For Obama, Israel visit a symbolic minefield

JERUSALEM — As Sen. Barack Obama arrived in Jerusalem early today, with his high-profile tours of Afghanistan and Iraq behind him, the challenge facing any White House came into sharp view: navigating the Middle East peace process.

A bulldozer attack Tuesday outside the King David Hotel, where Obama is staying, was a reminder of a task awaiting the next administration. Obama, who is set to meet with leaders in Israel and on the West Bank, hopes to avoid missteps that could complicate his relationship with Jewish voters at home or efforts to portray himself as neutral to Palestinian officials.

"It's unrealistic to expect that a U.S. president alone can suddenly snap his fingers and bring about peace in this region," Obama said Tuesday. He added, "An ultimate resolution is going to involve two states standing side by side in peace and security, and the Israelis and the Palestinians are going to both have to make compromises in order to arrive at that two-state solution."

Obama, the presumed Democratic presidential nominee, has struggled to reassure Jewish voters during the campaign and in doing so has angered some in the Arab world with his pro-Israel statements. Now, his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders could present the most politically trying day of his weeklong overseas trip.

He is scheduled to meet individually today with three Israeli officials: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres. He is also scheduled to sit down with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah.

The trip so far has been dominated by Obama's visit to Iraq, the focus of his news conference Tuesday in Amman, Jordan. He noted that the U.S. troop escalation had bolstered Iraqi security but said he would not hesitate to overrule U.S. commanders and redirect troops in Afghanistan.

Obama traveled to Israel with a contingent of foreign-policy experts. A slight misstatement at the news conference drew attention. "Let me be absolutely clear," he said. "Israel is a strong friend of Israel's." (Aides said he had intended to say that the United States was a strong friend of Israel.)

Obama is also scheduled to tour the southern Israeli town of Sderot, near Gaza, which has been hit by more than 2,000 rockets in the past four years. Sen. John McCain, who toured it in March.

As he concluded the first part of his foreign trip, as part of a congressional delegation visiting the two U.S. war zones, Obama said "security has improved in Iraq." Yet he declined to characterize the troop buildup in Iraq as a success.

"I think that the definition of success depends on how you look at it," Obama said in Jordan. "Originally, the administration suggested that the key measure was whether it gave breathing room for political reconciliation. So far, I think we have not seen the kind of political reconciliation that's going to bring about long-term stability in Iraq."

Tuesday was the first time on the trip that Obama took extensive questions about what he had learned after meeting with commanders and troops in a three-day tour of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sens. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., joined Obama in expressing their support for putting a stronger military focus on Afghanistan. Obama lauded the efforts the U.S. military had undertaken to reduce violence in Iraq. He conceded that the top American commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and other U.S. military officials had conveyed a resistance to setting a timetable for withdrawing troops.

"But keep in mind, for example, one of Gen. Petraeus' responsibilities is not to think about how could we be using some of that $10 billion a month to shore up a U.S. economy that is really hurting right now," Obama said. "If I'm president of the United States, that is part of my responsibility."

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds criticized Obama, saying he had failed to listen to the guidance of American military commanders in Iraq.

"By admitting that his plan for withdrawal places him at odds with Gen. David Petraeus, Barack Obama has made clear that his goal remains unconditional withdrawal rather than securing the victory our troops have earned," Bounds said.