Obama on Israel
Obama's message to Israel on it's 60th anniversary includes this snippet:
. . . there is no greater gift America can give to Israel--no better way we can salute our Israeli friends on this important anniversary -- than to redouble our commitment to help Israel achieve its goal of true security through lasting peace with its neighbors. The United States does Israel no favors when it neglects opportunities for progress in Arab-Israeli peacemaking.
Israelis can always count on the United States to stand with them against any threat, from as close as Gaza or as far as Tehran, and to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. Israel has real enemies, and we will face them together. But standing with Israel also requires America to do everything it can to reduce and ease the conflict with the Arab neighbors. To do any less would be to prevent Israel from achieving its full, extraordinary potential.
Most of the article has a more hawkish tone, but it is nice to see a US presidential candidate who actually realizes that true security for Israel will come through long-term peaceful relations with it's neighbours.
I wonder if this means that unlike the previous two US presidents, Obama won't wait until the last year of his second term to start using real diplomacy on the issue.
