(AFP) – Jun 4, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — On his first day as presumptive Democratic nominee, Barack Obama Wednesday vowed "unshakeable" support for Israel, and stiffened his offer of talks with Iran with a tongue-lashing for its leaders.

The victorious Democratic presidential candidate said Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of Israel, and said any Israel-Palestinian peace deal must preserve Israel's integrity as a Jewish state.

In his first foreign policy speech of the general election, Obama spoke to the US-Israel lobby, targeting a perceived weakness with Jewish voters, and Republican claims he is naive on national security.

"I will bring to the White House an unshakeable commitment to Israel's security," Obama said, in a speech which lacerated the Iran and Iraq policies of his Republican general election foe Senator John McCain.

Opening his speech to the America-Israel Public Affairs Council (AIPAC), Obama mentioned anonymous emails which he said were circulating among the Jewish community and were fall of "tall tales" about his commitment to Israel.

"All I want to say is, -- let me know if you see this guy named Barack Obama, because he sounds pretty scary!" said Obama, who basked in his new-found status and was frequently interrupted by standing ovations.

Speaking as a "true friend" of Israel, he said "the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable today, unbreakable tomorrow, and unbreakable for ever."

"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided," Obama said.

Obama's remarks brought a swift condemnation from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

"We reject these words," Abbas said in the Palestinian political capital of Ramallah.

"Jerusalem is one of the files under negotiation. The entire world knows perfectly well that we will never accept a state without (east) Jerusalem (as its capital). That should be clear."

Republicans have hammered Obama over his offer to talk to leaders of US foe Iran, saying the strategy ignores repeated warnings by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to destroy Israel.

But he said it was time to abandon Middle East policies of President George W. Bush, which he said had made Israel less safe, and accused McCain of wanting to prolong them.

"There are those who would continue and intensify this failed status quo, ignoring eight years of accumulated evidence that our foreign policy is dangerously flawed," Obama said.

Hillary Clinton, who finally lost her struggle to beat Obama to the nomination did her rival a favor, saying she was sure he would be a "good friend" to Israel, in the most significant olive branch to Obama since her defeat.

He also vowed in the speech in a cavernous conference center here to "eliminate" the threat from Iran's nuclear program, and said he would never take the military option off the table to defend the United States or Israel.

"Its president denies the Holocaust and threatens to wipe Israel off the map. The danger from Iran is grave, it is real, and my goal will be to eliminate this threat."

But Obama renewed his offer to hold talks with Iranian leaders, as part of an "aggresive" program of diplomacy and only after careful preparation.

"As president of the United States, I would be willing to lead tough and principled diplomacy with the appropriate Iranian leader at a time and place of my choosing," Obama said.

"If, and only if, it can advance the interests of the United States."

McCain's senior foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann rejected Obama's gambit.

"Senator Obama really presents kind of a false choice today, that the only diplomacy that can work is with Iranian leaders," he told reporters in a conference call.

"Senator McCain has a very different view, that the kind of diplomacy we should pursue is with our allies."

Obama also swiped at Bush over the Israel-Palestinian peace process, saying he would start working on the issue as soon as he became president.

"I won't wait until the waning days of my presidency. I will take an active role, and make a personal commitment to do all I can to advance the cause of peace from the start of my Administration."

"We must isolate Hamas unless and until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and abide by past agreements. There is no room at the negotiating table for terrorist organizations."

"Any agreement the Palestinian people must preserve Israel's identity as a Jewish state," Obama said.

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