Obama meets with area Jewish leaders

Barack Obama told 75 leaders of the Philadelphia-area Jewish community yesterday that as president he would be a friend to American Jews and to the state of Israel.

In a meeting at Rodeph Shalom synagogue on North Broad Street, the Democratic candidate said his links to the Jewish community predated his entry into politics and would extend beyond this campaign.

Obama also addressed the inflammatory remarks of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Those remarks, which received considerable attention last month, have been of particular concern to many Jews.

"I want to be clear that not only do I absolutely reject the anti-American statements of my former pastor, I reject the anti-Israel statements as well," he told the crowd.

Obama said that he would bring to the White House "an unshakable commitment to Israel's security" and that he disagreed with former President Jimmy Carter's decision to meet with the Palestinian organization Hamas, calling it "a terrorist group intent on Israel's destruction."

The Illinois senator spent the bulk of the 50-minute session answering questions, most of which focused on Israel and the Middle East.

Asked whether he would continue U.S. policy of vetoing anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations, Obama said that he would do so and would not hesitate to point out "the hypocrisy" inherent in those resolutions.

Given his background, he said, "that kind of blunt talk is something I can deliver with more credibility than some other presidents might."

He also said that he opposed the "right of return," the idea that Palestinians who left Israel at its founding should be able to go back at some point. Accepting that idea, he said, "would extinguish the Jewish state, and that's not an option."

In his closing comments, Obama, saying he would "like to be honest," offered the thought that some of his problems among Jewish voters stemmed from "scurrilous" e-mail; from his middle name, Hussein; and from the historical tensions between African Americans and Jews.

"Know that I will be there for you, just as I believe you will be there for me," he said.

Reaction to Obama was largely positive, though not universally so.

Nancy Gordon of Haverford, who chairs the local chapter of the Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs, said that she remained strong in her support for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"Her commitment to the Jewish community has been steadfast and knowledgeable," Gordon said. "His experience on these issues does not compare to hers. I get the sense that this is not as much in his core as he says it is."

But State Rep. Josh Shapiro (D., Montgomery), who introduced Obama yesterday, said he thought the candidate had done what he needed to do.

"Jewish voters need to be able to check the boxes - stalwart supporter of Israel and strong friend of the Jewish community - before they can go on to other issues," Shapiro said. "The job for the senator and those of us who are his surrogates is to the get the facts out."

Organizers of the meeting said they had been unable as yet to set up similar sessions with Clinton and Republican John McCain.