PA's May 29th Elections? War or Peace

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                       

The PA said on the 23-24th of April that they would hold elections in about 5 weeks.  That would mean elections would be held around May 29th of this year.  In what direction are they planning to go?  Towards their own state living peacefully next to Israel or eternal war with Israel, for they should realize by now after almost 66 years of Israel's existence and constant growth and determination that they will not drive her into the sea.
                                                                             

The present PA is aiming for constant war.  They show this by brainwashing their children into hating Jews and Israel.  Recently an official PA TV program showed a young child saying a poem that called for "join a war that will smash the oppression and destroy the Zionist's soul."  How much clearer can you get than that?

The TV show has had 3 other children say this same poem.  The video shows a very young girl in traditional Palestinian dress wearing a pendant shaped like the map of their future Palestine but the problem is that it shows the entire area of Israel.  Therefore, again, this is another dramatic demonstration of their intent to take over all of Israel.  This girl is shown saying the poem in many different locations, no doubt giving the notion that it is the different parts of Palestine; in a field, on the beach and in a market.

One part of the program shows her behind barbed wire with pictures of Palestinian prisoners in the background.  What they do, I've noticed, is take history of the Jews and remake it into their history, thinking that if it worked for the Jews it should work for them.  Prisoners are in a prison, not behind barbed wire such as Jews were during the holocaust.  Just this past month Netanyahu released over 60 prisoners because of the demands of Abbas who wouldn't talk about peace between the two without this happening.  Then Abbas went against his word anyway by teaming up with Hamas.

 It this sequel, she says, "My name is Palestinian.  I've etched my name on all the town squares.  Saladin calls to me from the depths of my heart."  Saladim was a Muslim conqueror of Jerusalem, in no way connected to the Palestinians other than he was a Muslim.  Fatimid leaders of Egypt ruled until 1171 when they were defeated by Saladin, who became famous during the Crusades.  Saladin was a Kurd who captured Cairo and put an end to the Fatimid rule.  He was a Sunni.  In 1175 he declared his independence in Egypt and formed the Ayyubid principality.  He defeated the Crusaders in the battle of Hittin on July 4, 1187 and soon after that retook Jerusalem.  The history of Israel is one of constant changes of Muslims fighting other Muslims for ownership until it was in the hands of the Ottoman Empire (Turks) that lasted for 400 years until WWI when they lost it to the allies. (England, France, USA, etc).  They had been on Germany's side.  The poem neglects to mention that Jews fought alongside Muslims in the Crusades.  They were both targeted for death by the Crusaders who couldn't tell them apart anyway.  
                                                                       

The poem forges ahead with "All my Arabness calls me to vengeance and liberation...Thousands of prisoners and thousands who are jailed call to this great nation and call to millions.  ."  As you see in the picture above, they are claiming all of Israel as their "great nation" of Palestine.   Yes, many Palestinians have been jailed for atrocious acts of killing Israelis.  They have bombed and killed and when they do they are jailed.  Even though they have taken lives, Israel has no death penalty for that except in extreme cases in the past such as Nazi heads who ordered thousands of deaths of Jews.  It does seem like the Arabs are more interested in taking vengeance than in ever making peace.  As for liberation-no country liberates murderers. They were given sentences amounting to so many years.  They would be freed when their sentence ended.   The British hung Jews who fought against them before 1948 in "Palestine regardless of whether or not they had killed anyone.  If they were part of the Stern Group or Haganah, they had had it.

"They say:  To Jerusalem, the direction of prayer".  It is the Jews who have always prayed towards Jerusalem wherever they are.  The  Muslims pray towards Mecca where there Qiblah is.  "To war that will smash the oppression and destroy the Zionist's soul and raise the Palestinian banner in the world's sky and Strengthen my word that goes on:  Palestinian, Palestinian, Palestinian."  

I note the emphasis on the person-a Palestinian, not the land or country of Palestine.  To me the poem involves the people and who they are-which in truth they really are not.  They are being told over and over that only they-the Arabs, are Palestinians.  When the Arabs came to Eretz Israel in the 1880's looking for work with the Jews who were building their country, they said they were mostly Syrians when asked; not Palestinians.  Palestine was the name given to Israel and Judah by the Romans in 165 CE after Bar Kochba was overtaken in a 3 year war.  From about 1900 until 1948, both Jews and Arabs were then referred to as Palestinians on their passports and writings and by themselves.

