Obama: No Slackening of Israel’s Security Under My Presidency
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential leader Barack Obama said he regrets the division that has grown between Jews and blacks and he remains committed to ensuring Israel’s security.
Obama discussed his relationship with the Jewish community and Israel in an interview posted Monday on The Atlantic magazine’s Web site, part of his continuing effort to reassure Jewish voters who have expressed some unease about his candidacy. The situation didn’t improve as an adviser to the militant Palestinian group Hamas recently said they hope Obama wins the presidency.
Obama said some in the Arab world may be attracted to his candidacy because he spent part of his childhood in the Muslim nation of Indonesia, has the middle name Hussein and advocates presidential-level talks with foreign leaders ostracized by the Bush administration.
“I welcome the Muslim world’s accurate perception that I am interested in opening up dialogue and interested in moving away from the unilateral policies of George Bush, but nobody should mistake that for a softer stance when it comes to terrorism or when it comes to protecting Israel’s security or making sure that the alliance is strong and firm,” Obama said. “You will not see, under my presidency, any slackening in commitment to Israel’s security.
“I think that the idea of a secure Jewish state is a fundamentally just idea, and a necessary idea, given not only world history but the active existence of anti-Semitism,” Obama said. But he added, “That does not mean that I would agree with every action of the state of Israel, because it’s a government and it has politicians, and as a politician myself I am deeply mindful that we are imperfect creatures and don’t always act with justice uppermost on our minds.”Obama said his ideas about Israel date to the sixth grade, when he had a Jewish camp counselor who talked about how his people had been uprooted. Obama, the son of a Kenyan father who left the family when he was a toddler, said he identified with that feeling.
“The idea of Israel and the reality of Israel is one that I find important to me personally,” Obama said. “Because it speaks to my history of being uprooted, it speaks to the African-American story of exodus, it describes the history of overcoming great odds and a courage and a commitment to carving out a democracy and prosperity in the midst of hardscrabble land.
“One of the things that is frustrating about the recent conversations on Israel is the loss of what I think is the natural affinity between the African-American community and the Jewish community, one that was deeply understood by Jewish and black leaders in the early civil-rights movement but has been estranged for a whole host of reasons,” Obama said.
Obama said that early in his political career in Chicago, some blacks criticized him for being too close to the Jews.
“I’ve been in the foxhole with my Jewish friends, so when I find on the national level my commitment being questioned, it’s curious,” he said. “If you look at my writings and my history, my commitment to Israel and the Jewish people is more than skin-deep and it’s more than political expediency.”
Mark>… so now you are a 50 yr old jew????? you forget people read the blogs… you were a different description 2 weeks ago….
this is almost as believable as the one who passes herself off as a elderly white woman voting for obama…. yea right…..
the Tel Aviv news last year were reporting that obama has met with the palestinians and other “hamas” inclined leaders and he was advocating that Israel needs to give back the land (very much like Jimmy Carter) to the palestinians… I think they should do this as well as it was a condition of the peace accord from the 12 day war… Israel never relinquished this portion and thus the turmoil continues.
the hamas don’t want Israel to exist at all…. nada, siltch ….
I am a 33 year old Jew in Virginia and I don’t trust Obama, whatsoever. Between Jeremiah Wright, some of the people who’ve had to leave his campaign such as Robert Malley and Samantha Power, plus having supporters such as Carter, Michael Moore, George Soros and Cindy Sheehan, not to mention that Wright called Israel an “Apartheid” state, why should I believe Obama’s doing anything but pandering?
And it’s not just about votes, it’s about MONEY. Our people maybe a tiny population, but we’re in the big, swing states, we vote, and we have buying power. He’s also trying to negate some of the negative opinion coming from some powerful folks in the Jewish community such as Ed Koch, Harvey Weinstein, Joe Lieberman and Alan Dershowitz. None of these guys trust him either.
After more than 5,000 years of people hating us and trying to destroy Jews and wipe out Israel, I don’t trust anyone and nor will I compromise Israel’s security with my vote, based on phony speeches.
Comment by lol
May 12th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
obama is pandering to the jews for their vote, however being that his supporter jimmy carter just had a nice visit with hamas, we won’t fall for it.
You mean like Hillary is pandering to white blue collar voters in W. Virginia for their votes like she really cares? Yea right.
Nadia,
As a Jew I do not believe him. In fact I am afraid that if he were to win the general then Israel will take out Iran in self preservation. They know that Obama would not back Israel if Iran was to attack. Israel does not believe Obama. They are afraid of his associates and with good reason.
This is one 50 year old male Jew who is supporting Obama.
I also wonder why it is okay for him to use his “blackness” in this attempt to put himself in the same “foxhole” with the Jewish people. I don’t believe he has any personal knowledge of their struggle, nor do most of us. I think this relates back to his sitting in Wright’s church for 20 years hearing how oppressed black people are by white people in this country. He thinks that equates to the Jewish history? Give me a break! I am a woman and have been oppressed many, many more years than his ancestors, and I don’t claim to have an idea of what it has been like to be Jewish. Obama is again pandering for the votes. He’ll say anything to get them.
kfitz - If you recall the Bible, the only one who can make peace in the Middle East is the one we don’t want to see…that is a ridiculous argument to give to Christians, which Obama purports to be.
Remember that the name Barack is a Jewish name you must go back to Abrham his two sons Ishmal and Issaic. And Hussian is Muslam Obama carries the blood of both sides if any one can make peace in the middle-east it is him.
Barack Obama said he regrets the division that has grown between Jews and blacks and he remains committed to ensuring Israel’s security.
Ok…I wonder why this guy insists on making every argument based on racial data?
Jews and blacks?? What is he talking about?