Where do I start... Okay for one, you name Carter as a friend of Israel? Two, the failed policies that brought in Hamas were forced on the Bush Admin by the left. Recognizing Hamas was a disaster and ou want us to do the same with Syria? You are an appeaser. Israel needs to stand on its own two feet without any outside influence to do what is best for Israel, not the US. Oil prices were high as well as arab terror against the US and you think that by giving away Israel anything is going to change? Please, leave your library and lecture room for a few days and come to Israel and speak to people who have ideologies and care more than anything about Israel and its existence.

You must be delusional if you think that Barack is better for Israel. McCain has been a proven friend of the Jewish state for 30 years. Obauma has been a proven friend of anti-Israel radicals. Iran must be dealt with and not be appeased by Obauma. Hopefully McCain pulls off a mracle tommorrow.

Hamas clearly states that they don't want peace. That was their whole campain and that's why they got so many votes.

This article is one of the best examples of the self-deception, the ideologically inspired blindness, & the faulty logic based on unproven assumptions, that I have read by Jewish supporters of Obama. Let us examine some of the author's points one by one. 1. Obama's domestic program: The simple question to ask is where will all the money come from to pay for his promises? Higher taxes? Cut defense spending by 25%? Who really thinks that higher taxes would improve the economy? One of the prime causes of the current economic crisis was Fanny Mae & Freddie Mac & the reason for their failure was gov't. interference. And while America's health system is quite a mess, it is not a problem that can be solved by waving a magic wand as can easily be seen by the difficulties in other countries such as Canada or Great Britain. Another massive gov't. program is not the answer. Obama would like to improve America's standing in the world. Improve America's standing? With who? Europe, that bunch of cowardly do-nothing appeasers? Perhaps the UN, we all know what a splendid job the UN has done. Will he improve our standing with with the Muslim world's collection of dictators & religious fanatics? Thanks but no thanks. How about improving our standing with the repressive authoritarian dictatorships of China & Russia? While admitting the necessity of relations with both, appeasement of their nastier policies is probably not the way to improve America's standing. By the way, no matter how you twist the facts, McCain is not Bush. This is just political manipulation to capitalize on Bush's unpopularity. 2. Not mentioned by the author. Obama has almost no experience. What little he has done as a senator is follow the Democratic Party line. He has no experience as a manager, of actually running an enormous & complex organization. Nor does he have any foreign policy experience. None, zero, zip. You don't think that's a scary prospect for the next leader of the free world? Then we come to Obama's less-than-savoury associations. They are not exactly a collection of American patriots, are they? Now I'll go on to the contention that Obama is better for Israel. (next post)

Obama is no friend of ISrael. He is being set up to win by the Saudies!

Haven’t we seen this team in the Clinton administration achieving nothing in their 10 years of crappy peace process. As long as Jewish lobby is controlling Washington, it won’t matter who is president Rep or Democ, both will just follow policies mandated by the Jewish lobby. So US disastrous policies in the Mideast will continue and it is very likely that the next president might invade Iran just to prove to the Jewish lobby the he also can start wars for Israel just like Bush did in Iraq.

Obama is the worse that can happen to Israel. It is not only that his closet friends are Radical Palestinians, such as Khalidi, and many more similar radicals, but the method of gaining axcess to media, pressure, intimidation, censorship and buying in. YNET must be paid directly or indirectly by the rich Obama campaign. YNET is not alone: American media, according to Center for Media reporting showed that 75% of the time McCain was portrayed negatively while tottaly ignoring questions about Obama. Obama is a radical liberal who advocates distribution of wealth, a Marxist expression. He wants to rule the country by empathy and not by law. He has empathy to the Palestinians and this is why 99% of American Arabs ans Muslims are voting and financing him. Obama campaign works like a Fascist doctrine:"Joe the plumber" is badly harrassed and threatened to be killed. A journalist in Florida who dared to ask a question was threatened too and fired. The list goes on and on. America is going to elect Obama who has no clue about the Middle East. Those who think that an American president can advance peace are naive, ignorant or simply stupid. The issue in Palestinian Israel conflict is Islam, not further concessions by Israel. Obama, a part time Muslim, is friends with Luis Farakhan of the Nation of Islam, an Israel Jew hater. Obama good for Israel? You must be kidding: his advisers are Brzezinski, Rice, McPeak all Israel haters. Yes, Denis Ross is there too, an honest broker. Israeli media should stop brain washing Israeli. The massage of the article is to American Jews who are brain washed already. Vote McCain!

this article seeks to justify the choice of barack obama, after the writer has already decided to vote for him. but the idea that it is good for israel to have an american president take an active interest in the middle east, is simply not supportable by facts. the intifada was initiated by yasser arafat, not george bush, and in direct response to those same american pressures to reach an agreement. and the current "interest" being shown by the bush administration amounts to nothing more than arm-twisting of israel to make ever more unilateral concessions that compromise her security. NOTHING in this "peace process" has led to even a reduction in the incitement of the palestinian authority, let alone to its disarmament. in fact, israel is better able to deal with its neighbours in the absence of diplomatic pressures and artificial deadlines predicated on american politics.

great, so who cares how you will be voting. You are not living on the front line and whereas you are correct to vote whatever issues you feel are important, so what. This deserves an article in the paper?

and this disease must cured or eradicated,if not it will kill us all

who is ziv--there are 1000's of 'visiting' professors nobody ever heard of because they have nothing special to profess-ynet found another! y not just reproduce from democrat website or even flyer!

