Jerusalem
24 July 2008
U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama has ended a week long trip toAfghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem that Israelis and Palestinianssay the Illinois senator left a positive impression during his visit.
BarackObama wrapped up his trip to Israel and the Palestinian territorieswith a pre-dawn visit to Jerusalem's Wailing Wall - the holiest site inJudaism.
Obama's visit to Israel was seen by many Israelis as anattempt to gain favor with U.S. Jewish voters, because polls show manyhave reservations about his support for Israel.
But Israelislike Tony Jason who avidly followed Obama's visit say many Israelissupport the presumptive Democratic Party nominee.
"We wouldlike to send a message to the American voting public and in particularthe American Jewish communities that we are Israelis, we live inIsrael, we are part of Israeli society and we feel confident in aBarack Obama presidency," he said.
Much of Obama's visit toIsrael focused on reassuring Israelis that he supports their concernsover a nuclear Iran and their concerns over security issues ingeneral. In remarks with Israeli leaders, Obama vowed support forIsrael, saying he would not press its leaders to make concessions thatwould compromise their country's security.
For many Israelisthe highlight of the Obama visit was his trip to the city of Sderot,battered by rocket fire from Palestinian militants from across the Gazaborder.
Uri Dromi, a columnist and director of a conferencecenter involved in conflict resolution issues in Jerusalem, saysObama's Sderot visit left a good impression with Israelis.
"Hewas very wise to go to Sderot, which is really a sore issue here inIsrael," he noted. "The way he expressed himself saying if someonefired missiles into his home where his daughters live, that he would doanything in his capacity to stop it that is exactly the kind ofrhetoric that resonates well in Israel. So I think yes, he made a verygood impression."
Obama's visit to the West Bank drew a moresubdued response and he confined himself to meetings with moderatePalestinian leaders like President Mahmoud Abbas.
Palestiniansgenerally welcomed his commitment that if elected president he willimmediately begin working to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
ButHani Al-Masri a political analyst and independent journalist in theWest Bank says Palestinians also wanted to hear more from Obama aboutthe issues they deal with every day living under Israeli occupation.
"They(Palestinians) want him to be fair," Al-Masri said. "Because thePalestinians are under occupation and he said nothing about theoccupation or about settlements and he did not want to face the pressbecause he wanted to avoid questions about the settlements and aboutthe Israeli policies."
Most Israelis and Palestinians say theyrealize Obama's visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories hadmore to do with U.S. domestic politics than with resolving their60-year-old conflict. But as he left the region many Israelis andPalestinians said they were reassured by Obama, and many say that ifthe Illinois senator does win the presidency in November they believehe will soon be back in the region to act on the promises he madeduring his visit.
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