Senator Obama at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem (Photo from The Guardian)From War In Context:
President-elect Barack Obama’s silence on the weeklong conflict in Gaza is drawing criticism among Arabs who have grown skeptical about hopes that his administration will break with the Mideast policies of the Bush era.
Obama, who is moving to Washington this weekend, was on vacation in Hawaii when the crisis erupted and has made no statements, either about Israel’s bombing of Gaza or Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel. His aides say that he does not wish to address foreign-policy issues in any way that could send “confusing signals” about U.S. policy as long as President George W. Bush is in office.
“President-elect Obama is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza, but there is one president at a time,” said Brooke Anderson, chief national security spokeswoman for the Obama transition team.
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My Comment: Past Presidents have always commented on foreign policy during the transition period. President-elect Obama is clearly being tested here .... he will have to say something in the next few days because if he does not .... the repercussions form the Arab world are going to haunt him for much of his first year.