162 Comment(s)

1. Congratulations for your decision to endorse Barack Obama for President. I live in Sterling, VA (in Loudoun County, near Dulles Airport), and our family belongs to Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation (NVHC) in Reston, VA. I am very pleased that you made your endorsement decision based on reason, rather than histrionics. I was worried that the Rev. Wright firestorm would unduly frighten Jewish organizations away from Obama. I am a financial contributor and a member of the National Phone Team in the Obama campaign. Starting tonight, I will be calling Pennsylvanians from my home.
   Thank you again for your decision to endorse Barack Obama for President.
   –Robyn Hyman

   Robyn Hyman | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

2. This is astounding. After reading the Trinity Church newsletter in support of Hamas and them giving Farrakhan a Lifetime Achievement Award, and after seeing the clips of Wright’s venomous declarations regarding Israel, I can only hope this is some kind of April Fools’.

   There are dozens of Jewish websites with the history of Obama’s close 20 year friendships with people who want to destroy Israel.

   One example that is entirely true is this:

   “JERUSALEM – Sen. Barack Obama’s Chicago church reprinted a manifesto by Hamas that defended terrorism as legitimate resistance, refused to recognize the right of Israel to exist and compared the terror group’s official charter – which calls for the murder of Jews – to America’s Declaration of Independence.
   The Hamas piece was published on the “Pastor’s Page” of the Trinity United Church of Christ newsletter reserved for Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., whose anti-American, anti-Israel remarks landed Obama in hot water,…”

   Again, simply astounding!

   20 years of actions should speak louder than his words in an election campaign speech!

   Clinton is without doubt a staunch supporter and the true uniter.

   karen | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

3. I am a Jewish women who is sadden that you would back such a man as Obama. How can you justify sitting in a church listening to hatred, anti-semitic, and anti-American rhetoric? Sen. Obama wife who openingly talks of her racism and lack of pride in America. You don’t sit in a church or Temple and not walk away with some values of the church, not after 20 years.

   Diane | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

4. I cannot believe you can endorse a man who is surrounded by people who want to get rid of the Jews and Israel. Obama did not sit in that church for 20 years listening to Rev. Wright curse America and the Jews and not agree. If that kind of talk offends you you pick yourself up and leave. Obama himself called the Israelis occupiers and oppressors of the Palestinian people. Louis Farakkhan is a supporter of Obama and obama has his apostates as volunteers in his campaign and in Chicago. The Zogby brothers are supporters of Obama. He is surrounded buy militant Muslims. I wish you had done a little investigation before endorsing him.

   Dani | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

5. I am pleased that an educated group such as yourselves has come out of support of Sen. Obama.Sen. Obama has the ability to bring together Americans. A person of his magnitude doesn’t come along often and I am impressed and empowered to read your letter and to say that I agree and stand beside you in your decision.

   Alexis | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

6. I hope everyone on this website who disagrees with these people on this list will personally write an email to them. I know I will.

   Diane | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

7. Thank you for supporting the right person, for this era. This Presidential race did not begin with Barack’s former pastor, and it will not end with him. It began with an underdog and the people…and it will end with a topdog and the people that got him to the White house.

   M. Katz | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

8. Thanks plenty, for your sincere endorsement. This should prove to us all that although, pastor wright has preached separatism in some of his sermon; but these are his words and ideas. They are not barack’s views.

   I do not know Barack, but the little I do know of him does prove that he is real, genuine, and sincere. He is very Godly and have that empathy for everyone he has come across.

   I listened to his “race” speech with my family, and we could not help but weep. He has challenged us all to learn to love one another and to look above our divisive attitudes.
   We all can look above Pastor wright issues.
   BO is not JW and he will never be him.
   Thanks,

   Love | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

9. good to see the good ,come out of society.and all those people making negative comments.how can you call your self religious???when you live each day with that kind of thinking.what does the bible say about casting stones????

   king from toronto | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

10. I wrote once, entering into the fray of comments concerning the current political contest, about the deep well of hate and fear from which people seem to draw the narrow-minded comments they so freely make online.

    It astounds me still.

    The anger with which people craft their responses to thoughtful and seemingly genuine appeals for a candidate leaves me feeling unsettled.

    It is as if, beneath a patina of concern for values and the future of our communities, there lies a seething disregard for everyone who may stand “in the way” of those who possess the one true perspective.

    This approach, which condemns supporters, advocates, and surrogates for their speech, the embodiment of their beliefs, leaves me wondering whether the whole point of this election is just to slowly stir up the sand of complacency, so that vital questions emerge:

    Do we feel alone and hopeless?

    Do we feel cheated and disillusioned by our politics, our system of governance?

    Are we starting to lose our grip on self-confidence, in the face of growing societal struggles?

    Do we perceive a general decline in the power and promise of our country?

    Why, indeed, are people so virulently fearful of “the other candidate,” in this race?

    Why are people so passionately, so fervently invested in this election?

    Again, only as the sand begins to stir, can we start to recognize these questions, and begin to answer them.

    I personally don’t think hate is constructive. Though to all those who would unleash their venom in the form of online comments, consider this: Where does your anger stem from?

    Michael Barnes | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

11. Lest you still harbor any residual doubts in favor of Senator Clinton, please read the following link to Barbara Ehrenreich’s illuminating essay, “Hillary’s Nasty Pastorate,” posted in the March 19th web edition of The Nation —
    http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080331/ehrenreich

    It discusses the Bible study and prayer circles in which Senator Clinton participates, collectively known on Capitol Hill as “The Family” — which has a long history of Nazi adoration. Don’t you think that’s worthy of at least the same wall-to-wall coverage that Jeremiah Wright has had??

    Jane | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

12. I am a non-Jew who just happen to go on this web site to read the letter. I am also not religious. But I do have a question. Is it customary for (American) Rabbis to endorse a political candidate or a political party?

    Elizabeth | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

13. To assume that, because Rev. Wright reprinted certain articles in one edition of his “Pastor Pages,” his congregation (including Senator Obama) want to “get rid of Jews,” doesn’t make sense. The black church is a very rich place that offers much more than the person giving the sermon on any given Sunday.

    Also, for anyone to think that they can divine the overall theme of Rev. Wright’s sermons over a 30+ year career (and I understand he gave approx. 3 different sermons every week) from a few minutes of soundbites from 30+ minute sermons doesn’t make sense.

    I am an African American and the reality is, most African Americans are not focused in any way shape or form on Jews or the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Instead, they are focused on obtaining stable employment, educating their children, black-on-black crime, and the low marriage rates in the black community. If Rev. Wright focused even a large minority of his attention on Jews or the Israel-Palestinian conflict, believe me, he would have had a very small congregation.

    In fact, most blacks I know (and certainly educated blacks) who have any sense of American history know of the contribution that Jewish Americans made to the Civil Rights Movement (including with their lives).

    Finally, with respect to Louis Farrakhan, when most black Americans think of him (certainly younger black Americans) the first thing they think of is the Million Man March. Remember, Louis Farrakhan lives in Chicago and has, in recent years, been focused on prison reform and assisting ex-offenders with their reintegration into society. Senator Obama’s church also has a very active prison ministry and ministering to prisoners is a central tenant to Rev. Wright’s theology. Maybe this is why Rev. Wright has been laudatory toward’s Louis Farrakhan.

    I think we need to put all of these things in context and look at the relationships that Senator Obama has built with people of all colors and creeds and his commitment to public service. None of usknows” his church or can know his church based on the information we currently have.

    Kris | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

14. I want to thank you for your courage and compassion in reaching a decision to support Senator Obama. I agree with you that Senator Obama is a decent man, and he should not be held accountable for what others might say. Thanks again for stand against the offer things some people wrote in response to you support of Senator Obama. I will offer a prayer to God on their behalf.

    Jimmie | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

15. It saddens me to see people write negative things about Obama. Here is a man that accepts and is friends with everyone, and people condemn him for that. We are all God’s children, and it speaks volumes about Obama that he does not turn his shoulder on any group. I truly believe he is the one that will not only unite the country, but unite the world.

    Monica Berlin | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

16. Thank you leaders for looking beyond the lies of the media right wing spin doctors to see Obama’s true leadership and his ability to bring people together. It is not guilt by association. Even John McCain himself said” I know Obama very well and he does not stand for those things that the media is portraying.” Again you for your wisdom!

    Cassandra | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

17. Senator Clinton is a lifelong United Methodist, the second largest protestant denomination in the United States.

    Obama’s church and their many horrific statesments are not his only ties to hate groups. Please check the facts before you endorse this man, he is dangerous.

    Go to national Jewish organization web sites and see their many reasons for concern.

    You might find you want to withdraw support.

    Many voters have remorse after Wright gave them pause to think and investigate who this man running for president really is. His words are fabricated and he is a con-man.

    We need soulutions not fantasy.

    karen | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

18. Do not judge - by what you heard - Read

    BELOW -IS THE E-MAIL I SENT TO FOX NEWS
     
    Wright controversy is a FOX fabrication
     
    Please do yourself a favor and spend a few minutes of your time to see and hear the FULL SERMONS of Obama’s Pastor and then let your conscious speak.
    As a Christian this is your moral duty. Hope fully you has FOX EXECUTIVES will then pass this on to Hannity & Co-conspirators.
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvMbeVQj6Lw    
    Re: God Damn America
     
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdlnzkeoyQ   
    Re: The chickens have come to roost
     
    I watch your TV on a regular bases Yes! in Politics (people, newspapers etc.) often differ in opinions. This is natural human trait. BUT to manipulate and give out false news and info is very distressing especially when it concerns ones faith.
     
