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Last update - 18:12 06/06/2008
Obama's pro-Israel speech before AIPAC riles Arab press
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, Arab newspapers 

The statements by the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee, Barack Obama, to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC reverberated badly in the Arab world on Thursday.

A major sore point was Obama's declaration Wednesday that "Jerusalem will remain the eternal, undivided capital of Israel" and that "Israel's security is sacrosanct," even though he is by and large the preferred U.S. presidential candidate in the Arab world.

The Lebanese opposition daily Al-Safir, which supports Hezbollah, declared Obama's statements "an oath of allegiance by the U.S. presidency to AIPAC." An article described Obama's address as "thunderous" and said it was Obama's "most Zionist" speech to date.
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The Kuwait-based Al-Watan wrote that the speech was a "slap in the face" for Arabs and Muslims, who were shocked by it.

The Arab press has often used Obama's middle name, Hussein, but Al-Watan noted Thursday that he was a murated - an apostate from Islam. Orthodox Islam considers this a violation punishable by death.

An article on the Palestinian Web site Dunya al-Watan said that many Arabs preferred Obama over his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton because they thought he would save them. "They forgot that he is an American Zionist who turned his back on Islam, and that he is hostile to Islam more than the infidels, the Christians and the Jews," the site said.

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      1.   Orthodox Islam = Stultified Islam 03:18  |  Akiva P 06/06/08
      2.   Obama`s Speech 05:03  |  Ryan Davis 06/06/08
      3.   Oh, don`t worry 05:24  |  Nechama 06/06/08
      4.   arabs once again want everything but give.. 16:27  |  ross 06/06/08
      5.   A good sign 16:55  |  utagawa 06/06/08
      6.   He took it back 17:36  |  Jackie 06/06/08
      7.   Shame on Obama 17:45  |  Jan 06/06/08
      8.   Orthodox Islam part 2 17:54  |  Afikoman 06/06/08
      9.   The US president is an apostate from Islam!!! 18:04  |  Mark B. 06/06/08
      10.   A CONGRATULATION TO ALL MY AMERICAN FRIEND 19:06  |  indrajaya 06/06/08
      11.   The Arab-Muslim World Is Furious at Obama. 19:15  |  Joseph . E 06/06/08
      12.   Haaretz misinforms as usual 19:23  |  Avi 06/06/08
      13.   Aww, poor arab world does not get support for its 19:26  |  jj 06/06/08
      14.   I guess someone forgot to tell Obama. . . . 19:30  |  MichaelF 06/06/08
      15.   Obama should be careful, there are more Arab Americans then Jews. 19:33  |  POP 06/06/08
      16.   #4 - indrajaya 19:33  |  MichaelF 06/06/08
      17.   Yes Indrajaya, and..... 19:35  |  David James Vickery 06/06/08
      18.   # 10, MICHAELF 19:47  |  indrajaya 06/06/08
      19.   # 12, DAVID JAMES VICKERY 19:58  |  indrajaya 06/06/08
      20.   #10 Pop seems that you are cautioning Obama about Arab Population 20:08  |  Robert/Montreal 06/06/08
      21.   Obama`s speech 20:10  |  P. J. Casey 06/06/08
      22.   David James a fellow Canuck 20:11  |  ERobert/Montreal 06/06/08
      23.   You have the questions and the answers!!! 20:16  |  IKnowitAll 06/06/08
      24.   POP: sometimes the truth is more important than pleasing masses 20:16  |  Richard S 06/06/08
