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Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton applauding prior to a debate in Los Angeles last month. (AP) Last update - 02:38 15/02/2008 Jewish functionaries are stirring up the Clinton-Obama race By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama  Tensions in the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination are mirrored in the American Jewish community. As the gap between the front-runners narrowed in the primaries, the clash between the two Jewish camps has become more heated. Official Israel is making an effort to maintain a respectable neutrality. Has-beens are being called into the ring, like a former ambassador to Washington, Dan Ayalon, who jabbed Obama in a sensitive spot - the volume of his support for Israel. Ayalon is not alone. Jewish advisers and non-Jewish supporters are almost obsessively occupied with searching for skeletons in the black candidate's past. Advertisement The Republican Party's neoconservative clique is trawling archives for "anti-Israeli" essays by advisers who had been seen in Obama's staff. Robert Malley, who was President Bill Clinton's special assistant during the Camp David talks, joined Obama. The neoconservatives reached Malley's father, a Jew of Egyptian descent, who, alas, kept childhood ties with Yasser Arafat. Malley junior is accused of publishing a joint article with an Oslo-supporting Palestinian, in which they dared to argue that Ehud Barak played a major role in the Camp David summit's failure in July 2000. Obama is working hard to allay the fears of "Israel's friends," a description reserved mainly for activists of the pro-Israeli lobby AIPAC and for Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents. As far as they're concerned, whoever doesn't support the Israeli government's policy 100 percent is unfit for leadership. Clinton is reaping the fruit of her investment in the Jewish community and Israel since first running for a Senate seat in New York. She is also benefiting from Bill Clinton's popularity in synagogues, Israeli homes and among his rich Jewish friends. A long list of initiatives and declarations has erased from the collective Jewish memory the first lady's "slip" in spring 1998, after Arafat threatened Benjamin Netanyahu with a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state. Clinton then said at a gathering of Israeli and Palestinian youth, members of the Seeds of Peace organization, that it was important to have a "functioning modern" Palestinian state." She also said "it will be in the long-term interest of the Middle East for Palestine to be a state...responsible for its citizens' well-being ... education and health care." Since then she has commended the Congress' decision to stop the aid to the Palestinians if they declared a state unilaterally. She also praised the separation fence and said that Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount was a "legitimate visit to a holy site." She adopted a more aggressive stance than Obama about Iran. Clinton's shift to the right on the peace process alienated some of her old friends on the Jewish left. But they remain convinced that if she wins the White House, she will quickly reclaim her old positions. Experience has taught that the link between a presidential candidate's statements and an elected president's actions is flimsy at best. For example, since 1967 it's hard to find a candidate who did not promise to move the United States' embassy to Jerusalem. When Yitzhak Rabin reminded Gerald Ford of that promise, the president explained to him that life looked different from the Oval Office. The forecasts and evaluations regarding American politicians' basic positions regarding the Middle East also have a tendency to prove false. Thus, for example, Hafez Assad hoped for George Bush's victory over Al Gore. He counted on the Bush family's ties to the Saudi royal family and on its addiction to oil. The outcome is known. And after all that, surveys conducted by Jewish organizations show that the candidates' positions on interior affairs, especially social issues like workers' rights, abortion, stem cell research and medical insurance, interest the Jewish Democratic voters more than their positions on moving the American embassy to Jerusalem or evacuating some illegal outpost in the territories. That doesn't deter a few Jewish political wheeler dealers (elected by no one) from stirring the boiling cauldron. Related articles: U.S. Jewish leader worried by thrust of White House campaigns Shmuel Rosner: Not meddling - involved Jewish vote in Maryland: Why was Clinton on top? Obama is gaining momentum- also among Jews More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   Independence day Kosovars rejoice as Kosovo declares itself an independent and sovereign state. Settling the score 1/3 of W. Bank settlements are on Palestinian land seized for 'security purposes.'   