I support Obama for president, and I was a little disappointed by his speech to an AIPAC crowd a couple of weeks ago-- not because of what he did say, but because of what he didn't say. He did not, on that occasion, judging from the reports I read, say much about the Palestinians. Obama had been sympathetic to the situation of Palestinians in the past, and this seemed like a missed opportunity.
Last night Obama made up for it.
As reported in the New York Times, Obama last night reiterated his concern for the plight of Palestinians in front of an AIPAC crowd.
The article contrasts Obama's approach with that of Hillary Clinton.
They sounded some of the same themes, yet Mr. Obama proved more expansive by bringing up the Palestinians and ruminating on the Holocaust and slavery and on cynicism in politics.
Using the same language at points, both candidates lamented terrorism aimed at "innocent" civilians. They talked tough about Iran, with Mr. Obama calling Iran "a genuine threat" to the United States and Israel and forswearing "a nuclear arms race in the Middle East."
Mrs. Clinton stayed focused on Israel and its safety, emphasizing, as she has before, that "no option is off the table" if a confrontation escalates with Iran. By contrast, while Mr. Obama flatly said at one point, "I am pro-Israel," he also pointedly mentioned the Palestinians.
Toward the end of his speech, after heaping praise on Israel, he said, "All of us are committed to two states living side by side in peace." And as soon as there were Palestinian partners who "renounced violence," he added, peace negotiations with Israel should unfold. These remarks drew scattered applause.
This was a good first step. I think Israel is an important ally of the United States, but I also think AIPAC has misplaced priorities, and does not represent the best interest of Israel or America.
I might add, as an aside, that while Obama should probably avoid statements that seem to unnecessarily compare the suffering of different peoples, his supposedly controversial statement ("Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people") does not say Palestinians are suffering more than Israelis, but rather that they are suffering at least as much as Israelis ("Nobody is suffering more"). Still, there are more artful ways of addressing the matter, as I'm sure he and his aides have now realized.