Obama in Israel, but Israel doesn't quite get Obama. WP:

Obama is viewed quizzically by many Israelis, who believe he is likely to become the next U.S. president, but don't know quite what to make of his unusual name and his slim track record in foreign policy.

While Obama's statements of support for the Jewish state have gone over well, false rumors persist that he is Muslim (Obama is Christian). There is widespread apprehension in Israel that he would be more sympathetic to Palestinian interests than previous American presidents have been.

"On the one hand, I hear that he is a Muslim and dangerous to the Jews. On the other hand, I hear he supports us in his speeches, so I feel torn in my feeling towards him," said Haim Moyal, 29, a T-shirt designer working in a Jerusalem shop. [...]

Cameron S. Brown, deputy director of Israel's Global Research in International Affairs Center, said excitement over Obama's visit in Israel was muted by the knowledge that "he's not really here for us."

"When he comes here to kiss Israeli babies, he's not really kissing Israeli babies. He's kissing American Jewish babies," Brown said. "There's nothing wrong with that, but everyone is very clear-eyed about it." ...

(Reuters photo via Ha'aretz).

Posted by Laura at July 23, 2008 01:11 PM