Obama Flips On Jerusalem, Again!
Is Barack Obama the quintessential politician who will say anything depending on the group he is in front of?
Obama won widespread applause from the Jewish community and Israeli citizens after he became the first president since 1967 to make public his opinion that Jerusalem should remain the “undivided” capital of Israel. The remarks were clearly made to pander to the AIPAC membership, the nations LARGEST JEWISH LOBBY.
Obama’s statement is that it immediately drew widespread criticism from the Palestinian government and Arabs throughout the Middle East. As mentioned in a previous post moderate Palestinian President Abbas condemned the remarks, further announcing yesterday that the Fatah party would now hold talks to reconcile with Hamas and move up the nation’s election. The announcement of these meetings has dark undertones for the prospects of any peace agreement occurring this year, as Obama inadvertently brought the most contentious topic in the peace talks to the forefront.
Obama’s statements are a reversal of nearly 40 years of American & International Foreign policy refusing to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied city. Following the Israeli occupation of the city in 1967, every nation, including the US pulled their embassies from the town in protest. Even today, there is no nation with an embassy in the city. In an effort to further Middle East Peace talks the International community, including our last three administrations, has avoided involvement in the Jerusalem issue; instead the US has attempted to maintain its status as an honest peace broker allowing Jerusalem to be settled directly by the Israeli & Palestinian governments in accordance with International consensus.
An editorial appearing in the Arab Newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi's stated, "This cheap way of throwing himself at the feet of this lobby harms American interests … and encourages violence and terrorism by giving justification to extremist groups, such as al-Qaida," newspaper
With US media still rejoicing in Obama’s victory and focusing on the “Hillary Issue”, the Obama campaign made an attempt to get in front of the story yesterday. According to the Jerusalem Post “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."”
This reversal in course echoes similar statements made by the white house a day earlier. In addition Obama himself told CNN yesterday, “"As a practical matter, it would be very difficult to execute. 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."
The Obama reversal immediately drew sharp criticism by Israeli newspapers and lobbying groups.
Regardless of Obama’s personal positions on Jerusalem and the blunder that he has made in his remarks; the issue is that his remarks as a presidential nominee have consequences. In just three days following his nomination he has focused the undermined the ongoing efforts of the Israeli-Palestinian peace negations, enraged the Arab community, now angered the Israelis community by reversing course, and more importantly has directly contributed to the “peace-seeking” moderate Abbas’s newly announce efforts to unite Hamas and Fatah.
Is this the foreign policy we can expect, a policy based upon pandering to lobbyist organization and undermine long-standing international and US positions. Obama's long-standing positions drew him an unwanted endorsement of Hamas; His statements on Wednesday moved his Israeli policy to the right of any President in the past 40 years; and now he has just angered both sides and left the question up in the air. In the meantime, this current President must deal with Obama's blunder and undermining of the peace process.
J Brown
05/06/2008
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Related Articles:
Obama Statement Undermines US Positions On Middle East Peace - Politically Drunk
Obama Campaign Flip-Flops On Undivided Jerusalem - Israeli Insider News Magazine
Obama Back Away From Comment On Divided Jerusalem - Washington Post
Obama Modifies Jerusalem Stance - Reuters
On Obamas Foreign Policy:
Barack Obama - Unilateralist?
Attn: News Editors, Book Publishers & Agents
Friday, June 6, 2008
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4 comments:
What is funny is that anybody that disagrees with his positions, or says that they don't agree with his policy directions is branded as a racist. How come the mainstream media isn't taking him to task for this kind of freshman error? This is EXACTLY the same stuff that Bush was doing in the 2000 campaign (remember his one and only trip to the NAACP? That was in 2000. When did he address them again? 2004 before the election). There is something to be said for experience that is not wholly encompassed by 1 SPEECH IN 2002 ABOUT IRAQ!!! Foreign policy is a complex issue. Now if you ask him to clarify any of his remarks, his first statement will be 'Why are you attacking me with all this political silly season stuff?' I am a black man and I can not vote for Senator Obama, not because he is black, or because I am an ardent Clinton supporter. I can not vote for him because he is not ready.
Obama is one scary guy! Every time you read another article you come up with another unsavory character in his past/present/and probably future. He worries so much about "vetting" his V.P. choices so carefully. He himself refused to be "vetted" for president and puts off questions by saying "I already responded to that", "That is just old style Washington politics," etc. Obama should be more concerned about scandals and skeletons in his own closet (Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers, Rev. Wright, Father Pfleger, Rashid Khalidi and others) than in worrying about a possible V.P. choice who might not be up to his standards. Hillary Clinton should stay the hell away from this nutcake as V.P. or anything else in his cabinet.
Give him a break ....... he is relying on advisors, as he should do and, if they helped him change his mind or policy strategy, that is not something to tar and feather him over! The best leaders make mistakes and learn from them, at least he is willing to change course when he sees the light rather than bully his way through an arrogant strategy of "Stay the course"
Obama doesn't change his mind because he sees the light. His advisors are making him because he mades stupid remarks when he isn't reading from a script. He is so arrogant, he thinks he knows everything.
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