Ross and Kurtzer on Obama’s visit to Israel
Dear Friends,
In late July, Senator Obama traveled to Israel to meet with Israel’s leaders, to express his unequivocal commitment to Israel’s security and to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship. In his meetings with Israeli officials, Senator Obama reaffirmed his longstanding belief that Israel’s security is “sacrosanct,” and reiterated his commitment to the steadfast relationship between the United States and Israel. Senator Obama traveled to Sderot to express his support and deep concern for the innocent victims of terror perpetrated by Hamas. He met with Palestinian leaders in Ramallah and received an update on the progress of their ongoing talks, held a range of discussions with Israeli officials, and he offered support for their shared vision of achieving a secure peace.
As Senator Obama’s Middle East Policy Advisors, we were honored to accompany him on his trip, and we are eager to share with you a recap of his historic visit.
Upon arriving at Ben Gurion airport, the Senator expressed how pleased he was to be back in Israel and laid out his goals for this leg of his overseas mission:
“I want input and insight from Israel’s leaders about how they see the current situation, I will share some of my ideas. The most important idea for me to reaffirm is the historic and special relationship between the United States and Israel. One that cannot be broken. One that I have affirmed throughout my career and one that I will intend to not only continue but actually strengthen in an Obama administration.”
Senator Obama arrived just hours after a terrorist bulldozer attack in Jerusalem, and he made the following statement in response:
“…It is just one more reminder of why we have to work diligently, urgently and in a unified way to defeat terrorism. There are no excuses and I am absolutely committed to working with the Israeli government to make sure that these kind of occurrences do not happen. And my thought and prayers go out to the families that have suffered as a consequence of today’s vicious attacks.”
The next morning, Senator Obama began a packed day by sharing breakfast with current Israeli Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Their discussion about the serious threats that Israel and America face together in the region focused on Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and nuclear proliferation. Senator Obama reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring Israel’s security and standing up for Israel’s right to self-defense, and he made clear his determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which he described as a grave threat to both Israel and the United States..
Next Senator Obama met with Opposition Leader and Likud Party Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu. Senator Obama and former Prime Minister Netanyahu have met before, and their personal relationship is warm and friendly. After their meeting in 2007, when they discussed the threat posed by a nuclear Iran, Senator Obama authored and sponsored the “Iran Sanctions Enabling Act” [S.1430], a bill that makes it easier for state and local governments to divest their pension funds from Iran’s energy sector. Senator Obama’s bill has been called one of the most important pieces of legislation in the fight to stop Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon. It was recently approved by the Senate Banking Committee and awaits passage by the full Senate this fall.
Senator Obama’s next stop was a somber one that brought a sharp reminder of the Jewish people’s tragic experiences in the twentieth century. He visited Yad Vashem (his second visit), Israel’s Holocaust memorial and museum. After touring the exhibits with the museum’s chairman, Senator Obama laid a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance and lit a flame in memory of the six million who perished at the hands of the Nazis. He expressed his intention to bring his children with him on his next visit to Yad Vashem, and then wrote poignantly in the memorial’s guestbook:
“Let our children come here and know this history so they can add their voices to proclaim ‘Never Again.’ And may we remember those who perished, not only as victims but also as individuals who hoped and loved and dreamed like us and who have become symbols of the human spirit.”
Watch the Video of Senator Obama at Yad Vashem
Senator Obama then paid a visit to Israeli President and elder statesman Shimon Peres at his official residence. Senator Obama and President Peres enjoyed a productive meeting and spoke about how to build a better future for Israelis, Americans, and people throughout the world, through economic and technological development, as well as through the pursuit of peace. In a public appearance before their meeting, President Peres expressed his “high regard” for his guest, saying:
“They say the future belongs to the young — they are wrong. The present belongs to the young. …Senator I read your two books and your articles and I do believe if you ask me what is my overall impression I would say a moving humanity. I was moved as a human man, a human being, and what we need is moving humanity in our time to overcome the problems to raise hope. The future [is] before you. The world, and so are we, [are] with you. God bless you.”
(Credit: Israeli MFA)
Then, Senator Obama traveled to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. They discussed the progress of the current peace talks, the need for the Palestinians to fulfill their security obligations, and the opportunities for the next administration to help the parties build on the progress they have made.
