Obama Fact Check On Israel

Will Obama Continue To Mislead The American People On His Record On Israel?

WASHINGTON, May 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was issued today by the Republican National Committee:

Today, Obama Said There Was "No Trace" Of Him Being Anything But A Friend To Israel:

Obama: "There is not a single trace of me ever being anything more than a friend to Israel and a friend of the Jewish people." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks In Boca Raton, FL, 5/22/08)

Click Here To View Clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAkfseTJi50)

OBAMA'S "ANYTHING BUT A FRIEND" POSITIONS

Jewish Voters Expressed Concern About Obama's Remarks On The Suffering Of The Palestinian People:

Obama: "Now, in the interim, nobody's suffering more than the Palestinian people from this whole process."

(Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Muscatine, IA, 3/11/07)

"[I]n The Halls Of The AIPAC Policy Conference...There Was No Denying That The Members Of The Pro-Israel Group -- Largely Democrats, Though They Tilt Right -- Feel A Real, If Kind Of Inchoate, Skepticism About The Illinois Senator." (Ben Smith, "Obama's Jewish Problem," The Politico's "Ben Smith's Blog," www.politico.com, 3/13/07)

Iowa Democrat David Adelman Wrote To Obama Seeking Clarification On His Comments. "Now, an Iowa Democrat and AIPAC member, David Adelman, has written Obama a letter asking for clarification of Obama's remark to the Des Moines register that 'nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people,' a statement Adelman writes he found 'deeply troubling.'" (Ben Smith, "Obama's Jewish Problem," The Politico's "Ben Smith's Blog," www.politico.com, 3/13/07)

Obama Said Anti-Israel Terrorist Groups Had "Legitimate Claims":

Obama Said That Hezbollah And Hamas Had "Legitimate Claims." "The U.S. needs a foreign policy that 'looks at the root causes of problems and dangers.' Obama compared Hezbollah to Hamas. Both need to be compelled to understand that 'they're going down a blind alley with violence that weakens their legitimate claims.' He knows these movements aren't going away anytime soon ('Those missiles aren't going to dissolve'), but 'if they decide to shift, we're going to recognize that. That's an evolution that should be recognized.'" (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "Obama Admires Bush," The New York Times, 5/16/08)

At An April 2007 Debate, Obama Did Not List Israel As One Of The U.S.'s Strongest Allies:

Obama Required Prompting To Say That Israel Was One Of The U.S.'s Closest Allies. "Obama appeared to hesitate when he was asked to name the United States' three closest allies, then listed the European Union, NATO and Japan. He added Israel after debate moderator Brian Williams prompted him." (Steven Thomma, "S.C. Lawmaker Gives Clinton High Marks," McClatchy Newspapers, 4/28/07)

Obama Has Said That He Would Meet With Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Even Though Iran Is The World's Most Active State Sponsor Of Terrorism And Has Threatened To Wipe Israel Off The Map:

At A July 2007 Debate, Obama Didn't Hesitate To Announce He Would Personally Meet With The Leaders Of Iran And Other Rogue Nations. Question: "[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?" ...Obama: "I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration -- is ridiculous." (Sen. Barack Obama, CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Charleston, SC, 7/23/07)

The State Department's Recently Released Annual Terrorism Report Says That Iran Is The World's "Most Active" State Sponsor Of Terrorism. "Iran remained the most active state sponsor of terrorism. Elements of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were directly involved in the planning and support of terrorist acts throughout the region and continued to support a variety of groups in their use of terrorism to advance their common regional goals. Iran provides aid to Palestinian terrorist groups, Lebanese Hizballah, Iraq-based militants, and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan." ("Country Reports On Terrorism," U.S. Department Of State, Office Of The Coordinator For Counterterrorism, 4/30/08)

Ahmadinejad Referred To Israel As A "Stinking Corpse" And Said It Was "On Its Way To Annihilation." "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a 'stinking corpse' that was doomed to fail, and warned countries that they would 'burn in the fire of their people's hatred' if they helped Israel, the news agency IRNA reported.' Today the reason for Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation,' he said in a speech on the 60th anniversary of the Jewish state." (Nazila Fathi, "Iran: A Hate Note On Israel's Birthday," The New York Times, 5/9/08)

"Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Said ... That Israel Is Dying And That Its 60th Anniversary Celebrations Are An Attempt To Prevent Its 'Annihilation.'" (Ali Akbar Dareini, "Ahmadinejad Says Israel Doomed," The Associated Press, 5/14/08)

