Obama Visits Jerusalem's Holocaust Memorial; Meets With Palestinian President

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) held several meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Wednesday, the fifth day of his 10-day tour of the Middle East and Europe.

The presumptive Democratic nominee met with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak over breakfast at his hotel, the King David. He later talked with opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who told reporters that they had agreed that "the primacy of preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power is clear, and this should guide our mutual policies," according to ABC.

Obama then visited Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. Wearing a skullcap, he laid a wreath and wrote in the visitor's book, "At a time of great peril and torment, war and strife, we are blessed to have such a powerful reminder of man's potential for great evil, but also our capacity to rise up from tragedy and remake our world."

Talks later with Israeli President Shimon Peres were especially cordial. Peres is quoted by Time as saying he wished for "a "great president of the United States. That is the greatest promise for us and the rest of the world." During the meeting, Obama pledged his "abiding commitment to Israel's security" whether he remains a senator or becomes president.

The freshman Illinois senator arrived in Ramallah in the West Bank Wednesday afternoon amid tight security for meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayad. The meeting contrasts with Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) Middle East visit earlier this year, which did not include a stop in the West Bank.

Obama is scheduled to fly by helicopter to Sderot, a town in southern Israel that has been the target of many Palestinian attacks. Later he will attend a dinner meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem.

Obama is in a bid to strengthen his foreign policy credentials amid persistent criticisms that his proposals for greater diplomatic engagement with hostile states like Iran are "naive." He began his tour last Saturday with a two-day stop in Afghanistan, followed by a trip to Iraq. Obama is scheduled to fly to Berlin on Thursday.