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Local Views

Detroiters give their opinions on Obama's Middle East plans.

Alan Hitsky

Interim Editor

T

he Jewish News on May 25 asked
local residents at the Jewish
Community Center in Oak Park
their views on the following question:

Did President
Barack Obama's
recent speeches
on Israel and
the Palestinians
favor one side or
the other? Why?

HILDA CASTRO, Oak Park

"My impression
is that he never
avors Israel.
That's all I can
tell you. Just the
act that he said
we have to return all the land
since 1967 — that is
ridiculous. I come from Egypt
and I know what will
happen."

PEGGY FURA,
Lathurp Village

anyway. ,,

"I think Obama
avored the
Palestinians —
and Hamas and
whatever. I'm
very anti-Obama

IRA WINKLER,
Southfield

MICHAEL BERKOWITZ,
Oak Park

"I think he favors
the Palestinians
at the expense of
the Jews. I think
he has been the
most anti-Israel
president in history."

"I think Obama
used the wrong
words. What he
really meant to
say was that the
Israelis and
Palestinians have to negotiate
to do what they have to do
with the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip.
"The '67 lines are
impossible. They're going to
displace 500,000 people? You
can give up too much for
peace.

ARTHUR SCHWARTZ,
West Bloomfield

"I personally
think Obama is
not in love with
Israel. They can't
give up all the
property they
gained through the war —
Israel would be indefensible."

BARBARA EISENBERG,
Southfield

"We're never giv-
ing up Jerusalem.
The more we give
the Palestinians,
the more ammu-
nition they have
against us. We gave up Gush
Katif [Gaza] and they are
using it to kill us.
"Who else was ever pushed
back to their former borders?
"We will never give up
Jerusalem. Too many lives
were lost for us not to keep
Jerusalem."

"

GENE FRIEDMAN,
Southfield

"I don't care
what he does or
what he thinks.
I'm not a follower
of him. Barack
Obama is not one
of my favorites."

MANUEL ROTT,
Oak Park

"I don't think I
appreciate what
Obama says. He's
actually an Arab,
anyway, so he's
going to be for

them ...
"What he said is not right,
and I don't think he's right
anyway.

SUSAN PARZEN,
Huntington Woods

"Somebody has to
take a stance and
make a decision.
Somebody has to
make some
bylaws.
Everybody's going to be mad."

DONNA PEARLMAN,
Huntington Woods

"No, I don't think
he favored
LORRAINE FEBER,
anyone. He was
Huntington Woods
retty
"There is no such
straightforward.
thing as Palestine.
He said what has
"I was appalled
been on the negotiating table
with Obama. If
for many, many years and he
we did that
made it public.
[move to the
"He has Israel's best interest
1967 borders], they would just at heart."
come back for more."

June 2 2011

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