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Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama addressing the AIPAC 2008 Policy Conference on Wednesday, in Washington. (AP)
Last update - 22:32 04/06/2008
Obama to AIPAC: I'll do everything to prevent Iran from obtaining nukes
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Israel, Mideast Peace 

United States Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama on Wednesday declared that as president his goal would be to eliminate the threat to Israel from Iran, speaking in an address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

"I'll do everything in my power to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Everything," Obama told the pro-Israel lobby at a conference in Washington, only hours after securing his party's nomination.

Later in the speech, which was frequently punctuated by the crowd's rapturous applause, he said: "I will always leave the threat of military action on the table to defend our security, and that of our ally Israel."
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The Illinois senator also vowed he would never compromise on Israel's security, especially "not while there are still groups who deny the holocaust, not when there are terrorist groups that are committed to Israel's destruction... Not while there are rockets raining down on Sderot."

Obama was referring to the southern Israeli town that has been the target of incessant rocket fire by Palestinian militants in Gaza.

"I will always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself in the United Nations and around the world," he added.

Moments after Obama's speech, his former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at the conference. Clinton, whose presidential bid was defeated in the day by Obama, echoed his pledges of U.S. support for Israel.

"I believe that speaking up for a strong American-Israeli relationship is essential to our interests," Clinton told the audience. She added that, "Israel`s security is critical to our security."

Referring to peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the New York senator said that the U.S. will never pressure Israel to make unilateral concessions or impose a "made in America solution."

Clinton also told the conference: "I know that Senator Obama will be a good friend to Israel."

In his address, Obama told the 7,000 people gathered that rumors and suggestions that he is unfriendly to Israel and to Jewish interests are unfounded.

He cited e-mails filled with tall tales and dire warnings about a certain candidate for president. Obama told the gathering to "let me know if you see this guy named Barack Obama, because he sounds pretty scary."

Turning to the contentious issue of Jerusalem, Obama said that the city must remain the capital of Israel and undivided.

This comment drew fire from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently negotiating with Israel toward the establishment of a Palestinian state and the future of the capital.

"This statement is totally rejected," Abbas told reporters.

"The whole world knows that holy Jerusalem was occupied in 1967 and we will not accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state."

Obama also blasted U.S. President George W. Bush's administration's foreign policy in the Middle East. He stated that a major goal of his was to "free ourselves from the tyranny of oil, the petro dollars that pay for weapons that kill American troops and Israeli citizens."

Referring to Israel's Holocaust memorial, the presidential hopeful said that, "The images you see at Yad Vashem never leave you."



