Official: Obama To Meet Palestinian Pols

Senior Negotiator Says Democratic Hopeful Will Visit West Bank Next Week For Meetings

(AP)  Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will visit the West Bank next week as part of a swing through the Middle East, a Palestinian official said Monday, giving an important diplomatic boost to the Palestinians at a sensitive time in peace talks.

The Palestinians expressed satisfaction over the planned meeting with the presumed Democratic nominee, which comes months after Obama's likely Republican opponent, John McCain, passed on meeting with the Palestinians during a brief visit to Israel.

Obama is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his July 23 stop in Ramallah, said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who was in Paris for a Mediterranean summit.

"We welcome this meeting," Erekat said. If Obama is elected, he added, "we hope he will stay the course between Israel and the Palestinians in reaching peace and a two-state solution."

During the same visit, Obama is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Israeli officials. The Obama campaign declined to comment.

The visit will be closely watched. The U.S. is the key broker in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, and officials on both sides are trying to get a feel on whether Obama will change U.S. policy in the region.

President Bush is trying to broker a peace agreement before he leaves office.

In Paris on Sunday, Olmert said the sides are closer than ever to achieving peace, but it is uncertain whether they can meet Bush's target date for at least the outline of a final deal. Israel and the Palestinians remain at odds over key issues, such as the fate of Jerusalem, and a burgeoning corruption scandal has threatened to drive Olmert from office.

Palestinians have privately complained that they suspect Mr. Bush is biased toward Israel, and expressed hope the next U.S. leader will be more sympathetic to their cause. While they have been careful not to take sides, officials were disappointed when McCain did not meet with them during his trip to Israel last March.

McCain has long been a strong supporter of Israel in the Senate, and it appears unlikely he will radically change Mr. Bush's policies. During his visit, McCain said he would "personally be engaged" in peace talks if he's elected and make the matter his "highest priority."

Obama's positions are far less clear.

In a recent speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, he offered such ardent support for Israel that he had to backtrack just a few days later. Obama, working to woo Jewish voters, told the lobbying group that he supported Israel retaining control of an "undivided" Jerusalem. The comment so infuriated many Arab leaders that he was forced to issue a clarification that he didn't oppose Israeli-Palestinian negotiations over the future of the city.

Obama also has raised concerns among Israel's supporters because of his willingness to speak to Iran, while some have expressed concern about his Muslim roots. Obama's father and stepfather were Muslim and he spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country. But he is a Christian.

Few details of Obama's overseas travel schedule have been released. Obama's campaign has said he will travel to Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain.

In London on Monday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters he will meet Obama there for talks in the coming weeks. "I think we will discuss what we can do about oil prices and food," Brown said during his monthly news conference.

[leftyintexas]

Glad to see at least one of our candidates realizes that you can''t have peace in the Middle East without talking to BOTH SIDES! The Republicons don''t seem to have grasped how negotiations work. Just like they haven''t grasped how to do ANYTHING ELSE these past eight years! Only 189 days left! Enjoy!

[rowdywicca]

he might as well meet with all of the concerned parties so he knows them the next time he returns as US President Barack Hussein Obama.


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Posted by SgtRDS10-4 at 06:50 PM : Jul 14, 2008

Ever heard of fat chance? The man couldn''t even get the majority votes of the democrats and the republicans haven''t even started to vote yet!

But enjoy this little delusion you''re having.

[barocalto]

Obama is going to lose the general election. Right now he has a 4% lead over McCain which is nothing. Obama should be up by 18% what with the hate for Bush and all but he is not and that is key. People know who McCain is heck he''''''''''''''''s been around since Washington but they are just starting to learn who Obama is and his poll numbers are dropping.

Hillary she won 18M votes and two state they don''''''''''''''''t want to count... Hillary she can win.

[sgtrds10-4]

he might as well meet with all of the concerned parties so he knows them the next time he returns as US President Barack Hussein Obama.

[obama8years]

Barack Obama, Reverend Wright, Trinity United Church of Christ and Hamas

Would your %u201Cchurch,%u201D if you fellowship with one, put on it%u2019s bulletin board hateful articles from the anti-semitic, terrorist group Hamas? Barack Obama%u2019s CURRENT church, Trinity United Church of Christ, did just that.

Of course, Barack Obama didn%u2019t even think his church was particularly controversial until the American public was made aware of the hateful things that his good friend, ex-pastor Jeremiah Wright, had said during Obama%u2019s long, twenty-year association with it. Barack Obama first said that he did not hear the conspiratorial, racist, antisemitic, anti-American rhetoric spewing from the mouth of his pastor during those many years he has been attending his church. But during his race speech he admitted he in fact did hear some of those hateful words, but wouldn%u2019t elaborate on what exactly he heard, nor what he told Wright concerning how he felt about the remarks.


Now comes a report by NBC News that while Wright was in charge at Obama%u2019s CURRENT church, reprinted anti-Israel writings, including one column by none other than Hamas leader, Mousa Abu Marzook, appeared on the bulletin board there.



Of course, Obama must not have seen or heard about such articles, right? And what does his church have anything to do with Obama running for POTUS anyway? This controversy is only guilt by association, right?

[jn122736]

There really isn%u2019t anything anyone can say that would show the true racial hatred and total lack of character as clearly as their own words/comments are doing.
Posted by jn122736 at 05:32 PM : Jul 14, 2008

Wow, you just described the Trinity United Church of Christ in a nutshell.

Posted by DECEPTION3 at 05:53 PM : Jul 14, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DECEPTION3;

The saddest part about the racial bigotry being exhibited by posters like yourself is that the entire world has access to these sites and the impression they must be getting of America.

With their total disrespect for the rest of the world, not to mention our own constitution, the Bush administration has all but destroyed the respect America has always enjoyed, and lately, all these, obviously racial, comments are damaging what little respect may be left.

[jn122736]

I''''m so glad that I don''''t see very few if any posting in rebuttal to the Republican nonsense on this site. For Obama supporters recall we have are own place to blog for questions or general conversations. Please don''''t engage these bloggers.
Posted by labrat9999 at 04:18 PM : Jul 14, 2008
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

labrat9999;

There really isn%u2019t anything anyone can say that would show the true racial hatred and total lack of character as clearly as their own words/comments are doing.

[liberalme]

w0w Obama will fill right at home there.

Of Course why would any one trust him not to interfer.

He thinks he is God''''s Gift to the world.

Posted by seah5 at 04:41 PM : Jul 14, 2008

No, that was Georgie boy--he''s the one who said God told him to be president--I don''t recall Obama saying that, or even behaving as though he is Gods gift to the world.
He''s just far more intelligent than Bush and doesn''t have to work very hard at proving it. Bush, on the other hand is proud of his ignorance and isn''t afraid to constantly remind the world what an idiot he really is!
Of course, if someone is afraid of a "black president" or an intelligent president--they would prefer the Bush mental simplicity---stuck on stupid.

[seah5]

w0w Obama will fill right at home there.

Of Course why would any one trust him not to interfer.

He thinks he is God''s Gift to the world.

[ici2i]

Wow, you Obama haters sound like the McCarthyism fear mongers of the cold war days. Back then, if you associated with the wrong person, you were labeled RED and a communist. Today, we have the Muslim fear mongers. It made no sense then and less sense today. Negotiating with the so-called enemy brought down the wall and now we live in peace. Why don''t you go bury your heads in the sand if you''re so convinced death and destruction is a better end than talk and diplomacy. We may fight in the end, but we''ll be ***@d if we don''t at least try. Racism is ignorance. Negotiating and dialogue takes courage.