Obama criticizes Israel’s security approach at Belfast event

Former U.S. President Barack Obama criticized Israel’s approach to security and Palestinian claims to land during a Belfast appearance, saying military strength alone cannot ensure lasting security and that the current Israeli government appeared to have ceded moral ground. He also condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack and urged Palestinians to pursue nonviolent strategies rather than seek a military defeat of Israel. Obama made the remarks during a discussion with journalist Susan McKay at Belfast’s O2 arena. He acknowledged the long history of Jewish persecution and said Jews sought refuge in a place to which they had historic ties. He added that Jews “took land off people” and that Palestinians understandably viewed the loss as an injustice and wanted their land back. His comments addressed competing experiences and claims central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Accounts of the discussion also describe criticism of his historical characterization, including references to Jewish historical ties to the land and to land purchases by Jews from Arab landowners before Israel’s establishment. The remarks themselves did not resolve those competing historical narratives.