Senator Obama then returned to Jerusalem and held discussions with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Iran, peace talks with the Palestinians and Syria, and the threat from Hezbollah. The two of them, joined by Defense Minister Barak, then flew on an IDF helicopter to Sderot. For the residents of this southern Israeli town, terrorism has been a daily event. Senator Obama visited a family in their home which had been destroyed by one of the Qassam rockets that Hamas has been raining down on Sderot’s houses, schools, and playgrounds, and met an eight year-old boy who had lost a leg in one of the attacks. Standing in front of a collection of mangled Qassam rockets, Senator Obama expressed his admiration for the resilience and courage of those who have had to endure this daily onslaught by Hamas and his commitment to Israel’s right to defend its citizens from terrorism:
“The State of Israel faces determined enemies who seek its destruction. But it also has a friend and ally in the United States that will always stand by the people of Israel. That’s why I’m proud to be here today and that’s why I will work from the moment that I return to America, to tell the story of Sderot and to make sure that the good people who live here are enjoying a future of peace and security and hope.”
“If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I’m going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing.”
“…We don’t need a peace deal just to have a piece of paper that doesn’t result in peace. We need something that’s meaningful. And it’s not going to be meaningful if Israel’s security is not part of that package. …So, my job is to — if I’m the President, my job and my team’s job is not to dictate to either of the parties what this deal should be, but hopefully to be able to facilitate and promote a meaningful, realistic, pragmatic, concrete strategy for achieving these goals.”
Watch the Video of Senator Obama’s Press Conference from Sderot
During his trip, Senator Obama also reached out to the Goldwasser and Regev families to offer his condolences for their loss, and he spoke with the Shalit family to express his hope and support that Galit is returned home safely. Later in Jerusalem, Senator Obama met with Mayor Uri Lupolianski and with two of the victims of the terrorist attack in Jerusalem the previous day, before sitting down for dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. They held a productive discussion about a range of issues, and Senator Obama reassured the Prime Minister that any future U.S. Administration would work to strengthen the special relationship with the State of Israel, and that he and the prime minister agree on the priority of preventing Iran from succeeding in its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Senator Obama told his interlocutors in Israel that he understands that Iran poses an existential threat to Israel and the United States. This is a message he carried with him in the days that followed to Europe, where he commended the work of the EU 3 on pressuring Iran and spoke to leaders in Berlin, Paris, and London about how the international community needs to work together urgently to prevent a nuclear Iran.
Senator Obama’s meetings in Israel laid the groundwork for his discussions in Europe, and he will make it a priority in an Obama Administration to restore America’s role as a global leader on this issue. In his speech in Berlin, attended by over 200,000 people, Senator Obama drew on what he heard from leaders in Israel and saw during his visit to Yad Vashem when he declared:
“This is the moment we must help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East. My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions. We must support the Lebanese who have marched and bled for democracy, and the Israelis and Palestinians who seek a secure and lasting peace.
…Now the world will watch and remember what we do here - what we do with this moment. Will we extend our hand to the people in the forgotten corners of this world who yearn for lives marked by dignity and opportunity; by security and justice?
…Will we stand for the human rights of the dissident in Burma, the blogger in Iran, or the voter in Zimbabwe? Will we give meaning to the words “never again” in Darfur?”
Senator Obama believes strongly that much tougher economic sanctions than have been employed thus far can be effective against Iran, especially if coupled with the offer of incentives that would be available to Iran if they end their nuclear program, support for terrorism, and threats against Israel. At the same time, Senator Obama has said that he will take no option off the table when it comes to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The current administration’s policy of weak sticks and weak carrots has not worked and cannot work. A policy of strong sticks and strong carrots–one that raises the costs to the Iranians to the point where they have to make a choice–is the policy that is needed. And, this is precisely the point Senator Obama made with European leaders; a point that was made more poignant by the impressions he passed on from Israeli leaders who understandably view Iran with nuclear weapons as an existential threat.
Senator Obama made one final stop before his departure to Europe. He was honored to visit the Western Wall, in the heart of Jerusalem’s Old City to pray and reflect on his visit and the challenges ahead. After the Western Wall Chief Rabbi, Shmuel Rabinovitz, led a prayer of Psalm 122, Senator Obama spent a personal moment at the Wall and slipped a personal note of prayer between the stones. He departed Israel for Europe that morning to continue his overseas trip, but he left a lasting impression on the Israeli people and the leaders he met with on his visit.
We have spent years in the Middle East working with regional leaders to tackle difficult issues of peace, security, and international cooperation. Traveling with Senator Obama afforded us the opportunity to observe his interactions with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and our immediate impression was a profound admiration for his depth of understanding and fluency with all of the key issues and players involved.
We encourage you to forward this letter to everyone you know who may have missed the coverage of Senator Obama’s historic visit so they can read and see for themselves the strong connection he has forged with the people of Israel and their leaders.
Regards,
Ambassador Dennis Ross
Former U.S. Special Middle East Coordinator
Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel & Egypt