The European Jewish Congress applauded the election of Barack Obama, but fell short of expressing confidence in his support for Israel and Mideast policy.
"The EJC is convinced that Mr. Obama’s victory will have positive repercussions in Europe," said a statement issued Nov. 6.
In response to a JTA query about how an Obama presidency would affect the Middle East and Israel, the EJC replied in a statement, "The EJC, as a Jewish organization, hopes that Mr. Obama’s election will have positive repercussions in the Middle East and in Israel. However, due to the current world economic crisis, the political and military crisis that the U.S. finds itself in (and its need to prioritize its foreign policy agenda) and the complexity of the political situation in the Middle East, we feel it would be premature to state that we are convinced of said repercussions."
The statement also expressed hopes for a firm American stance against a nuclear Iran, a matter the organization said was, "too often … left on the sidelines."
The EJC also said it hopes Obama "will place the Israeli-Palestinian peace process among the key issues of his foreign policy agenda."
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