Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., July 23, 2008 Tamuz 20, 5768 | | Israel Time: 10:12 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 06:17 23/07/2008 Ramallah baker makes Barack bagel in honor of Obama visit By The Associated Press and Asaf Carmel, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Jerusalem, Ramallah, Obama  Palestinian baker Nasir Abdul Hadi is so grateful Barack Obama is making time to visit the West Bank that he has named a bagel after him. The presumptive Democratic nominee for U.S. president is spending a few hours in this West Bank city Wednesday, as part of a Mideast tour. Obama's Republican challenger, John McCain, did not visit the West Bank during a recent trip. The Obama bagel was on display Tuesday at Abdel Hadi's bakery in downtown Ramallah. It's baked with cherry tomatoes and mint. Despite the baker's enthusiasm, many Palestinians displayed little interest in the Obama visit. Many believe the U.S. is biased in Israel's favor and that this is unlikely to change after the November elections. Advertisement Internet clip has Israeli bigwigs supporting Obama campaign Meanwhile, a clip has recently been shot for the Internet in which a number of prominent Israelis express their faith in the commitment to Israel of presumptive U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Among the public figures to appear on the clip, which is to air in three weeks, are former Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, former MKs Roman Bronfman and Naomi Hazan, Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken and the actor Moshe Ivgi. The clip is the brainchild of Alma Harel, an Israeli living in Los Angeles. "The idea came up when the Republicans started using the politics of fear to scare people away from voting for Obama," Harel said yesterday. It saddened me that many Israelis and Jews were scared away from voting for Obama because his middle name is Hussein. So I decided to go to Israel and show that people there are not afraid of Obama." "I said that I believe Obama, like every U.S. president, will be commited to Israel's security," Lipkin-Shahak said. Hazan called it "hutzpah" to doubt Obama's commitment to Israel. Schocken's remarks were in a similar vein. "I believe in Obama's commitment to Israel's security. We don't need another George Bush in the White House." Bronfman said the world needed bridge-builders, rather than those who blow them up, and "Obama certainly appears to be such a leader, trying to build bridges between East and West, between the rich and the poor." All the figures in the clip are on the left of Israel's political map. Harel says she also lined up five prominent right-wing individuals to express support for Obama, however, "at the last minute they decided to keep their support to themselves out of concern that their voters and contributors wouldn't like it." Still, Harel, who made the clip while in Israel for the release of the new movie "Death in Love," which she co-directed with her husband Boaz Yakin, says the movie is not leftist. "I also interviewed a lot of people on the street in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, some right-wing and Orthodox, who said they supported Obama," she said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Baptism by fire Bradley Burston offers 10 Mideast traps for Barack Obama to avoid. A second life 'Exodus' passenger makes aliyah six decades after being turned away.   1.   Republican Jewish Coalition: think for yourselves 08:41  |  Nechama 23/07/08

Read & React Bradley Burston: Ten Mideast traps for Obama to avoid Responses: 45 Israel keen to crack down on East Jerusalem Responses: 26 'No excuses,' says visiting Obama about bulldozer terrorist Responses: 22 Hezbollah chief to UN: Ready to swap more prisoners with Israel Responses: 17 Akiva Eldar: Divide J'lem, for the sake of the Jewish state Responses: 4 Aluf Benn: Israel's slap in the face from America Responses: 6 Rosner's Domain Is Jimmy Carter 'tone-deaf' to Jewish sensibilities? (WTR) Will Lebanon pay the price for the prisoner swap deal? What will Obama look for in Jerusalem (and Ramallah)? Why does Israel keep agreeing to prisoner swaps? More Headlines 07:28 Israel keen to crack down on East Jerusalem 08:27 ANALYSIS / Timing of second Jerusalem bulldozer attack was amazing 10:10 Obama kicks off packed Israel trip at breakfast talks with Barak 05:51 ANALYSIS / Obama visiting Israel to impress Jewish voters, not Israelis 09:20 Hezbollah chief to UN: Ready to swap more prisoners with Israel 09:23 UN: Violence in Gaza dropping, peace developments on rise 10:07 Goodbye Golden Girl: Comic actress Estelle Getty dies at 84 04:55 Iran hackers target Israeli Web site over message by Jewish group 09:18 Senior IDF officer seriously hurt after jeep flips over in south 09:47 Livni: When I'm PM, I want a unity coalition with Labor and Likud 02:55 Talansky to Haaretz: Olmert most astute politician I've met 01:48 Olmert government to hold first meeting on global jihad Wednesday 05:31 Man ordered to pay wife NIS 55,000 for refusing to divorce her 06:50 New Clean Air legislation sees heavy fines, jail for polluters Previous Editions Select Day 22 jul 21 jul 20 jul 18 jul 17 jul 16 jul 15 jul 14 jul 13 jul 11 jul 10 jul 09 jul

Special Offers Advertisement Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Dan Hotels Israel Live the Legend & experience an Unforgettable Summer Vacation Yossi Avrahami Presents: New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat Holyland Park Jerusalem Apartment Tower World Class Luxury Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved