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What Makes a Prez 'Good for Israel'?

Key is choosing one who will bolster America's clout, says NYT' s Friedman

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted May 18, 2008 11:20 AM CDT

(Newser) – The next US president must build an America strong enough to sway the Middle East, but needn't be doggedly pro-Israel, writes Thomas Friedman in the New York Times. And while Barack Obama is dogged by questions of whether he's “good for Israel,” Friedman notes, none other than "Israel-friendly" George W. Bush has spoken out in favor of Palestinian statehood.

“As an American Jew, I don’t vote for president on the basis of who will be the strongest supporter of Israel. I vote for who will make America strongest,” Friedman writes. Further, regardless of who the next president is, he or she won’t put all the country’s eggs in Israel’s basket. Republican or Democrat, “America is now committed to a two state solution.”

George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert share a laugh during a tour of  the historic fortress of Masada, Thursday, May 15, 2008, in Israel.
George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert share a laugh during a tour of the historic fortress of Masada, Thursday, May 15, 2008, in Israel.   (AP Photo/Ariel Jerozolimski/ Jerusalem Post, Pool)
Presidential candidates mingle on stage during a break between the televised Republican and Democratic presidential debates at Saint Anselm College Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008 in Manchester, N.H.
Presidential candidates mingle on stage during a break between the televised Republican and Democratic presidential debates at Saint Anselm College Saturday, Jan. 5, 2008 in Manchester, N.H.   (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Barack Obama greets John McCain during a break between the televised Republican presidential debate and the Democratic presidential debate at Saint Anselm College Jan. 5, 2008 in Manchester, N.H.
Barack Obama greets John McCain during a break between the televised Republican presidential debate and the Democratic presidential debate at Saint Anselm College Jan. 5, 2008 in Manchester, N.H.   (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
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