Global Citizenship

On this day in 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama continued his Middle East and European tour, making a surprise visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall wearing a yarmulke and placing a prayer in the wall. Then he was off to Berlin where he met with Chancellor Merkel before speaking to a crowd estimated at 200,000 in front of the Victory Column. Stressing the "burdens of global citizenship," Obama told the crowd: "Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity."

President Obama is staying stateside during the summer of 2012, but his opponent Mitt Romney leaves today for London where he will kick off a week-long trip to Britain, Israel and Poland. Before leaving U.S. soil, Romney spoke to the VFW and delivered - according to the Los Angeles Times - "a scathing indictment of President Obama's defense and foreign policies." National polls however, show the public giving the president good marks on his foreign policy record.

Middle East Peace

Continuing his July 2008 Middle East and European tour, Barack Obama visited Sderot, an Israeli city near the Gaza border that sustained frequent rocket attacks. In a news conference, Obama warned of the danger if Iran obtained nuclear weapons. Obama also visited with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Abbas in the West Bank, pledging his commitment to the peace process.

Later this week in 2012, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will visit with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Although the relationship between Obama and Netanyahu has been strained, Netanyahu has promised to receive Romney with "the same openness that I received another presidential candidate, then-Sen. Barack Obama [in 2008]."