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On air at 1700GMT: Has President Obama "betrayed" Israel?

| Friday, 5 May 2011 | 18:00 - 19:00 GMT

There has been some strong reaction in the US to President Obama's speech on the Middle East on Thursday, particularly regarding his call for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians based on the 1967 borders.

Leading Republican Mike Huckabee, who was a candidate in the 2008 presidential primaries, said the president had "betrayed Israel and made a grievous mistake" in promoting a policy that's an "outrage to peace, sovereignty of Israel, and a stable Middle East."

Mitt Romney, who was also a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2008, said Mr Obama "has thrown Israel under the bus".

Several other figures on the right have made similar comments.

President Obama is meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington today amid sharp differences on the way forward for the Middle East peace process.

Mr Netanyahu has already said the pre-1967 borders are "indefensible".

An estimated 500,000 Israelis live in settlements built in the West Bank, which lies outside those borders.

What do you think, has President Obama betrayed Israel or has he found a way of breaking the deadlock in the Middle East peace process?

Your comments

  1. Comment sent via unknown: 23129

    • 18:46
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Jim in Pennsylvania emailed us</strong><br /> <br /> What our President said about Israel and Palestine has been our policy for decades.&nbsp; Those who claim that plain words are a betrayal of Israel are themselves twisters.<br /> &nbsp;</p>

  2. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:45
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Steve in Indianapolis </strong><br /> <br /> Netanyahu and the Likud government would do well to remember who arms and protects them when they shoot off at the mouth and tell us we need to back down.</p>

  3. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:45
    • 113631290

    <p> <br /> <strong>Abhijith in India</strong><br /> <br /> Anything will be detrimental to USA, purely because they interfered too much in the first place.</p>

  4. Comment sent via unknown: 23129

    • 18:39
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Kure in Jos, Nigeria</strong><br /> <br /> What Obama says behind closed doors is what matters. Politics sure is dirty.</p>

  5. Comment sent via Feed

    • 18:38
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>John in Cleaveland emailed us</strong><br /> <br /> I don&#39;t think you&#39;re average citizen in America really cares about Israel except for Jewish Americans.&nbsp; It&#39;s time for America to butt out, stop supporting anyone and let them sort it out for themselves.</p>

  6. Comment sent via Feed

    • 18:36
    • 113631290

    <p> Fred in the Bethesda in the US emailed us<br /> <br /> American soldiers and everyday citizens have lost their lives to this intransient stance/war between Israel and the Palestinians.Move on. War serves vested interests opposed to peace only.<br /> &nbsp;</p>

  7. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:23
    • 113631290

    <p> Vikram in India<br /> <br /> By endorsing Palestine he is just sending a signal to media that he doesn&#39;t have double standards. In closed doors he will say to Netanyahu &quot;do what ever you like&quot;.</p>

  8. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:23
    • 113631290

    <p> Kariim in Rwanda<br /> <br /> This time Obama has got it right. Peace will never prevail between Palastine and Israel unless that disputed land is given to its rightful owners, the Palestinians.</p>

  9. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:15
    • 113631290

    <p> Dee in Tennessee<br /> <br /> The Israelis seem to think they can take land, build fences and get caches of weapons from the US indefinitely. It has to stop. It&#39;s about time someone brought realism into the talks</p>

  10. Comment sent via unknown: 23057

    • 18:15
    • 117883275

    @91بب±¬_WHYS why every time a president wants to change the status quo do people try to instantly dismiss the attempt at changes as a joke?

  11. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:14
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Hamid in Afghanistan</strong>&nbsp; Bravo Obama! Though I know that America will not compel Israel to leave the Palestinian land, he is recognising the rights of the Palestinians and saying what is true and just.</p>

  12. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:08
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Kingsly in Ghana</strong>&nbsp; Obama has not betrayed Israel, these days the focus is on fighting the terrorists and anything that can help this course is good.</p>

  13. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:07
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Azd in Pakistan</strong>&nbsp; It was just a speech, a big change is never going to happen. The Americans don&#39;t have the guts to mess with their masters the Israelis.</p>

  14. Comment sent via Facebook

    • 18:06
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Merla in the Phillipines</strong>&nbsp; Why is Obama betraying Israel if it is the right and legal thing to do? He would be betraying the Palestinian people and the international community if he agreed with Israel.</p>

  15. Comment sent via unknown: 23129

    • 18:06
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Joachim in Uganda</strong>&nbsp; I think Obama is still full of himself, he thinks he can make such statements and get away with it. Judging from the reactions from Palestinians and Israelis, he is destined for a lose - lose situation.</p>

  16. Comment sent via BLOG

    • 18:05
    • 113631290

    <p> <strong>Pancha</strong> President Obama is trying to steer a battered ship which is rudderless. Israel has rejected his proposal. This dead-lock is not going to be resolved easily.</p>