Obama at AIPAC

Barack Obama gave a powerful speech to AIPAC yesterday.  He promised support for Israel’s identity as a “Jewish state;” support for “secure, recognized and defensible borders” for Israel; and support for an “undivided Jerusalem” as Israel’s capital.  Each of those is an important position.

To see how far Obama has come, compare his March 2, 2007 AIPAC address. In that speech, Obama included none of the above promises.  Instead, he focused then on “the stones that will build the road that takes us . . . to lasting peace and security” and noted that :

Some of those stones will be heavy and tough for the United States to carry.  Others with be heavy and tough for Israel to carry.  And even more will be difficult for the world.  But together, we will begin again.

He didn’t mention any stones for the Palestinians to carry. 

Yesterday’s speech was a dramatic change.  In light of his former pastor, his former church, his former advisers, and his former friends, the question will be whether it is change we can believe in. As Jennifer Rubin noted, it leaves questions still open — some of which were noted yesterday by Joe Lieberman and Eric Cantor.