These so called Palestinians are mainly from Syria but also people had come to work from all over the Middle East who needed jobs.  It is a conglomeration of many Arab people now forged together under the one name of Palestinians.

Now, the question is, are they going to want to create their Palestine now and live in peace or do they intend to keep on fighting Israel.  Perhaps the election will give us a clue.  Who will be up for election this time? Abbas has already been President for the past 9 years when he was only elected for 4 years.   Now that they have reunited with Hamas, does that mean they will unite as one and have one group leading from the 2?

Update: 5/8/14:A Palestinian Child's TV program starring 2 little girls and an animal toy that talks who tells the girls that every Jew should be shot.   PA:Watch: http://blog.camera.org/archives/2014/05/every_jew_should_be_shot_hamas.html

Resource:  Textbook:  2nd edition:  Middle East-past & Present by Yahya Armajani, Thomas M. Ricks
Palestinian Media Watch by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilbedik; http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=11322 
http://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-pas-285-million-dollar-electric.html
From Time Immemorial-the origins of the Arab-Jewish conflict over Palestine by Joan Peters- on who the Palestinians are and what countries they came from.

Wait a Minute: Abbas Has No Legitimate Power

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                  

                   Mahmoud Abbas, Elected by Fatah and Not Leaving 10 years Ago
                                                                             

                Hamas's Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, elected February 16, 2006

Netanyahu and Kerry have been dealing with the PA official head who has no actual power to speak for all the Arabs calling themselves the "Palestinian Arabs."  Actually, they are not from one tribe or country but a conglomeration of all the neighboring states of Israel who came in seeking work in the late 1800's with the Jewish settlers who had previously arrived from Russia.  Like the Jews who had never left, there were Arabs who had been living on the land as well and some had even bought property.  Most of them had sold their land to the Jews and had taken off for better ports such as Beirut, Damascus or Paris.

Fatah was the PLO, the Palestinian Liberation originally led by Arafat .  Mahmoud Abbas was elected as their PA (Palestinian Authority) president 10 years ago.  He had been elected to serve one term of 4 years.  He never left and there has been no other elections.   His official term has expired a long time ago.  Therefore, he does not have the electoral legitimacy in his own party.  Fatah was grounded in Gaza, but when Hamas, a party of true terrorists won their election there putting Ismail Haniyeh, voted in on February 16, 2006,  as their Prime Minister,  Fatah was kicked out to live in Judea-Samaria.  By rights, he should be finished this February as well, having served 2 full after being voted on only once for a 4 year  term.  Hamas refuses to sign any peace deal with Israel.  They have a charter that calls for Israel's destruction.  One can only imagine the threats they were able to conjure up to receive the vote of their people, voting being very new to them.

1.7 million Arabs live in Gaza. 2,100,000 Arabs live in Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem.  500,000 Jews live there as well.  1.7 million Arabs live in Israel and have Israeli citizenship.   Having Abbas speak for all the Arabs of Fatah and Hamas violates the Palestinian Basic Law according to Abu Toameh, Palestinian Arab Israeli citizen who is a reporter for "The Jerusalem Post."  .  This allows for "constitutional and legislative anarchy in the Palestinian territories, for he has remained in power past his allowed term.  He cannot sign a peace agreement with Israel in the name of the "Palestinians" being they are a divided group.

Hamas is so violent a group that at a recent gathering of young Arabs in Gaza, he preached that educating the future generation to love death for the sake of Allah as much as our enemies love life should be their motto.  It was Golda Meier who had said that peace will come to Israel when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.  To love death is not the way to bring about peace.  To buy into such a philosophy is a sad comment on their culture.  We all know we must die eventually, but it is not a normal act to seek death out and prefer death over life, especially when you are just reaching your adult years.  This must be why Jews seek out the profession of medicine, to assist long life for all.  "May you live till your 120th year" is our wish at birthday events, for Moses lived till he was 120.  Palestinians have talked young people, sad people, depressed people and underachievers to become suicide bombers and to seek glory in death.

The question is, if the Arabs of Fatah and Hamas were given another chance at voting, would they vote as they had been previously or would they want to choose life and peace?  Abu Toameh thinks they should be given this chance and has called for John Kerry to continue to negotiate with Abbas even though his term expired long ago.  He would like to see such an election.

