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Washington Barack Obama has a Jewish problem.
How big a problem is a matter of debate, but even Obama's supporters acknowledge that the first-term senator from Illinois has been under intense attack from some sectors of the Jewish community, which has a long history of supporting Democratic candidates.
Last weekend, Eric Lynn, Obama's Middle East policy adviser, sent out an e-mail noting: "In recent weeks, attacks on Senator Barack Obama, his personal background, and his positions on Israel have circulated in the Jewish community."
The attacks - which have come primarily from Republicans and unattributed internet postings and e-mail posts - have focused on Obama's perceived support for the Palestinian cause, his long relationship with the Rev Jeremiah Wright, and his willingness to meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The topics raise the question of the depth of Obama's support for Israel.
The attacks have prompted some Jewish supporters to step forward to defend Obama. Two weeks ago, Jack S. Levin, a prominent Jewish attorney in Chicago, sent out an e-mail seeking donors to help buy a full-page ad to run in The New York Times proclaiming the Jewish community's support for Obama.
And in February, Representative Robert Wexler, who is one of Obama's most visible Jewish supporters, wrote an opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post noting: "If you're Jewish and spend any time on the internet, you've read some outlandish things about the Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. But the facts are clear: Senator Obama is a strong friend of the American Jewish community and Israel and will make ensuring Israel's security a high priority of his administration."
Obama himself has repeatedly rejected the attacks and affirmed his support for Israel. "There is a special connection between America and Israel," Obama said last week, appearing on CNN's The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.
Obama's campaign points to a Gallup Poll released last week showing that he would beat John McCain by a 2-to-1 margin in the Jewish community as evidence that Obama does not have a problem among Jewish voters.
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| This article on the national political campaigns in the United States is from The New York Times. It was specially selected and prepared by the editors of The New York Times News Service. |
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