Obama: Israel may benefit from Arab uprisings
US president tells democratic donors 'we can’t be naive about changes in Middle East – But we should not be afraid'; notes US's commitment to Israel is sacrosant
WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama claimed on Friday that America “can’t be naïve” about the situation in the Middle East, stressing that Israel may benefit from the wave of popular uprisings that has swept across the Arab world.
Speaking to democratic donors in Miami, the New York Times quoted Obama as saying, “When you look at what’s happening around the world what’s happening in the Middle East, it is a manifestation of new technologies, the winds of freedom that are blowing through countries that have not felt those winds in decades, a whole new generation that says I want to be a part of this world. It’s a dangerous time, but it’s also a huge opportunity for us.’’
Obama and Jewish leaders (Photo: The White House)
He stated that “All the forces that we see building in Egypt are the forces that should be naturally aligned with us. Should be aligned with Israel.”
The American president added that the US should be involved and lend a hand to the regional effort.
“I’m actually confident that 10 years from now we’re going to be able to look back and say that this was the dawning of an entirely new and better era. One in which people are striving not to be against something but to be for something,” he said.
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