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McCain and Israel

By Philip Klein on 1.14.08 @ 12:04PM

Andrew McCarthy notes some troubling statements from 2006:

McCain told Haaretz that as president, he would "micromanage" U.S. policy toward Israel and the Palestinians and would dispatch "the smartest guy I know" to the region, presumably to jump-start a new push for a comprehensive accord. Asked who that "smartest guy" might be, McCain responded: "Brent Scowcroft, or James Baker, though I know that you in Israel don't like Baker."

Great, as if the situation isn't dire enough in the Middle East, that's all we need now is to send James "F...-the-Jews" Baker over there, the man who botched the 1991 Madrid peace conference, and who used the Iraq Study Group report as a platform to recommend that Israel be pressured into giving up land to Syria to improve the situation in Iraq.

I prefer Rudy's approach:

It is not in the interest of the United States, at a time when it is being threatened by Islamist terrorists, to assist the creation of another state that will support terrorism. Palestinian statehood will have to be earned through sustained good governance, a clear commitment to fighting terrorism, and a willingness to live in peace with Israel. America's commitment to Israel's security is a permanent feature of our foreign policy.

UPDATE: McCarthy notes that McCain disputed the Haaretz article at the time.

topics:
Islam, Iraq, Israel