Friday, June 06, 2008
Trusting Barack Obama, NOT
I've posted on the strangeness of the contradictory promises Senator Barack Obama made to Israeli supporting Jewish persons at the AIPAC a few days ago. Here's part of the promise:
Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided
Here's the staff walk back more recently:
Jerusalem is a final status issue, which means it has to be negotiated between the two parties [as part of] an agreement that they both can live with.
So maybe not completely undivided after all.
This is an important election, especially for American supporters of a country which should now have real concerns for the quality of the Democratic commitment of support for our best (and only) ally in the Mid East.
(h/t little green footballs)
UPDATE: Here are words from Obama himself on CNN as reported by the Washington Post. I see a backtrack but perhaps that's a result of my dislike for the man's policies and judgment.
The Washington Post writer certainly saw it: "Obama quickly backtracked yesterday in an interview with CNN."
Here's what he said: When asked about an undivided Jerusalem, (Palestinians have no future claim on the city?) Obama said:
Sorry, I find "Israel has a legitimate claim on the city" a far cry from "Jerusalem...must remain undivided."
Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided
Here's the staff walk back more recently:
Jerusalem is a final status issue, which means it has to be negotiated between the two parties [as part of] an agreement that they both can live with.
So maybe not completely undivided after all.
This is an important election, especially for American supporters of a country which should now have real concerns for the quality of the Democratic commitment of support for our best (and only) ally in the Mid East.
(h/t little green footballs)
UPDATE: Here are words from Obama himself on CNN as reported by the Washington Post. I see a backtrack but perhaps that's a result of my dislike for the man's policies and judgment.
The Washington Post writer certainly saw it: "Obama quickly backtracked yesterday in an interview with CNN."
Here's what he said: When asked about an undivided Jerusalem, (Palestinians have no future claim on the city?) Obama said:
Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues. And Jerusalem will be part of those negotiations. As a practical matter, it would be very difficult to execute [a division of the city] and I think that it is smart for us to -- to work through a system in which everybody has access to the extraordinary religious sites in Old Jerusalem but that Israel has a legitimate claim on that city.
Sorry, I find "Israel has a legitimate claim on the city" a far cry from "Jerusalem...must remain undivided."
Labels: Barack Obama: Middle East Promises
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 10:23 AM 
