I was feeling so great this morning after months of being intensely involved in Obama's campaign. I volunteered, gave money, and spent far too much time vicariously savoring this remarkable candidate's honesty, integrity, and values. I have to admit to myself, however, to being intensely saddened and disappointed after making the mistake of watching Senator Obama's speech to AIPAC.
I can understand the need for pragmatism, and I certainly wasn't expecting him to embrace the Palestinian cause, but the "undivided Jerusalem" comment seemed like an unnecessary betrayal of what he stands for. Aren't the Palestinians worthy of human dignity too? It seems they're the one people, or maybe Arabs in general, that it's still okay to view as second-class citizens. Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem is a violation of international law, and more importantly, is a constant source of humiliation for the Palestinians. I'm Jewish and I just feel completely outraged that Jews would treat another people this way, from ghettoizing them behind their "security fence," to turning Gaza into a giant prison camp where malnutrition rates reach 60%. I was hoping Obama would be brave enough to maybe challenge this status quo, at least a little bit. To at least maybe acknowledge Palestinian suffering, but instead he offered this new, in-your-face "undivided Jerusalem" policy, which goes beyond even Bush and McCain.
If anyone out there has an encouraging take on his speech, I'd love to hear it. It just really bummed me out and I suddenly feel detached and deflated. I know I'm probably overdoing it, that it's just one issue, but it still stings.