The Politico' s "Ben Smith's Blog," www.politico.com, 3/13/07)

Obama Said Anti-Israel Terrorist Groups Had "Legitimate Claims":

Obama Said That Hezbollah And Hamas Had "Legitimate Claims." "The U.S. needs a foreign policy that 'looks at the root causes of problems and dangers.' Obama compared Hezbollah to Hamas. Both need to be compelled to understand that 'they're going down a blind alley with violence that weakens their legitimate claims.' He knows these movements aren't going away anytime soon ('Those missiles aren't going to dissolve'), but 'if they decide to shift, we're going to recognize that. That's an evolution that should be recognized.'" (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "Obama Admires Bush," The New York Times, 5/16/08)

At An April 2007 Debate, Obama Did Not List Israel As One Of The U.S.'s Strongest Allies:

Obama Required Prompting To Say That Israel Was One Of The U.S.'s Closest Allies. "Obama appeared to hesitate when he was asked to name the United States' three closest allies, then listed the European Union, NATO and Japan. He added Israel after debate moderator Brian Williams prompted him." (Steven Thomma, "S.C. Lawmaker Gives Clinton High Marks," McClatchy Newspapers, 4/28/07)

Obama Has Said That He Would Meet With Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Even Though Iran Has Threatened To Wipe Israel Off The Map:

At A July 2007 Debate, Obama Didn't Hesitate To Announce He Would Personally Meet With The Leaders Of Iran And Other Rogue Nations. Question: "[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?"... Obama: "I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous." (Sen. Barack Obama, CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Charleston, SC, 7/23/07)

Ahmadinejad Referred To Israel As A "Stinking Corpse" And Said It Was "On Its Way To Annihilation." "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a 'stinking corpse' that was doomed to fail, and warned countries that they would 'burn in the fire of their people's hatred' if they helped Israel, the news agency IRNA reported. 'Today the reason for Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation,' he said in a speech on the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state." (Nazila Fathi, "Iran: A Hate Note On Israel's Birthday," The New York Times, 5/9/08)

Ahmadinejad Previously Said Israel Should Be Wiped Off The Map And Denied That The Holocaust Occurred. "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said in the past he wants to wipe Israel off the map and dismissed the Holocaust as a myth." (Nick Wadhams, "Israel: No Greater Threat To World's Values Than The Lead ers Of Iran," The Associated Press, 9/21/06)

Former Israeli Ambassador To The U.S. Danny Ayalon Expressed Concern About Obama's Ability To Address Issues Important To Israel's Security:

Former Israeli Ambassador To The U.S. Danny Ayalon: "The threat of Islamic terrorism and the expanding scourge of fanaticism are also concepts which have been addressed by Obama in only the most ambiguous of terms." (Danny Ayalon, Op-Ed, "Who Are You, Barack Obama?" The Jerusalem Post, 1/23/08)

Ayalon: "Since early on in his campaign he has said that he would meet with the President of Iran - but we are left in the dark as to what agenda he would pursue on this issue. With the exception of promoting American divestment from Iran, an idea he adopted during a meeting with Bibi Netanyahu, Obama has largely avoided highlighting what specific demands he would make of Ahmadinijad and any timetables he would establish for the Iranians to dismantle their nuclear program." (Danny Ayalon, Op-Ed, "Who Are You, Bara ck Obama?" The Jerusalem Post, 1/23/08)
Ayalon: "As far as Israel is concerned, Obama has yet to suggest specific measures he would enact regarding the Jewish State's Qualitative Military Edge that allows us to defend ourselves against our current and future enemies. Given the increasingly tense security environment Israel< /st1:country-region> is confronting on all sides, now is not the time for American leaders to shy away from such fundamental questions. The four years ahead are far too critical for global security to place the presidency of the United States in the hands of a leader whose campaign is leaving us with more questions than answers." (Danny Ayalon, Op-Ed, "Who Are You, Barack Obama?" The Jerusalem Post, 1/23/08)


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