Obama arrives in Israel after condemning Jerusalem attack

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US presidential contender Barack Obama arrived in Israel late Tuesday, facing a full schedule of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders after pledging to work for peace as soon as he takes office. In an airport statement, Obama condemned an attack a few hours earlier by a Palestinian tractor driver who ran amok on a Jerusalem street, smashing into a bus, overturning a car and seriously injuring an Israeli before being shot dead by a civilian and a police officer. "It's just one more reminder why we have to work diligently, urgently and in a unified way to defeat terrorism," Obama said. "There are no excuses." The attack took place near the historic King David Hotel, where Obama is staying during his visit. In Jordan before flying to Israel, Obama said he would plunge into Mideast peacemaking, where efforts have failed for decades, warning there were no quick solutions. He cautioned it is "unrealistic to expect that a US president alone can suddenly snap his fingers and bring about peace in this region." Obama's long day of meetings and events in Israel will be punctuated by a short trip to the West Bank for talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.