McCain, Lieberman and Graham in Sderot

Soccer Dad, Boker tov, Boulder!, Checkpoint Jerusalem, Democracy Project, Neocon Express and NeoConstant cover John McCain’s trip to Sderot, accompanied by Senators Joseph Lieberman and Lindsay Graham.  Hillel Fendel of Israel National News reports:

McCain’s visit — together with fellow Senator Joseph Lieberman — has included stops in Jerusalem and Sderot.  McCain expressed sympathy for the people of Sderot, saying, "The residents obviously live under very severe stress . . . Living under a 15-second [rocket] alert is no way to spend Purim"– a reference to the usually ultra-joyous holiday that begins Thursday night. . . .

McCain was accompanied by Lieberman, an observant Jew, to the Western Wall on Wednesday, with both Senators sporting white knitted kippot (yarmulkes) for the occasion.  Earlier, McCain visited Yad Vashem, and met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and Opposition Leader Binyamin Netanyahu. 

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak (2nd R) [and Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal in back] greet children during a visit to the southern town of Sderot March 19, 2008.  REUTERS / Uriel