1.   Obama is not our friend 03:06  |  Jack 15/02/08   2.   stir up this! 03:33  |  akiva (zionist) 15/02/08   3.   searching for skeletons in the black candidate`s past 03:46  |  stephen 15/02/08   4.   Obama is a real racist. 05:01  |  Paul 15/02/08   5.   Alll the "shmootz" in one place 05:11  |  Smolanit 15/02/08   6.   obama is not racist Jews are towards obama 05:25  |  Fuad 15/02/08   7.   It`s our election! 05:26  |  Thom Murphy 15/02/08   8.   least friendly one is Republican 05:54  |  Marlboro 15/02/08   9.   Crazy wrong wing Jews - you`ve done enough damage 06:12  |  Bob 15/02/08   10.   #1 Jack in Boston. The problem is... 06:12  |  Maureen Ann 15/02/08   11.   Paul, racist unparalleled. 06:17  |  akiva (zionist) 15/02/08   12.   Mind Your Own Buisness 06:39  |  Angry American 15/02/08   13.   Louis Fharrakan 06:43  |  Zvi 15/02/08   14.   Lot`s to be concerned with.... 06:48  |  Dave from Chicago 15/02/08   15.   Only Americans are gullible enough to support the inexperienced 07:23  |  Rachel 15/02/08   16.   if Jesus only knew how to talk like Barak Obama, he would not 07:59  |  avigdor 15/02/08   17.   President Obama 08:14  |  Dave Janman 15/02/08   18.   Obama`s allegiance 08:39  |  Socrates 15/02/08   19.   Go ahead, "Jewish leaders". Smear Obama. Bury yourselves. 08:40  |  Dave 15/02/08   20.   AIPAC & the Conference of Jewish Presidents 08:40  |  Steve the Pals. 15/02/08   21.   #14 Dave in the US 08:53  |  kathy 15/02/08   22.   Obama 09:18  |  Barney Panofsky 15/02/08   23.   obama is nothing. literally 10:02  |  nosubstance 15/02/08   24.   There are enough right wing/Zionist nutters .. 10:16  |  Chanalau, Tova 15/02/08   25.   The interesting part in this.... 10:17  |  Ofer Maimon 15/02/08   26.   why can`t Americans vote for GW Bush in this time of war, for 10:17  |  avigdor 15/02/08   27.   Zionists are confused of who to support! 10:37  |  Eric 15/02/08   28.   Americans 10:40  |  Abby 15/02/08   29.   Obama is the biggest demagogue to hit US politics since... 10:44  |  Joel Stein 15/02/08   30.   US turning isolationist anyway 11:02  |  spyguy 15/02/08   31.   Ugly functionaries... 11:25  |  Esther 15/02/08   32.   dave you may be right but obama in the white house 11:36  |  handwringing 15/02/08   33.   editor the headline is not going to do jews any favours 11:39  |  harzion 15/02/08   34.   Obama 12:04  |  Rod 15/02/08   35.   Re harzion #33 13:04  |  Esther 15/02/08   36.   A bit late to probe should have been finished already 13:46  |  Petra 15/02/08   37.   Obama Just May Be The Best President For Israel 13:49  |  Martin 15/02/08   38.   Obama worth as man... 13:50  |  Yehoshua Ya`acov 15/02/08   39.   #10 Maureen dear, 13:51  |  Petra 15/02/08   40.   Racist Zionists 13:54  |  John 15/02/08   41.   # 4 Paul SPOT ON BABE !!!!!!!! 13:59  |  Petra 15/02/08   42.   # 14 DAve from Chicago BINGO! WE NEED ANSWERS NOT PLATITUDES. 14:04  |  Petra 15/02/08   43.   They`re Panicikng 14:21  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/02/08   44.   obama follows clinton`s lead 14:37  |  just another woman 15/02/08   45.   There is NO need for skeleton 14:41  |  Brod 15/02/08   46.   Obama 14:45  |  JK 15/02/08   47.   Ally or Albatross ?? 15:26  |  Jimmy 15/02/08   48.   This is racism, read to learn why 15:29  |  mehmet 15/02/08   49.   Stir up this! 15:29  |  David Adam Simpson 15/02/08   50.   americans should speak up 15:38  |  mehmet 15/02/08   51.   they come no dumma than 15:59  |  Yariv 15/02/08   52.   When Jews are going to wakeup 16:37  |  Jeffery Stone 15/02/08   53.   rachel 15 16:44  |  RAK 15/02/08   54.   AIPAC and friends will propably pay for it`s racism 16:46  |  Mark B. 15/02/08   55.   I am ashamed of Jewish racism 16:58  |  Stuart Wilder 15/02/08   56.   #26 Avigdor---continue the war??? 17:04  |  ballistic 15/02/08   57.   Searching for skeletons of Obamas past.?? 17:13  |  Stephen. 15/02/08   58.   Sorry, Paul 17:14  |  Murray 15/02/08   59.   mehmet, why don`t you fight for communist Turkey, and leave us 18:16  |  avigdor 15/02/08   60.   To: David Adam Simpson 18:17  |  David James Vickery 15/02/08   61.   # 35 mehmet....I don`t support Obama. 18:29  |  Lynn 15/02/08   62.   # 37 mehmet...everyone is putting their nose 18:31  |  Lynn 15/02/08   63.   Are Jews blind? 18:38  |  Greg 15/02/08   64.   this column smeared jewish activists 18:43  |  justayid 15/02/08   65.   Obama/Clinton facade 18:50  |  psi 15/02/08   66.   