Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., June 08, 2008 Sivan 5, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:52 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Obama's AIPAC comments ire Arabs By Yoav Stern The statements by the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee, Barack Obama, to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC reverberated badly in the Arab world yesterday. 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. Advertisement 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. 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 yesterday Al-Watan noted 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. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Terrorist donuts U.S. Arabs irate over criticism of celebrity cook's kaffiyeh. All the way to hell Rosner's blog: It's Obama's good intentions that pro-Israel activists fear.

Read & React Bradley Burston: Leave it to Fox News to elect Obama Responses: 232 Olmert: Broad Gaza military operation closer than ever Responses: 199 U.S. rejects Mofaz remarks on Iran strike seeming 'unavoidable' Responses: 369 Obama's pro-Israel speech before AIPAC riles Arab press Responses: 96 More Headlines 02:01 IAEA slams Mofaz remark that attack on Iran seems 'unavoidable' 02:30 ANALYSIS / Mofaz's Iran jibe too high a price for party politics 02:45 Talk of a major IDF operation in Gaza is premature 00:30 Clinton halts presidency bid, endorses Obama 00:27 Report: Syria foiled attempted coup by Assad's brother-in-law 01:56 IDF troops fire tear gas at EU dignitaries during W. Bank protest 00:30 Sports broadcaster who covered 1972 Munich massacre, Jim McKay, dies at 86 18:21 X-Men mutant survives the Holocaust in new Marvel Comics miniseries 19:20 Muslim clerics back Saudi king Abdullah's interfaith meeting 12:46 Author Thomas L. Friedman: Military leverage on Iran only short-term option 17:48 PA officials say they want Abbas to run for re-election in 2010 17:50 McCain calls for moving U.S. embassy to Jerusalem 01:17 Leftist groups gather in Tel Aviv to protest 41 years of occupation Previous Editions Select Day 06 jun 05 jun 04 jun 03 jun 02 jun 01 jun 30 may 29 may 28 may 27 may 26 may 25 may

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