Since 1948, the Arabs outside of Israel calling themselves the Palestinian Arabs have been brainwashed into destroying Israel.  If 20- 25 years accounts for a generation, they have had almost 3 generations brought up to think this way.  Gazans have been under the most violent philosophy so I would think that some may want peace by now, but that the majority would vote as they did in 2006.  This way of thinking has become their religion, and they do not love their children enough to stop hating Jews.  It is the Arabs of Israel who have acclimated to living with Jews and finding out it's not like living with lions or tigers but that the law includes them as well, so they have rights and freedom that neither Fatah or Hamas have in life.

Resource:  http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/01/24/in-10th-year-of-4-year-term-critics-say-abbas-has-no-mandate-to-sign-peace-deal/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaled_Abu_Toameh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Abbas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail_Haniyeh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Bank

Hamas Latest Secret Elections and Their Backers

Nadene Goldfoot
The players are the same as the past 4 years; Obama, Netanyahu and Mashaal.  Nothing has changed.  Khaled Meshal, age 56, has been the leader of Hamas since 1996.  He had vowed in December that he would continue violence against Israel.  So right now we're just in a lull.

After a year of secrecy and internal elections, which is definitely not the way of the Democratic process, the Islamic militant terrorist group, Hamas, re-elected longtime leader Khaled Mashaal. This was confirmed by 2 Hamas officials recently, but not through an announcement from Hamas officially.  They're just so secretive about this.    A vote had continued on late Monday night.  The voting was spread over several countries including Egypt.  Mashaal had moved from Damascus to Qatar, now their primary funder.  Qatar is also the same country backing Arabic studies at Lincoln High School in Portland, which is only one of several throughout the United States where they are promoting Arabic.  There are many outposts of American universities such as Carnegie Mellon in Qatar as well.  Hillary Clinton has visited there.

Also continuing in the works is Ismail Haniyeh, around age 50,  as Mashaal's deputy, also known as the Prime Minister.  He has been a leading contender.  "Haniyeh has always favored violence over diplomacy, and said the Hamas' wins in the municipal elections in 2005 were proof that the majority of Palestinians support terrorism against Israel.  He  has expressed his wish to form a national unity government with former ruling party  Fatah of Judea-Samaria in order to more effectively run the new government.  Being in this position now, he changed his words to speak of "resistance."  His resistance has been in the form of mortars, missiles and rockets, evidently.

Turkey, who Netanyahu was finally forced to give the apology to following Obama's visit  for his navy's following orders of searching all incoming ships for weapons headed for Gaza, gave $300 million dollars to Hamas.  They also have been supporters of terrorism against Israel.  Obviously that's why they made the big bru-hah over their ship, the Mari Marmara on May 31, 2010 when they resisted the search by Israeli sailors. They made a big deal so that they could point their finger and criticize  Israel when it should have been the other way around.  Their goal of embarrassing Israel caused them to lose some lives on that ship in the act of the Israelis saving theirs.   There were 6 ships at the same time that Israel had to check out, and they didn't resist.  No problems came about with them.

Resource: http://defenddemocracy.org/media-hit/hamas-leadership-selection-an-initial-assessment/
Oregonian newspaper 4/2/13, page A6, Hamas leader Mashaal wins re-election
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_flotilla_raid
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Haniyeh.html

Morsi's Feelings Towards Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
The Oregonian newspaper continued with information about Mohammed Morsi b: 1951, Egypt's newly elected president,  this morning.  He has a long record of opposition to the Egyptian-Israeli ties. He was elected to the Zionism Resistance Council in his home province.  Later he co-founded the Egyptian Commission for Resisting the Zionist Project.   However, he has declared on Sunday that his Muslim Brotherhood government will follow the Egyptian international commitments, including the peace treaty with Israel.  During the campaign he promised to be a centrist ruler despite his Islamist background and roles in the Muslim Brotherhood.

Morsi joined the Muslim Brotherhood in 1977.  This is when the movement was banned.  He was elected to Parliament in 2000 where he was in charged of the Brotherhood's unofficial parliamentary bloc from 2000 to 2005 when he was defeated.

By January 28, 2011, Morsi was detained with 34 other leading Muslim Brotherhood officers by Mubarak's government, but escaped when security guards left their posts at the prison where he was held.  He was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's guidance council .  Then  he became head of its Freedom and Justice Party of which he just resigned from on Sunday. This resignation seems to be a symbolic move.