    I am a non-christian & it does bother me when Christians bash other Christians with false accusations. May God bless you and open up your heart. If you have to say something, do it —but do it without a prejudiced mind.
      
    PS: VERY IMPORTANT : Worth checking this out
    Neo Nazi/White Supremacist “Hal Turner” Confirms Friendship And Kinship With Sean Hannity of FOX NEWS. Reported by Ellen —

    Just Google “News Hounds”

    Peter Simms | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

19. This news was a complete surprise! All along the Jewish faith and people had been backing Clinton which amaze me because Barack Obama I thought had been always pro Israel in every way!!!! Can someone reply?

    W. Esperanzate | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

20. Dear Members of PA Jews for Obama:

    Thank you so much for such a sincere open letter not only to Jews across your state but to people of other faiths as well.

    This is the kind of conversation that we need and the courage that will be required for us to form ” A More Perfect Union” with the gentleman from Illinois, Sen. Obama as our leader.

    We have such tough problems ahead of us that we are going to need to be very intentional about working together to solve them. Thanks.

    God Bless You all

    Karlene | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

21. Thank you for the wisdom and integrity expressed in this letter. At the moment of crisis in his campaign, Barack Obama answered the call and displayed true leadership and courage in making his historic speech. He rose to the occasion. The question remained: “Would Americans rise to the occasion?” Indeed, you have, and others will.

    SHALOM

    Mary | Apr 1, 2008 | Reply

22. Gaza’s Obama campaign!

    Al Jazeera reports on Barack Obama fans in Hamas-controlled Gaza, where Palestinians form internet groups to rally support for Obama in the US. They think he has the potential to bring real change to America.
    And we can guess what kind of “change” that might be.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....?entry=294
    63_Video-_Obamas_Campaign_in_Gaza&only

    mort | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

23. I would like to ask you to re-read the letter. It clearly states the following

    “For us, the strategy of assigning guilt by association – as has been to done to Senator Obama – runs counter to our teachings and dishonors Jewish law and ethical traditions. Jewish law neither condemns thoughts nor does it denounce the musing of other’s hearts. By contrast, under Jewish law, we – all of us – are judged by our actions and our actions alone.”

    So please Karen, keep an open mind and put yourself in senator Obama’s shoes. Would you want to be held accountable for something your parents, or siblings or any relatives older than you, do? Of course, NOT. You don’t have to accept facts but please refrain from distorting facts. Thank you.

    nancy | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

24. A breath of fresh air comes along with the letter from the heart of the Jewish community. The wise ones realize Obama is also wise and can realize when they see a great man working towards great goodness. Barack Obama will guide us all to a new, better dimension of human potential. Thank you for having the heart and wit to support him.

    Marcia Shalom | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

25. FYI:
    http://njdc.typepad.com/njdcs_.....tiv-1.html
    http://jeffweintraub.blogspot......gly-e.html
    http://www.politifact.com/trut.....ael-issue/

    nancy | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

26. My mother is 86 years old and very upset about Obama possibly becoming our next President. She can’t believe that someone sitting in a church for 20 years, listening to anti-semitic and racist rantings from Reverend Wright, could not share some of those beliefs. The young people that support Obama did not live through World War II and Hitler’s Germany like she did. Perhaps if they would study their history books, it would open their eyes to the truth….

    arthur | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

27. Thank you, Pennsylvania Jewish leaders who bravely put your names to the letter supporting a young mixed race Harvard graduate whose record in congress shows support for Jewish values, and support for Israel, and who has repudiated unfortunate remarks by his Pastor Wright which have been paraded by those who are uncomfortable with Obama
    as being his views.

    So many people have come to America to flee from persecution and poverty, from Europe, Asia and Mexico; not all Africans came to America voluntarily, alas. Obama’s extended family illustrates we are all one people on this planet. We need to broker peace worldwide, esp. in the Middle East. We need to remove causes of conflict, to share our resources on an equitable basis, and to look after our world, it is the only one we’ve got.

    mary Meagher | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

28. I am responding to the person who said his 86 year old mother is upset that Senator Obama sat through 20 years of racist and anti-semitic rantings. Nobody who knows Rev. Wright has ever accused him of that. There were, I believe, 3 sermons over the 20 year period that people cherry-picked comments to make him look anti-semitic and racist.
    Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani’s priest has been accused of being a child molester. Giuliani did not disavow him and continues to work with him. Mitt Romney’s church said that black people were not equal, yet he refused to leave his church. Jerry Fallwell said 9/11 happened because we tolerate gays. Rev. John Hagee calls the Catholic Church “the great whore.” Senator McCain is proud to have Rev. Hagee’s support. Rev. Rod Parsley believes that America was created to destroy Islam; that Islam is a religion brought about by a “demon spirit”; that we should be at war with all Muslims; and that America is a Christian nation. Senator McCain calls Rev. Parsley his “spiritual guide”. Could it be that everyone is so upset at Reverand Wright’s 3 comments (one of which he was quoting someone else) over 20 years because he is black and these others I just mentioned are white? Are white clergy allowed to spew forth hatred of others? And a final question for all of you — how would you like to be judged by ALL of the opinions expressed over the last 20 years by your clergy?

    Jules Mermelstein | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

29. Jules says above “There were, I believe, 3 sermons over the 20 year period that people cherry-picked comments to make him look anti-semitic and racist.”

    A gross spin of the many facts. There are some claims about Obama that are untrue but to dismiss the bulk of evidence that IS true is an error. To claim 3 as above is deceptive.

    Never forget. Seek the truth.

    karen | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

30. That’s right: Never Forget!
    If you take a superficial look at this candidate, Barack Obama, and
    you attribute to him the comments of someone-else, and you see in him something other than what is there–you have sadly forgotten.

    Dena Silver | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

31. As a committed Jew I am shocked by the vacuous support of Burack Obama presented by this group of self defined Jews. As Jews you must think you are thinking for me as well or that I should somehow be influenced because we share a religion. However, apparently unlike the signers of the letter, Obama did take an action — he stayed in his church. Would you have stayed in your synagogue if your Rabbi spewed the kind of vile stuff that Rev Wright did. Are you prepared to get up in a national forum and describe your grandparent as a racist? Obama talks a good game and changes his approaches like a chameleon. He spins around but where will he stop?

    RLEESMITH | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

32. Thank you for your endorsement.

    Qubenna | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

33. Ready on day one — to appease Israel’s enemies

    Barack Obama has made it clear that if elected president he will promptly attempt to “organize a summit in the Muslim world, with all the heads of state, to have an honest discussion about ways to bridge the gap that grows every day between Muslims and the West.” Obama insists that, at this summit, the U.S. “must also listen to the[] concerns” of these Muslim heads of states.

    Naturally, the concerns expressed will vary. As Abe Greenwald observes, the Iraqi head of state will be concerned that Obama is in the process of withdrawing the troops needed to protect his country from chaos and destruction. But Obama has left little doubt that he has no sympathy for that concern.

    The more common concern will be the one Middle Eastern Arab leaders have been expressing for decades – the State of Israel. Here, they are likely to find a more sympathetic ear inasmuch as Obama’s advisers, especially key adviser Samatha Power, also have a history of unhappiness with Israel.

    There are two possibilities here. First, Obama might turn a deaf ear to key Arab leaders when they urge him to undercut Israeli interests. In that event, the summit almost certainly will be a failure, perhaps a spectacular one. Obama will come away with nothing. Our nation’s standing (as Obama sees it) as an arrogant power unwilling to listen to others will be reinforced. The great agent of change will have changed nothing, except that, by enhancing the status of the dictators of Syria and Iran, he will have undermined the standing of the domestic opponents of those dictators.

    The second possibility is that Obama’s interest in avoiding the above consequences, coupled with his inclination and that of his main advisers, will cause him to appease Israel’s opponents by tilting significantly away from Israel.

    I won’t speculate as to which of these two possibilities is more likely. Those who care about Israel’s security, and ours, should be loath to support a candidate who would put himself in that box.

    Diane | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

34. As you wrote, in Judaism we don’t judge people by what they say, its what they do that counts. So whatever Mr. Obama says to distance himself from his pastor is meaningless. Just like Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel voted with his feet, Mr. Obama voted with his backside, for twenty years, while sitting and listening to all the anti-American and anti-Israel ‘bigotry coming out of his pastor’s mouth in PUBLIC sermon after sermon Sunday after Sunday. Actions do indeed speak louder then words!

    Alex | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

35. Karen, please check your facts. Senator Clinton is not a benign Methodist. She’s a member of a Capitol Hill prayer group (The Family) that has long admired and been fascinated by Hitler. Pretty chilling, wouldn’t you agree? See Jane’s comment above and read Barbara Ehrenreich’s illuminating essay, “Hillary’s Nasty Pastorate,” posted in the March 19th web edition of The Nation —
    http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080331/ehrenreich

    It previews the well-researched and documented forthcoming expose by Jeff Sharlet on this subject (The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power), which will be published in May. I hope you read that when it comes out, too. Shana

    Shana | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

36. Very well said. Very well.

    Monica | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

37. what else do the DNC needs to call off the race, nominate Barack and get ready for election day ? only old ghosts, nightmares, and intoxicated people can’t see what’s happening, he is the one, the rest of the world awaits in agony, whether americanos this time around, for once in life, make the right choice…so help them God…

    Ludwig van Peebbles | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

38. You don’t want to be influenced by thoughtful Jewish leaders, but you are willing to be influenced by the ratings hungry media spinners and pundits. You have formed a stubborn opinion based on false or imperfect information so you dismiss anyone who tries to give you a different view. When presented with two sets of information you choose to believe the negative because it conforms with what you already want to believe. It takes too much introspection for you to consider that you may be the one who is wrong. You like to judge and you are not a very good one.