      25.   if they`re not hypocrites, they shd say bravo. 20:19  |  frenz 06/06/08
      26.   It riled many Americans who denounced Obama`s call 20:54  |  Dutch 06/06/08
      27.   # 8 Mark B....I won`t put it past some noodleheaded 21:06  |  Lynn 06/06/08
      28.   Know It All #23 Without Israel there are no jews 21:24  |  Robert/Montreal 06/06/08
      29.   Why does every presidential candidate pander to the zionists? 21:25  |  Isaac Hassen 06/06/08
      30.   This is why peace in impossible..Arabs dont see others equal 21:30  |  David 06/06/08
      31.   #18 - indrajaya 21:35  |  MichaelF 06/06/08
      32.   UNDIVIDED JERUSLAEM - must burn your asses!! 21:43  |  WYSIWYG 06/06/08
      33.   #15 POP and most of them are Republican... 21:46  |  Aphemia 06/06/08
      34.   # 31, MICHAELF 21:47  |  indrajaya 06/06/08
      35.   Obama`s Speech was Strong and Positive... 21:52  |  Dagma 06/06/08
      36.   POP has bought into Muslim propaganda 21:55  |  Raymond in DC 06/06/08
      37.   Indrajaya # 34 22:07  |  WYWIWYG 06/06/08
      38.   To Pop 22:17  |  Oleg 06/06/08
      39.   #6 Say Jackie 22:21  |  ballistic 06/06/08
      40.   No need to worry about OBAMA 23:15  |  * BEN JABO 06/06/08
      41.   EAST JERUSALEM IS PALESTINIAN 23:18  |  JH 06/06/08
      42.   Conspiracy fantasies and arrogance 23:55  |  Scharker Yid 06/06/08
      43.   #32 00:09  |  Jeff 07/06/08
      44.   What is all this, have not you heard? 00:21  |  ballistic 07/06/08
      45.   #32 Hold on their WUS/WYG 00:22  |  ballistic 07/06/08
      46.   #35 Dagma 00:23  |  ballistic 07/06/08
      47.   JH - Concord NH - Undivided Jerusalem is for the Jews 01:09  |  Carol USA 07/06/08
      48.   Indrajaya 01:21  |  Jane 07/06/08
      49.   The Speech Was Stupid 01:47  |  Ronnie Wolman 07/06/08
      50.   History will 01:55  |  Marko Polo 07/06/08
      51.   Arabs Riled at Obama 02:11  |  Robert 07/06/08
      52.   Imagine H. Clinton`s Speech to AIPAC 02:18  |  A Bethlehemite 07/06/08
      53.   Indrjaya 02:22  |  Robert 07/06/08
      54.   Not so fast... 02:28  |  Gray 07/06/08
      55.   as predicted he back tracked on his statement...he is just pander 02:38  |  r 07/06/08
      56.   What Obama was saying 02:47  |  Tosefta 07/06/08
      57.   BO flip-flopped on Jerusalem division to appease Arabs 03:02  |  PK 07/06/08
      58.   Dangerous Obama 03:41  |  JOJO 07/06/08
      59.   Tosefta # 56 Obama Said What He Said, Maybe He Goofed 03:42  |  Jeff Northridge 07/06/08
      60.   # 56 - Gibberish by Tosefta. What BO was sayng? Read his speach 04:03  |  17 07/06/08
      61.   # 34, WYWIWIYG 04:12  |  indrajaya 07/06/08
      62.   to ballistic 04:40  |  jackie 07/06/08
      63.   It didn`t just rile Arab press it riled most of the... 04:52  |  Deborah 07/06/08
      64.   Goofing Jeff Northridge #59 04:53  |  Tosefta 07/06/08
      65.   # 44 No, mekaka, wrong. Obama or mekaka, but will bahave in the. 04:54  |  misha 07/06/08
      66.   Will Israel`s security sink in the international mud ? 06:42  |  Akram Zekaria 07/06/08
      67.   Ha Ha Ha 07:15  |  Jeff 07/06/08
      68.   hagar ate crackers in bed 08:25  |  billy jack 07/06/08
      69.   BO FLIPS ON EVERYTHING 10:14  |  * BEN JABO 07/06/08
      70.   #65 Misha "beggin skills"---what? 10:19  |  ballistic 07/06/08
      71.   #62 Jackie 10:59  |  ballistic 07/06/08
      72.   Obama`s speech. 11:33  |  David Nigel Braham 07/06/08