Comments on: Obama’s Israel-Palestinian policy: mostly the same; one big surprise

By: Vic Rosenthal

Vic Rosenthal — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:22:07 +0000

There’s another possibility: he’s changed his point of view since 1999.

I have to give the candidate’s words today more weight than a comment by Ali Abunimah.

By: Anna

Anna — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:46:59 +0000

Before anyone becomes too enamored of Barack Obama, read part of this interview with radical anti-Israel activist Ali Abunimah given to Democracy Now just a few months ago. Sen. Obama’s roots in politics aren’t with the Jews. He either lied to the Palestinians, or he’s lying to the Jews now.

AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to Chicago to Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of the online publication The Electronic Intifada, author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse.

AMY GOODMAN: Ali Abunimah, I wanted to ask you about the candidates in the United States. You’re speaking to us from Chicago, so let’s start with Barack Obama. The stances of the presidential Democratic and Republican candidates on the Israel-Palestine conflict. I can’t remember when in a debate they were asked about the mounting crisis there.

ALI ABUNIMAH: I don’t know if they’ve been asked in a debate, but whenever they have been asked, they have all gone out of their way to express full support for what Israel is doing. Barack Obama is not distinguished from the rest of the pack, except by for how far he has moved to try to appease AIPAC and pro-Israel movements.

I remember, Amy—I knew Barack Obama for many years as my state senator—when he used to attend events in the Palestinian community in Chicago all the time. I remember personally introducing him onstage in 1999, when we had a major community fundraiser for the community center in Deheisha refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. And that’s just one example of how Barack Obama used to be very comfortable speaking up for and being associated with Palestinian rights and opposing the Israeli occupation. And just yesterday, he apparently sent a letter to Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador at the UN, to urge the US not to allow any resolution to pass criticizing Israel and saying how Israel was forced to impose this barbaric medieval siege on Israel. [Link to Democracy Now here]

By: ME

ME — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 20:34:35 +0000

The Onus is on the International Community, the World, and America to thwart any nonsense from Iran and terrorist organizations that it supports. By the time all these ‘peace conversations’ are under way to appease everyone’s notions about how to walk on egg shells around lunatics, then the Ayatollahs, Achmadinejad and Hamas will have made more ground to fulfill their objectives to destroy Israel. Unless potential candidates can act realistically with respect to the Middle East, then their verbage is just that.

Dear Friends,
I have just read and signed the online petition:
“Citizens for Destroying the Iranian Nuclear Facilities”
hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/irannuke/
I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.
Best wishes,
ME

By: Shalom Freedman

Shalom Freedman — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:59:34 +0000

I think the finding of fault with Obama here is mistaken.
I would look at his fundamental approach and the strong committment he made to the survival and security of Israel.
In my opinion he does show a good grasp of most of the specifics. He is overly optimistic at certain points but that is true in relation to all the subjects he has to deal with.
Frankly, my thought about him is something different.
I believe Israel and its supporters must try to forge close ties with him. He represents to America, Change and Hope at a time America is struggling. He is young, dynamic, charismatic and seems to have a clear sense of what he is doing. I believe he is going to win.