    Monica | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

39. So you went to the church? How do you know what was said in “sermon after sermon” for 20 years. Did you ever take a moment to consider that you may be wrong? The people who actually attended the church say that’s not what was preached “sermon after sermon”. In fact, they say other issues were the dominant subject. Obama is extremly busy, do you know how many Sunday sermons he actually sat through? No you don’t. Yet you are willing to make all kinds of judgments without knowing anything really besides the sound bytes you heard on the news. Deliberate ignorance is sinful.

    Monica | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

40. I praise Pa. Jewish Leaders for prasing Obama. Thank you. Its time to unite for the good of all people.

    3 cheers for Jews all around the world.

    Proud American | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

41. The letter writers took Burak Obama’s “Wright” speech in a naively positive way. For a very different view I would recommend Prof. Laurence Thomas’ blog on the issue. Since the “Jewish” letter writers thought it important to state that they were Jewish, let me point out that Prof. Thomas is BOTH BLACK and JEWISH which clearly trumps being just plain old Jewish. From Thomas’ blog:

    “Here, it seems to me that the saying “What is good for the goose is good for the gander” is most applicable. If a white belonged to a church where the pastor’s views and behavior parallels Pastor Wright’s, I would not be friends with that white person. I would not trust that person in matters of race. There are certain things that a person cannot do or say if the individual truly believes that all people are equal. And with the exception of family members, there are certain associations that a person cannot have if the individual believes in equality for all. Obama does not get a moral pass in this regard because he is black or have mixed race or whatever…
    And since it was only until yesterday that Pastor Wright had a key advisory role in Obama’s campaign organization for the President of the United States, there can be no doubt about Obama’s allegiance to Pastor Wright. ..They say that actions speak louder than words. Barack Obama’s actions overshadow his words. Like the chameleon who changes colors according to the environment in which the creature finds itself,”

    http://www.moralhealth.com/blo.....89716.html

    RLeeSmith | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

42. Karen, and others who are attacking these fine people for endorsing Obama,

    I think you and many others are closed minded and are anti Obama, so it doesn’t matter what anyone says you are going to maintain your opinion of him based on the few words of Rev. Wright.

    What you missed in the article is that these PA Jews for Obama have done their research and I quote. “Senator Obama has earned our respect and gratitude because of his support for traditional Jewish values and his commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Israel. His support for Tikkun Olam – “repairing the world” – and social justice is evident through his accomplishments in the Illinois Senate and the U.S. Senate. Without exception, Senator Obama has voted 100% consistently with the position of AIPAC on foreign aid and all other legislation and resolutions affecting Israel. These are the kind of actions for which we are grateful as a community. And, these are facts. For a more in depth look at the Senator’s strong record on issues that matter to our community,”

    So you see, your arguments have no validity other than to serve your own self hatred and ignorance.

    Thank you ladies and gentlemen for your ability to do as the Bereans did, search for yourselves to see if what he said was true.

    God Bless you all, I see a new day dawning.

    Makarios | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

43. Praise the Lord! Amen to your comments. It’s time we stop focusing on Rev. Wright words that were so offensive.
    Thanks to the PA. Jewish Leaders. God is at work. Shalom

    God is Love | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

44. Please go to this website and read about Hillary Clinton’s group, prayer meetings, and the members of the “Family”

    http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080331/ehrenreich

    That is why she has pretty much kept her mouth shut regarding Wright.

    Lisa Birnbaum | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

45. I am a Jew from New York and I see no reason to vote against Obama. Indeed, I support him. He has handled the Rev. Wright stupdity well and will continue to do so in the future.

    I am horrified by some of what I have read here. Can we stop making support or non-support of Israel the only cause? Can we, as Jews, care about education, health care, war and peace? Can we care about the country we live in and the depth to which it has sunk? Can we care about competence in government and what happened when morons took over the White House? Aren’t these issues that impact us as Jews? Are we for social justice? Are we for the rule of law? Is a group so imbued in respect for legitimate authority not appalled by what has happened to our Constitution?

    Yes, Obama is going to have to be stronger on the issue of support of Israel than other contenders and yes, I think he will be. I also think that a nation capable of going to war on the basis of lies is capable of deserting our greatest ally in the Middle East. I think a candidate that welcomes the support of James Hagee is capable of letting the Israelis make serious mistakes in the hope that Jesus will return and slaughter the Jews on a scale Hitler only dreamed of.

    Obama is not going to betray the Jews of America or of Israel. We need to move on and get the man elected so that we can heal our nation first and then its respect among other nations and finally the tikkun ha’olam that our religion tasks us with now and in the future.

    Karen (a different one) | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

46. We should start looking for the good in each of us. Let the love in us shine through, get rid of the hate that harbours in our heart. It will consume us and make us be bitter and get old. Life is too short. Look around us and in the world and see whats happening, the crisis going on and focus on that. . We should try to see what we as an individual can do to make the world better, and not fall in the trap of hate and bitternes towards another person. We should not judge BO because of few words spoken by another. We should judge him by his character and his words. Love begat love. People we got work to do. It’s time to take the focus off Rev. Wright and move on to making our country better. Pray for each other. yes! even Rev. Wright. God loves us inspite of our imperfections. The Pa Jewish Leaders did the right thing endorsing Obama. Time to move on from the unconstructive negative criticism. Peace and love.

    God is Love | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

47. Listen Up Obama supporters

    SOME OF OBAMA’S LIES TO THE AMERICAN VOTERS..

    50 Lies and Counting: Posted on Political forum.com - Elections and
    Campaigns by Latisha

    1.) Selma Got Me Born - LIAR, your parents felt safe enough to have
    you in 1961 - Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in
    1965.

    2.) Father Was A Goat Herder - LIAR, he was a privileged, well
    educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government.

    3.) Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter - LIAR, he was part of one of
    the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had

    4.) My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom - LIAR, your cousin
    Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a
    legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya. It is the first widespread
    violence in decades.

    5.) My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian - LIAR, she does her
    daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews. Not to
    mention, Christianity wouldn’t allow her to have been one of 14
    wives to 1 man.

    6.) My Name is African Swahili - LIAR, your name is Arabic and
    ‘Baraka’ (from which Barack came) means ‘blessed’ in that
    language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama.

    7.) I Never Practiced Islam - LIAR, you practiced it daily at school,
    where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31
    years,until your wife made you change, so you could run for office.

    8.) My School In Indonesia Was Christian - LIAR, you were registered
    as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making
    faces (check your own book).

    9.) I Was Fluent In Indonesian - LIAR, not one teacher says you could
    speak the language.

    10.) Because I Lived In Indonesia, I Have More Foreign Experience -
    LIAR, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn’t even
    speak the language. What did you learn, how to study the Koran and
    watch cartoons.

    11.) I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs - LIAR, except for Africa
    (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been
    anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our
    closest allies.

    12.) I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion - LIAR, you were
    quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya
    and no mention of struggle to identify - your classmates said you
    were just fine.

    13.)An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office - LIAR, Ebony has yet
    to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t, and never
    did, exist.

    14.) A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life - LIAR, Life
    has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn’t,
    and never did, exist.

    15.) I Won’t Run On A National Ticket In ‘08 - LIAR, here you
    are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough
    experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.

    16.) Present Votes Are Common In Illinois - LIAR, they are common for
    YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.

    17.) Oops, I Misvoted - LIAR, only when caught by church groups and
    democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.

    18.) I Was A Professor Of Law - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON
    LEAVE.

    19.) I Was A Constitutional Lawyer - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer
    ON LEAVE.

    20.) Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill - LIAR, you didn’t
    write it,introduce it, change it, or create it.

    21.) The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass - LIAR, it took just 14 days
    from start to finish.

    22.) I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill - LIAR, your bill was rejected by
    your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation - mainly
    because of your Nuclear Donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came.

    23.) I Have Released My State Records - LIAR, as of March, 2008,
    state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released,
    exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.

    24.) I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess - LIAR, you were
    part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens. You
    failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books.

    25.) My Economics Bill Will Help America - LIAR, your 111 economic
    policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even
    YOU voted against your own bill.

    26.) I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois - LIAR, even your own
    supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.

    27.) I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year - LIAR, they were not
    YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their creation by a
    fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher office.

    28.) No One Contacted Canada About NAFTA - LIAR, the Candian
    Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your
    campaign had with them.

    29.) I Am Tough On Terrorism - LIAR, you missed the Iran Resolution
    vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the
    destruction of Israel.

    30.) I Am Not Acting As President Yet - LIAR, after the NAFTA Memo, a
    dead terrorist in the FARC, in Colombia, was found with a letter
    stating how you and he were working together on getting FARC
    recognized officially.

    31.) I Didn’t Run Ads In Florida - LIAR, you allowed national ads
    to run 8-12 times per day for two weeks - and you still lost.

    32.) I Won Michigan - LIAR, no you didn’t.

    33.) I won Nevada - LIAR, no you did not.

    34.) I Want All Votes To Count - LIAR, you said let the delegates
    decide.