The military arm has dissolved the Brotherhood-led parliament and has seized legislative power.  The generals have guns and tanks and armored vehicles to hold authority.  The Brotherhood leaders and ruling generals have had face-to-face meetings last week between the Brotherhood's parliamentary leader, Saad el-Katatni and Gen. Sami Hafez Enan.

Jihad el-Haddad, Brotherhood spokesman, said on Saturday that that the Brotherhood made its demands for the reinstatement of the parliament and the empowerment of an elected president.  They had agreed on Friday that further talks with generals would be conducted by a new "national front" it had formed with more secular advocates of democracy.  They will have greater collaboration and openness than formerly.  The Brotherhood happens to be thought of as Egypt's best-organized political force.  They barely won over Ahmed Shafiq, who was a former air force general and Mubarak's last prime minister.  The vote was 13.2 million for Morsi, and12.3 million for Shafiq, or 52% to 48%..  

Now he promises to build a coalition government and promises that his prime minister will be independent and his governemt would include Christians.  He promised not to turn Egypt into a theocracy but said Islam should provide governing principles.

He also calls for Egypt to not be subordinate to the USA and suggests he will confront their close ties to Washington they had under Mubarak.  Jay Carney, press secretary, is concerned about human rights and the minority Coptic Christians that have been attacked.  I'm concerned about keeping the peace treaty with Israel.  I have a feeling that the only thing holding Egypt to this will be the money that the USA doles out to Egypt.  Morsi sounds like he will try to free them from this line of economic aid.

Resource: Oregonian newspaper 6/25/12  page A4, New Egyptian president was a professor in US, and front page, continues on page A5, McClatchy Newspapers 
Oregonian newspaper 6/24/12 page A9, Results of Egypt's vote still up in air by David D. Kiripatrick, NY Times

Morsi Plans to take Jerusalem Now

Nadene Goldfoot
Now that the Muslim Brotherhood's contender, Morsi, won the Presidential election in Egypt, a cleric, Satwat Higazi, who was the campaign manager for Morsi, had announced that Jerusalem would become their capital.  Like so many campaign promises, that's not going to happen.  That gives us an idea as to how much of the peace plan they intend to keep, doesn't it?  The question will be now how much money will the United States keep giving them?

Mohammed Morsi won by 51.7% of the votes beating out Shafik.  This was the 1st election that Egypt has had since Mubarak.  There were rumors that Morsi's side was stuffing the ballot box.  Perhaps that's why they went into overtime to count the ballots.  .

I am reminded of " The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace" from Psalms 29:11.  We certainly will need that strength now in striving for peace.  Our neighbors are certainly not of that mind-set.  Morsi has already called for a review of the peace treaty with Israel.  The military says they will decide just what he can do to the government.  He is not from the military which other leaders have been.  Morsi promises to be a moderate but modern leader with an Islamist agenda who will have a transparent government.  He promises to have an Egyptian renaissance with an Islamic foundation.  This man is intent on having Sharia law in the country for sure.  Sharia law does not favor Israel in any way.  

The United States congratulated their milestone victory.  Morsi did go from being involved in an outlawed group calling for terrorism if you look at the doctrine of the Muslim Brotherhood which  was not allowed during Mubarak's time or Sadat's.  Morsi went from being a prisoner to a president in very few steps, swept in with the Arab Spring. 
   
Reference:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9znepNvkrxI&feature=youtu.be
http://www.jpost.com/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/egyptian-cleric-claims-muslim-brotherhood-presidential-candidate-will-make-jerusalem-the-capital-of-the-caliphate/
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/profile-egypt-s-mohammed-morsi-goes-from-prisoner-to-president-1.443597

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood That Isn't Moderate

Nadene Goldfoot
A little more than half of Egypt is excited about the Muslim Brotherhood getting the vote for President..  They say:
"The Quran is our law"
Jihad is our way
Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.
However, the new president, Mohammed Morsi, hasn't said a word about the Muslim side of the Muslim Brotherhood and is trying to calm the fears of many.  In fact,Obama's  Director of National Intelligence, James R. Clapper,  said that the Muslim Brotherhood is moderate and largely secular.  Was it just the Old Muslim Brotherhood that had assassinated Sadat and caused Mubarak to outlaw them, then?  .

