Obama stresses Israel support on campaign trail

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida | Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:11am IST

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama cited the "ruthless" suicide bus attack in Bulgaria and upheaval in Syria as reasons to fortify support for Israel, telling a re-election campaign event in Florida on Thursday he stood by Israel's side.

Departing from his normal stump-speech themes of tax fairness, education and healthcare, the Democratic president described the Bulgaria airport bus bombing that killed five Israeli tourists as "barbaric" and a "ruthless terrorist attack."

"I want everybody here to know under my administration, we haven't just preserved the unbreakable bond with Israel, we have strengthened it," Obama told a mainly older audience in Florida, an electoral battleground state with many Jewish voters.


http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/20/us-campaign-obama-israel-idINBRE86J00C20120720