RNC - Obama: Wrong On Israel

As Obama Heads To Israel, How Will He Defend His Weak Record On Issues
Important To The Country?

WASHINGTON, July 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released
today by the Republican National Committee:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO )

In His Remarks To The Annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Obama Said That
Jerusalem Should Be The Undivided Capital Of Israel, But Later Said The City's
Future Should Be Negotiated By Israel And The Palestinians:

Obama Said Jerusalem Would Be The Undivided Capital Of Israel. Obama:
"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided."
(Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At The Annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Arlington,
VA, 6/4/08)

One Day Later, Obama Said The Future Of Jerusalem Would Have To Be Negotiated
By Israel And The Palestinians. CNN's Candy Crowley: "I want to ask you about
something you said in AIPAC yesterday. You said that Jerusalem must remain
undivided. Do Palestinians have no claim to Jerusalem in the future?" Obama:
"Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of
these issues." (CNN's "The Situation Room," 6/5/08)

"Facing Criticism From Palestinians, Sen. Barack Obama Acknowledged Today That
The Status Of Jerusalem Will Need To Be Negotiated In Future Peace Talks,
Amending A Statement Earlier In The Week That Jerusalem 'Must Remain
Undivided.'" (Glenn Kessler, "Obama Clarifies Remarks On Jerusalem," The
Washington Post's "The Trail" Blog, www.washingtonpost.com, 6/5/08)

NOTE: Middle East Advisor Dennis Ross, Who Is Accompanying Obama In Israel,
Said Israel Would Have To Give Up Its Insistence On An Undivided Jerusalem To
Achieve Peace:

Ross Said Israel And The Palestinians Would Have To Give Up Some Of Their
"Animating Principles" To Achieve Peace, Including Israel's Insistence That
Jerusalem Be Its Sole, Undivided Capital. "Ross said Clinton's outline was
based on meeting the fundamental requirements of both sides: for Israel,
security and a normal life; for the Palestinians, freedom from Israeli
control. But both sides had to give up some of what Ross called the 'animating
principles' of their national movements. For Israel, that included Jerusalem
as the sole, undivided capital of the Jewish state; for the Palestinians, that
included the right of return. 'To make peace, you have to be prepared not to
reconcile slogans but to reconcile needs,' he said." (Eric Black, "Former
Mideast Envoy Offers Insight Into Last Year's Talks," [Minneapolis] Star
Tribune, 5/6/01)

"Most Of The Arab Neighborhoods In East Jerusalem Have No Jews Living There,
Noted Former Top U.S. Peace Negotiator Dennis Ross, Questioning Why Israel
Would Want To Absorb Nearly A Quarter Of A Million Arabs Who Live In Parts Of
The City Where Jews Don't Visit." (Douglas Bloomfield, Op-Ed, "Dividing
Jerusalem - When, Not Whether," The Jerusalem Post, 3/16/08)

Ross Acknowledged That The Clinton Administration Proposal To Divide Jerusalem
Was Not In Line With The Views Of Pro-Israel Groups In The U.S. NPR's Steve
Inskeep: "Tell me something that you did that - and let's say the American-
Israel Public Affairs Committee, to name one huge organization that's seen as
part of the Israel lobby - something you did that they strongly, strongly
opposed."... Ross: "In the Clinton administration, I can assure you that the -
when we put on the table a proposal that would have divided East Jerusalem,
that was not something that the Israeli government wanted. In the end they
were prepared to accept it if it was going to produce an agreement." (NPR's
"Morning Edition," 7/7/06)

Obama Received Jimmy Carter's Endorsement After Failing To Condemn The Former
President's Meeting With Hamas:

"Former President Jimmy Carter Said He'll Endorse Democrat Barack Obama After
The Polls Close On The Final Primary Contests. 'The Fact Is The Obama People
Already Know They Have My Vote When The Polls Close Tonight,' Carter Told The
Associated Press..." ("Former President Carter: I Will Endorse Obama," The
Associated Press, 6/3/08)

"Defying Opposition From The Bush Administration And Israel, Former President
Jimmy Carter Met For Several Hours Friday Night In Syria With The Exiled
Leader Of Hamas, The Militant Islamist Group, To Discuss Efforts To Resolve
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." (Robert F. Worth, "Defying Israel, Carter
Meets Hamas Leader," The New York Times, 4/19/08)

"'Why Can't I Just Eat My Waffle?' [Obama] Said When Asked About Former
President Jimmy Carter's Meeting With Hamas Officials." (Jeff Zeleny and John
Broder, "On Eve Of Crucial Primary, Clinton Ad Invokes Bin Laden," The New
York Times, 4/22/08)

NOTE: "The Campaign Of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), The Presumptive Republican
Nominee, Was Quick To Blast Carter's Plans [To Meet With Hamas] And Called On
Both Obama And Clinton To Condemn The Meeting With What The State Department
Lists As A Terrorist Group." (Glenn Kessler, "Former President Carter To Meet
With Hamas Chief," The Washington Post, 4/10/08)

"Both Clinton And Obama Issued Statements With Milder Language, Saying They
'Disagreed' Or Did 'Not Agree' With Carter's Plans." (Glenn Kessler, "Former
President Carter To Meet With Hamas Chief," The Washington Post, 4/10/08)

Jewish Voters Expressed Concern About Obama's Remarks On The Suffering Of The
Palestinian People:

Obama: "Now, in the interim, nobody's suffering more than the Palestinian
people from this whole process."

(Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Muscatine, IA, 3/11/07)

"[I]n The Halls Of The AIPAC Policy Conference ... There Was No Denying That
The Members Of The Pro-Israel Group -- Largely Democrats, Though They Tilt
Right -- Feel A Real, If Kind Of Inchoate, Skepticism About The Illinois
Senator." (Ben Smith, "Obama's Jewish Problem," The Politico's "Ben Smith's
Blog," www.politico.com, 3/13/07)

Iowa Democrat David Adelman Wrote To Obama Seeking Clarification On His
Comments. "Now, an Iowa Democrat and AIPAC member, David Adelman, has written
Obama a letter asking for clarification of Obama's remark to the Des Moines
register that 'nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people,' a
statement Adelman writes he found 'deeply troubling.'" (Ben Smith, "Obama's
Jewish Problem," The Politico's "Ben Smith's Blog," www.politico.com, 3/13/07)

Obama Said Anti-Israel Terrorist Groups Had "Legitimate Claims":

Obama Said That Hezbollah And Hamas Had "Legitimate Claims." "The U.S. needs a
foreign policy that 'looks at the root causes of problems and dangers.' Obama
compared Hezbollah to Hamas. Both need to be compelled to understand that
'they're going down a blind alley with violence that weakens their legitimate
claims.' He knows these movements aren't going away anytime soon ('Those
missiles aren't going to dissolve'), but 'if they decide to shift, we're going
to recognize that. That's an evolution that should be recognized.'" (David
Brooks, Op-Ed, "Obama Admires Bush," The New York Times, 5/16/08)

At An April 2007 Debate, Obama Did Not List Israel As One Of The U.S.'s
Strongest Allies:

Obama Required Prompting To Say That Israel Was One Of The U.S.'s Closest
Allies. "Obama appeared to hesitate when he was asked to name the United
States' three closest allies, then listed the European Union, NATO and Japan.
He added Israel after debate moderator Brian Williams prompted him." (Steven
Thomma, "S.C. Lawmaker Gives Clinton High Marks," McClatchyNewspapers,
4/28/07)

Obama Has Said That He Would Meet With Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
Even Though Iran Has Threatened To Wipe Israel Off The Map:

At A July 2007 Debate, Obama Didn't Hesitate To Announce He Would Personally
Meet With The Leaders Of Iran And Other Rogue Nations. Question: "[W]ould you
be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of
your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran,
Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that
divides our countries?"... Obama: "I would. And the reason is this, that the
notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which
has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is
ridiculous." (Sen. Barack Obama, CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate
Debate, Charleston, SC, 7/23/07)

Ahmadinejad Referred To Israel As A "Stinking Corpse" And Said It Was "On Its
Way To Annihilation." "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a 'stinking
corpse' that was doomed to fail, and warned countries that they would 'burn in
the fire of their people's hatred' if they helped Israel, the news agency IRNA
reported. 'Today the reason for Zionist regime's existence is questioned, and
this regime is on its way to annihilation,' he said in a speech on the 60th
anniversary of the Jewish state." (Nazila Fathi, "Iran: A Hate Note On
Israel's Birthday," The New York Times, 5/9/08)

Ahmadinejad Previously Said Israel Should Be Wiped Off The Map And Denied That
The Holocaust Occurred. "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said in the
past he wants to wipe Israel off the map and dismissed the Holocaust as a
myth." (Nick Wadhams, "Israel: No Greater Threat To World's Values Than The
Leaders Of Iran," The Associated Press, 9/21/06)

Former Israeli Ambassador To The U.S. Danny Ayalon Expressed Concern About
Obama's Ability To Address Issues Important To Israel's Security:

Former Israeli Ambassador To The U.S. Danny Ayalon: "The threat of Islamic
terrorism and the expanding scourge of fanaticism are also concepts which have
been addressed by Obama in only the most ambiguous of terms." (Danny Ayalon,
Op-Ed, "Who Are You, Barack Obama?" The Jerusalem Post, 1/23/08)

Ayalon: "Since early on in his campaign he has said that he would meet with
the President of Iran - but we are left in the dark as to what agenda he would
pursue on this issue. With the exception of promoting American divestment from
Iran, an idea he adopted during a meeting with Bibi Netanyahu, Obama has
largely avoided highlighting what specific demands he would make of
Ahmadinijad and any timetables he would establish for the Iranians to
dismantle their nuclear program." (Danny Ayalon, Op-Ed, "Who Are You, Barack
Obama?" The Jerusalem Post, 1/23/08)

Ayalon: "As far as Israel is concerned, Obama has yet to suggest specific
measures he would enact regarding the Jewish State's Qualitative Military Edge
that allows us to defend ourselves against our current and future enemies.
Given the increasingly tense security environment Israel is confronting on all
sides, now is not the time for American leaders to shy away from such
fundamental questions. The four years ahead are far too critical for global
security to place the presidency of the United States in the hands of a leader
whose campaign is leaving us with more questions than answers." (Danny Ayalon,
Op-Ed, "Who Are You, Barack Obama?" The Jerusalem Post, 1/23/08)

SOURCE Republican National Committee

Republican National Committee, +1-202-863-8614