Arabs to Obama, "Where's the change?"

You gotta love this from Arab News:

Limited Change:

It is probably no great revelation that most Arabs have been backing Barack Obama in the race to the White House. So it was profoundly disappointing that his first statement on foreign affairs since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate should be a blast of unwavering support for Israel. Such a pledge cannot bring peace to the Middle East. It also raises questions about his campaign promise of “change.”

His insistence that any deal between Palestinians and Israelis must keep Israel as a Jewish state with Jerusalem as its undivided capital together with his promise to use force, if necessary, to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is hardly a basis for change. It is a guarantee for keeping things as they are. There can be no peace if all Jerusalem remains in Israeli hands. Without East Jerusalem as the new state’s capital, no Palestinian, no matter how moderate, is going to sign a peace deal. It was illegally seized in 1967 and the whole world, other than the US Congress which passed a law in 1995 describing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, agrees that it does not belong to the Israelis; despite the 1995 law, even the Bush administration goes along with that and has refused to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv.

The pledge sounded like a hawk speaking, not a dove. This was the language of the past, the language that has prevented peace from happening — and it must have been music to the ears of the Israeli hard-liners.

Of course, everyone knows why he said it. The race with John McCain is going to be tough and he wants to keep every lobby on his side, not least the Israeli lobby. Which was why, back in January when most governments were condemning Israel for the Gaza blockade, he was saying he understood why Israel was “forced” to impose the blockade and demanding that the UN Security Council condemn rocket attacks from the territory and that, if it refused, it should not be saying anything about Israel at all.

But the Israeli lobby is already not so much on the side of his campaign as on board. Many of its key figures are Democrats. So he could have said nothing.

Obama has now amended his thoughts. In the face of Palestinian condemnation, he says that the status of East Jerusalem is a matter for them and the Israelis to negotiate. We must view this positively. No US leader in half-a-century has so pointedly regretted any previous pro-Israeli statement. Maybe it is a sign of things to come.

On the other hand, his change of heart about East Jerusalem, welcome though it is, brings him exactly where the Bush administration is. It too says that it is for the Palestinians and Israelis to negotiate. So other than on Iraq, where he wants withdrawal, and on Syria, where he supports Israel’s decision to negotiate with it, there is no difference — and the latter can hardly be regarded as a major divergence.

Change, when it comes to the core Middle East issue, seems to be somewhat limited.

Comments

[nanc]

the obamanator has not heeded the words "choose you THIS day who you shall serve..." he's pandering to evangelicals in his midst.

shades of the antichrist...

[Debbie]

Nanc: I just emailed you something...

[Jack]

The Aravim can complain all they want. What do they really expect to have happen

[MK]

It's bull Debbie, i noticed that Hamas is pulling their 'endorsement', wink-wink, nudge-nudge.

He knows this'll cost him, that's why he's acting tough and rattling his puny stick at them.

He ain't stupid, he can just waffle about taking a hard line and support for Israel, but once he gets into power, he can shaft them to the left's content.

Pass the salt shaker.

[durano lawayan]

Hi Debbie,

I heard this policy speech he gave, and it sounded like he gave the bulk of his fortunes to Israel.

As to the Arabs, they get the loose change. That's all the change they can expect! LOL! :-) --Durano, done!

[Faultline USA]

You’ve got to love it. Tell the Arabs not to worry. Obama’s “Change” simply means that he gets to change what he says every other day.

[Debbie]

Obama's speech to AIPAC was for their ears only. The next day, after his Palestinian friends voiced their disapproval ... Obama changed his tune. That's what an Obama presidency would be like, wishy washy, no foundation.

[John Seymore]

He's a Muslim! He's a racist Christian! He's a zionist! He's a Muslim! He's a racist Christian! He's a zionist!

Boy, you Republicans sure do flip flop. You're like a swift boat for truth full of John Kerry's raised to the 100th power.

Don't let the fact that you can't possibly be a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew at the same time slow down your rhetoric. But that's why you cut education funding so your base that lives in the trailer parks won't see through your little plan.

You gotta say something to the Republican base that is living in the trailer park. They need to hear something bad about Obama. No black people belong in America!

White power!

White pride!

White Republican power!

[HOWARD]

Obama's proposal of CHANGE requires sound judgement to determine which things should change, and which things should be kept, cherished and embraced. Unfortunately Obama and his left wing supporters want to throw out the baby with the dirty bath water. They have no appreciation of U.S. history, or the blood, sweat, and sacrifice it's taken to make America the greatest country in the world. They seem to believe that before you can create change, first you must discredit, or destroy everything that's come before. Obama relies on young voters apathy and ignorance of American history and tradition, which makes it easier for them to buy into CHANGE, without any sense of what kind of change is needed. Evidence of this, is Obama supporters embracing his disrespectful alteration of the Presidential seal, to further his personal ambition. Or, Obama's black liberation church discrediting Thomas Jefferson, because of an alleged affair with a black slave. If Obama is elected President, I predict that American history will be gradually revised, and America as we know it will become barely recognizable.

[Debbie]

Howard:

You said, "America as we know it will become barely recognizable."

I completely agree. This is truly a turning point for America.