AIPAC Deserves a Closed Door 18:54  |  Yaakov Sullivan 15/02/08   67.   why would Sen. Obama (sans Hussein) OK posting this on his web ? 18:58  |  avigdor 15/02/08   68.   Lynn #47 19:02  |  Greg 15/02/08   69.   # 45 Lynn, will you abstain.....??? 19:10  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/02/08   70.   Experience??? 19:19  |  Greg 15/02/08   71.   Is this an editorial endorsement or news? 19:19  |  jack 15/02/08   72.   Just vote for McCain! 19:24  |  Steven 15/02/08   73.   The problem with bashing future US Presidents 19:37  |  Pablo B 15/02/08   74.   Obama never kissed Suha... 19:50  |  Michael N 15/02/08   75.   What is a Jewish voter to do? 19:52  |  Mike 15/02/08   76.   Take further note 20:08  |  hollingsworth 15/02/08   77.   media and wackjobs make mountains out of molehills 20:33  |  Sari 15/02/08   78.   Risky 20:39  |  W 15/02/08   79.   is supporting Nelson Mandela communism Lynn ? 20:44  |  mehmet 15/02/08   80.   and yes it is a turkish matter too 20:49  |  mehmet 15/02/08   81.   To Fuad 20:50  |  Sari 15/02/08   82.   Don`t Judge a Book by Its Cover 21:05  |  Robel 15/02/08   83.   #39 Say Dave Simpson---about your daughter!! 21:39  |  ballistic 15/02/08   84.   # 61 W---Yes, it is genetically acquired arrogance!! 21:43  |  ballistic 15/02/08   85.   #16 Golly Avigdor 21:46  |  ballistic 15/02/08   86.   How to make Obama an enemy of Israel 22:33  |  Yonatan 15/02/08   87.   Obama and Israel 22:38  |  Reid 15/02/08   88.   Obama and Israel 22:46  |  Reid 15/02/08   89.   mehmet and americans 23:59  |  yankee 15/02/08   90.   Trully, a Jewish Conspiracy! :) 23:59  |  OBAMA 08! 15/02/08   91.   Daniel Ayalon - He is not even a semite! 00:00  |  Semite here 16/02/08   92.   mehmet and american science 00:00  |  yankee 16/02/08   93.   #37 Jimmy in NY 00:06  |  ballistic 16/02/08   94.   mehmet is big on maths teams 00:07  |  yankee 16/02/08   95.   mehmet "america`s allegedly great universities" 00:10  |  yankee 16/02/08   96.   Hillary calls on her Jewish friends to join US military 00:11  |  El-Birawi 16/02/08   97.   #56 Right on Yaakov, right on!! 00:13  |  ballistic 16/02/08   98.   mehmet you are a simpleton 00:15  |  yankee 16/02/08   99.   #52 Say Cupcake Lynn; what are you doing telling 00:18  |  ballistic 16/02/08   100.   Back to Black 00:19  |  F. Teich 16/02/08   101.   mehmet "are the many zionists in america who happen to be 00:20  |  yankee 16/02/08   102.   #53 Yes Greg, you are absolutely right!! 00:21  |  ballistic 16/02/08   103.   mehmet why would zionists conspire (sic) obama 00:23  |  yankee 16/02/08   104.   mehmet aipac supports israel 00:26  |  yankee 16/02/08   105.   mehmet "israel asked america to go to iraq" 00:29  |  yankee 16/02/08   106.   mehmet, how foolish! 01:47  |  akiva (zionist) 16/02/08   107.   Michael #74 Kissing Wahhabhists 15:07  |  Brod 16/02/08   108.   useless exercise 07:41  |  sweis Melbourne 17/02/08

Today Online U.S.: Syria, Hezbollah may be behind Mughniyah killing Responses: 234 Issacharoff and Harel: What Hezbollah could lose in avenging Mughniyah Responses: 102 Rosner: The row over Obama's stance on Israel is a dispute between Jews Responses: 95 U.S. Reform leader supports concessions on Jerusalem Responses: 96 Gideon Levy: Killing Mughniyah was playing with fire Responses: 83 Rosner's Domain Brzezinski didn't show up (WTR) How would Obama handle Israel? Ex-advisors offer clues Clinton's peace team: the attacks on Rob Malley "vicious" (WTR) Most blatant example of Israeli interference in American election The U.S. and Mughniyah / Not just 'who' but also 'where' More Headlines 04:56 PM: No new settlements to come; existing blocs, J'lem to keep growing 04:44 Hezbollah: Mugniyah revenge to be 'extremely costly' for Israel 03:12 UN official warns against Gaza invasion, says diplomacy only solution 05:17 PM gave Winograd panel details of post-war decision-making 02:09 Israel delays taking stance on independent Kosovo 06:12 Interior Min. mulls 'absorption grant' for T.A.'s African refugees 01:08 Gov't to fund fortification of 3,600 homes near Gaza, instead of 8,000 01:33 Knesset passes draft bill outlawing membership of racist organizations 06:35 Expert: Suspect's footprints found on pants of murdered Golan girl 17:35 Egypt: No Gaza border deal without consent of Israel, PA 17:23 The row over Obama's stance on Israel is a dispute between Jews 21:23 French FM says peace progress evident, despite earlier remarks 21:34 Sderot business owners thrown out of court for insulting judges, state Previous Editions Select Day 17 feb 15 feb 14 feb 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb

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