Obama, Israel, and the Jewish Vote
Email
All Democratic eyes are on Selma right now, but something interesting happened Friday as well… Seeking to assure supporters of Israel that he is as ardent a backer of the Jewish state as are rivals such as Sens. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, and John Edwards, D-NC, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, delivered a very pro-Israel address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee of Chicago at the end of last week. "Our job is to rebuild the road to real peace and lasting security throughout the region," Obama said. "Our job is to do more than lay out another road map. That effort begins with a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel: Our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy. That will always be my starting point." But now comes a very interesting blog entry by the pro-Palestinian blogger Ali Abunimah at The Electronic Intifadah, who alleges that Obama has changed to a far more stridently pro-Israel position as his national aspirations developed. "The last time I spoke to Obama was in the winter of 2004 at a gathering in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood," Abunimah writes. "He was in the midst of a primary campaign to secure the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate seat he now occupies. But at that time polls showed him trailing. "As he came in from the cold and took off his coat, I went up to greet him. He responded warmly, and volunteered, ‘Hey, I’m sorry I haven’t said more about Palestine right now, but we are in a tough primary race. I’m hoping when things calm down I can be more up front.’ He referred to my activism, including columns I was contributing to the The Chicago Tribune critical of Israeli and US policy, ‘Keep up the good work!" As the campaigns compete for Jewish support, it would be political malpractice for rivals campaigns to not send this blog entry around to big pro-Israel donors.
CPAC: Romney Struggles to Convince Voters 
Obama Backs Off Birth Control Battle?
Well the guy must be lying through his damn teeth. Obama had won the Senate seat by the time winter of 2004 came around, the election was in November 2004.
Posted by: jerome | March 4, 2007, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
I think we might be a little too pro Israel. It’s gotten us in alot of trouble. Jewish Americans have to remember that there American.
Posted by: Johnny | March 4, 2007, 2:16 pm 2:16 pm
How sad, the last great hope for an honest candidate – sells out the truth of our destructive alliance with Israel for the Jewish vote.
Sickening – Obama’s toast…
Posted by: angelo | March 4, 2007, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
Obama, like Hillary, Edwards, even (god forbid) Bush are all the same in three ways:
1. they are all Politicians
2. they all want to win
3. they (EVERY ONE OF THEM, EVERYWHERE) will evolve their talking points to improve their standing in polls.
It’s a fact of political life. Low expectations? More like normal human behavior.
The difference between them comes after the elections, so pick the one you like the most and hope for the best (things can only get better)
Posted by: Ted | March 4, 2007, 4:15 pm 4:15 pm
Obama is a youthful outsider. We’re trying to survive the presidency of the last youthful outsider we elected.
Time to have a little more respect for experience and the wisdom that age brings with it, instead of ambition. Ambition got us into Iraq.
Posted by: tedagain | March 4, 2007, 4:19 pm 4:19 pm
Didn’t Obama say he wants to talk to the Neo-Nazi Ahmadinejad of Iran? What is he going to talk about?That Holocaust did exixt?Whan Ahmadinejad says that Israel must be destroyed, what is Obama going to talk about?What is Obama solution to the fight against jihaists and their fellow Devil Surrogates?Cut & Run?, or SURRENDER? Selling one’s soul for political expediency?
Posted by: Dumbshun | March 4, 2007, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm
Johnny, it’s either Pro Israel, or Pro Palestine. My alliance is with the one who DOES NOT commit suicide bombings and other atrocities against mankind in the name of Allah.
Posted by: akh | March 4, 2007, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm
Obama is simply not qualified to be president. Hopefully his 15 minutes of fame will expire sooner than later!
Posted by: robert | March 4, 2007, 8:27 pm 8:27 pm
This is ridiculous. ABC News is posting a blogger’s supposed run-in with Barack Obama, as front page news? Wow. I had to double take the URL to make sure I wasn’t on Foxnews.com. Please report facts, not here say. Sickening.
Posted by: Jared | March 4, 2007, 9:40 pm 9:40 pm
I agree, this is not worthy of being on a news website.
Posted by: john | March 4, 2007, 11:36 pm 11:36 pm
This country is very pro isreali and that what caused all the hatred for us around the world.It is time that we should start asking,what is in it for us?
Posted by: david | March 5, 2007, 1:10 am 1:10 am
People change and so do their views. Whether Sen. Obama realistically changed his position because he wanted to be elected or whether he had a personal epiphany isn’t important: it’s that his views reflect what most voters think about the Middle East. If it would be “political malpractice” for other candidates not to use his change of position against him, it would have been political suicide for Sen. Obama not to have changed his position.