    35.) I Want Americans To Decide - LIAR, you prefer caucuses that
    limit the vote, confuse the voters, force a public vote, and only
    operate during small windows of time.

    36.) I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate - LIAR, you passed 26,
    most of which you didn’t write yourself.

    37.) My Campaign Was Extorted By A Friend - LIAR, that friend is
    threatening to sue if you do not stop saying this. Obama has stopped
    saying this.

    38.) I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics - LIAR, you used tactics to
    eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you.

    39.) I Don’t Take PAC Money - LIAR, you take loads of it.

    40.) I don’t Have Lobbysists - LIAR, you have over 47 lobbyists,
    and counting.

    41.) My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad - LIAR, your own
    campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon.

    42.) My Campaign Never Took Over MySpace - LIAR, Tom, who started
    MySpace issued a warning about this advertising to MySpace clients.

    43.) I Inspire People With My Words - LIAR, you inspire people with
    other people’s words.

    44.) I Have Passed Bills In The U.S. Senate - LIAR, you have passed A
    BILL in the U.S. Senate - for Africa, which shows YOUR priorities.

    45.) I Have Always Been Against Iraq - LIAR, you weren’t in office
    to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time,
    unlike Kucinich, who seems to be out gutting you Obama. You also seem
    to be stepping back from your departure date - AGAIN.

    46.) I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care - LIAR, your plan
    leaves us all to pay the 15,000,000 who don’t have to buy it.

    47.) I Only Found Out About My Investment Conflicts Via Mail - LIAR,
    both companies you site as having sent you letters about this
    conflict have no record of any such letter ever being created or
    sent.

    48.) I Am As Patriotic As Anyone - LIAR, you won’t wear a flag pin
    and you don’t put your hand over your heart during the Anthem.

    49.) My Wife Didn’t Mean What She Said About Pride In Country -
    LIAR, your wife’s words follow lock-step in the vain of Wright and
    Farrahkan, in relation to their contempt and hatred of America.

    50.) Wal-Mart Is A Company I Wouldn’t Support - LIAR, your wife has
    received nearly a quarter of a million dollars through Treehouse,
    which is connected to Wal-Mart.

    Diane | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

48. I am shocked at the reaction of many of you. I started out supporting Obama, but now would never, never vote for him. I agree that you can’t sit in a hate filled room for 20 years totally unaware of what goes on…if you didn’t know you are stupid, if you didn’t care you are dangerous. So, either way he fits one of the categories. Also, how do you compare your white grandmother with your chosen Pastor…you don’t pick your relatives, you pick your associates. Some of the letters here scare me because they remind me of the people who went willingly into cattle cars rather than see the truth. Hillary is no bargain either, so I will have to vote for McCain…at least his record is there and he neither a memeber of “the family” nor a member of Wrights’s church.

    Marsha | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

49. Do you think your grandmother might be living in the past, like Rev Wright? My father is 92 years old and you would never believe what he went through as a black man in rural Mississippi. My father is self-educated and has changed with the time. Older people need to give serious thought to their lives and how it has changed around them. Open-minded people–usually the young who want something better–are taking the next step to make our country more tolerable. In my opinion, this is when the old have to let the young people lead.

    JBrown | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

50. Awesome comment. You’re brilliant and great minded. We need more folks like you.
    God bless.

    Kel | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

51. Diane, you spend so much time twisting the truth. Chill. No one can please everyone. But save your own reputation. Some Obama supporters, like myself, know the truth about everything you listed here. And you will never convince us otherwise. So don’t vote for Obama–and that goes for anyone else who does not like Obama as a candidate. But you better start thinking about the real issues because if you think we have economic problems now, just wait a little while longer and see what happens if our resources continue to flow to another region of the world, rather than to our own people. Now that should make you do some real research for the truth. Think on that for a while.

    JBrown | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

52. There is a far-reaching scandal brewing for presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, thanks to a radio talk show host based in Oregon. Syndicated talk host Laurie Roth’s revelations make the news story about Obama’s relationship with a racist, anti-American pastor look like child’s play.

    A top official at the Pentagon during former-President George H. W. Bush’s Administration and a former CIA intelligence officer maintain that Barack Obama and former Weather Underground honcho William Ayers funneled money to Professor Rashid Khalidi, a known terrorist sympathizer.

    Khalidi serves on the faculty of Columbia University in New York and is best known as the professor who invited Iranian President Ahmedinejad to visit Columbia University after he finished his speech at the United Nations. According to confidential sources, Khalidi has direct ties to the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), a group on the US State Department’s list of known terrorist groups.

    http://www.theconservativevoic.....31408.html

    Diane | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

53. Diane, most vituperative of all, tell us, who do you really support? Are you so rude about Obama because you prefer Ms. Clinton? Are you a Democrat? If your candidate is not selected to run on the Democratic ticket, will you go into a sulk and vote for another 4 years of a Republican in the White House?

    Perhaps you would like the job yourself, can we have your resume, please?

    mary Meagher | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

54. mary Meagher,

    I am a independent and a supporter of Hillary Clinton, but if Hillary is not the nominee, I will support McCain as many Hillary supporters will do. After 8 years of Bush I thought we definitely need some change. I don’t know or trust what kind of change Obama will bring. Plus I want a President and First Lady who are true American Patriots. If I vote McCain I know many in my family will be happy:)

    Diane | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

55. Below I have cut and pasted one of the responses to my post. First of all how dare you imply Hillary is in anyway connected to anything to do with Hitler. How dare you.

    Secondly, “The Nation” has often been cited as espousing controversial opinions and I’ve seen some claims of that mag leaning anti-Israel.

    YOU chech YOUR facts.

    Obama has actively encouraged palestinians and vocally supported anti-Israel stances in the past, he has now changed his “I need every vote I can get” tune.

    Of that there is proof, go to you tube or go to Pro-Jewish sites. This is not a Fox news spin this is Obama’s sins revealed. There are videos and transcripts of his dangerous rhetoric and mis-calculations.

    How dare you smear the Clinton’s. First they were accused falsely of racism and now of anti-semitism. You cannot place the faults of your candidate on the ex-president and his wife. She is a senator from NY and she has long had strong unwavering support for Israel!

    The man is a con artist and a sham. Rezko’s plans to build a Nuclear power plant in Iran with Obama’s help from his supporters Exelon, is just another eye opener waiting to happen according to dozens of news sources. The Rezko trial will seal his fate, G-d willing.

    This is not true:

    “Karen, please check your facts. Senator Clinton is not a benign Methodist. She’s a member of a Capitol Hill prayer group (The Family) that has long admired and been fascinated by Hitler. Pretty chilling, wouldn’t you agree? See Jane’s comment above and read Barbara Ehrenreich’s illuminating essay, “Hillary’s Nasty Pastorate,” posted in the March 19th web edition of The Nation —
    http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080331/ehrenreich

    Shana

    karen | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

56. Burak Obama has changed his approach — here is a comment from a Ali Abunimah, the co-founder of the online publication The Electronic Intifada, who describes Obama’s previous approach:

    “I remember, Amy — I knew Barack Obama for many years as my state senator — when he used to attend events in the Palestinian community in Chicago all the time. I remember personally introducing him onstage in 1999, when we had a major community fundraiser for the community center in Deheisha refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. And that’s just one example of how Barack Obama used to be very comfortable speaking up for and being associated with Palestinian rights and opposing the Israeli occupation.”

    http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9254.shtml

    So the question here is why did Obama apparently change — is this another example of a Chameleon who may well change back again?

    RLEESMITH | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

57. Here is another critique from the electronic intifada, notice how these pro Palestinan writers raise the same sort of questions that pro Israeli writers raise about where Obama really stands:

    “I cannot tell who is the real Senator Obama. ..this situation reminds me of an episode from the original Star Trek series where there was a creature that appears to the viewer the way that the viewer would like to see it.

    So, I think that we need to understand the Senator’s thinking. After having what many observers described as a friendly relationship with Arab Americans over the years, the Senator appears to have yelled “abandon ship” and jumped into an anti-Palestinian and anti-Iranian life boat…

    I am not ready to write off the inspiring Senator from the great State of Illinois, but no matter how hard I try, I keep thinking about that creature from Star Trek.”

    from Questions for Candidate Obama
    Bill Fletcher, Jr., The Electronic Intifada, 7 May 2007

    Should we feel comfort in Obama’s expressed full support for Israel or concern that he apparently abandoned his pro Palestinian supporters. Has anyone asked him about these transformations.

    Or was he really ready to express much closer support for Rev Wrights approach during many years of his association with him and now has reversed his stand — or has he?

    RLEESMITH | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

58. Diane,
    Get therapy!

    Dena Silver | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

59. Barack Obama explores issues, before making decisions. He takes an interest and thinks, before speaking. He looks to understand the various sides. As a result, he’s decided that Israel has been persecuted by irrational terrorists–the same irrational terrorists that have oppressed, miseducated and abused the ordinary-Palestinian-people.
    He is pro-Israel BECAUSE he has met these people and he knows what’s up.
    Hello?

    Dena Silver | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

60. You say you want to understand Obama’s thinking.
    READ HIS BOOKS, which explain his motivations and the influences on his actions.
    READ HIS SPEECHES, in entirety, not soundbites.
    READ HIS RECORD IN THE SENATE, which include not only votes but explanations of his votes.
    READ interviews of people who ACTUALLY know him.

