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| By Israel Insider staff February 26, 2008 |
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Last week, evidently trying to win the Jewish vote in Cleveland, Ohio in the runup to the primary there, Barack Obama may have thought he was touting his pro-Israel credentials when he observed: "I think there is a strain within the pro-Israel community that says unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel that you're anti-Israel and that can't be the measure of our friendship with Israel". In so taking sides in Israeli politics, Obama made it clear that he opposed Likud policies but in so doing has raised questions as to whether he could get along with a Likud-led government, which polls show is the likely successor to the present Olmert government.
Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz's analyst of the US elections, posed this question: "Imagine Benjamin Netanyahu -- the chairman of the Likud Party and according to all recent polls the leading candidate to become the next Israeli Prime Minister -- saying something along the lines of: 'There are people who claim that I need to accept a Democratic nominee as friendly toward Israel -- but this is not necessarily true, as I think the policies of the Republican Party are much wiser.' Imagine him saying this - and the outrage that would follow such statement."
The comment, Rosner observes, raises doubts as to whether Obama could get along with a Likud-led Israel.
Ironically, Obama supporters have been objecting to the tendency of Israelis to meddle in American politics, specifically when anonymous sources in the Israeli government expressed "concern" concerning an Obama administration. They were outraged when former Israeli ambassador to Washington Danny Ayalon expressed "doubt" regarding Obama's positions and honesty when it comes to views regarding Israel.
Meanwhile, Barak Obama's campaign objected to the release by the Clinton campaign of a 2006 photo taken during the candidate's visit to Somalia, showing him decked out in a ceremonial turban.
"I know nothing about it," Clinton told ABC affiliate WFAA in Dallas-Fort Worth Texas, where she is campaign. "This is in the public domain. But let's just stop and ask yourself: 'Why are you -- why is anybody concerned about this?'" Clinton said that she found questions about whether her campaign leaked the photo to be "really laughable."
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe accused the Clinton campaign Monday of "shameful offensive fear-mongering" by circulating a photo as an attempted smear.
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