Posted by: chuck | March 5, 2007, 8:44 am 8:44 am
Hey, Robert, what would you like Palestine to do to oppose Isreal? Their country is crippled and occupied. Where is their political clout to resolve the issue? I don’t condone the killing of innocents by any political body, but let’s remember Rachel Corrie when we talk about “terrorism.”
That said, Obama’s remarks sound like spin — both the ones he made to the Palestinian blogger and the ones he made to the Israeli group. Too bad, I say. It’d be nice to hear someone have the courage to speak out against Israel’s actions for a change. Perhaps it won’t happen in my lifetime, but history will be unkind in its judgment of our abetting of Isreali crimes.
Posted by: Ruby | March 5, 2007, 10:08 am 10:08 am
I find it very disheartening that American policy has become synonymous with Israeli politics. No candidate for any office in AMERICA stands a chance unless they profess their love for ISRAEL. Does anyone else see something wrong with this. Slowly but surely we are waking up, and AIPAC and all pseudo-Americans will rue the day they sold their allegiance to a foreign nation.
Posted by: Michael McMahon | March 5, 2007, 10:09 am 10:09 am
I hope Obama gets smart and espouses the following: a) support the right of Israel to exist; b) support the right of a Palestinian State to exist – internally contiguous, secure, and prosperous, like Israel; c) support the duty of the US to do all necessary – which we’ver never done (altho’ Clinton came close)- to achieve a) and b). That would include whatever of our Treasury and Armed Forces are necessary. It would be less, in either case,than we’ve wasted in Iraq.
Posted by: Bruce | March 5, 2007, 10:30 am 10:30 am
You cannot, under any circumstance turn your back on Israel. Their supprt for the United States is unwavering. They are the only true democracy in the region. It has a 3 class social system. The are the ONLY place in the region where people of all regions can peacefully co-exist, practice their faith, and take part in the political process – remember only ~75% of Israeli’s are Jewish and people of all religions (yes, even Muslim) have seats in the Israeli parliment. Try to find a church or synagogue in a neighboring country, or a seat in politics… good luck.
Whether Obama is pro-Israel or not… I don’t know. And I agree that it’s sad that candidates seems to change their stance depending on their audience. This is an issue what I need to hear the truth from the candidates — what they really stand for.
As far as I’m concerned, the ONLY saving grace for our current President is that his support for Israel is steadfast. I can’t believe people in this blog are suggesting we should re-evaluate (sell out) our relationship with Israel. Why? Because arab extremists hate anyone that supports Israel? What ever happened to having the courage of our convictions! Do people honestly believe that if we stop supporting Israel then arab extremists will stop hating the US? Proposterous!
The fact is it the poor, uneducated youth in these arab countries (and Palenstinian territories) that follow the banner of extremism. Why? Because dying a glorious death in a flash of light and dreaming of the afterlife sounds better than a lifetime devoid of learing and opportunity (I can’t say I disagree). But the fact is that probably 75% of the arab population is poor and uneducated – in palestinian communities it’s probably 90%. Ever see a well-educated, wealthy oil prince strap a bomb to himself? No. He’s too busy buying companies, building hotels, and vacationing in Aspen.
Posted by: Alison | March 5, 2007, 11:02 am 11:02 am
Give Obama a break. Everything you hear is not the truth. Obama is not toast. I find it a shame that when people run for political office in this country, they in return, recieve crap from people who have nothing else better to do. First,”Obama is a smoker, and he can’t be trusted,” now this? If Obama wants to be pro-Israel, then so be it. Who made it a crime to change political platforms.
Posted by: Chris | March 5, 2007, 11:33 am 11:33 am
I too am disheartened that ABC News would report on hearsay as reported on a blog. It was even more disingenuous to invite people to send this around to pro-Israel donors. Thats nothing worse than muckraking. Because this is reported on ABC’s blog, does it mean that ABC is no longer held to journalistic ethics? Where’s the link to ABC’s public ombudsman?
Posted by: James | March 5, 2007, 11:36 am 11:36 am
Chris said that Israel is a multi-ethnic country that respects the rights of all religious and ethnic minorities. Then he went further to say that “Try to find a church or synagogue in a neighboring country, or a seat in politics… good luck.”
