It's no secret that Barack Obama has encountered uneasiness within the Jewish community, and has been the subject of both legitimate questioning and an ugly whispering campaign. The Haaretz editorial says things well, and notes why many of us with ties of concern and affection to Israel are comfortable Obama supporters, and even more important, do not want acrimony over the Middle East to seep into the campaign....
Readers concerned about this may wish to take a look
http://www.haaretz.com/...
In responding to this posting, I would appreciate if responders took note of the deep sensitivities on all sides of these matters.
In response to several comments, I have added some material from the Haaretz editorial. The basic point is that Senator Obama is smack dab in in the mainstream about advocating a two-state solution, attending to Israel's security needs, and finding a peaceful and just solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestineans.
In many ways, Senator Obama would be a much better president for Israel than President Bush has been. So would Hillary Clinton, by the way. I am extremely concerned about what has happened over the past seven years.
Obama is sensitive to Israel's security needs, and he proved this through his Senate votes, his visit to northern Israel during the Second Lebanon War, and his unequivocal statements against both Hezbollah, which violated Israel's sovereignty in the North, and Hamas, which violated Israel's sovereignty in the South.
Obama does not support the return of Palestinian refugees to Israel, but believes that the need to solve the refugee problem must be recognized. He supports Israel as the state of the Jews, and does not accept the view, which has struck roots in the global left, that Israel should be a state of all its citizens, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. He speaks out openly on these issues, as he does about the threat to Israel posed by Iran's nuclear program.....