Posted on 07/23/2008 12:18:56 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SDEROT, Israel (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama assured Israel and its U.S. Jewish supporters on Wednesday he was a friend who would not press for peace concessions that would compromise its security.
Hailing Israel as a "miracle," he vowed staunch support and held only a low-profile meeting with Palestinian leaders in the occupied West Bank.
Obama, seeking to allay wariness among some U.S. Jewish voters about his policy towards Israel, flew to Sderot, a town hit by rockets fired from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, saying he hoped to bring peace but would not dictate the terms of a deal.
"I am here to say as an American and as a friend of Israel that we stand with the people of Sderot and all of the people of Israel," Obama told reporters in the town's police station, with mounds of empty rocket casings stacked behind him.
Republican candidate John McCain visited Sderot in March but did not go to the West Bank. Rocket fire on Sderot has largely stopped since a ceasefire with Hamas went into effect in June.
In an apparent jab at U.S. President George W. Bush's last-minute efforts to secure peace before leaving office, Obama said he would not "wait a few years into my term or my second term if I'm elected" to press for a deal.
"We don't need a peace deal just to have a piece of paper," he said. "We need something that's meaningful."
Israel and the Palestinians launched U.S.-backed talks in November aiming to reach a deal by the end of 2008. But Israeli officials have said any accord would likely provide only a framework for statehood and would not be implemented for years.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) smiles before his meeting with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni (not pictured) in Jerusalem July 23, 2008. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
There is virtually no difference between Obama and McCain or the Dems and REeps in terms of US foreign policy towards Israel. It really is a non-issue.
He is as much of a friend to Israel as a spider is a friend to the fly.
Also rumored to be overheard, and in keeping with his flip-flopedness, that the stinking corpse was a miracle, and he will only hold a low-profile support of Israel, and will continue to hail Palestinian leaders in the West Bank.
This picture released by the Palestinian Authority press office shows US Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama (L) meeting with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Obama vowed an "unshakeable" commitment to Israel if he is elected US president, while saying a nuclear Iran would pose a "grave threat" that the world must prevent. (AFP/PPO-HO/Omar Rashidi)
I heard that his pastor said Israel was a dirty word and that he applauds the pallys.
So did Ahmadinejad.
that man(?)
can lieeeeeeee
This from the same guy to told the Israelis to put terrorism in perspective. He’s as bright as a 2 Watt bulb.
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He doesn’t handle sleep deprivation well, that is for sure. what a stammering maroon... uh uh ahh uhh
and as for bright, it really is a shame to see the dems stoop to the level they have, allowing their party to be shanghaied by loonies and foreign operatives...not that the GoP is above criticism as well in a few areas.
You and he say it's sleep deprivation. I think it's too much cocaine.
mustn’t rule out teleprompter deprivation lol
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY! PHOTO OPPERTUNITY ALERT! FOOL THE NEW YORK,NEW JERSEY, FLORIDA, AND CALIFORNIA JEWS!
George Soro’s told me it would be easy to do if I go to Sderot!
All Obama the Messiah did today by going to Sderot is to pander to the sympathies of the liberal Jewish kool aid drinking democrats. Oh look I care about the rockets being shot at you from Gaza. I am here in your city of Sderot and its a very bad thing.
I care as Im a the Messiah! Ko Ko Ka Cho!
Sadly the Liberal Jews who are the same that said Hitler was not that bad either as they were loaded on to the train cars headed for the death camps. Sometimes my fellow Jews are too naive to believe it can happen again in 2008 or beyond.
In my view as an American Jew! you cant trust anything Obama has said. He is one scary dude.
Who the hell is "we", Barry?
Despite the delusions held by you and your sycophantic media, you do not represent the United States, and God willing, never will.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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With friends like Obama, Israel needs no more enemies!
There is no “r”in fiend.
What is the basis for Israel to believe him, especially after he after he took back his "undivided Jerusalem" statement that he made at the AIPAC speech. This man is showing himself to be a purveyor of BS wherever he goes and whatever the topic of the talk might happen to be.
I'm sure that was on his handlers' minds. They could also have been thinking of PA, OH, and MI, which might be very close.
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