Elliott Cahan, a former Baltimorean, had no shortage of feelings towards the Obama issue.
“Putting aside my Republican hat for a minute and looking at this from an Israeli perspective, I think that John McCain has clearly distinguished himself over his career as a very strong friend of Israel, not jut in words, but in actions. This region cannot afford another Jimmy Carter, who had no foreign policy background and basically learned on the job. That’s what we would get if Obama was elected. He clearly demonstrated his inexperience when he spoke at the AIPAC convention.
“Secondly,” he continued, “Obama’s association with Reverend Wright is very troubling and should not be overlooked. The oleh (immigrant) community that continues to maintain ties to the States probably has followed this story closer than most Israelis. I’m not sure that most Israelis understand the danger of people like Wright that have been connected to someone like Louis Farrakhan.
“Finally, at the end of the day, I believe that the key to U.S.-Israeli relations is dependent on the strength of who our own leaders are. The State of Israel is far removed from the days of the strong principled people like David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir and Menachem Begin. The U.S. president will take the lead from our leaders. President Bush when he spoke to the Knesset sounded far more Israeli than Ehud Olmert. The day that dignity is restored to the Office of the Prime Minister the far better it will be for the people of Israel.”
Meir Tulkoff had this to say: “I personally vote always for the lesser of two evils in politics,” he said. “I believe Mr. McCain has far more experience and a record which demonstrates such. I am plain and simple uncomfortable with the lack of a record or real legislative accomplishment on Mr. Obama’s part.”
A young lady named Nicole had this to say:
“We hope Obama will be good for Israel, but he seems so slick, that we realize he will say what people want to hear. Who knows what he really thinks?”
On what makes a U.S. president good for Israel, she responded, “He should have a very good understanding of the complex issues in the Middle East so that he wouldn’t see the Palestinians only as victims and us as the aggresssors. He should understand how our history influences our present and our future. He would promote cooperation between the U.S. and Israel, and send his best negotiators to help us solve our problems. He would release Jonathan Pollard and work for the release of our prisoners. He should be very strict and insist that before talking to the Arabs and Palestinians that they abide by the Geneva convention for prisoners and allow visits from the UN or International Red Cross. Most of all, he should understand that a strong Israel is in the best interest of the U.S.