    Dena Silver | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

61. I am so glad that this Jewish community has extended their arms beyond what has been said… I thank God for your decision to back Barack Obama! The only way that the people of the United States will ever have a chance of being unified is when DIFFERENT RACES from all across America embrace OTHER RACES. May God Bless YOU and Jewish people all over the U.S.

    Lori | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

62. When and where has Obama discussed his transformation and the reasons behind it. Please give me some references in which he describes his transition in thought re the Israeli Palestinian situation?

    RLeeSmith | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

63. Some people dont seem to get it,What’s wrong with getting an endorsement from someone when
    you didn’t solicit the endorsement?, and as for
    the Reverand Wright speaks which is continually
    popping up in the face of the narrow minded who
    cant seem to think for themselves, Where in the
    reverand’s speech did he condemm all white people?. It seem’s that the serpent’s such as
    the right wing talk show’s will never ceast to
    exist.

    Lepolin Duncan | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

64. I am an Obama supporter and not a Hillary supporter…but give me a break, Hillary Clinton is not a Hitler-fan.
    You people are so ridiculous, your statements do not deserve the dignity of a reply, except that there are too many of you here, which is a shanda, to say the least.
    Now, by calling Hillary a Hitlerite, you’ve lost all credibility.
    This is the sort of thing the Jews have suffered from, for centuries…only to find– more than fifty years after the Holocaust–
    the same narrow-scapegoating-propagandizing mentality–right in our own community. Disgusting!

    Dena Silver | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

65. Gee… these people who support Obama get very nasty and make personal attacks.

    Diane | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

66. Wow….what a bunch of angry people. I just watched Obama on Chris Matthews, who is a supporter of his, no doubt. The questions were just plain silly and the answers were easy. Who is against educating our young? Who is against seniors? Who is against better health care? And now, the big questions, how do we pay for all of it. How did my mother and father make it through in the Depression without pre=school? How did I get an education when I never attended school until Kindergarten? Why do kids today need so much more than we, the older generation, needed? I know very little about economics, but I know that I pay taxes and am not getting much. I’m actually afraid, as a senior, of what will happen if I live past the age expected. Will social security run out because our legislators are afraid to make it available at a later age since we are living longer? These are the questions someone should ask Obama, not those always asked. We know his stand on most issues, now let’s ask the hard questions..like who pays for all this?

    Marsha | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

67. I am very saddened that any rabbi would endorse any political candidate as a Jewish leader. Jewish people need to be more aware than any others about the separation between church and state. Your act misleads people into believing that your endorsement speaks for Jewish people and Jewish values, when it certainly doesn’t speak for mine and the majority of democrats who support Hillary Clinton. You say that Obama has a 100% voting record supporting Israel. His record is very short, what is more important are his own words about his stance and the advisors who he has chosen. You have decided not to defend those things, because there is not a defense for him choosing anti-Israel advisors and an anti-semetic pastor. I respect that you have made the political choice to support this candidate, but to mislead the country that he is actually good for the Jewish people is very disturbing and offensive.

    LM | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

68. i am very disturbed that you endorse Obama, a man who has called Israel an occupier and opressor of the Palestinian people. That being said I find it even more bewildering that you would endose someone who has ties to Louis Farakkhan. I don’t have to tell you how Farakkhan feels about the Jews, yet Obama uses Farakkhan’s apostates in his campaign and in his offices in Chicago. So Obama made a speech.He sat in that church for 20 years. He still attends the same church where Wright still is and the new pastor preaches the same way Wright did. I must respectfully tell you you made a bad mistake in endorsing Obama.I hope we don’t all live to regret it

    Dani | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

69. Obama never called Israel an occupier or an oppressor of the Palestinian people.

    Dena Silver | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

70. Marsha,
    Luckily, most of us would not label “silly” the
    issue of education, which is not as simplistic as you think, as a result of your great education.

    Dena Silver | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

71. The level of ignorance and fear expressed in some of the anti-Obama statement on this site are astounding. As a non-Jew I would think that Jews would be the last to spue intolerance, bigotry and defamation against another in a manner similar to the way those things have been used against them throughout history. Fear is a like a destructive virus whos spread can only be overcome through understand, empathy and love.

    Jhuty | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

72. JBrown, Well-said!

    Dena Silver | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

73. Just stop all the talk about Rev Wright unless you are willing to take the next step. Your comments about Wright just show your lack of understanding about the black experience. Our churches are where we go for many levels of support and encouragement. Sometimes, due to the lingering effects of our atrocious history in this country, a conversation boils over. It really goes no where, just a temporary venting of feelings. Many of us may not use the words of Rev Wright, but we often use other words to express with one another how we have been impacted by white society. Don’t take Rev Wright so seriously. If you truly did, you wouldn’t be worried only about Wright; you’d be criticizing many people in positions of power in government and religion that have said far worse about others in our society. If black people left a church, or place of business, or job because someone said something offensive about us, we’d have no place to go and no where to hide. The real issue, if you care to deal with it, is the state of race relations in this country. We can all see that race is an explosive topic as ever. Stop going on and on about the symptom–Rev Wright–let’s deal with the real illness. Are you ready? If not, let us have our Rev Wrights who help us emotionally deal with this society who refuses to acknowledge the wrongs perpetrated on black people. Or maybe–since there is little concern for us anyway–black people should resort to other forms of expression–some you certainly will not like. So which is it? Just let our churches and our pastors be.

    JBrown | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

74. Barack Obama did NOT hear the objectionable remarks made by Dr. Wright, and has said so repeatedly. He is a friend to the Jewish Community and shares their values. The controversial remarks he said he heard at Trinity were related to marriage and sex and not terrorism. Please give this a thorough review before you distance yourself from the man who could be the most effective President in the last 50 years or more.

    Judith Clausen | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply

75. Do all Jews oppose a Palestinian state, or just the Hillary Clinton supporters? How in good concsience can Israelis build on what ought to be Palestinian lands? Don’t the people of Israel and the Palestinian people want a peaceful coexistence? Am I wrong about this?

    Judith Clausen | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

76. Hello All,

    I wanted to let you all know that I am a faithful member of trinity church. As a receiver of Rev. wright sermons, I am not and my pastor is not a racist toward whites or jews. Rev Wright has taught me to love everyone and to give unconditionally. I have heard the clips that is played repeatedly in the media and I didnt receive that message of hate. I guess because I was there listening to the whole sermon and know where Rev Wright was going with his message and trust me, it was not a message of hate. Regarding our governement, sometimes the truth hurts, so we have to look outside of ourselves to see the truth. I have never heard receive a message of hate from Rev Wright regarding jews. Yes, we all have a different opininion regarding Israel postion in the Middle East, but that is not hate, thats an opinion and I would hope the jewish community have their own opinions. So, please people stop. It hurts me to my heart to hear a man unjustly accused of hatred, when I know that is not true. I am a product of his sermons and I dont have a racist or hatred bone in my body.

    Theresa King | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

77. My original purpose for coming to this site was to read the letter and say “thank you”. After reading the various comments,I would like to say the following:
    Israel will always be kept safe by America. There should be no reason to think otherwise. It seems like scare tactics are being used, from some of the comments I read.
    I am an African American from PA. and we were always taught to respect and admire Jewish people.
    To Arthur, please tell your 81 year old mother the following for me, if you don’t mind.
    1) A person can sit in a church for 20 years,listen to different sermons apply what is relevant, and discard what is insignificant. I took the time to listen to one of the full sermons,because the sound bites on every cable network almost 24 hours a day, is kind of mind numbing. I heard the pastor talk about the native indians,and their plight. Honestly, I have not thought about the Native Americans in years.I never hear them mentioned anywhere. My point is that Senator Obama makes you want to be a better person. He is able to find the good in people.

    My African American father was born in 1917 in Virginia. He came to PA. in 1940, met my mother, an Italian American woman, and they had 5 children. Senator Obama did not call his white grandmother a racist. We should be able to have a dialogue about the differences in our experiences with another race without turning the conversation to the negative. My grandmother tried very hard to discourage my mother from marrying my father. She even warned her about how her children would look.(We don’t look so bad).
    In my family, we were taught to love and respect people. We were taught about the struggles of the 60’s and what those people accomplished. We were taught that you could grow up in a neighborhood, hear all kinds of comments made about other people, and not be affected by those comments.We were taught you could view the programs on television, and not be affected if the viewings were negative of your image.
    We were taught we should have faith because, at some point, someone will be elected to the highest office in goverment and he will have the best interest for all americans.
    Senator Obama is a good candidate, with good intentions for america.. The american people realize he will not be elected without the majority of americans supporting him. It is my hope,that as people attend his rallies,town hall meetings and visit his web site, they will come to realize that electing a 46 year old bi-racial man for the highest office in America is not the worst decision they have made this year.

    Jan | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

78. If we need to accept Rev Wright for the good that he says and ignore the bad, then what about Rev Manning?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khuu-RhOBDU

    Some of the things Manning says seem right to me albiet many are repulsive. How do we distinguish between what is right and what is ugly and racist? Don’t the good things actually reinforce the bad? And what about all of the TV personalities who get kicked out for a single word. Imus comes to mind. Burack Obama said get rid of him for a couple of ugly words uttered early one morning. Would the Jews who signed the letter stay in a Synagogue if the Rabbi “once and a while” said equivalent bigoted statements? I doubt it very much — they are no doubt good and moral people and would vehemently object and vote with their feet and leave if the Rabbi stayed. Isn’t it really an insult and degrading to Obama to say — we understand why you couldn’t apply the same standards we would — we can’t expect you to apply the same standards we would because ….?

