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Last update - 00:00 10/11/2008 Don't be afraid of the Jews By Akiva Eldar Tags: elections, obama, israel news At the end of last February, when Barack Obama's race against Hillary Clinton was at its height and the White House still seemed quite distant, the Illinois senator appeared before members of Cleveland's Jewish community and told them: "I think there is a strain within the pro-Israel community that says unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel that you're anti-Israel...." Obama added that if we do not replace this faulty attitude with honest dialogue, we will not be able to move ahead. Advertisement Less than three months later, in an interview with the online version of The Atlantic, the young senator said he did not intend to stick blindly to the American Jewish community's hawkish positions just because it was the politically safe place to be. Between the lines you could sense a barb at the Clintons, who turned their back on the Israeli and Palestinian peace camps and became the darlings of conservative Jewish lobbyists. The remarks of the Democratic then-candidate actually recall the policy of an earlier Republican candidate who dared challenge the hawkish Jewish camp's wheeler-dealers. That happened 16 years ago at the height of the elder George Bush's second bid for the White House. He refrained from taking part in the theater of the absurd, whereby the United States was dragging the Arab countries to the center stage of the Madrid peace conference, while behind the scenes the settlements were flourishing. He demanded that then-prime minister Yitzhak Shamir choose between settlements and economic aid for the absorption of immigrants from the Soviet Union. The Likud government set the Jewish community and Democratic Congress against the Republican administration, and brought relations with it to a low point. This crisis was one of the factors that led to the end of the right's rule here, and paved the way from Madrid to Oslo. The conflict between the Israeli government and Jewish organizations (not necessarily the Jewish community) gnawed away at support for Bush in key states, particularly Florida. There is a theory that George W. Bush learned his lesson from the sour grapes the Jews (and the Christian right) fed his father. In his eight years in office, the poodle of Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert in the White House made do with an occasional bark, while settlers' mobile homes continued to pass unhindered to outposts in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Obama has nothing to fear from the right-wing Jewish lobby (not to mention the Christian right). Despite his frank remarks about American policy in the Middle East - "Settlements ... are not helpful. My interest is in solving this problem not only for Israel but for the United States" - Obama won the Jewish electorate's sweeping support (78 percent). Even John McCain's pledge to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem did not sway the small community from its traditional support for Democratic candidates. Last week's election proved again that domestic issues are of greater interest to American Jews than relations with Israel. The group that believes that territories are more important than peace is negligible. In contrast to the first president Bush, most of Washington's power centers will stand beside the first black president: The two houses of Congress have Democratic majorities, the press is in love, and there's a bonus - the new Jewish lobby, a counterweight to AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. The lobby, known as J Street, raised voices and contributions for Congressional candidates who declared not only their sympathy for Israel but also for active American involvement in the Middle East peace process. At least 31 candidates adopted by the organized Jewish peace camp defeated their opponents. The concept "friend of Israel," which had become a synonym for supporters of perpetuating the occupation, has begun to take on new meaning. Obama therefore has no domestic political reason to run from the Israeli-Arab conflict or to erase the declaration he made during his visit to Amman in July. The man who galloped to the White House on the horse of "change" pledged a change in the administration's involvement in the peace process. He said that "my goal is to make sure that we work, starting from the minute I'm sworn into office, to try to find some breakthroughs." The meaning of "breakthrough," according to his statements at the beginning of his campaign in the lion's den of AIPAC's Chicago chapter, is a real and continuous effort, no longer countless trips for photo-ops. This chip will be cashed in. