Asked about Israel, McCain says the H-word, too

It wouldn't be a presidential debate without Israel, right? A retired Navy chief in the town hall audience asked the presidential candidates if they would commit U.S. troops immediately if Iran attacked Israel.

Republican John McCain: "We obviously would not wait for the United Nations Security Council. I think the realities are that both Russia and China would probably pose significant obstacles. Our challenge right now is that the Iranians continue on the path to acquiring nuclear weapons, and it's a great threat...It's not just a threat to the state of Israel, it's a threat to the stability of the entire Middle East... What would you do if you were the Israelis and the president of a country said they are determined to wipe you off the map and called your country a stinking corpse? Sen. Barack Obama -- without preconditions -- wants to sit down and negotiate with them, without preconditions.... I would make sure that we put enough pressure on the Iranians by joining with our allies and imposing significant, tough sanctions to modify their behavior....At the end of the day my friend, and you know what it's like to serve, and you know what it's like to sacrifice, but we can never allow a second Holocaust to take place."

Democrat Barack Obama: We cannot allow Iran to get a nuclear weapons...It would be a game changer in the region. Not only would it threaten Israel, our strongest ally in the region and one of our strongest allies in the world, but it would also create the possibility of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. And so it's unacceptable, and I will do anything that's required to prevent it. We will never take military operations off the table...It is important for us though to use all the tools at our disposal to prevent that scenario where we've got to make those kinds of choices, and that's what I have said consistently said that, if we can work more effectively with other countries diplomatically to tighten  sanctions on Iran...It is true though, that I believe that we should have direct talks, not just with our friends, but also with our enemies, to deliver a tough, direct message to Iran that if you don't change your behavior, there will be dire consequences..."