(Holocaust Museum photo not available)
Obama also met with the Palestinian prime minister, Mammoud Abbas.
Reported by LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press
JERUSALEM — Presidential hopeful Barack Obama donned a Jewish skullcap at Israel’s Holocaust memorial on Wednesday and vowed to preserve America’s close ties with Israel in a dramatic visit to the Holy Land in which he also promised the Palestinians to push vigorously to win them a state.
Obama clearly was trying to allay fears on both sides on how he would tackle their stubborn conflict.
Many Israelis are concerned that Obama _ a first-term U.S. senator with little foreign policy experience _ would push Israel too hard in negotiations with the Palestinians. His family’s Muslim roots have added to the unease, even though Obama is a Christian.
Palestinians doubt Obama or any other U.S. leader would reverse what they see as Washington’s bias toward Israel.
Indeed, skepticism is warranted. Just in the past year we have had the international conference at Annapolis, a dogged effort by Condi Rice to nudge her counterpart, Livni to the table, and direct statements by Bush to achieve a Palestinian state before his term is up. Talks between Israelis and Palestinians, however, have been little more than polite teas, which have come to nothing. Abbas has complained to no avail. This is what Bush said just last January:
There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967. The agreement must establish Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people, just as Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people. These negotiations must ensure that Israel has secure, recognized, and defensible borders. And they must ensure that the state of Palestine is viable, contiguous, sovereign, and independent.
Is that right? “(Israel is) concerned that Obama…would push (it) too hard in negotiations with the Palestinians?”
What Bush stated above is the kernel of the two state solution everybody wants. Is there a fear that Obama would do the same thing, push for a fair and just peace? If so, Obama or not, we are in for another eight years of pretended desires for peace by the Israelis, or at best, another “generous offer.” From the looks of it, Obama will not end it?
