The above video is from a town hall meeting President Obama held today in Tampa. I’m sure the president was expecting questions about creating jobs or the health care bill, but instead he got:
Last night you spoke in your State of the Union address you spoke of America’s support for human rights. Then, why have we not condemned Israel and Egypt’s human rights violations against the occupied Palestinian people? And yet we continue supporting them financially with billions of dollars from our tax dollars?
Wow. The question was asked by University of South Florida student Laila Abdelaziz, who volunteered for Obama on his campaign. It’s obvious that Obama was totally unprepared to answer the question, and he tread water until he was able to make a half-hearted appeal for a two state solution (completely ignoring the question in the process).
You can read the transcript of the exchange here, and after the town hall Abdelaziz told local radio station WMNF:
Of course we love a two state solution, but there has to be trust and dialogue between two sides. The Palestinian people are ready for a two state solution, but the Palestinian people are the ones being occupied by Israelis. How are the Palestinian people supposed to do anything if they’re the ones being occupied? The occupiers have to allow for something to happen which they have not yet allowed to happen. I asked President Obama why he says America as a nation supports human rights, but at the same time, one of our greatest allies is Israel, a country that does not support human rights, and has many human rights violations. President Obama did not really answer my question or address it, so I’m really disappointed right now.
