Palin slams Obama, supports Israel

Former Alaska governor says US should defend Israel against enemies, adds her primary goal is to make sure Obama not reelected

Ynet|Published: 05.22.11 , 18:44

Former Alaska Governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin slammed Barack Obama's Mideast policy speech, saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “does not need to be lectured by President Obama on the importance of peace. He understands it.”

In an interview for Fox News on Saturday, Palin went on to speak in support of the Jewish state: “Anyone who studies history, studies the Old Testament, studies geography understands that Israel now is surrounded by enemies at all times," she said. "It should be now that America takes a stand in defending our enemies in Israel.

"More than ever we should be standing strong with Israel and saying ‘No, you don't have to divide Jerusalem, you don't have to divide your capital city,’” she added.

Palin and Netanyahu in Jerusalem (Archive photo: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO)

She continued to attack Obama, saying his foreign policy "really makes no sense."

“I'm going to call him our temporary leader because my goal is to make sure that President Obama is not reelected in 2012,” she said.

Palin, who has yet to decide whether to run for president in the coming elections, wasn't the only Republican to express disapproval of Obama following his tense weekend meeting with Netanyahu.

Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and a prominent contender for the Republican presidential nomination, said that Obama "threw Israel under the bus."

"He has disrespected Israel and undermined its ability to negotiate peace," Romney said.

Tim Pawlenty, another Republican presidential hopeful, called Obama's demand for Israel to return to 1967 borders a “disaster waiting to happen.”