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Barack Obama to 'Jerusalem Post': I'll support Israel-Syria talks
Leading Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama told The Jerusalem Post that he would fully back Israel's peace talks with Syria and criticized efforts to block such engagement. "I am encouraged that Israel and Syria have renewed peace talks and fully support Israel's efforts to advance peace with all its neighbors," he said in statement e-mailed to the Post. "I have consistently said that the United States must stand ready to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors and should not block Israel from the negotiating table, nor force it to negotiate."His statements emphatically welcoming Wednesday's surprise announcement of Israeli-Syrian talks contrasted with the reception offered by Bush administration officials, who provided a tepid response and noted the US was not involved in the ongoing indirect contacts, which are being brokered by Turkey. The campaign of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain offered a reaction more in line with that of the current White House occupants, though emphasizing Israel's independence as Obama did. "Senator McCain's view is that the sovereign government of Israel should be free to make its own decisions on how best to defend Israel and whether to engage in negotiations," said Randy Scheunemann, the campaign's director of foreign policy and national security, who wouldn't comment on the potential for an American role in the talks. The campaign of Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton, though, stressed the need for America to support Israel's diplomatic overtures. "It is incumbent on the United States to support Israel in its efforts to make peace with its Arab neighbors. It is in America's strategic interest to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict, and it's a fulfillment of our commitment to Israel's security and well-being, living in peace with its neighbors," said Lee Feinstein, the campaign's director of national security. "As Hillary Clinton has said before, when she is president, she will, once again, make working to resolve conflict in the Middle East a priority." Posted by: Fred 2008-05-23 |
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