Why hasn't Obama went to Israel yet? I feel like a speech there could help a lot of things

[LeftyAndProud60]

And a town hall at a university. I think the youth can be reached there.

[JuniperLea]

1. Why?

Is Israel in America? Are there American voters there?

[oberliner]

28. Does President Obama not visit other foreign countries?

Is his administration not currently engaged in efforts to broker a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians?

[JuniperLea]

40. Doesn't he have his hands full?

Hasn't he sent people to do this?

The wolves are at the door and the alligators are nipping at our heels... and Obama should go elsewhere? There are priorities. If America doesn't get back on track, we're not going to be able to do jack shit for anyone, including ourselves.

He catches hell every time he takes time away from the White House.

[oberliner]

42. Well he just spoke at the UN and identified the I/P issue as a top priority

He appears to believe that working for peace in the Middle East could yield positive results for America.

I don't see a personal appeal from President Obama to the Israeli and Palestinian people on behalf of the administration to support the peace process that his administration is promoting as a bad thing.

[JuniperLea]

44. Nor do I...

But I think he needs to stick closer to home for a while; there's too much work to be done. Clearly progress is being made without such a trip.

[oberliner]

45. Guess we pretty much agree then

All the best!

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[dave29]

3. ouch, a little less generalizing on my peeps

thanks

[LAGC]

12. Well, Israelis did overwhelmingly back McCain over Obama in 2008.

So there might be some truth to that.

[Warren Stupidity]

13. When did they get to vote in our elections?

[LAGC]

20. There were numerous polls conducted.

And in each and every one of them, a majority of Israelis preferred McCain to Obama, for obvious reasons. ("Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran...")

[mcollins]

38. The Jewish vote in 2008

Now- you siad Israelis, which I assume you mean citizens of Israel who don't vote in our elections.

Of Americans who are of Jewish faith:

>>According to the national exit polls, Jews voted for Obama over McCain 78% to 21%. The NJDC hailed this victory, since it was by a bigger margin than the margin by which Kerry beat Bush among Jewish voters in 2004 according to the exit poll data from that year (74%-25%). All things being equal, why should it be a surprise that Obama did better among Jews than Kerry did, since Kerry lost the popular vote by 2.4% nationally, and Obama won the popular vote by 6.5% nationally, a 9% shift between 2004 and 2008. By this measure the Jewish margin for Obama was 8% greater than it was for Kerry, while the national margin among all voters for Obama was 9% higher than it was for Kerry. This would suggest Obama slightly under- performed among Jewish voters, according to exit poll data.<<

[oberliner]

29. Americans living abroad have always been allowed to vote in our elections

There are several million US citizens living abroad, including a few hundred thousand in Israel, who are eligible to vote in US elections.

With respect to polls of non-US citizens, such polls were conducted in numerous countries around the world at the time of the presidential elections.

From Gallup:

World Citizens Prefer Obama to McCain by More Than 3-to-1

http://www.gallup.com/poll/111253/world-citizens-prefer-obama-mccain-nearly-4to1.aspx

That site has a list of dozens of countries and their preference in the US presidential election of 2008.

[Warren Stupidity]

30. "Israelis prefer"

again - who cares what the preference of other nations is? How is that relevant?

[oberliner]

32. Well most of the rest of the world did not prefer former President Bush

I would say that fact was at least worth nothing.

Certainly the election of the US President is something that is followed with great interest around the world.

Gallup and other polling organizations generally do take polls internationally when there is an election in the US to see the opinions of those in various countries.

I'm sure some folks find it interesting to peruse the results of those surveys.

[karynnj]

33. There are many people with dual US/Israeli citizenship

If you are Jewish, you can move to Israel and very easily become an Israeli citizen. You are not required to give up your American citizenship if you do. They can vote - and they have mostly voted for Democrats.

[CreekDog]

24. but not Jewish people

by the way...

[LAGC]

27. American Jews you mean.

True, they generally supported Obama.

[CreekDog]

36. We are talking about voting --what does that have to do with non-American Israelis?

:shrug:

[maxsolomon]

4. perhaps he wishes to be seen as an honest broker to the muslim world

the secretary of state has been to israel multiple times.

since the 'youth' there aren't Benjamin Netanyahu, what would 'reaching' them accomplish? peace in 50 years?

[nemo137]

46. I believe Israel has elections, yes?

Frequent changes of power, a parliamentary system where small parties can and do hold the balance of power. And I believe their voting age is roughly the same as ours. So, yes, appealing to the "youth" has the potential to be helpful.

[tabatha]

5. went ?

[Pisces]

15. Lol, kind of gives them away.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. How do you know he hasn't went?

[FrenchieCat]

7. Got a request?

Get in line!

[treestar]

14. +100000

Everyone has their priorities set out for the President.

[petersjo02]

8. Well, if he does make a speech there,

I hope his grammar is better than yours.

[LeftyAndProud60]

17. Oh God!!!!!! I've been pulled over by the Grammar Police. Get a clue. NT

[Zoeisright]

26. +1000000

[Ozymanithrax]

9. Talk is cheap...n/t

[FrenchieCat]

10. Only when he's talking......

When he's not talking, then it is recommended that he should take
to the bull pulpit!


Dizzy yet? I know I'm getting there! :crazy:

[Ozymanithrax]

11. FrenchiCat, if Obama were to speak at all the venues people here want him to speak at..

He would not have time to do anything but catch cat naps on Airforce 1.

Having seen calls for him to ascend the bullypuplit too many times recently, I just treated this as a joke. My apologies if this is serious.

[HughMoran]

16. I don't think he's 'went' anywhere

[Ken Burch]

18. Why hasn't YOU went to English class yet?

n/t.

[tabatha]

19. Well, this thread "went" nowhere.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jim Sagle]

41. Sounds like a personal problem.

[akbacchus_BC]

21. Why does President Obama needs to go to Israel? He is not God,

he is trying to solve the shit in the US! Israel can wait and if you want to go, knock yourself out!

[akbacchus_BC]

22. On second thoughts, you full of crap. When did President Obama said

he can solve all the world's issues?

Am just happy he got elected! And he not here to solve everybody's problems!

[CreekDog]

25. Because they are building settlements

And the US position is that they should not.

Why should we reward that by placing our president on the world stage in the nation that is doing the thing we are expressly against.

[JTFrog]

31. Why isnt are childrun lurning?

:eyes:

[karynnj]

34. He might be waiting until at least a small gesture is made by the Israelis

A promised visit could be a potential lever in negotiations. Obama DID visit Israel in 2008.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

35. Is our children learnin'?

[AtomicKitten]

37. In English, please. nt

[Sheepshank]

39. Good grief...

when he went anywhere it was critisized. Now there's no good reason to go there, you are critisizing.

He'll not went so long as it makes not sense.

[CreekDog]

43. Why do you want him to "reach young people there"?

he could reach young people anywhere, why Israel, why now? for what purpose?

[oberliner]

47. Maybe to encourage them to support peace with the Palestinians

Helping to secure an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement clearly appears to be one of the goals of the Obama administration.