Sen. Joseph Lieberman, among the highest-profile Jewish officeholders in American government, blasted President Barack Obama’s speech on the Middle East Friday, calling portions of it “profoundly ill-advised.”
It was a notable criticism from the Connecticut senator, an independent who generally votes with the Democrats and is considered part of the Democratic caucus in the Senate. Mr. Lieberman did support Republican nominee John McCain for president in 2008, infuriating many Democrats, citing in part Mr. McCain’s strong defense record.
"The president’s words an unhelpful and surprising set of remarks about Israel and the Palestinians that will not advance the peace process and in fact is likely to set it back. “
“As in the case of the President’s counterproductive demand for a settlement freeze two years ago, unilateral statements of this sort do nothing to bring the two parties back to the negotiating table and in fact make it harder for them to do so. They also damage the relationship of trust that is critical to peacemaking.
"I hope Mr. Obama makes clear in coming days that the 1967 borders themselves are no longer an acceptable endpoint for negotiations because they do not allow Israel to defend itself, and that any peace agreement must reflect new realities on the ground, including the major new Israeli communities that have grown up since 1967.”