New Friends: Obama and Netanyahu

While in Israel today, presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Senator Barack Obama met with Israeli Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Surprising some, they found much to agree on. Netanyahu noted that “he was impressed about Obama's understanding of the Iranian threat and said they both agreed that a nuclear Iran was unacceptable.” Further, the opposition leader “stressed that they also agreed what was important was the ends of preventing a nuclear Iran rather than the means and that when it comes to stopping Iran there were no politics.”

Obama stated during the meeting that, "I'll never compromise Israel's security. Terrorism is not theoretical, it's right here a block away from this hotel, and it must be fought with full force and strength."

Obama’s trip to Israel has been jam packed, and some other highlights from Obama’s time in Israel include:
- Visitng Yad Vashem
- Meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres
- Visiting Sderot, where he met with Mayor Eli Moyal and surveyed the damage Hamas rockets had done. He was presented with a t-shirt saying “I heart Sderot” at the conclusion.
- Met with Palesitinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayaad in Ramallah.

Comments

[soccerdad]

And if Pres. Obama is sworn in Jan. 20, 2009 then he would reverse this view,
http://www2.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/107170.html:

Barack Obama faulted elements in the pro-Israel community that he says equate being pro-Israel with being pro-Likud.

"I think there is a strain within the pro-Israel community that says unless you adopt a unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel that you're anti-Israel and that can't be the measure of our friendship with Israel," the Illinois senator and contender for the Democratic presidential nominee told a group of Jewish leaders in Cleveland on Sunday. "If we cannot have an honest dialogue about how do we achieve these goals, then we're not going to make progress."

Just curious.