Chutzpah Or Victim?

While visiting Israel's Western Wall as part of his international campaign, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) "touched the wall briefly and then deposited a note of prayer into a crack between the ancient stones, in keeping with the tradition of visitors to the site."

Subsequently, Maariv, the second most popular newspaper in Israel, published the note. The paper was roundly criticized for infringing upon Obama's privacy ... but has offered in its defense a public statement that the note was "pre-approved for international publication by the Obama campaign."

ABC's Political Punch reported on Friday that notes placed between the stones are traditionally between the supplicant and "his maker." The country's largest paper, Yediot Aharonot, did not publish the note, reportedly "to respect Obama's privacy."

From the Jerusalem Post:

In response, a Ma'ariv spokesman said that "Barack Obama's note was approved for publication in the international media even before he put in the Kotel, a short time after he wrote it at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. In any case, since Obama is not a Jew, publishing the note does not constitute an infringement on his right to privacy."

Obama's campaign has neither confirmed nor denied whether the prayer published by Ma'ariv was in fact written by Obama. A campaign spokesman, however, made clear that the campaign hadn't approved the publication of any kind of prayer note.

However, an unverified blog comment claims "the Obama campaign also released the text of his prayer to the Chicago Tribune before Obama went to the Wall... This practice is also consistent with what other celebrities have done. I think the Pope also released the text of his prayer to the media before going to the Wall."

In fact, the Pope did release the text of his prayer on his visit to Israel in 2000.

Although a Yeshiva student has supposedly admitted to stealing the note, he was identified on Sunday only by first name in a news report on Channel 2. "Yeshivot are usually associated with Orthodox Judaism."

Politico reported Monday that Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in an email, "We have neither confirmed nor denied the prayer to anyone" and denied that the note was "approved for publication."

Watch a YouTube news clip from Thursday and what appears to be a staged "theft" of the note.

More from HotAir and TNR.