Last week, before would-be POTUSes begun speaking only of all things Christmas, Democratic presidential contender Senator Barack Obama held a foreign policy forum. We’ve just obtained the transcript for his remarks there on Israel:

“I start with the premise that Israel is a stalwart ally of ours and their security cannot be compromised. I also start with the premise that the status quo is unsustainable and that what would be good for Israeli security will be the kind of two-state solution that allows the Palestinians to live and prosper in their own state and allows Israel to maintain the security of its state.”

“I think everyone knows what the basic outlines of an agreement would look like. It would mean that the Palestinians would have to reinterpret the notion of right of return in a way that would preserve Israel as a Jewish state. It might involve compensation and other concessions from the Israelis but ultimately Israel is not going to give up its state.”

— Senator Barack Obama, Foreign Policy Forum, Des Moines, Iowa – 12/18/07