Related articles:
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  • Olmert to AIPAC: We must stop Iran threat by all possible means
  • John McCain: U.S. committed to preventing a second Holocaust
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      1.   WATCH OUT FOR THOSE WHO SAY"NEVER SAY NEVER"OBAMA IS NOT ISRAEL`S 17:52  |  glenna 04/06/08
      2.   yeah, yeah, before you know it obama will ... 17:53  |  GA 04/06/08
      3.   Appeasement is not the way to eliminate threat. We have already 17:54  |  Geulah 04/06/08
      4.   Iran to Obama: Too late to remove the threat, but you can minimiz 17:56  |  Aounist 04/06/08
      5.   Obama`s speech to AIPAC,classic grovelling! 18:00  |  lakshmi 04/06/08
      6.   He`s doing Stand up comedy 18:02  |  dyinglikeflies 04/06/08
      7.   Undivided Jerusalem?! Obama`s another idiot. 18:03  |  Michael 04/06/08
      8.   Well, he`s certainly appeasing AIPAC 18:16  |  Aphemia 04/06/08
      9.   This man is allready 18:18  |  Dav 04/06/08
      10.   Obama Nominee for President of Israel or America???!?! 18:19  |  Ahmed 04/06/08
      11.   Unmasking AIPAC 18:22  |  Dav 04/06/08
      12.   "everything in my power" 18:26  |  Scott ORama 04/06/08
      13.   NOBAMA 18:29  |  TAZ 04/06/08
      14.   Why didn`t Obama hold a speech in front of J-street...???? 18:29  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/06/08
      15.   Now I love Obama! 18:32  |  August West 04/06/08
      16.   Obama, Don`t Bet On It 18:35  |  Cool B 04/06/08
      17.   I started to like him 18:48  |  JP 04/06/08
      18.   AIPAC 18:49  |  tony 04/06/08
      19.   Time for Israel to stand alone 18:50  |  fairplay 04/06/08
      20.   OBAMA`S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL 18:52  |  mike 04/06/08
      21.   Future President U.S.A 18:56  |  LEBANESE CITIZEN 04/06/08
      22.   Bullseye for Scott ORama - Poor headline!!! 18:58  |  Jak Black 04/06/08
      23.   #10 Ahmad 19:10  |  James 04/06/08
      24.   How`s he going to ram `Undivided Jerusalem` down Pals throat? 19:11  |  newageblues 04/06/08
      25.   #13 Swiss, when J-Street can deliver 19:12  |  Aphemia 04/06/08
      26.   O B A M A 19:17  |  Anthony 04/06/08
      27.   Obama 19:19  |  Larry 04/06/08
      28.   Baruch H. Obama does one up to again unnerve Jew-haters 19:19  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 04/06/08
      29.   #10 Ahmad 19:20  |  James 04/06/08
      30.   No change here 19:23  |  Janice 04/06/08
      31.   This makes America look pathetic 19:25  |  Jack 04/06/08
      32.   If Obama wins and the Jew prove to be against him 19:28  |  CHANGE 04/06/08
      33.   OBAMA IS A GREAT ORATOR 19:30  |  indrajaya 04/06/08
      34.   #18 Lebanese Citizen... Or let the Israeli people 19:30  |  Ray 04/06/08
      35.   Obama! Obama! Obama! CHANGE IS WHAT WE NEED! CHANGE! 19:30  |  American Voter 04/06/08
      36.   #Glenna 19:32  |  H 04/06/08
      37.   Geulah - Do you even know what appeasement means? 19:33  |  Appeaser 04/06/08
      38.   #7 Michael... Well said... 19:33  |  Ray 04/06/08
      39.   Obama on Israel 19:34  |  Dik 04/06/08
      40.   He still talks about appeasement when it comes to Iran!!! 19:36  |  Yehuda 04/06/08
      41.   To Aounist # 4 - Those Proverbial 1967 Borders.... 19:36  |  Dagma 04/06/08
      42.   I`m voting for him 19:37  |  Steve G 04/06/08
      43.   #13 Swiss Dino 19:38  |  Ali riza 04/06/08
      44.   #10 Ahmad 19:39  |  H 04/06/08
      45.   EVERYTHING IN "MY POWER" 19:40  |  indrajaya 04/06/08
      46.   AIPAC, Mr. Swiss, represents mainstream America and mainstream 19:41  |  Avigdor 04/06/08
      47.   Obama is a preacher, not an experienced Commander-in-Chief. 19:43  |  Fortuna Benmayor 04/06/08
      48.   Geulah, right on. No more appeasement when it comes to Iran! 19:44  |  Ronen Hovav 04/06/08
      49.   iran WILL become a nuclear power 19:47  |  bashar 04/06/08
      50.   for those having problems with aipac, this is a legitimate 19:48  |  avivah 04/06/08
      51.   undivided Jerusalem 19:49  |  peter 04/06/08
      52.   where`s nathalie? 19:49  |  bashar 04/06/08
      53.   Obama and the two state problem 19:51  |  Wendy 04/06/08
      54.   Appeaser, the world has already appeased Iran by permitting it, 19:56  |  Rina 04/06/08
      55.   To Aounist # 4 - those Proverbial 1967 Borders 19:57  |  Dolly 04/06/08
      56.   Kiss East Jerusalem Goodbye, You Terrorist-Loving Scum 19:59  |  Jeff Northridge 04/06/08
      57.   newage blues 20:06  |  WWACD 04/06/08
      58.   To Jew haters like "fairplay" 20:10  |  ZISD 04/06/08
      59.   Obama Gets My vote 20:11  |  Danny 04/06/08
      60.   Obama! Obama! Obama! CHANGE IS WHAT WE NEED! CHANGE 20:11  |  ray 04/06/08
      61.   #32 Change 20:12  |  Jason 04/06/08
      62.   "everything" not good enough 20:13  |  Adam 04/06/08
      63.   Jeff Northride, as you well know, Jerusalem has never been the... 20:15  |  Amihai 04/06/08
      64.   # 25 Aphemia 20:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/06/08
      65.   # 56, JEFF NORTHRIDGE 20:20  |  indrajaya 04/06/08
      66.   West Bank Away - Wendy 20:22  |  Bill 04/06/08
      67.   He`s a liar: Obama is proCarter, UltraLEFT, friend of PLO 20:25  |  Talk to Ahmadinojab 04/06/08
      68.   AIPAC and Obama 20:25  |  MB 04/06/08
      69.   # 45 Indrajaya 20:26  |  Hassan 04/06/08
      70.