In his early life Obama was a Marxist-Leninist. Now he prefers the Chinese system, "capitalism for the lower class and socialism for the very wealthy". After collapse of the USSR it is difficult to follow Lenin. Don't worry. The stock market will be open like in China and Russia but the most money will be made on the short side until 401K and 403b will collapse. The health system will be the one like in China or Russia. Wealthy will be able to go to any doctor, pay cash and get everything they want. Since the employer service will be replaced by something to accommodate everyone, 10,000 of workers will compete for one doctor, very bad doctor since all good doctors will work for cash for the wealthy or in special hospitals for high party officials.

Instead of the medical profession people will go into new professions: community organizers and party members. These two professions will pay much more than any doctor can get in gov't hospital. What about single women which form the largest block of Obama voters. Some of them will become community organizers but most will enjoy the life of Obamas singe aunt in Boston. But it will fill good because everybody around will be also living the same life. The art and movies will do very well. You will enjoy a lot of movies about Obamas life, songs and operas will be dedicated to Obama.

Obama has throughout his adult life been involved with anti-Semites and pro-Palestinian extremists. Whatever he has been saying during this campaign is only to get elected. Israel should be looking for new allies, because the US will not stand behind Israel, and the US will be a very much weakened superpower under Obama.

for. That should set off warning lights. Sadly to say, they are thousands in this country who are not heeding those warnings, either blindly or deliberately. If he is elected president we are through.

Issak, In addition to the "naive, ignorant or simply stupid reasons for voting for Obama," add EVIL! Anyone even thinking about casting their precious vote to a man groomed by the far left to be the agent for change cannot be anything but stupid or evil. An earlier talkback I attempted to post to this sham opinion piece was deemed by the Ynet gatekeeper to be unworthy of printing. In it, I opened up the grim reality that this election was bought lock stock and barrel by forces inimical to Capitalism and freedom. I hope this one will make it through. It would take a novel to cite all the examples of this travesty about to happen, but I refer anyone interested in reading the truth, it's on the AIM website, http://www.aim.org/aim-column/whos-behind-the-economic-collapse/ There, you will see that this conspiracy involves the darkest,, most influential global financiers who pulled the strings resulting in our financial meltdown, aided and abetted by media and the Democrat party timed just for stealing an election. Read the names George Soros and insiders like Henry Paulson and be shocked about who and WHY. In the future, the truth will out. However, it will be too late.

I believe that this writer is highly misinformed. I DO NOT understand, with a serious study of Obama's policies, which can be found on reliable news sources on the internet, how ANYONE could possibly vote for this man. The liberal American media had already "elected" Obama months ago and has been pushing their liberal agenda ever since. They don't even pretend to be fair! Obama's ties to enemies of Israel have been revealed over and over,. I do not understand people who refuse to accept the truth with ALL the evidence out there. America has been blessed greatly beacuse of her support of Israel. A poll (you most likely will never see) yesterday showed the race so much closer than the liberal media is showing - 2% difference between Obama and McCain. Please pray for America, that we will do the right thing by electing McCain. And always, we "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem"

Dr. Ziv's correctly addresses that what Israel needs is an administration that will engage actively, rather than simply engage orally. Arab-Israeli peacemaking is a slow, tedious process that requires changing hearts and minds. Without a US involvement at the highest level and in a sustained manner, there will be no movement forward, but rather backwards as happened under President Bush and so well illustrated by Dr. Ziv. My concern is that President Obama will be forced to work with Bibi rather than Livni, and Bibi will waist the opportunity to work toward a resolution and will rather fall back on the tired oral statements but will not invest in actual peacemaking for a better tomorrow.

Most probably Leftist.

Democrats are appeasers. Not far behind them are the Republicans, especially when it comes to oil. The Bush Administration sold us out in the 2006 Lebanon War. Clinton sold us out to Arafat. Have we forgotten the Nixon Administration and the Yom Kippur War or Bush Senior and Madrid? He forced us to talk to the terrorist Arafat! Obama has flip flopped on Israel and I am sure that when it comes to the Saudis and the Oil Sheikhs, so will McCain! An American President will do what is best for the USA and if Israel gets hurt well that's too bad. After, that is his job!

muslim Hussein be better for Israel ? HOW ?

With all due respect to Dr. Ziv, his opinions are not substantiated by any confidence in a candidate who associations are questionable whose praise of a Palestinian Arafat radical mouth piece and who changed his mind several times. I would feel better if Dr. Ziv would show the same enthusiasm for Senator McCain, whose credentials are solid. Or, maybe Dr. Ziv simply express the wishes of Shalom Achshav, Peace at any price, even at the extinsion of the State of Israel.

The idea that peace will come only if Obama, the Mesiah as Farakhan calls him, will give us "hope" is rather stupid. Over 60 years good and talented people in USA tried to bring peace. They were not inferior to Obama, rather they were knowledgable of the world and Middle East. It is stupid to assume that Obama can be better than these. Moreover, you need TWO to tango and if a third tries to intervene the peace, if it happens, will be meaningless. Peace has to be between the enemies. Lastly, we do not have peace because of Islam. Professor Zift is ignorant if he did not read Hamas covenant or Fatah declarations. What can anybody do about those? Obama can only show empathy. Israel radical academics are self serving anarchists who want to see the destruction of Israel.

Truly, Obama has an aura of failed or half-*ssed outcomes hovering over his head. Another leap into the Jimmy Carter years? God help us all!