Obama Meets with Israeli Leaders, Seeks to Reassure Them of His Support
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Sen. Barack Obama meets with Israeli political leaders, seeks to reassure key US ally he supports its efforts to achieve peace and security without seeking to diminish its influence or impede key political goals of the state. He did say he believes to achieve peace, both sides need to make key concessions, and that “a US administration has to put its weight behind the process” for peace in Israel and Palestine. He added that he felt sure that none of the politicians he met with would come away with the impression he would pressure them to make concessions that would work against the interests of the state of Israel.
Sen. Obama pledged to act immediately upon becoming president to facilitate a peace-negotiating process between Israel and the Palestinians. Seeking to clarify misconceptions raised by his critics, that he would meet with any rogue leader with no preconditions, he said he would meet with any leader if there were a real opportunity to advance US interests.
He also said the initial statement was made in specific relation to Iran, in the context of a Bush administration policy not to engage at any diplomatic level with Tehran, unless they abandoned their nuclear program, an issue which would be the key purpose of any negotiations. The Bush administration recently reversed its policy and sent the 3rd-ranking diplomat in the State Dept. to a meeting discussing Iran’s plans for its nuclear program and for cooperation with UN mandates.
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Obama assured his audience that security concerns are a priority in his view of foreign policy, saying: “The first job of any nation state is to protect its citizens”. He added that “if someone were sending rockets into my house… I would do anything in my power to stop it, and I would expect Israelis to do the same”, and said he believes both an unnamed “nation state” and the Palestinian militant group Hamas must recognize Israel’s “right to exist” as a nation state.
The meeting was a vital move for a campaign that has been plagued by rumors and spin suggesting Sen. Obama’s proclamations about peacemaking overtures to Israel’s enemies would somehow reduce American pressure on militant groups to recognize Israel. In fact, Sen. Obama’s policy toward militant groups has never varied from that of Sen. McCain (R-AZ) or his rival in the Democratic party primaries, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY).
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