    RLEESMITH | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

79. http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com/

    An interesting site for some.

    Diane | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

80. I am a Jewish Obama supporter. Every other Jew I know personally - family or friend - supports Obama. He represents the eternal hopefulness of the Jewish spirit that we celebrate every Passover. He speaks of healing in a world filled with hatred. He speaks with honesty, even of the skeletons in his own closet. He offers a refreshing clarity regarding the confused influences in his own life. If we all could be so courageous.

    I’ve read recently in a poll that Jews split 50-50 for Obama and Clinton. I’m not surprised by that as Hillary Clinton has certainly been a friend to the Jewish community over the years as well. Both candidates would be great as President. But the major media lets on that Jews have lined up en masse behind Clinton and that just isn’t true. So it’s great to see so many Jewish voters and leaders in Pennsylvania put their name out in support of Barack Obama.

    Elrod | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

81. It really amazes me that so many people of the Jewish faith think it’s appropriate to attack Mr. Obama with exaggerations and rumors concerning his faith. You might as well just say that he likes to drink the blood of white children.

    neil | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

82. This letter is great! I was convinced that most Americans had been so polluted by pundits and talk radio that they would buy into these disingenuous smears against Obama by way of selected quotes from his retired, former pastor. The relationships between the African-American and Jewish and Anglo-Christian communities all need to be repaired… getting hung up on the bitter feelings of a casualty of the culture war is not going to make that happen any faster.

    Obama isn’t perfect, but neither are the other two. The sooner we can get back to debating policies, accomplishments, and vision, the sooner we will get our country, and our world, reasonably united and headed in the right direction.

    BT | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

83. For those of you who find it hard to comprehend how Senator Obama could associate with Rev. Wright for 20 years and not be influenced by him, I would like to ask you to consider the following:

    Bill Clinton, the former president of the U. S., was mentored by the Former Senator William Fulbright from the time he was an mpressionable young man until he became fully grown. You might recall that Senator William Fulbright joined a group of southern senators and signed the “Southern Manifesto” a document declaring his/their unwillingness to abide by the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown vs. Topeka, Kansas Board of Education. In other words Fulbright was instrumental in blocking the “Little Rock Nine” from integrating an all white school. This behavior was without a doubt racist! History records it.

    The question is, therefore, does William Fulbright’s racist behaviors and stance against the civil rights of these young AA students make Bill Clinton a racist?

    I will let you be the judge of that; but what I will say is even in the face of the things Bill Clinton has said in this current election season, African-Americans would not call him a racist. Why? Because AA are not racists themselves.

    Those who would accuse Barack of racist ideas or behavior, need to look into their own hearts. Often times what we think we see in others is more about what is actually in us.

    vin | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

84. I remember sitting in the Orthodox synagogue during my son’s Bar Mitzvah when the rabbi starting talking about the “chosen people’s” superiority and special place on the earth. I was completely embarrassed since more than half of our friends and some family by marriage were not Jewish. None of our friends or family held us responsible for these obviously absurd, intolerant remarks. I would like to say we were fortunate, but the fact is that our friends and family had the good sense to realize that those were his beliefs, not ours.

    Apparently, many here and elsewhere lack such good sense and would prefer to propagate the kind of intolerance and close-mindedness that has led to the prosecution of so many.

    Mark | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

85. Diane, you say you would be willing to support John McCain over Barack Obama.

    John McCain sought out the endorsement of anti-Semitic apocalypse nut John Hagee, who said Jews deserved the Holocaust as punishment for their crime of having tried to live outside the Middle East.

    John McCain is heavily advised and supported by Jim Baker, famous for his “f*** the Jews” mindset.

    If you find Obama unsupportable just because of what his past allies have said, then logically you have NO ONE to support in this election and should sit it out. If you ever do vote for McCain, whose apocalypse nut allies endorsed the Holocaust when it first happened and yearn for a second one that will purge all Jews from the world so their messiah can return, then it will be obvious you aren’t really motivated by a concern for Jewry or Jewish values, but rather just a one-dimensional hatred of Obama as a person.

    TTT | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

86. Diane you need more than therapy. Go and pray. The very same thing you are accusing Barack of is exactly what you are doing. LYING!!!!!!

    Seek help before it’s too late friend.

    Now,those of you who are accusing Hillary falsely stop it.

    If it should ever happen that our guy Barack does not get the nominee then we will have only her to vote for.

    People who say they will not vote for Barack or Hillary if he or she is not the nominee is VINDICATIVE and is not thinking about the good of their country.
    Spread The Love. Barack it is in 08.

    Kaye | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

87. The question to Mark– Did the Rabbi stay on and do you still go to that Synagogue. I wouldn’t have stayed, and I apply the same rule to others if they want my respect (and I know others who have left Synagogues and Churches when they realized there was a deep seated iintolerance in that particular community or it’s leadership.) It’s turning away from bigotry and trying to ignore it that helps perpetuate it. Did Burak Obama ever right a single column for his Church questioning the Pastors comments? If so I would step back on this but I haven’t seen such evidence. I can remember a visiting scholar at a Synagogue telling us that Jews need to suspend the rules of the Sabbath to save a life but only a Jew’s life, not a nn Jew’s. I was ready to quit that congregation until the Rabbi came back and explained that this scholar was completely off base and long ago that approach had been rejected by mainstream Judaism. Had he not said that I would have voted with my feet and quit — even though I understood the centuries of persecution at the hands of non Jews that could have lead some Jews to react that way.

    RLeeSmith | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

88. Great letter! I’m Jewish, and I’ve closely studied this race, Obama’s personal history and his policy positions, and I feel strongly that he would be a wonderful president to all Americans, of all races, all religious persuasions, all ethnic groups.

    Lisa | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

89. RLeeSmith - The Rabbi stayed on. I would see no reason to leave the congregation. First, I am able to separate in my own mind his views from mine. Second, the congregation is more than the rabbi that leads it. Third, there is more to the rabbi than that particular opinion or even others that he might hold that I don’t agree with. (In short, nobody is perfect and I wouldn’t want to be judged on the basis of what is a small fraction of me. Would you?)

    Mark | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

90. And what about Hillary’s repeated statements about how much she values the support of Billy Graham, who is also on tape complaining (to Nixon) about the ‘grip’ of the Jews on society?

    Michael | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

91. I ask those of you who condemn the Reverend as Anti Semetic, hatefull ect. if you have viewed more than the clips of the sermons . . .if you have not listened to the entire sermons then you ought not judge them. . .the media has distorted and twisted his message in order to smear both the Reverend and Senator Obama. . I have not heard one commentary that adresses this in the news and media no one has been willing to play the full sermon because it is actually full of profound truths and teachings. . .these men and their messages and views are not the ones to fear or comdemn. . but to listen and learn from and become a part of the conversation that seeks to address important problems that we face in our country and internationally

    a benerofe | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

92. Thank you for endorsing Barack Obama. I think some of the letters above reflect a small but strong strain in the Jewish community, which assumes that all but the conservative of African-Americans are inherently antisemitic, because of a few statements by people like Minister Farakhan and also because of the blanket hatred of all things Arab and Muslim that, quite shamefully, is all too common among a far too large segment of largely older American Jews.

    It is time to rise above these tribal hatreds, which is why this Jew wishes that Sen. Obama’s relations with AIPAC were LESS good, for I do not believe that organization’s reflexive support of warlike and sometimes repressive policies are healthy for Israeli or anyone else on this planet. I also realize that if Senator Obama took this Jew’s positions, he would seal the deal on Senator Obama’s mythical ties to mythical antisemites.

    It is sad that we live in a world where we force people to support deeply wrong policies simply to prove they are not bigoted against a particular group. Perhaps the only way to move Israeli policy into a reasonable line is to get a Jew not named Joe Lieberman into the White House.

    Oh, well, thanks in any case.

    Oh, well,

    Bob | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

93. I am half black and half Jewish. I see the pain in both of family. But also see the stupidity also. Before I am black, Jewish, or independent democrat, I am an American. To base my vote solely on support or nonsupport of Israel/Sudan/Mexico…etc is foolish. Before we can help our neighbors, we must first strengthen our own house. That is at the heart of Obama’s message. When I see Joe Lieberman standing beside McCain, whispering in his ear, I am sincerely concern that those who hate us will point to that moment as inappropriate Jewish influences. When I see Obama distancing himself for Rev. Wright’s comments I see the in inappropriate influences of the secular media. And as I read the negative comments posted on this site, I am surely saddened. Because it reveals the same old patterns that I have witness in my own family; we consistently being victimized by the sins of our fathers. The stiff-necks; those who have throughout our history rejected, stoned, and murdered the messengers of hope.
    This time could be different. We could decide to break the cycle of fear and doubt. We could decide to pass to the next generation hope and opportunity.

    Andrew

    Andrew | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

94. To Dani, on April 1st.

    The Zogby brothers are American citizens of Lebanese Christian heritage. The fact that they support Obama should not be viewed as a threat to Israel. The Lebanese Christians despise Hezbollah just as much as Israel does.

    It is ignorance that leads to Antisemitism. Let’s not unwittingly perpetuate the cycle of fear and hate.

    Besides, Mort Zuckerman supports Obama, and no one is more pro-Israel than Mort.

    nattyb | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

95. To win, Hillary Clinton has been pandering to the racists and marginal racists within the Democratic Party. Rather than educating them about the values that bring us together, she uses for cynical political reasons a very divisive strategy.

