Washington — Israel and the Palestinians don’t have “a moment to lose” in pursuing peace, President Barack Obama said, while recognizing political obstacles on both sides.
Obama spoke Thursday after meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, just over a week after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“In my conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu I was very clear about the need to stop the settlements; to make sure that we are stopping the building of outposts; to work with the Palestinian Authority in order to alleviate some of the pressures that the Palestinian people are under in terms of travel and commerce, so that we can initiate some of the economic development plans that Prime Minister Netanyahu himself has said are so important on the ground,” Obama said. “And that conversation only took place last week.
“I think that we don’t have a moment to lose, but I also don’t make decisions based on just the conversation that we had last week because obviously Prime Minister Netanyahu has to work through these issues in his own government, in his own coalition, just as President Abbas has a whole host of issues that he has to deal with.”
Obama repeatedly stressed his commitment to attend to the issue. “I don’t want to put an artificial timetable, but I do share President Abbas’s feelings and I believe that many Israelis share the same view that time is of the essence, that we can’t continue with a drift,” he said. Abbas echoed, “Time is of the essence.”
Netanyahu has said he is willing to restart talks immediately, but also believes the more urgent priority is containing Iran’s nuclear threat.
Obama called on Abbas to continue improving security in the West Bank, where his Palestinian Authority is in control. “Those security steps need to continue because Israel has to have some confidence that security in the West Bank is in place in order for us to advance this process,” he said.
He praised Abbas for standing fast in unity talks with Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip, and insisting that anyb such government recognize Israel, disavow terrorism and abide by previous agreements.
Obama also pressed Abbas to roll back anti-Israel incitement, particularly in the schools.
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Israel is a democracy in which leaders represent the opinions of their supporters. The citizenry of Israel is the one exposed to the perils of the region. They earned the right to their opinions, however different from those of american citizens. If we want to change Israeli leaders we should become citizens of Israel and vote our positions, or accept the fact that the majority of jews in Israel do not see eye to eye with many American jews. Israel needs to exercise it rights as a nation and deal with the consequences.
Obama should not dictate to Israel on questions of survival. Israel does not dictate to the U.S. on its actions to survive. If Obama is wrong Israel will suffer not the U.S.
As long as Obama signs budgets that include billions of US taxpayer dollars in direct aid to Israel, he should well be able to dictate to Israel.
Alternatively, Netanyahu can refuse the annual $3+ billion in direct aid and $10 billion in loan guarantees (loans on which Israel always defaults, thus simply meaning another $10 billion in aid). Then the USA can also stop paying billions to neighboring Arab countries to keep them friendly towards Israel.
Then, Netanyahu can do whatever he likes, instead of funding his government with American taxpayer charity and then demanding to do as he pleases. I consider myself a friend of Israel, and the actions of the Likudniks are as insane as Bush's warmongering.
Syd,
You are about as much a friend to Israel as Adolf Hitler.
Loved the references about Likudniks and "Bush Warmongering". Guess you think 9/11 was just an accident, an aberration.
I'll repeat what I've said before. When people complain about Israel, whether it be building a Settlement (on their OWN land, which is more than I can say for MOST Americans) or bombing Hamas rocketeers, murderers and kidnappers in Gaza, and don't say a damn thing about 8 year old Christian girls being beheaded in Indonesia by Muslims, or babies being smashed against prison walls in North Korea, then they are anti-Semites and any so-called Jew or JINO who follows them is NO better.
I don't hear you, Syd, complaining that the Little Child you love and adore is sending 900 mil to Hamas of OUR money, nor do I hear you say anything about closing Gitmo and bringing the likes of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to our shores. Maybe you'd like him as a guest in your home? If not, then you had better think twice about this little child who sat in a pew for 20 years listening to a guy who if he hadn't been Black could have easily passed for David Duke - or even Adolf Hitler.
When you complain about 900 mil of our money going to terrorists, you write. Otherwise do what your other hero Keith Olbermann suggests.
When Obama announces a policy that ALL Americans living West of the Mississippi MUST vacate their land and their homes and allow the Native Americans to regain their property, then and only then does this Little Child have any kind of right to say to Jews that they CANNOT live or build on their own land or extend their own homes.
(personally I'd like to see how far he'd get if he tried to announce such a policy)
I think Obama needs to go home to Kenya where he truly belongs, or better yet, Darfur. For somewhere in Africa a village is truly missing its cowardly idiot.
To Alan: Why only west of the Mississippi? Indians inhabited all of North America ever wonder about the Indian names of towns in Rhode Island?
US out of North American!!!
To Syd. Who's the elected leader of Israel, Netanyahu or Obama??
Forget the "two state solution." The territories are too fragmented to allow for a seperate Palestinian state. Let there be one Israeli state,with citizenship, and equal rights for all be they Jews or Palestinans. In any event, it's about time Israel stopped depending on the dole the United States has been giving them, both in arms and finances.