Israelis Divided Over Obama Speech

JERUSALEM — Israel said it hoped President Barack Obama's speech to the Muslim world Thursday would help usher in a "new period of reconciliation" in the Middle East, but the positive emphasis barely masked discomfort over key policy differences highlighted in the historic address.

A government statement skirted any reference to Obama's calls for a settlement freeze in the West Bank and the creation of an independent Palestinian state _ demands that Israel's hawkish prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, continues to reject.

"We share President Obama's hope that the American effort heralds the beginning of a new era that will bring about an end to the conflict and lead to Arab recognition of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, living in peace and security in the Middle East," the statement said, noting that Israeli's security must also be guaranteed in any future peace moves.

Israelis had mixed reactions to Obama's speech, which was meant to heal rifts between the U.S. and the Muslim world.

One government official said the speech could have been worse for Israel, while a settler spokeswoman called Obama naive and out of touch with reality. Israel's dovish president, Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres, said it was "full of vision."

Obama devoted significant time in his speech to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He asked Muslims to accept Israel's right to exist as a nation that came about after centuries of persecution and the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews. He urged his audience to speak out against Holocaust denial, a common occurrence in the Arab world.

He also made an emotional plea for the right of Palestinians to live in dignity in an independent state of their own. He even used the term "Palestine," in a break from standard references to a future Palestinian state.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed Obama's words. "It shows there is a new and different American policy toward the Palestinian issue," said his spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdeneh.

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Israel, the country most on edge about Obama's outreach to Muslims, tried to put a positive face on Thursday's events. Israel's hawkish government clearly did not want to exacerbate already palpable tensions with the liberal U.S. president.

"All in all, it's not bad. I don't think there's anything we disagree with here," said Danny Seaman, the director of Israel's Government Press Office.

"The state of Israel isn't against reconciliation," he added, but warned against any moves that could "be used by the extremists to endanger Israel and endanger the peace process."

Aliza Herbst, a 56-year-old resident of the West Bank settlement of Ofra, calmly watched Obama's speech on television and when he finished said "his naivety can be dangerous."

"You can have your speechwriters find every good thing a Muslim has ever done. But more modern history is that the Muslim world is at war with the Western world," she said, referring to the speech's myriad references to historical contributions by Muslims.

Michael Ben-Ari, an Israeli lawmaker from a far-right ultranationalist party, took the criticism of Obama a step further.

"His hatred for the people of Israel led him to deliver a most dangerous speech that exposed his pro-Islamic trends, designed to undermine the vision of the people of Israel returning to their homeland," he said.

Many Israelis had been anxious about Obama's speech, fearing the U.S. leader would use the stage to step up his recent criticism of Israel.

But Seaman, the Israeli official, said the speech had no major surprises and that the current disagreements between Israel and the U.S. are "well-known." Netanyahu has refused to endorse a Palestinian state and said settlement construction will continue.

Yuli Tamir, a dovish lawmaker from the centrist Labor Party, was filled with praise for Obama and his speech.

"It's one of the most important speeches ever delivered, a key speech for changing the climate in the Middle East. Israel will make a big mistake if it ignores it," she said.

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Associated Press writers Joseph Marks in Ofra, West Bank, and Amy Teibel and Ian Deitch in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Comments

[sammy cole]

There are as many opinions among Israeli's as there are among American's. All opinions come from personal experiences so all of them are relevant. I have HUGE HOPES for peace in the region and I do agree with President Obama.....the young people can change this world to a peaceful one.

[Diogenis]

Does Israel even know the meaning of Shalom?

[Macready]

no . . .just their own selfish desires . . .they have blackmailed the West long enough over the pogoms in Eastern Europe and the holocaust . . . yet they refuse to see what they have done to the Palestinians, the Lebanese, israel has proven that it cannot live in peace with its neighbours . . . the US will have to pull the plug and UN sanctions applied until they get the message that the world was not created for them . . . they are no more chosen than the rest of us . . .

[dimplesmile7]

Only if you are 100% on their side.

[Diogenis]

Ben Ari.has problems and is showing his own ignorance.

[Joe123]

go Obama...

[jjgg5]

The best safeguards for Israel and the world are diplomacy, negotiation and compromise. More fighting as a stop gap measure for conflicts with the Palestinians will continue to be unsuccessful for a lasting peace in the area.

[knosiswar]

The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit neoconservative think-tank focusing on issues of United States and Israeli national security. JINSA's stated aim is threefold: to ensure a strong and effective U.S. national security policy; to educate American leaders on what it views as the vital strategic relationship between the United States and Israel; and to strengthen U.S. cooperation with democratic allies, including Taiwan, Hungary, Turkey, India, and NATO member nations, amongst others.

JINSA's advisory board includes such notable figures as Michael Ledeen, Richard Perle, and R. James Woolsey, while Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Representative to the United Nations John Bolton, and former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith were all on JINSA's Board of Advisors before they entered the Bush administration. JINSA is officially a non-partisan organization welcoming advisors from both sides of the aisle including Democrats such as former Congressman Dave McCurdy and current Congressman Steve Israel.

[grf67]

Excellent - nothing in Israel is as important as anything in the US. Our goals and security are far more important than whatever the Israelis think.

[sammy cole]

Really? I think terrorist leaders would argue that THEY are more important.

[knosiswar]

Of course the NeoCon cabal of JINSA didn't like the speech.

[k6007]

The president's toughest opposition is going to come from the uscongress.

[Tyler-Durden]

yes, apparently his naivete that jews can let go of a grudge. or that they would allow women to be treated as equals. it's sad that "it's not bad" is the most positive they could be about it.

[Layman23]

So what ? Its the whole worlds opinion that counts and not israel alone.

[nerakami]

"while a settler spokeswoman called Obama naive and out of touch with reality"
==========­==========­==========­==========­==========­==========­==

Naivety is: thinking you can always call the shots
naivety is: not realizing that the Palestinians and other extremists will continue to sacrifice their lives to make yours and your children lives hell
Naivety is: Not understanding that is you will have to give up something in order to gain something...

So I ask the question - who exactly is being naive and out of touch with reality?

[northstar11]

israel is divided --so is america.... they will come around just like the USA did and continues to do.

[smiththomas]

Im a conservative and I have always been on the side of Israel. I believe Obamas economic policies are dangerous for the country. However, I thought his speech today was wonderful. What an honest breath of fresh air. I hope he continues and without knowing the particulars of the road map, i hope he can get back to the implementation since i assume they all signed it.

[northstar11]

always been on the side of israel---not meaning to be cattyy --but why is that??? did you look at all sides objectively and decide for yourself or did you accept the government position .

you do understand that jewish money has a lot to do with government policy and side chosing in this dispute.

[smiththomas]

i have not studied the issue very much. i have noticed that Israel has tried to make concessions at times but there seems to be no one to make peace with. Abas has no power and Hamas and Hesbolah and Iran are determined to totally destroy Israel.
If there is a signed road map isnt there a way foward? Who has backed away from that agreement?

[DennyCrane]

The negative reaction of Israel is not surprising. After having an administration that bent over backwards to accommodate them, they can't stand a US president who dares to not put their wishes first.

[CitizenJ]

Of course they're divided. Until now they've been able to do whatever the hell they want. Now we actually have a president with the stones to tell them they have to make concessions too. People don't tend to like that.