    Don’t you Jewish Clinton supporters understand that these “white” people who Hillary is courting also have hate or ignorance in their hearts for the Jews? Yes, there are blacks whose feelings are the same. But unlike Hillary, who seeks to take advantage of the hate, Obama seems to consistently confront and educate the haters, particularly the black ones.

    Mark P | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

96. Judith Clausen

    There have never been palestinian lands as there has never been a palestinian state ever. In terms of peaceful coexistence, 84% of palestinians in a recent survey supported the slaughter of the 8 boys in the seminary just one month ago. Also, in case you’ve forgotten, the palestinians and other Arabs were shown dancing on 9/11/01 when we suffered our great tragedy; Israelis gathered in rabin square to light candles and mourn together with the American people. Why is it that few if any Jews can live in any Arab country today while well over 1 million Arabs are citizens with full voting rights in the State of Israel. Do some research on what the arabs are teaching the next generation in their textbooks; the maps do not even show Israel at all. How do you think there will ever be a peaceful coexistence with a group whose stated aim to this day is to drive the jews into the sea.

    baruch | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

97. The “50 lies” are shocking in their vitriol, misguided in attempting to knock down Obama, and full of their own lies and half truths.

    Those who know Obama describe him as honest, truthful and straightforward. I perceive the same based on what I have seen in this campaign.

    Basing your vote on uninformed hate is not going to move us forward.

    Dovid | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

98. Please do not confuse being pro-Israel with being pro-Likud. That’s like saying you can only be for America if you support the policies of George W. Bush and the Republicans. Agreeing with the views of Labor and Meretz is a perfectly legitimate expression of support for Israel.

    Haim | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

99. Diane, citations please. I’m interested in seeing your research that disproves Sen. Obama’s statements that you list.

    Also, interstingly enough that same list has been appearing in comment sections all over the blog circuit…smells like someone is regurgiating Karl Rove’s talking points. Typical.

    Greg | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

100. Let Barack speak for himself why don’t you?

     Time Magazine:

     On U.S.-Israel relations:
     “Well here’s my starting orientation is A – Israel’s security is sacrosanct, is non negotiable. That’s point number one. Point number two is that the status quo I believe is unsustainable over time. So we’re going to have to make a shift from the current deadlock that we’re in. Number three that Israel has to remain a Jewish state and what I believe that means is that any negotiated peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians is going to have to involve the Palestinians relinquishing the right of return as it has been understood in the past. And that doesn’t mean that there may not be conversations about compensation issues. It also means the Israelis will have to figure out how do we work with a legitimate Palestinian government to create a Palestinian state that is sustainable. It’s going to have to be contiguous, its going to have to work its going to have to function in some way. That’s in Israel’s interest by the way. If you have a balkanized unsustainable state, it will break down and we will be back in the same boat. So those are the starting points of my orientation. My goal then would be to solicit as many practical opinions as possible in terms of how we’re going to move forward on a improvement of relations and a sustainable peace.”

