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Comments:  53
Last update - 10:29 03/09/2008
Biden: Obama and I will be strong on protecting Israel
By The Associated Press and Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Biden, presidential elections 

U.S. Senator and vice presidential nominee Joe Biden assured older Jewish voters Tuesday that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama would be strong on protecting Israel, which he said is less secure now than when President George W. Bush took office.

Biden, Obama's running mate, laid out his own history on Israeli issues for the audience of several hundred at a Broward County retirement community in Florida and emphatically said Obama stands right along side him on Israel.

Biden said he has fought the sale of sophisticated weapons to Arab nations, has known every Israeli prime minister since Golda Meir and has co-sponsored legislation to fight Palestinian terrorism.
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"I am chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee," Biden said. "I give you my word as a Biden: I would not have given up that job to be Barack Obama's vice president if I didn't in my gut and in my heart and in my head know that Barack Obama is exactly where I am on Israel. And he is."

Biden told the crowd to ignore the scurrilous things said about Obama on the Internet, including rumors that the Christian Obama is a Muslim.

"To the extent you trust me and understand where my heart is, I promise you the stuff you're getting on the Internet is simply not true," he said.

He also said the terrorist threat to Israel has increased, along with the threat from Iran as it tries to develop nuclear weapons.

"By any objective fact, Israel is less secure today in the world than it was eight years ago," Biden said. "I promise you ... we will make it more secure."

Biden was introduced by a Holocaust survivor, and later talked about taking his sons to Germany and visiting a former concentration camp.

The trip was his first to Florida since joining the Democratic presidential ticket. He planned another town hall Tuesday evening in Palm Beach County, before heading to Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday to discuss women's economic issues.

Biden was asked about Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and the news that her 17-year-old, unmarried daughter is pregnant. He refused to address the issue.

"Children are off limits," he said. "We've all been through things with our children. And it's about common decency. Just treat people with common decency."

Ira N. Forman, Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic
Council (NJDC) said Tuesday, "I understand that the Republicans disagree with Biden on some partisan issues, but as a member of the Jewish and pro-Israel community, I find it hard to believe that Republicans have so quickly turned their back on such a good and close friend."

Forman added, "Republican attacks on Joe Biden are baseless and shameful."

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  • As convention kicks off, Democrats say U.S. Jews will overcome fears of Obama
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      1.   CLINTON MADE ISRAEL UNSAFE BY INSISTING ON ARAFATS RETURN..... 00:26  |  David P 03/09/08
      2.   Why does "Israel" need protecting? 00:37  |  Dovy 03/09/08
      3.   Headline: Proves They Weaken Israel For American Jewish Votes 00:44  |  Joseph.E 03/09/08
      4.   What a Bunch of BS ! 00:49  |  Tod Zuckerman 03/09/08
      5.   Israel weaker ? Yes, because of Israeli Stupidity 01:05  |  Tod Zuckerman 03/09/08
      6.   It will take an INDEPENDENT U.S. president for America.... 01:11  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/09/08
      7.   BOTH on the path to destruction 02:32  |  VIPER 03/09/08
      8.   #2 Swiss....one of these days it will happen 02:45  |  Lynn 03/09/08
      9.   Obama, Biden, Do You Really Want to Support This? 02:47  |  Reader 03/09/08
      10.   Biden groveling 02:54  |  Fed up 03/09/08
      11.   Is Biden for the two state problem? 03:21  |  Victor 03/09/08
      12.   To Fed up (#10) 03:30  |  Morris Valentine 03/09/08
      13.   #7 Ues Viper, you are right, look at Georgia! 03:45  |  ballistic 03/09/08
      14.   Two snakes 04:45  |  Webster 03/09/08
      15.   Vladimir Putin: I will be strong on protecting Syria and Iran 05:00  |  Aounist 03/09/08
      16.   DOVY Never heard of Iran obviously or global jihadists 05:28  |  PETER SM 03/09/08
      17.   BIDEN VS PALIN ON ISRAEL VS PALESTINE 05:36  |  indrajaya 03/09/08
      18.   How 05:58  |  Shimon Cleopas 03/09/08
      19.   Obama/Biden...what a shame 06:55  |  Connie 03/09/08
      20.   Protect Israel? 07:15  |  Natallie Durson 03/09/08
      21.   I`M NOT A JEW BUT I AM A ZIONIST - UNBELIEVABLE! 07:40  |  PADDY 03/09/08
      22.   A REPORT FROM RNC 08:11  |  indrajaya 03/09/08
      23.   Translation: "I know what`s good for you" 08:13  |  Gili 03/09/08
      24.   Biden considers HIMSELF a Zionist! 08:36  |  Proudest Zionist 03/09/08
      25.   Obama is already done 08:50  |  Gregor 03/09/08
      26.   Protecting Israel 09:07  |  silverfox 03/09/08
      27.   **PALIN** BREAKING... MUST READ ISRAEL 09:28  |  a friend 03/09/08
      28.   BEWARE PALIN: Jewish voters be wary of Palin 09:30  |  Hart 03/09/08
      29.   Both Parties Friends 09:34  |  ATLAS 03/09/08
      30.   PADDY Funny he doesn`t like "ISRAEL TO BE OBLITERATED BY ISLAM" 09:37  |  PETER SM 03/09/08
      31.   Maybe it should be a Biden-Palin ticket 09:47  |  Paddy 03/09/08
      32.   # 27, ATLAS 09:59  |  indrajaya 03/09/08
      33.   Politico drops his pants to win a few extra votes 10:21  |  Clickfool 03/09/08
      34.   PADDY Maybe it should be a Nader ticket.Why isn`t he President? 10:26  |  PETER SM 03/09/08
      35.   I thought Obama vetted Biden, not the other way around. 11:05  |  K. Wimer 03/09/08
      36.   # 13 to ballistic re: polishing (2nd try) 11:13  |  eric 03/09/08
      37.   PADDY Why not a Nader /Duke ticket?? They share your ideology 11:39  |  PETER SM 03/09/08
      38.   #22 Indy.....Showmanship is not what elections 14:36  |  Lynn 03/09/08
      39.   # 38, LYNN 14:55  |  indrajaya 03/09/08
      40.   To Hard To believe, Obama Has Gone Back And Forth To Many Times 15:33  |  Dish It Out 03/09/08
      41.   Obama/Biden vs Rising Islamist-Jihadism 15:53  |  Brod 03/09/08
      42.   #1-Arafat held record for most visits 2 Whitehouse&killed CIA guy 15:53  |  Alan SA 03/09/08
      43.   # 8 Lynn 16:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/09/08
      44.   Biden 16:20  |  Anthony 03/09/08
      45.   # 37 PETER SM, comparing Nader to Duke is like comparing.... 16:24  |  Swiss (Dino) 03/09/08
      46.   Clickfool #33 wondering about pro-Jewish Americans 17:20  |  S 03/09/08
      47.   EVEN ARABS FEAR NUCLEAR IRAN 18:57  |  Sanjosemike 03/09/08
      48.   Paddy 23:14  |  DAVID KAPLAN 03/09/08
      49.   Political savvy 04:48  |  TACOM 04/09/08
      50.   HaHaHa.................. 06:48  |  Pastor Joseph 04/09/08
      51.   Palestinians in Gaza campaigning for Obama! 11:29  |  Voting for McCain 04/09/08
      52.   Promises need sound foundation 14:49  |  Brod 04/09/08
      53.   OBAMA HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DO THIS WITH YOUR EMPTY WORDS AND GET BY 18:28  |  glenna 05/09/08
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