Ahmadinejad Previously Said Israel Should Be Wiped Off The Map And Denied That The Holocaust Occurred. "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said in the past he wants to wipe Israel off the map and dismissed the Holocaust as a myth." (Nick Wadhams, "Israel: No Greater Threat To World's Values Than The Leaders Of Iran," The Associated Press, 9/21/06)

Obama Had An Advisor Who Met With Hamas And Called For Embracing Them:

The Obama Campaign Cut Ties To Foreign Policy Advisor Robert Malley After He Disclosed That He Had Met With Hamas. "One of Barack Obama's Middle East policy advisers disclosed yesterday that he had held meetings with the militant Palestinian group Hamas -- prompting the likely Democratic nominee to sever all links with him. Robert Malley told The Times that he had been in regular contact with Hamas, which controls Gaza and is listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organization." (Tom Baldwin, "Barack Obama Sacks Adviser Over Talks With Hamas," The Times [London, U.K.], 5/9/08)

"Mr. Malley, In Any Event, Is A Problem Because He Has Been An Advocate For Engagement With Hamas And Defender Of Yasser Arafat Even In The Post-Oslo Period." (Editorial, "Much Ado About Malley," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

"Mr. Malley Called For Embracing Hamas When It Won In January 2006 Palestinian Legislative Elections In Which Violence Was Used To Intimidate Voters And In Which No Free Press Was Operating." (Editorial, "Much Ado About Malley," The New York Sun, 2/19/08)

Malley Urged Funding For The Hamas Government. "An inflexible approach to the PA would carry other perils. Hamas, searching for a substitute source of funds, might turn to Iran or, convinced that it is being set up for failure, drop its political gambit and return to the familiarity of armed confrontation. Without the leverage of Western funding, without the responsibility to ensure it keeps flowing, Hamas will be less constrained and freer to revert to past practice." (Robert Malley, Op-Ed, "Making The Best Of Hamas' Victory," The [Baltimore] Sun, 2/19/06)

Former President Carter Met With Hamas; Obama Failed To Initially Condemn:

"Defying Opposition From The Bush Administration And Israel, Former President Jimmy Carter Met For Several Hours Friday Night In Syria With The Exiled Leader Of Hamas, The Militant Islamist Group, To Discuss Efforts To Resolve The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." (Robert F. Worth, "Defying Israel, Carter Meets Hamas Leader," The New York Times, 4/19/08)

"'Why Can't I Just Eat My Waffle?' [Obama] Said When Asked About Former President Jimmy Carter's Meeting With Hamas Officials." (Jeff Zeleny and John Broder, "On Eve Of Crucial Primary, Clinton Ad Invokes Bin Laden," The New York Times, 4/22/08)

NOTE: "The Campaign Of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), The Presumptive Republican Nominee, Was Quick To Blast Carter's Plans [To Meet With Hamas] And Called On Both Obama And Clinton To Condemn The Meeting With What The State Department Lists As A Terrorist Group." (Glenn Kessler, "Former President Carter To Meet With Hamas Chief," The Washington Post, 4/10/08)

"Both Clinton And Obama Issued Statements With Milder Language, Saying They 'Disagreed' Or Did 'Not Agree' With Carter's Plans." (Glenn Kessler, "Former President Carter To Meet With Hamas Chief," The Washington Post, 4/10/08)

Hamas Praised Obama's Foreign Policy:

"During An Interview On WABC Radio ... Top Hamas Political Adviser Ahmed Yousef Said The Terrorist Group Supports Obama's Foreign Policy Vision." (Mosheh Oinounou, "A Hamas Problem For Obama?" Fox News' "Cameron's Corner" Blog, foxnews.com, 4/16/08)

Yousef: "We don't mind-actually we like Mr. Obama. We hope he will (win) the election and I do believe he is like John Kennedy, great man with great principle, and he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community but not with domination and arrogance..." (Mosheh Oinounou, "A Hamas Problem For Obama?" Fox News' "Cameron's Corner" Blog, foxnews.com, 4/16/08)

"Obama's Chief Strategist, David Axelrod, Said He Was 'Flattered' By The Comparison To JFK..." (Editorial, "Hamas & Obama: Terrorist Flatter," The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 4/21/08)

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2008-05-22 19:54:19 0369418 PRNEWSWIRE