Posted by
Cary Wesberry on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 4:27:42 PM
Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama says Israel is a "constant wound" and a "constant sore" that infects "all of our foreign policy."
Obama, under fire for attracting praise and support for his presidential run from the terrorist group Hamas, spoke to Atlantic Monthly at length about his views of the Middle East.
Asked if he thought Israel represented a drag on America's reputation overseas, Obama said: "No, no, no. But what I think is that this constant wound, that this constant sore, does infect all of our foreign policy. The lack of a resolution to this problem provides an excuse for anti-American militant jihadists to engage in inexcusable actions, and so we have a national-security interest in solving this, and I also believe that Israel has a security interest in solving this because I believe that the status quo is unsustainable. I am absolutely convinced of that, and some of the tensions that might arise between me and some of the more hawkish elements in the Jewish community in the United States might stem from the fact that I’m not going to blindly adhere to whatever the most hawkish position is just because that’s the safest ground politically."
"I want to solve the problem, and so my job in being a friend to Israel is partly to hold up a mirror and tell the truth and say if Israel is building settlements without any regard to the effects that this has on the peace process, then we’re going to be stuck in the same status quo that we’ve been stuck in for decades now," he said.
Hamas now worried their endorsement has hurt the Obama campaign:
JERUSALEM – The Hamas terrorist organization is strongly considering issuing an official statement claiming it doesn't endorse any U.S. presidential candidate and that remarks made by an official supportive of Sen. Barack Obama were "misunderstood," a top Hamas leader told WND.
Other Hamas sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the terror group "understands" praise for Obama last month from Ahmed Yousef, Hamas' chief political advisor in the Gaza Strip, is harming the Illinois senator.
In an interview with WND and WABC Radio last month, Yousef said he "hopes" Obama becomes president and compared the Illinois senator to President John F. Kennedy.
"We like Mr. Obama, and we hope that he will win the elections," said Yousef.
"I hope Mr. Obama and the Democrats will change the political discourse. ... I do believe [Obama] is like John Kennedy, a great man with a great principal. And he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community, but not with humiliation and arrogance," Yousef said, speaking from Gaza.
Yousef was not asked which presidential candidate he supports. He volunteered his endorsement in response to a question inquiring whether he was surprised Obama and other presidential candidates criticized Jimmy Carter's recent meetings with Hamas.
Is there anything at all that does hurt the Obama campaign in the long run? In an America not turned upside-down this junior Senator would have been out of the race before it started. It is not Israel that's the constant sore and wound in the Palestinian conflict; it's the Palestinians! The fact that those words, constant sore and constant wound, came out of Obama's mouth referring to Israel should really tell you all you need to know about this candidate. As if that's not enough, he's won the endorsement of Hamas. A terrorist organization who now is worried their admition might hurt their favorite candidate. The insanity never stops with this guy! Someone wake me up from this nightmare please.