Obama: I Support You, but I Fear You

Barack, you said something that scared me recently. First, let me say that I think Obama is the best candidate that is running for office, so this is more of a constructive criticism than anything. But this verbal gaffe resonated around the world, so it is a harsh criticism.

The first thing that I heard was regarding Middle Eastern policy. On Wednesday, June 4th, Obama attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference. There had been negative feedback in the media that Obama wasn't pro-Israel "enough" and that is a tough thing to take while running for President with a state like Florida having considerable affect on who gets into office. At this conference Obama gave a speech that touched on many topics - the evil of the Holocaust, the increased threat of violence against Israel by Iran & Syria, Hamas & Hizbullah, and the very important the need for a Palestinian state. But one key statement caught the attention of the world:

"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided."

Now, as we are all arm chair analysts to what is actually going on in Mr. Obama's mind, we are making a bit of a leap as to what he meant. Does Obama believe that the city of Jerusalem ought to be completely controlled by Israel for Israel and populated only by Israelites? Does Obama believe that Jerusalem should be a city peacefully populated by people of two countries without "barbed wire and checkpoints" but absolutely one city and an invisible legal line?

The JPost.com article quoted responses from an Obama advisor that attempted to clarify the meaning of the phrase. The damage was done. As quoted in the article:

"In the current context, everyone understands that saying 'Jerusalem... must remain undivided' means that the holy city must remain unified under Israeli rule, as it has been since 1967," Nathan Diament, director of public policy for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, explained.

The reaction by others was just as strong:

"Of one thing I am certain: Obama's declarations at the AIPAC conference are very, very bad for peace. And what is bad for peace is bad for Israel, bad for the world and bad for the Palestinian people," Uri Avenry.

The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, said, "This statement is totally rejected. The whole world knows that holy Jerusalem was occupied in 1967, and we will not accept a Palestinian state without having Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state."

Do we all dream that a city as important to human history should be peaceful and taken care of and represent all that is good in us? Of course, we all do. As the President of the United States of America you have a responsibility to know the consequences of your words. You have a responsibility to know who you are saying them to. Barack, please, continue to pay attention to the words you speak and let us know, without delay, exactly what they mean because you now have that responsibility to us. Us being the world.