The army was so alarmed that they had a coup and dissolved the parliament which was in the Muslim Brotherhood's hands.  It was only 16 months ago when Mubarak was ousted and the Arab Spring had descended with Obama and Hillary Clinton excited about this event and even taking some of the credit.  Mubarak may have not been the best fellow, but he was on the same page with the USA and in agreement with the 1979 peace treaty that Sadat and Begin had made.  The Muslim Brotherhood is the in-group for Hamas and al-Qaida and other terrorists.

Though we were friends with Mubarak, Obama said back in February 2011 that he positioned the US on the right side of victory by backing the elections.  The Muslim Brotherhood  had been the archenemy of Hosni Mubarak and was outlawed.  They were the ones pushing these elections along with the USA.

Mohammed Mursi or Morsi, b: August 20, 1951 who  attended U of Southern California  and was assistant professor at California  State,  the newly elected President says " he'll seek "stability, love and brotherhood for the Egyptian civil, national, democratic, constitutional and modern state."  Obama and staff are reported to be alarmed at the turn of events of the army stepping into the picture. A few  TV pundits are alarmed that the Muslim Brotherhood had won the presidency because of what they stand for and how it can affect the USA and Israel.  The Muslim Brotherhood of today is still not a group of moderates.  However, Obama will push against the army's decision to draft a new constitution for Egypt.

By going democratic, Obama and Clinton made sure on March 22, 2012 that $1.5 billion dollars will go to Egypt  in economic aid.  "A senior State Department official said the decisions “reflect our overarching goal: to maintain our strategic partnership with an Egypt made stronger and more stable by a successful transition to democracy.”  Obama is assuming that Egypt will still honor the peace treaty with Israel.  Nothing really is for sure as Egypt now says they reject the possibility that the Muslim Brotherhood will recognize Israel.

Rashad al-Bayoumi, the Muslim Brotherhood's 2nd in command, said that they will not recognize Israel under any circumstances and might put the peace treaty up to a referendum.  He also has said that Israel is an occupying entity and that they will not allow anyone of our members to meet with an Israeli.

The first indications were that the Muslim Brotherhood had won, but the other party  with Ahmed Shafik, secular,  was very close.  We know how these elections can go up to the last vote.  However, it looks like the Muslim Brotherhood got the vote no matter what.

Resource:http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/muslimbrotherhood.html
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/11/egypt-moderate-and-largely-secular-muslim-brotherhood-holds-rally-where-participants-vow-one-day-wel.html
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/02/director-of-national-intelligence-says-al-qaeda-infiltrating-syrian-opposition.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-18/army-grabs-power-as-egypt-islamists-declare-victory/4077902
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/06/18/international/i003954D45.DTL
http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/egypt-s-muslim-brotherhood-fate-of-israel-peace-treaty-may-be-decided-in-referendum-1.404889
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4169609,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Morsi
 http://news.investors.com/article/615238/201206181904/egyptian-military-launches-a-silent-coup.htm
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2896746/posts
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021404872.html
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/03/screw-democracy-obama-administration-will-give-muslim-brotherhood-1-5-billion-in-us-aid/
http://www.freep.com/usatoday/article/55676554?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp
http://www.faithfreedom.org/articles/islamic-jihad-articles/facts-about-%E2%80%9Cmuslim-brotherhood%E2%80%9D-agenda/

Democratic Presidential Candidate's Views On Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Now that the candidates are speaking and people are voting, I am one of the 15% of Jews who consider what their views are about Israel. I think we are lucky to have such fantastic people in the running, but guess that some are more opinionated than others about Israel. I want the person who not only is the best for America, but also for Israel. We don’t need another holocaust there, and a good president will value the country and their lives.

First, I looked at Hillary Clinton, b: 26 Oct 1947 and Methodist. She is 60 years old and has been the senator from New York for 7 years. She graduated from Yale Law School. I quickly found that she has a marvelous website about her views and deeds involving Israel. Go to: http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/nationalsecurity/israel/. I found it by googling: Clinton, Israel,
and read about her accomplishments concerning Israel. She has even gone against her husband’s decision about Jerusalem being divided. It appears right now that she would not push to divide it. I was very impressed with the information on her website and feel that this shows she is a well organized person who values the votes of the less than 1% of the Jews of America. She isn’t all talk and promises; she’s a doer and has done well so far. She was in favor of moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I'm all for that! On Haaretz's ratings, she received an overall score of 7.63, which was high. However, the memory of Hillary's kiss for Yasser Arafat's wife Suha in 1999, after she accused Israel of poisoning Palestinian women and children, is still fresh in the memory of many Jews.

