Candidate Position Comparisons on Middle East, U.S. President & Vice President,

Any responses to Middle East issue questions presented on the bottom of this page are those of Barack Obama, Ralph Nader, Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr and John Mccain seeking U.S. President & Vice President. The links immediately below will provide pages of candidate responses to other issues, with the first link to a report of all the issues and questions available to Barack Obama, Ralph Nader, Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr and John Mccain. Since many candidates choose not to respond to many questions, links are only provided where we have response information. Also, you may need to scroll down to compare responses if many candidates are seeking this office.

Middle East Issues	* Barack Obama - D	Ralph Nader - I	Chuck Baldwin - CON
Middle East Policy, a General Statement	Obama: [The US should] use American moral authority and credibility to help achieve Middle East peace. Our first and immutable commitment must be to the security of Israel, our only true ally in the Middle East and the only democracy. We must be consistent and we must include the EU and the Arab States in pressing for reforms within the Palestinian community. Source: Press Release, "Renewal of American Leadership " Date: 07/12/2004	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Israel	Obama: Support Foreign Assistance to Israel: Barack Obama has consistently supported foreign assistance to Israel. He defends and supports the annual foreign aid package that involves both military and economic assistance to Israel and has advocated increased foreign aid budgets to ensure that these funding priorities are met. He has called for continuing U.S. cooperation with Israel in the development of missile defense systems. Source: Barack Obama's official candidate website Date: 01/28/2008	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Palestinian West Bank and Gaza	Obama: Obama defended his remark that "nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people," a statement attacked by some pro-Israel activists. His version differed in tone if not in substance from the way it was originally reported, however. Obama claimed in the debate that he meant "the Palestinian people from the failure of the Palestinian leadership to recognize , to renounce violence, and to get serious about negotiating peace and security for the region." That's somewhat different from the way Obama was quoted March 12. As reported, Obama attributed Palestinian suffering to "the stalled peace efforts with Israel" and not so narrowly to failures by Palestinian leadership only. However, the Des Moines Register also reported that Obama praised Israel as an important US ally and urged the Palestinian government to recognize Israel and renounce terrorism. So far as we can tell, the Register had the only reporter present at the event and no full transcript exists. Source: FactCheck.org on 2007 South Carolina Democratic debate Date: 04/26/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Israeli and Palestinian Peace Efforts	Obama: America’s moral authority and credibility will be needed, now more than ever, in the quest for a Middle East peace. Our first and immutable commitment must be to the security of Israel, our only true ally in the Middle East and the only democracy. The Administration’s failure to be consistently involved in helping Israel achieve peace with the Palestinians has been both wrong for our friendship with Israel, as well as badly damaging to our standing in the Arab world. I do not pretend to have all the answers to this vexing problem. What I can say is this – not only must we be consistent, but we will not succeed unless we have the cooperation of the European Union and the Arab States in pressing for reforms within the Palestinian community. Source: www.barackobama.com Date: 12/08/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Recognition of a Palestinian State	Obama: Obama will make progress on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a key diplomatic priority. He will make a sustained push - working with Israelis and Palestinians - to achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state in Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security. Source: Barack Obama's official candidate website Date: 02/22/2008	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
War in Lebanon	Obama: No Response	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Hizbullah and Hamas	Obama: The Israeli people, and Prime Minister Olmert, have made clear that they are more than willing to negotiate an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will result in two states living side by side in peace and security. But the Israelis must trust that they have a true Palestinian partner for peace. That is why we must strengthen the hands of Palestinian moderates who seek peace and that is why we must maintain the isolation of Hamas and other extremists who are committed to Israel's destruction. Source: Council on Foreign Relations website Date: 03/02/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Syria	Obama: We have to realize that the entire Middle East has a huge stake in the outcome of Iraq, and that we have to engage neighboring countries in finding a solution. Now, I believe that includes opening dialogue both Syria and Iran. We know these countries want us to fail. I'm under no illusions there, but I also know that neither Syria nor Iran want to see a security vacuum in Iraq filled with chaos, and terrorism, and refugees and violence, since those could have a destabilizing effect on the entire region, including within their own countries. So, even as we remain steadfast in our opposition to their support of terrorism, even as we continue to put pressure on Iran to stand down on its nuclear ambitions, it's absolutely critical that we talk to the Syrians and the Iranians about playing a more constructive role in Iraq. Source: Virtual Town Hall on Iraq, sponsored by MoveOn.org Date: 04/10/2007	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Saudi Arabia	Obama: No Response	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Egypt	Obama: No Response	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Turkey	Obama: No Response	Nader: No Response	Baldwin: No Response
Middle East Issues	Bob Barr - L	John Mccain - R
Middle East Policy, a General Statement	Barr: No Response	Mccain: Free trade is a powerful tool for opening up closed societies, if leaders in the greater Middle East are willing to make necessary and overdue political and economic reforms. It's past time for nations of the Middle East to join the global economy, and for rulers to lead increasingly restive populations in the direction of democracy and free markets. Source: mccain.senate.gov/public/ Date: 02/21/2008
Israel	Barr: No Response	Mccain: And just as there will always be a proud, strong Israel, so too will there always be a close and enduring U.S.-Israel relationship. When it comes to the defense of Israel, we simply cannot compromise. In view of the increased threats to Israeli security, American support for Israel should intensify - to include providing needed military equipment and technology and ensuring that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge. Israel's enemies are too numerous, its margin of error too small, and our shared interests and values too great for any other position. Source: John McCain's official campaign website Date: 07/18/2007
Palestinian West Bank and Gaza	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response
Israeli and Palestinian Peace Efforts	Barr: No Response	Mccain: The recent talks between the Israeli government and the government led by President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank are encouraging, and the United States should support this effort. We also must ensure that Israel's people can live in safety until a Palestinian leadership truly committed to peace emerges. No moral nation - neither Israel nor America - can allow terrorists to chart the political course of its people. Source: John McCain's official candidate website Date: 07/18/2007
Recognition of a Palestinian State	Barr: No Response	Mccain: Palestinian statehood has significant international support, and it is an objective our President supports. But we will do the Palestinian people no favors if Palestinian statehood merely replaces the corrupt, strongman rule of the Palestinian Authority with the corrupt, strongman rule of another Arab dictatorship in Palestine. The Palestinian people deserve better than that. The international community must leverage the unique role it has played in the debate over Palestinian statehood to ensure that any Palestinian state that does emerge is accountable and representative, with power broadly based and with unified police and military forces that are accountable to an elected leader, who will in turn be accountable to the international community, whose financial support will sustain the Palestinian state. Source: Speech at the American Jewish Committee Annual Meeting Date: 05/09/2002
War in Lebanon	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response
Hizbullah and Hamas	Barr: No Response	Mccain: Hamas must change itself fundamentally —renounce violence, abandon its goal of eradicating Israel and accept the two-state solution. These elections are evidence that democracy is indeed spreading in the Middle East, but Hamas is not a partner for peace so long as they advocate the overthrow of Israel. Source: www.johnmccain.com Date: 12/05/2007
Syria	Barr: No Response	Mccain: Syria has refused to crack down on Iraqi insurgents and foreign terrorists operating from within its territory. Source: www.johnmccain.com Date: 12/05/2007
Saudi Arabia	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response
Egypt	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response
Turkey	Barr: No Response	Mccain: No Response

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