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The 'beauty machine' Want to optimize your looks without radically altering them? now you can. Lebanon needs unity Khamenei to Lebanese President: Iran will always stand beside Lebanon.   1.   JUST watch out for the Rt Rev Jesse Jackson 09:33  |  PETER SM 10/11/08   2.   American Support Of Israel Has NOTHING To Do With Any Such Thing 10:02  |  Yishai Kohen 10/11/08   3.   IN EVERY SENSE 10:09  |  indrajaya 10/11/08   4.   Don`t be affraid of `home made` Jews P1 11:09  |  TonyL 10/11/08   5.   He is not afraid, but DOES have other priorities! 11:11  |  Manny Goldstein 10/11/08   6.   He is not afraid, but DOES have other priorities! 11:11  |  Manny Goldstein 10/11/08   7.   Don`t be affraid of `home made` Jews P2 11:20  |  TonyL 10/11/08   8.   do we really believe aipac is on the decline 11:22  |  pauline russell 10/11/08   9.   unfrotunately, "j street" does NOT negate aipac 11:30  |  eric 10/11/08   10.   Obama isn`t afraid of the Jews. The Jews are afraid of the Jews 12:50  |  Natallie Durson 10/11/08   11.   Article in preperation 13:38  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/11/08   12.   Nuh - he should fear the lefties!!!! 13:41  |  Aussie 10/11/08   13.   hopefully, Eldad is right 14:05  |  living near Gaza 10/11/08   14.   poodle is street talk 14:34  |  yonah 10/11/08   15.   Nuttily please tell us more about HIS honour the Chancellor 15:15  |  Ari ben Yisrael 10/11/08   16.   Obamas tough choice between "AIPAC" and J-Street.... 15:20  |  Swiss (Dino) 10/11/08   17.   Destructive, Greedy and Selfish Foreign Meddling 16:27  |  Gray 10/11/08   18.   Obamessiah 17:05  |  Afikoman 10/11/08   19.   BEVER AGAIN 17:20  |  ASHKENAZI 10/11/08   20.   President Barak Hussein Obama will do what is best for America. 17:35  |  Lou Medel 10/11/08   21.   Eldar the Moron - Tragically, This Time He Is Correct 18:38  |  Tod Zuckerman 10/11/08   22.   Obama has nothing to fear from anyone 18:51  |  Clickfool 10/11/08   23.   Only America Can Solve The Problem 19:09  |  MB 10/11/08   24.   Tod Zucherman; Calling "Captain Ziono-Mite" 23:46  |  Gray 10/11/08   25.   Swiss (Dino) 3rd try 00:28  |  David Israel 11/11/08   26.   dream on 15:17  |  curious george 26/11/08

Read & React Documents reveal IDF killed wanted Palestinians against court guidelines Responses: 113 Israel asks Bush to explain its 'special relationship' with U.S. to Obama Responses: 61 Settler teens rampage through Palestinian neighborhood in Hebron Responses: 82 Aluf Benn: Obama's challenge will be to persuade Netanyahu to advance peace Responses: 30 Judea Pearl: Israel and Palestinians should apologize to each other Responses: 3 More Headlines 14:54 Court to state: Explain why illegal outpost can't be evacuated 13:50 Settler rabbi: Peace Now chief should be jailed for treason 15:08 Palestinians: Libya sends ship to Gaza in bid to break blockade 13:31 Ban: Israel, Lebanon must 'seize the moment' and make peace 14:59 Hamas, Fatah women fistfight in Gaza as factional tempers flare 14:52 Amid nuclear tensions, Iran says it successfully launches rocket 11:46 Fascists in Italy offer couples 1,500 euros for each baby named 'Benito' 12:44 IDF killed wanted Palestinians despite court guidelines, documents show 14:56 Islamist students protesting Gaza blockade clash with Cairo police 13:34 Report: Gates to stay on as U.S. defense secretary under Obama 12:20 Rights group: Only 6% of abuse claims against IDF yield charges 07:39 Israel to expel 2,000 African refugees who fled to Eilat 09:28 Israel asks Bush to explain its 'special relationship' with U.S. to Obama 12:29 El Al suspends flights to Bangkok in wake of riots 08:44 Israel nabs silver in world chess olympiad, its first ever medal 07:24 Olmert, in Washington: Israel-PA peace still possible this year 06:23 Fugitive American convicted of pedophilia arrested in Netanya Previous Editions Select Day 25 nov 24 nov 23 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 17 nov 16 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov

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