A Legend In His Own Mind!
Posted on 06/05/2008 3:20:48 PM PDT by mdittmar
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama did not rule out Palestinian sovereignty over parts of Jerusalem when he called for Israel's capital to remain "undivided," his campaign told The Jerusalem Post Thursday.
"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided," Obama declared Wednesday, to rousing applause from the 7,000-plus attendees at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference.
But a campaign adviser clarified Thursday that Obama believes "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."
"Two principles should apply to any outcome," which the adviser gave as: "Jerusalem remains Israel's capital and it's not going to be divided by barbed wire and checkpoints as it was in 1948-1967."
He refused, however, to rule out other configurations, such as the city also serving as the capital of a Palestinian state or Palestinian sovereignty over Arab neighborhoods.
"Beyond those principles, all other aspects are for the two parties to agree at final status negotiations," the Obama adviser said.
Many on the right of the political spectrum among America's Jews welcomed Obama's remarks at AIPAC, but the clarification of his position left several cold.
"The Orthodox Union is extremely disappointed in this revision of Senator Obama's important statement about Jerusalem," said Nathan Diament, director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. He had sent out a release Wednesday applauding Obama's Jerusalem remarks in front of AIPAC.
"In the current context, everyone understands that saying 'Jerusalem... must remain undivided' means that the holy city must remain unified under Israeli rule, as it has been since 1967," Diament explained.
"If Senator Obama intended his remarks at AIPAC to be understood in this way, he said nothing that would reasonably lead to such a different interpretation."
Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America and another Jewish activist who had originally lauded Obama's statement, now called the candidate's words "troubling."
"It means he used the term inappropriately, possibly to mislead strong supporters of Israel that he supports something he doesn't really believe," Klein charged.
Obama has faced questions about his support for Israel from hawkish quarters of the Jewish community, and his campaign said the speech before AIPAC, following a town hall meeting at a Florida synagogue last month, were key elements in shoring up the Jewish vote, which generally goes to the Democrats.
"We think we've gotten a good reaction to the speech and we're pleased that we've gotten a good reaction," said the campaign adviser of the candidate's AIPAC address, which received multiple sustained standing ovations.
But not everyone was pleased with the speech, particularly Palestinians.
"This statement is totally rejected," said Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, whom a top aide described as "disappointed."
"The whole world knows that holy Jerusalem was occupied in 1967 and we will not accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state," Abbas said.
The Obama campaign adviser said that whatever the international reaction, it was important for the Illinois senator to "make his positions clear."
"Our main audience is American voters at the moment. Other people want to know where he stands and it's important that they do know where he stands," he said.
Speaking generally about the speech, which also stressed the importance of a secure Israel and the need to isolate Hamas, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters: "Obama's comments have confirmed that there will be no change in the US administration's foreign policy on the Arab-Israeli conflict."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, however, called Obama's address "moving," adding that he was also impressed by the speeches delivered at the same conference by Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, and presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain.
Olmert spoke to all three candidates by phone Thursday as he wrapped up a three-day visit to Washington
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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This is the Thursday position, which may conflict with the Wednesday position, which may conflict with the May 12 position.
SO WHAT!
GET OFF HIS BACK ALREADY AND LEAVE MICHELLE OUT OF IT TOO!
A Legend In His Own Mind!
b. HUSSEIN is such an a-wipe...it is incomprehensible that the even lib/dems would vote for him!!!
Yes, you left off the quote where I said it was before 48.. Which is was. Long time =78 years if you need that. But I’m sure you could work out that math.
Actually, he’s quite consistent. After he’s done dividing Jerusalem, he’s committed to keeping each resulting piece absolutely undivided. ;)
He's not 'backtracking'. You just don't have the intellectual capacity to comprehend the nuance of the position. (don't forget that John Iservedinvietnam Kerry is a supporter).
78 years is a very short time in the context of Jerusalem, which is thousands of years old.
Baracq’track Osama’Obama
. . P revaricator
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. . . . T he
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. . . . . . S tates
Of course. It's the 58th state, just east of New Jersey.
But a campaign adviser clarified Thursday that Obama believes "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, in other words, Jerusalem has just been thrown under the bus.
Many on the right of the political spectrum among America's Jews welcomed Obama's remarks at AIPAC, but the clarification of his position left several cold.
"The Orthodox Union is extremely disappointed in this revision of Senator Obama's important statement about Jerusalem," said Nathan Diament, director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. He had sent out a release Wednesday applauding Obama's Jerusalem remarks in front of AIPAC.
Anybody who has looked at Barry [middle name redacted, but it rhymes with "insane"] Obomination for more than 10 seconds would understand that he's a standard emotion-based, anti-capitalistic, anti-American liberal politician, just more so, on top of which he has ZERO foreign policy or defense experience. How ANYONE Orthodox could be suckered in by this empty suit is beyond me, but at least a few are waking up.
FYI, at my Orthodox south Texas synogogue we are at least 70% anti-Obama (not, you'll notice, pro-McCain, even though it amounts to the same thing). This figure will increase, as Barry [middle name redacted, but it rhymes with "insane"] Obomination gets out in front of truly national audiences in the next several months. I look forward to the average person (who's generally not a political junkie like all of us on FR) finding out that the Dims nominated someone to the left of McGovern, someone who's truly frightening in his ignorance AND his positions.
Barry HUSSEIN Snobama lies like a wornout mangey old dog! And double for his nasty witch wife who makes Queen Evita Hillary look like June Cleaver! HUSSEIN Snobama-messiah is a shuck and jiving pimp! And his wife is a shrew!
So there HUSSEIN, I used your middle name and brought your nasty wife into it too!
Yup. This guy flip flops worst than JFK (erry). Suckers!
He is a liar and a purveyor of lies..
Well, wouldn't that make him an ideological clone of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton?
And what on earth is "social justice" anyway? It turns out by historical experience that "social justice" is not justice at all.
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