Why did Obama feel the need to appease hard core Zionists at AIPAC?

Why did Obama feel the need to appease hard core Zionists at AIPAC by making such a hawkish declaration about Jerusalem? Did Obama write that part of his speech himself? And if not, who did?* SEE UPDATE

Obama was so eager to please AIPAC that he said, "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided" but the next day he backed away from his hard core Zionist statement having a campaign adviser clarify his position.

The Jerusalem Post pointed out that Obama had "staked out some hawkish positions, declaring that 'Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided' ... to rousing applause from the 7,000-plus attendees at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee policy conference."

The day after making that outrageous declaration at the AIPAC meeting, Obama backed away from it. The Jerusalem Post reported on how top Zionists were pleased with Obama's declaration at the AIPAC meeting and didn't like him backing away from it, "Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America and another Jewish activist who had originally lauded Obama's statement, now called the candidate's words 'troubling.'"

"Many on the right of the political spectrum among America's Jews welcomed Obama's remarks at AIPAC, but the clarification of his position left several cold."

What they didn't like is the Obama campaign now saying he wouldn't rule out "the city also serving as the capital of a Palestinian state or Palestinian sovereignty over Arab neighborhoods."

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* SEE UPDATE