Posted February 21st, 2008 at 3:54PM“Nobody’s suffering more than the Palestinian people.”
– Barack Obama in Iowa, March 11th, 2007
Last week, when Barack Obama became the first major candidate to break the silence on the situation in Gaza, he didn’t criticize Israel, whose blockade of a civilian population has been roundly condemned by human rights organizations, nor did he call for restraint from the United States’ top ally in the Mideast. Instead, he fired off a letter to U.N. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad with a resounding message—one that could have been mistaken for words straight from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) website. “The Security Council should clearly and unequivocally condemn the rocket attacks against Israel.… If it cannot…I urge you to ensure that it does not speak at all,” Obama wrote, adding he understood why Israel was “forced” to shut down Gaza’s border crossings.
– Obama’s Israel Shuffle by Justin Elliot, Feburary 1st, 2008
If Obama does become the next president of the United States, we need to start demanding the “change” that his entire campaign has run on. Unilateral support of Israel will get votes, but it is not change in any shape or form.
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Is Israel a country? I don’t think it is.
It’s nice that someone is talking about it, but still, it isn’t public enough. Whatever Obama can do to distance himself from Hilary would be smart, but I don’t know how that will affect him.
What do you mean it isn’t a country?
For whatever reason, support of Israel has become a sort of litmus test for many people. Clinton, ever the hawk, has been totally on Israel’s butt for years. I think this is another case of Obama being politically expedient – hopefully he understands the shades of gray involved.
It’s a very annoying and belabored argument from Palestinians. Both sides have argued (mostly in the collegiate circle) that Israel or Palestine isn’t a country. We should just give the land to the Irish and end the bickering. The Israelis can have Ireland, and the Palestinians can move into whatever country in the surrounding area that’s friendly to them (which shouldn’t be too hard to find).
I think you’re belaboring the point now.