     Mark S | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

101. one more…

     Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
     As Prepared for Delivery
     AIPAC Policy Forum
     March 2, 2007
     Chicago, Illinois
     Thank you so much for your kind introduction and the invitation to meet
     with you this morning.
     Last week, this event was described to me as a small gathering of
     friends. Looking at all of you here today; seeing so many of you who care
     about peace in this world; who care about a strong and lasting friendship
     between Israel and the United States, and who care about what’s on the
     next page of our shared futures, I think “a small gathering of
     friends” fits this crowd just right.
     I want to begin today by telling you a story.
     Back in January of 2006, I made my first trip to the Holy Land. It is a
     place unlike any other on this earth – a place filled with so much
     promise of what we truly can be as people; a place where we’ve learned
     how in a flash, violence and hatred and intolerance can turn that promise
     to rubble and send too many lives to their early graves.
     Most will travel to the holy sites: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the
     Dome of the Rock or the Western Wall. They make a journey to be humbled
     before God. I too am blessed to have seen Israel this way, up close and
     on the ground.
     But I am also fortunate to have seen Israel from the air.
     On my journey that January day, I flew on an IDF helicopter to the border
     zone. The helicopter took us over the most troubled and dangerous areas
     and that narrow strip between the West Bank and the Mediterranean Sea. At
     that height, I could see the hills and the terrain that generations have
     walked across. I could truly see how close everything is and why peace
     through security is the only way for Israel.
     Our helicopter landed in the town of Kiryat Shmona on the border. What
     struck me first about the village was how familiar it looked. The houses
     and streets looked like ones you might find in a suburb in America. I
     could imagine young children riding their bikes down the streets. I could
     imagine the sounds of their joyful play just like my own daughters. There
     were cars in the driveway. The shrubs were trimmed. The families were
     living their lives.
     Then, I saw a house that had been hit with one of Hezbollah’s Katyusha
     rockets.
     The family who lived in the house was lucky to be alive. They had been
     asleep in another part when the rocket hit. They described the
     explosion. They talked about the fire and the shrapnel. They spoke about
     what might have been if the rocket had come screaming into their home at
     another time when they weren’t asleep but sitting peacefully in the now
     destroyed part of the house.
     It is an experience I keep close to my heart. Not because it is unique,
     but because we know that too many others have seen the same kind of
     destruction, have lost their loved ones to suicide bombers and live in
     fear of when the next attack might hit. Just six months after I visited,
     Hezbollah launched four thousand rocket attacks just like the one that
     destroyed the home in Kiryat Shmona, and kidnapped Israeli service
     members. And we pray for all of the service members who have been
     kidnapped: Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev, and Ehud Goldwasser, and I met with
     his family this week. I offered to help in any way I can.
     It is important to remember this history—that Israel had unilaterally
     withdrawn from Lebanon only to have Iran supply Hezbollah with thousands
     of rockets.
     Our job is to never forget that the threat of violence is real. Our job
     is to renew the United States’ efforts to help Israel achieve peace with
     its neighbors while remaining vigilant against those who do not share this
     vision. Our job is to do more than lay out another road map; our job is
     to rebuild the road to real peace and lasting security throughout the
     region.
     That effort begins with 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. And when we see all of
     the growing threats in the region: from Iran to Iraq to the resurgence of
     al-Qaeda to the reinvigoration of Hamas and Hezbollah, that loyalty and
     that friendship will guide me as we begin to lay the stones that will
     build the road that takes us from the current instability to lasting peace
     and security.
     It won’t be easy. Some of those stones will be heavy and tough for the
     United States to carry. Others with be heavy and tough for Israel to
     carry. And even more will be difficult for the world. But together, we
     will begin again.
     One of the heavy stones that currently rest at the United States’ feet
     is Iraq. Until we lift this burden from our foreign policy, we cannot
     rally the world to our values and vision.
     As many of you know, I opposed this war from the beginning – in part
     because I believed that giving this President the open-ended authority to
     invade Iraq would lead to the open-ended occupation we find ourselves in
     today.
     Now our soldiers find themselves in the crossfire of someone
     else’s civil war. More than 3,100 have given the last full measure of
     devotion to their country. This war has fueled terrorism and helped
     galvanize terrorist organizations. And it has made the world less safe.
     That is why I advocate a phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq to
     begin no later than May first with the goal of removing all combat forces
     from Iraq by March 2008. In a civil war where no military solution
     exists, this redeployment remains our best leverage to pressure the Iraqi
     government to achieve the political settlement between its warring
     factions that can slow the bloodshed and promote stability.
     My plan also allows for a limited number of U.S. troops to remain and
     prevent Iraq from becoming a haven for international terrorism and reduce
     the risk of all-out chaos. In addition, we will redeploy our troops to
     other locations in the region, reassuring our allies that we will stay
     engaged in the Middle East. And my plan includes a robust regional
     diplomatic strategy that includes talking to Syria and Iran – something
     this Administration has finally embraced.
     The U.S. military has performed valiantly and brilliantly in Iraq. Our
     troops have done all that we have asked them to do and more. But a
     consequence of the Administration’s failed strategy in Iraq has been to
     strengthen Iran’s strategic position; reduce U.S. credibility and
     influence in the region; and place Israel and other nations friendly to
     the United States in greater peril. These are not the signs of a
     well-paved road. It is time for profound change.
     As the U.S. redeploys from Iraq, we can recapture lost influence in the
     Middle East. We can refocus our efforts to critical, yet neglected
     priorities, such as combating international terrorism and winning the war
     in Afghanistan. And we can, then, more effectively deal with one of the
     greatest threats to the United States, Israel and world peace: Iran.
     Iran’s President Ahmadinejad’s regime is a threat to all of us. His
     words contain a chilling echo of some of the world’s most tragic
     history.
     Unfortunately, history has a terrible way of repeating itself. President
     Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust. He held a conference in his
     country, claiming it was a myth. But we know the Holocaust was as real as
     the 6 million who died in mass graves at Buchenwald, or the cattle cars to
     Dachau or whose ashes clouded the sky at Auschwitz. We have seen the
     pictures. We have walked the halls of the Holocaust museum in Washington
     and Yad Vashem. We have touched the tattoos on loved-ones arms. After 60
     years, it is time to deny the deniers.
     In the 21^st century, it is unacceptable that a member state of the United
     Nations would openly call for the elimination of another member state. But
     that is exactly what he has done. Neither Israel nor the United States has
     the luxury of dismissing these outrages as mere rhetoric.
     The world must work to stop Iran’s uranium enrichment program and
     prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It is far too dangerous to
     have nuclear weapons in the hands of a radical theocracy. And while we
     should take no option, including military action, off the table, sustained
     and aggressive diplomacy combined with tough sanctions should be our
     primary means to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.
     Iranian nuclear weapons would destabilize the region and could set off a
     new arms race. Some nations in the region, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia
     and Turkey, could fall away from restraint and rush into a nuclear contest
     that could fuel greater instability in the region—that’s not just bad
     for the Middle East, but bad for the world, making it a vastly more
     dangerous and unpredictable place. Other nations would feel great pressure
     to accommodate Iranian demands. Terrorist groups with Iran’s backing
     would feel emboldened to act even more brazenly under an Iranian nuclear
     umbrella. And as the A.Q. Kahn network in Pakistan demonstrated, Iran
     could spread this technology around the world.
     To prevent this worst-case scenario, we need the United States to lead
     tough-minded diplomacy.
     This includes direct engagement with Iran similar to the meetings we
     conducted with the Soviets at the height of the Cold War, laying out in
     clear terms our principles and interests. Tough-minded diplomacy would
     include real leverage through stronger sanctions. It would mean more
     determined U.S diplomacy at the United Nations. It would mean harnessing
     the collective power of our friends in Europe who are Iran’s major
     trading partners. It would mean a cooperative strategy with Gulf States
     who supply Iran with much of the energy resources it needs. It would mean
     unifying those states to recognize the threat of Iran and increase pressure
     on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment. It would mean full implementation
     of U.S. sanctions laws. And over the long term, it would mean a focused
     approach from us to finally end the tyranny of oil, and develop our own
     alternative sources of energy to drive the price of oil down.
     We must also persuade other nations such as Saudi Arabia to recognize
     common interests with Israel in dealing with Iran. We should stress to the
     Egyptians that they help the Iranians and do themselves no favors by
     failing to adequately prevent the smuggling of weapons and cash by Iran
     into Gaza.
     The United States’ leverage is strengthened when we have many nations
     with us. It puts us in a place where sanctions could actually have a
     profound impact on Iran’s economy. Iran is highly dependent on imports
     and foreign investment, credit and technology. And an environment where
     our allies see that these types of investments in Iran are not in the
     world’s best interests, could help bring Iran to the table.
     We have no quarrel with the Iranian people. They know that President
     Ahamadinejad is reckless, irresponsible, and inattentive to their
     day-to-day needs which is why they sent him a rebuke at the ballot box
     this fall. And we hope more of them will speak out. There is great hope
     in their ability to see his hatred for what it is: hatred and a threat to
     peace in the region.
     At the same time, we must preserve our total commitment to
     our unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military
     assistance and continuing work on the Arrow and related missile defense
     programs. This would help Israel maintain its military edge and deter and
     repel attacks from as far as Tehran and as close as Gaza. And
     when Israel is attacked, we must stand up for Israel’s legitimate right
     to defend itself. Last summer, Hezbollah attacked Israel. By using
     Lebanon as an outpost for terrorism, and innocent people as shields,
     Hezbollah has also engulfed that entire nation in violence and conflict,
     and threatened the fledgling movement for democracy there. That’s why
     we have to press for enforcement of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701,
     which demands the cessation of arms shipments to Hezbollah, a resolution
     which Syria and Iran continue to disregard. Their support and shipment of
     weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas, which threatens the peace and security in
     the region, must end.
     These are great challenges that we face. And in moments like
     these, true allies do not walk away. For six years, the administration has
     missed opportunities to increase the United States’ influence in the
     region and help Israel achieve the peace she wants and the security she
     needs. The time has come for us to seize those opportunities.
     The Israeli people, and Prime Minister Olmert, have made clear that they
     are more than willing to negotiate an end to the Israeli-Palestinian
     conflict that will result in two states living side by side in peace and
     security. But the Israelis must trust that they have a true Palestinian
     partner for peace. That is why we must strengthen the hands of
     Palestinian moderates who seek peace and that is why we must maintain the
     isolation of Hamas and other extremists who are committed to Israel’s
     destruction.
     The U.S. and our partners have put before Hamas three very simple
     conditions to end this isolation: recognize Israel’s right to exist;
     renounce the use of violence; and abide by past agreements between Israel
     and the Palestinian Authority.
     We should all be concerned about the agreement negotiated among
     Palestinians in Mecca last month. The reports of this agreement suggest
     that Hamas, Fatah, and independent ministers would sit in a government
     together, under a Hamas Prime Minister, without any recognition of Israel,
     without a renunciation of violence, and with only an ambiguous promise to
     “respect” previous agreements.
     This should concern us all because it suggests that Mahmoud Abbas, who is
     a Palestinian leader I believe is committed to peace, felt forced to
     compromise with Hamas. However, if we are serious about the Quartet’s
     conditions, we must tell the Palestinians this is not good enough.
     But as I said at the outset, Israel will have some heavy stones to carry
     as well. Its history has been full of tough choices in search of peace and
     security.
     Yitzhak Rabin had the vision to reach out to longtime enemies. Ariel
     Sharon had the determination to lead Israel out of Gaza. These were
     difficult, painful decisions that went to the heart of Israel’s identity
     as a nation.
     Many Israelis I talked to during my visit last year told me
     that they were prepared to make sacrifices to give their children a chance
     to know peace. These were people of courage who wanted a better life. And
     I know these are difficult times and it can be easy to lose hope. But we
     owe it to our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, and to all
     those who have fallen, to keep searching for peace and security — even
     though it can seem distant. This search is in the best interests of
     Israel. It is in the best interests of the United States. It is in the
     best interests of all of us.
     We can and we should help Israelis and Palestinians both fulfill their
     national goals: two states living side by side in peace and security.
     Both the Israeli and Palestinian people have suffered from the failure to
     achieve this goal. The United States should leave no stone unturned in
     working to make that goal a reality.
     But in the end, we also know that we should never seek to dictate what is
     best for the Israelis and their security interests. No Israeli Prime
     Minister should ever feel dragged to or blocked from the negotiating table
     by the United States.
     We must be partners – we must be active partners. Diplomacy in the
     Middle East cannot be done on the cheap. Diplomacy is measured by
     patience and effort. We cannot continue to have trips consisting of
     little more than photo-ops with little movement in between. Neither
     Israel nor the U.S. is served by this approach.
     Peace with security. That is the Israeli people’s
     overriding wish.
     It is what I saw in the town of Fassouta on the border with Lebanon.
     There are 3,000 residents of different faiths and histories.
     There is a community center supported by Chicago’s own Roman Catholic
     Archdiocese and the Jewish Federation of Metro Chicago. It is where the
     education of the next generation has begun: in a small village, all faiths
     and nationalities, living together with mutual respect.
     I met with the people from the village and they gave me a tour of this
     wonderful place. There was a moment when the young girls came in and they
     played music and began to dance.
     After a few moments, I thought about my own daughters, Sasha and Malia and
     how they too could dream and dance in a place like this: a place of renewal
     and restoration. Proof, that in the heart of so much peril, there were
     signs of life and hope and promise—that the universal song for peace
     plays on.

     Mark S | Apr 3, 2008 | Reply

102. Remarks of Senator Barack Obama

     As Prepared for Delivery

     AIPAC Policy Forum

     March 2, 2007

     Chicago, Illinois

     Thank you so much for your kind introduction and the invitation to meet
     with you this morning.

     Last week, this event was described to me as a small gathering of
     friends. Looking at all of you here today; seeing so many of you who care
     about peace in this world; who care about a strong and lasting friendship
     between Israel and the United States, and who care about what’s on the
     next page of our shared futures, I think “a small gathering of
     friends” fits this crowd just right.

     I want to begin today by telling you a story.

     Back in January of 2006, I made my first trip to the Holy Land. It is a
     place unlike any other on this earth – a place filled with so much
     promise of what we truly can be as people; a place where we’ve learned
     how in a flash, violence and hatred and intolerance can turn that promise
     to rubble and send too many lives to their early graves.

     Most will travel to the holy sites: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the
     Dome of the Rock or the Western Wall. They make a journey to be humbled
     before God. I too am blessed to have seen Israel this way, up close and
     on the ground.

     But I am also fortunate to have seen Israel from the air.

     On my journey that January day, I flew on an IDF helicopter to the border
     zone. The helicopter took us over the most troubled and dangerous areas
     and that narrow strip between the West Bank and the Mediterranean Sea. At
     that height, I could see the hills and the terrain that generations have
     walked across. I could truly see how close everything is and why peace
     through security is the only way for Israel.

     Our helicopter landed in the town of Kiryat Shmona on the border. What
     struck me first about the village was how familiar it looked. The houses
     and streets looked like ones you might find in a suburb in America. I
     could imagine young children riding their bikes down the streets. I could
     imagine the sounds of their joyful play just like my own daughters. There
     were cars in the driveway. The shrubs were trimmed. The families were
     living their lives.

     Then, I saw a house that had been hit with one of Hezbollah’s Katyusha
     rockets.

     The family who lived in the house was lucky to be alive. They had been
     asleep in another part when the rocket hit. They described the
     explosion. They talked about the fire and the shrapnel. They spoke about
     what might have been if the rocket had come screaming into their home at
     another time when they weren’t asleep but sitting peacefully in the now
     destroyed part of the house.

     It is an experience I keep close to my heart. Not because it is unique,
     but because we know that too many others have seen the same kind of
     dest