Talking Tough? Obama Meets Pro-Israel Lobby

The New York Times reports on Barack Obama's visit to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee today:

Senator Barack Obama, in his first day as the Democrats’ presumptive presidential nominee, plunged into the thicket of Middle East politics on Wednesday with comments on the status of Jerusalem and deterrence of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Speaking before the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the nation’s foremost pro-Israel lobby, Mr. Obama endorsed a two-state Israel-Palestine settlement, but also insisted that Jerusalem should remain both the capital of the Jewish nation and undivided.

Those remarks drew immediate criticism from Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and Gaza, with Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, saying that Mr. Obama’s speech proved there would be no change in American policy toward the Palestinians, which he described as “hostile.”

Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, expressed frustration. “The whole world knows that East Jerusalem, holy Jerusalem, was occupied in 1967,” Mr. Abbas said, “and we will not accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.”

Mr. Obama, who was introduced as the Democratic nominee and received a hearty ovation, also drew contrasts with President Bush and with Senator John McCain of Arizona, the likely Republican nominee. Mr. Obama said he differed substantially with both of them on matters of timing and approach to various Middle East issues, including Iran’s expansionist goals.

“I won’t wait until the waning days of my presidency,” Mr. Obama said, in a slap at Mr. Bush. “I will take an active role and make a personal commitment to do all I can to advance the cause of peace from the start of my administration.”

Mr. Obama defended his willingness to negotiate with the nation’s enemies, but coupled that with a pledge of unstinting support for Israel’s security. He also promised to send military hardware to Israel under the same conditions governing NATO nations.

He talked tough on Iran, describing it in terms suggestive of a rogue nation and making clear that he would place the military might of the United States behind Israel in the event of an Iranian attack on the Jewish state.

“I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he said, adding for emphasis, “Everything.

“That starts with aggressive, principled diplomacy without self-defeating preconditions, but with a clear-eyed understanding of our interests,” Mr. Obama said. He threatened harsh sanctions against Iran if it did not forsake its nuclear ambitions.

Mr. McCain has criticized Mr. Obama for what he has called a naïve approach to military and diplomatic affairs, including a willingness to engage with Iran and other potential threats.

Mr. McCain repeated that charge in a news conference on Wednesday as well as at his appearance before the Aipac conference on Monday. He also criticized Mr. Obama for not supporting a Senate resolution to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in Iran as a terrorist organization. Mr. Obama did not vote on the resolution but has said he would have opposed it.

Mr. Obama answered that criticism on Wednesday, saying that the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards had rightly been labeled a terrorist organization.

See also, Jennifer Rubin, "It is a good thing ... that he now recognizes the Iranian National Guard as a terrorist organization. It does make it that much stranger, though, that he still wants to meet with the Iranian President."

Cartoon Credit: Michael Ramirez