Editorial
Summer 08
A good friend to Israel?
As Third Way went to press, Barack Obama was securing the Democratic nomination as candidate for the US presidential elections in November. In his first speech as the presumptive nominee, he pledged unwavering support for Israel, adding to comments he had already made about having ‘a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel, our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy... That will always be my starting point.’ His defeated rival, Hillary Clinton, was also happy to point out to her supporters that ‘I know Senator Obama will be a good friend to Israel.’
Hamas responded quickly. ‘We consider the statements of Obama to be further evidence of the hostility of the American administration to Arabs and Muslims’ said a spokesperson. In particular the organization objected to his insistence that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of Israel. This, alongside the news that he may soon have the blessing of Rupert Murdoch, whose newspapers are widely considered to be the most likely to support thet Israeli military, will concern anyone who believes that the Palestinians have cause for complaint.
The parameters of US politics, however, demand that candidates offer support to the Israeli state. It is impossible to imagine anyone seeking such office behaving differently. But it is within those parameters that one might find signs of a politician’s willingness to move the debate (and the peace process) forward.
Obama’s speech, which was given to the Israel Public Affairs Committee, also called on Israel to refrain from building settlements on Palestinian land, and to allow the Palestinians more freedom of movement. When he announced that he would always protect Israel, the crowd roared. But when he said that ‘The Palestinians need a state that is contiguous and cohesive, and that allows them to prosper’, the response was rather more tepid.
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