Next, I looked at Barack Obama, who just won in South Carolina, and was endorsed by the Kennedy family. He is 46 years old, b: 4 Aug 1961 and member of United Church of Christ for past 20 years, and has been a senator from Illinois for 3 years, since Jan 4, 2005.
2/25/08 He has selected his foreign policy adviser. Sadly, it is a man who supports Walt and Mearsheimer's volume against the Israel Lobby. He is Zbigniew Brzezinski, Harvard Professor from Poland who became a citizen in 1958. He was a part of Carter's team, so it is not surprising that he is also holding anti-Israel feelings. This foreign Relations Advisor to Obama will probably have a lot of clout with him. I note that Alan Dershowitz has contributed to Hilary Clinton's campaign. Alan is a Harvard law professor, and Obama graduated from Harvard. I heard a news bulletin today that told about how he felt about Israel, and it wasn't that promising; in fact, it was scary. I need to see it in print. I note from below that promises or support in Israel's welfare is changing, as is usual for many politicians. For example, just look at past presidents.

He made a speech to AIPAC on March 2, 2007 and stated these issues:
1. He ensures a strong US -Israel partnership
2. He supports Israel's right to self defense
3. He wants to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons
4. He supports foreign assistance to Israel
5. He works towards two states living side by side in peace and security
6. He wants to help Palestinian families get the aid they need without suppporting terrorism
7. He wants to limit Hezbollah's influence in the region.
8. He supports US-Israel research and development
9. He wants to achieve energy independence.
In his speech he mentions that 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.

Ha'aretz Newspaper in Israel said that Obama sounds as strong as Clinton, as supportive as Bush and as friendly as Giuliani. He is pro-Israel. Period.

I could not find a website like Hillary’s, but have found some articles that are wary about his feelings about Israel. Ed Lasky has written several such articles. One thing he is concerned about is that Obama has only been a senator for two years, and has not done much to show how he feels in foreign policy. The problem I see is that Obama has been surrounded by friends that are not favorable towards Israel. Some troubling thoughts are things such as his name. He has a Muslim father. Though he was not raised by him, his mother did remarry another Muslim, and he had a smattering of Muslim education which is not favorable towards Jews , and it's been hard to find Muslims favorable towards Israel.

We all know that he is now a Christian, but the church he has been attending is the Trinity United church of Christ, and their Pastor Wright is a supporter of Louis Farrakhan. In 1984 Farrakhan and Wright traveled to visit Col. Muammar al-Gadaffi, who is a supporter of terror groups and archenemy of Israel and America. Wright has been a severe critic of Israel. His pastor and mentor, being a fan of Louis Farrakhan, who called Judaism either "a dirty religion" or "a gutter religion," depending on the reading of the audiotape, causes concern. Obama has publicly distanced himself from Wright now that he is in the presidential race. Another friend of Obama to worry about is a well-known Chicago activist for Palestinian causes, Ali Abunimah. He met Obama in May of 1998 at a community fundraiser where the late Edward Said was the speaker. Edward Said was a severe critic of Israel. Abunimah has written columns for the Chicago Tribune and has been critical of Israeli and US policy. I would classify Obama as an extreme leftist Democrat. He has worked with the poor in the states and may be identifying the Palestinians as the poor ill treated people who problems are all due to the mean Israelis. When asked about Israel’s wall that was constructed to save Israeli lives from terrorists, he said, "the creation of a wall dividing the two nations is yet another example of the neglect of this Administration in brokering peace." I note that Palestine is not yet a country or nation. The fence is saving the lives of many innocent civilians in Israel. Less than 5% is a wall; the rest is a fence.
3/16/08: Saturday's Oregonian article:Obama condemns pastor's words but won't quit church page A3. It amazes me that Obama has been attending this church for the past 20 years, yet claims that the pastor has never used such words as have been on TV the past few days villifying the USA and saying, "damn the USA" and He has always just preached the gospel, claims Obama.
Pastor Wright said that the United States invited the attacks by supporting Israel's treatment of Palestinians. This pastor is now retiring from his Chicago church. Obama has been busy denying. I can't help but wonder how much has influenced Obama and his wife's thinking after attending for 20 years. I heard his wife speak about how this is the first time she has been proud of America. It seems to me that she certainly was influenced by Wright's sermons if this is the first time, meaning that her husband is now running for president, that she is proud. This same church ha honored Louis Farrakhan with an award in Wright's name. Obama claims that his interest in the church is because of their work with the poor and homeless and those with HIV/AIDS. Obama says he strongly condems the statements. They make him feel uncomfortable.