My friend you are extremely misinformed about how Israel functions towards the Palestinians. Furthermore, I’ll give you one country that is far multi ethnic than Israel and has the second largest jewish community outside of Israel, they have always had a MP, just as the christian communities. There are numerous synagogues, churches, and it happens to be Iran. Have you forgotten your ten commandments, which FYI, Muslims (including poor ones as you refer to them) also hold to be true words of god, “You shall not bear false witness”. Here is another that might explain why the “poor” muslims are pissed off and: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.” That’s boo boo for you. Let’s start healing the wounds of the past rather than continue to ignore that they exist.
Posted by: Mahyad Tousi | March 5, 2007, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
Jake, this is yet another nonstory. What did Obama say to this Palestinian blogger (reputation for accuracy unknown) that contradicts what he said to AIPAC. The blogger did not attribute to Obama any viewpoint or plank different from any Obama has publicly stated; he attributed only a vague sense that Obama was going to say something sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. Obviously, you can strongly support Israel’s right to exist, condemn Hamas, and still have much sympathy for a Palestinian state. Give me a break!
Posted by: leon russell | March 5, 2007, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
OK! Give the man a break. I see no clear inconsistencies here. Don’t jump at the first thing you see. Wait it out; we’ll have plenty more noteworthy opportunities to get to know him. It’s like “ok, ok, he’s doing good, he’s perfect, he hasn’t slipped up yet.” Then,..Slight slip… Immediately, “Man, (throw’s hands up), I knew he was gonna let us down…can’t support him anymore.” That’s crazy.
By the way, he’s so not toast!
Posted by: Zion | March 5, 2007, 10:23 pm 10:23 pm
I thought you guys were matured enough in your judgements but the truth is there: we are all narrow minded!
What do some people want Israel to do or to become? Not a single Arab country has good relationship with Israel. they all want Israel to disappear. The Iranian president is the example of it. Who in those countries said no to that man? It seems most of you want Israel to disappear but this won’t happen. America is doing a good job in protecting a country surounded by iracible enemies.
Why do you want to pull Obama down? You have to question your own judgement; I think there is something to do for you.
Posted by: Jean Quartier | March 5, 2007, 11:51 pm 11:51 pm
Shouldn’t the contiguous, secure and prosperous state depend on the Palestinians? Why the killing among themselves? If Clinton almost gave them what they wanted why Arafat didn’t take it?
Posted by: laura | March 10, 2007, 6:47 am 6:47 am
I believe in numbers and I did this little research.
Each child born in Israel gets an average of $30,000 over his life from US (tax payers money).
I don’t think my kids will get this much of money through their life from tax payers money.
In 2007 from every 67 civilians killed in Palestine using our tax payers money, one Israelis got killed by I guess Iranian money
I don’t see why is it a crime in US for a political to not be Pro Israel
Even if they are the only Democratic country in the region , democracy is not always the best system just look at whats going on in Iraq
Posted by: Zach | February 5, 2008, 5:29 pm 5:29 pm
He’s done. He’s toast.
“guilt by association” does not apply. “agreement by association” does.
When “intelligent people” are serious about their faith, they pick their church home very intentionally and with considerable forethought. When they stay, they do so intentionally and with commitment. If they don’t approve of what they hear from the pulpit, or what they don’t hear from the pulpit, they leave as well they should. There are exceptions, but they are relatively few.
Barack Obama either agreed with what he heard from the Trinity pulpit, or he tuned it out and stayed around pretending to for political reasons. To say he stayed around for 20 years but does not agree with Pastor Wright is an incredible denial. It is like the man who bought 20 years worth of White Sox tickets, attended all the games, but says he is not a fan. Give us a BREAK.
Posted by: sickofitall | March 16, 2008, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm
I have no problem with Israelis doing their thing – it’s none of my business. And that is the point. America doesn’t need Israel as a friend, Israel needs America. And Israel never compromises or listens to America about anything. If Jewish Americans want to fund Israel or advocate for Israel in America, fine. But I’m not an antisemite just because I don’t want to fund another country. Oh – and we gave them the H-Bomb, so they are not in danger of not existing.
Posted by: Baldwin | April 18, 2008, 11:18 am 11:18 am
Obama is hiding his true belifs from the American people.
He sat by and listenened for 20 years to Re.Wright’s anti-semitic comments and support of race hater Louis Farrakhan. He went on the Million Man March where hate speech and black racism against whites was promoted.
His background is far left and even the terrorist group Hamas supports him for President.How can a liar like this be trusted??
Any Jew who votes for Obama is suicidal!!
Posted by: phyllis | May 6, 2008, 10:58 pm 10:58 pm