Senator John McCain spent the day in Israel today.
The above photo shows him praying at the Kotel, also known as the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
However, he also spent time in Sderot with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barack:
US Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Wednesday showed vigorous support for Israel, where he made a highly symbolic visit to a town hit by near-daily rocket fire from Gaza.
"No nation in the world can be attacked incessantly and have its population killed and intimidated without responding," McCain said in the southern town of Sderot, where he visited a house hit by a rocket fired by Islamists in the Gaza Strip, just a few kilometres (miles) away.
The Arizona senator was in Israel on a fact-finding mission which has also taken him to Iraq and Jordan and has been widely seen as a bid to polish his credentials as a statesman.
"Seeing it first-hand, the situation here is one that is very compelling," McCain told reporters in Sderot after touring the town with Defence Minister Ehud Barak.
"Nine hundred rocket attacks in the last three months; this puts an enormous strain on everyone here, especially the children."
McCain warned in an interview with the Jerusalem Post that Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia threatened not only the Jewish state but also US and Western interests.
"If Hamas-Hezbollah succeed here, they are going to succeed everywhere.
"They are dedicated to the extinction of everything that the US, Israel and the West believe and stand for," the Republican candidate added.
Politics? Maybe. But I haven't exactly seen too many politicians willing to put themselves on the firing line by going to a place where residents have about 50 seconds warning before a Qassam hits. Even Olmert doesn't dare show his face there.
Certainly President Bush and Condi Rice, who pressured the Israelis into a follhardy retreat from Gaza and bear direct responsibility for the carnage in Sderot would never be found there.
There are a lot of things one could say about John McCain, but lack of guts isn't one of them. And like the famous movie line, guts may just be enough.
4 comments:
correction....15 seconds warning. not 50. i hate to be nit pickey but it's a big difference.
Indeed it is. Mea culpa
While the actions of Condi Rice and George W. Bush have certainly been deplorable, the Israeli government bears the "direct responsibility." They could have very easily said no to the Americans. SAying no to the Russians who supply a large percentage of their oil or to the EU who is their leading trading partner will be a bit more tricky but the Israelis can say no to these people to. They should say no to the Americasn and to anyone else who pressures them.
Of all of the major powers the Americans are probably the easiest for Israel to handle. The US has a massive debt load. Its military is stretched extremely thin and its soldiers are generally poorly led, poorly trained, and demoralized. If Israel is pressured by the US, Israel should tell the Americans to get lost. The Americans are no threat to Israel on any level.
Saying no to Russia will be a bit trickery. Russia supplies a large portion of Israel's oil and the Russains have a very powerful, well led, and highly motivated military.
Saying no to the EU is also somewhat tricky, however, the EU does not pose nearly the challenges that Russia does. The EU's power is mostly economic.
Nevertheless, if the Israelis put their trust in the God who decreed to them the land of Israel, they will prevail against Russia, the EU, the US, or anyone who tries to come against them.
Poltics? Definitely not. There is nothing to be gained politically by going to Sderot. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Any politician who is seen as being to close to Israel will be vilified in the wold media and in much of the US media. Sure one might score a few points with so called Christian Evangelicals. (I think I'm a member of this so called group.) Evangelicals have very little influence in American politics. As such, there is little to gain and much to lose by trying to curry favor with them.
The only reason for Mr. McCain to have gone to Sderot is becuase he genuinely cares about Israel and the people in Sderot. I'm glad America has people like Mr. McCain.
There are many areas of disagreement I have with John McCain, however, one of the cool things about John McCain is he seems to do what he feels is right regardless of what the media or any one else thinks about him. The visit to Sderot is an example of this.
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