If I were attending a synagogue that I did not agree with, it wouldn't even take me 6 months to change to another one. Why has he attended for 20 years? He and his wife, two super intelligent lawyers, had to learn at some point about how much of an agitator their pastor was and what he stood for politically. Nothing has been brought out that the Obamas tried to change him in any way.

What’s interesting is that the Republican, McCain, was just on television and spoke about how he knows how to have a fence between Mexico and the USA and all the things he would have on it to keep the Mexicans out. I don’t believe that Obama understands the value of such a fence at all. He doesn’t realize that in Israel, this fence or wall is saving lives. Obama now has the approval of billionaire George Soros who has tried to shake the American-Israel alliance by donating to Wesley Clark who is a severe critic of Israel, and has written an essay that is critical of the ties between America and Israel. Also approving Obama is ex President Jimmy Carter. In fact, some are calling him the next Jimmy Carter. Need I say more? That is the kiss of my vote not going towards Obama, I had felt before discovering the AIPAC speech. Now, I think I'll just say "present", and not yes or no. This is how Obama handled voting time in Illinois as a state senator many times. I know that everybody is speaking nicely and saying things we want to hear in order to win votes. What matters is: actions. On Haaretz's rating, he received an overall score of 4.88, which was the lowest score of all the candidates. He was weakest on his answer about if he would take military action to stop Iran's nuclear weapons plan. His highest was playing a role in the peace process and having an emotional tie to Israel. He talks about bringing change. I just hope that his change would not be to be against AIPAC , being it supports Israel but is chastized by Mearshimer and Walt and ex President Carter unfairly. He has never stated just what kind of change he would bring.
Edited 1/28/6:31pm. with positive information about Obama.

1/29/08 I keep finding more information on Obama, both good and bad. One of his inner circle friends is Robert Malley, a foreign policy critic of Israel. However, Obama just spoke to Jerusalem and Jewish reporters in a conference call from Florida at 12:00, just an hour ago. It it he states these views:

1. He opposes the return of all Palestinian refugees to homes they fled in Israel.
2. He says that Israel must remain a Jewish state. refugees should be resettled in a future Palestinian state.
3. Palestinians must set up a security force to make sure militants cannot attack Israel.
4. He is against talks with Hamas who control the Gaza Strip until it recognizes Israel's right to exist.
5. He wants diplomatic contacts between Iran and US, and believes in carrots and sticks.
Iran is Israel's biggest worry right now because Iran has vowed Israel's destruction, and the fear is that they might be developing nuclear arms. They say they only need energy.
4/5/08 Co chair for Obama's presidential campaign is General Merrill McPeak, resident of Lake Oswego, Oregon. He is against the Israel Lobby in the United States. He has spoken out against Israel's settlement policies in the Palestinian territories and U.S.'s lack of interference. He wants Israel to withdraw some of the settlements that are already there. This was voiced in 1976 in an article to Foreign Affairs Journal. He's also against the Christian Zionist movement's influence on US foreign policy in the Middle East. It appears that anyone that is supportive of Israel is someone he is against. There is an article about him in the Oregonian that came out on 3/27/08.

John Edwards is the former senator for North Carolina. He has said that Iran is a big threat to Israel and the Israeli people. When asked what the greatest threat to world peace was, he answered, "Israel would bomb Iran's nuclear facilites." This was not very positive in viewing Israel. He was strongest about viewing Israel as a stategic asset. His overall score was 6.25.


Edited 2/7/08 about Hillary and Obama
References: Hillary Clinton's website shown above
Thoughts on Israel: Ed Lasky on Barack Obama
American Thinker: Barack Obama and Israel by Ed Lasky
http://www.haaretz.comhasen/spages/832668.html
http://www.barackobama.com/2007/03/02/aipac_policy_forum.php
http://www.electronicintifada.net/v2/article6619.shtml
Obama'08 Israel Fact Sheet.pdf (35.6KB)
Obama speaks to Jewish voters on Israel: ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5giFJHDWVc
Suzanne Field: "John McCain as Judah Maccabee"
Oregonian Newspaper; March 27 and April 5, 2008