Obama Heading to West Bank

[Hope And Change]

Obama Heading to West Bank (7:18am)

Posted: July 14, 2008 01:20 PM

PARIS (AP) - A Palestinian official says Barack Obama will visit the West Bank and meet the Palestinian president during a swing through the Middle East next week.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says the Democratic presidential candidate will travel to Ramallah on July 23rd. He says Obama is scheduled to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Erekat says if Obama is elected, the Palestinians hope "he will stay the course between Israel and the Palestinians in reaching peace."

Obama's likely Republican opponent, John McCain, visited Israel in March but did not meet with the Palestinians. Obama is also expected to visit Israel. Erekat spoke today in Paris, where Abbas attended a summit yesterday.


http://www.wtvr.com/Global/story.asp?S=8669078">Link

[PATRICK]

1. Excellent

and this is a perinent, pointed venture which should not even bother to rise to McCain's bait to "visit Souhth America".

[caledesi]

2. Great! nt

[NattPang]

3. I'm waiting for the coverage.

I want to see how much of it he gets.

[scheming daemons]

4. Please, Secret Service, do your job well......

[Douglas Carpenter]

5. encouraging news

[blonndee]

6. kick

[democrattotheend]

7. Strategically this seems like a bad move

As president I hope he will follow the Clinton model and pursue more active diplomacy with both sides. But as a candidate I don't think visiting the West Bank is the right move...I'm surprised he decided to do it, given how hard he has been working to win the Jewish vote.

On the other hand, maybe this will give the people who have been whining about FISA and other "shifts to the center" something to get excited about.