Obama says he would promote a new peace initiative

Tuesday May 19, 2009 04:21 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

During their Monday meeting at the White House, US president Barack Obama, told Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that he plans on promoting a new plan for peace in the Middle East.

US president Barack Obama - Image britanica.com

Speaking to reporters after meeting Obama, Netanyahu said that he believes that regional component would be the center point of the new initiative.

The plan would most likely be presented by Obama during his visit to Egypt on June 4th as he will be delivering what is said to be an important speech.

He will be visiting Cairo in order to meet Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu.

 Following the Monday meeting, Netanyahu told reporters that he and Obama discussed the Arab Peace Initiative, but the discussion only focused on what Israel describes as positive.

 Netanyahu added that he agrees with Obama on the issue that many Arab countries should be included in the peace process with the Palestinians.

Responding to a question about Iran, Netanyahu stated that Israel “has the right to defend itself”, and added that Obama understands that Iran should not be allowed to obtain nuclear power.

 Netanyahu tried to convince Obama to place a timetable for diplomatic talks with Tehran”, but Obama did not accept this demand.

 The US president said that what his country needs to see is progress on this issue by the end of the year.

He added that sanctions, and other measures, could be imposed on Iran if it does not discontinue its nuclear program.

 Obama did not mention the Israeli nuclear agenda and its reactor.

Hamas, Fat'h split on Obama remarks to Netanyahu

Date: 19 / 05 / 2009  Time:  11:49
Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies –

The Fat'h-controlled Palestinian Authority said US President Barack Obama’s remarks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were “encouraging,” while Hamas called them “deceptive” in their remarks Tuesday.

"The statements by Mr. Obama are encouraging while those by Prime Minister Netanyahu are disappointing," Palestinian presidential aide Nabil Abu Rudainah said, according to Reuters.

Hamas however, was not encouraged by Obama's statements. The US President noted “Settlements must be stopped in order for us to move forward,” but spent more rhetoric on condemning the home made projectiles launched towards Israeli towns by Gaza factions. “I was along the border in Sderot,” he said, “and saw the evidence of weapons that had been raining down on the heads of innocents on those Israeli cities, and that’s unacceptable.”

Obama did not make mention of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip, which saw 1,475 Gazans killed over 22 days.

The American head of state was, however, insistent that the moment was ripe for a “historical” change in the Middle East and said he the US wanted to be a “strong partner in this process.”

"Obama's statements and messages of hope are meant to mislead global public opinion regarding the continued existence and conduct of the racist and extremist Zionist entity," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum on Tuesday, according to news reports.

Netanyahu for his part said he wanted to renew peace talks with Palestinians but did not articulate a Palestinian state as a goal for the process, preferring to term the goal as a “substantive solution.”

He concluded, “So I think the terminology will take care of itself if we have the substantive understanding. And I think we can move forward on this.”

Netanyahu to reject US demand to accept a two-state solution

Tuesday May 19, 2009 03:15 by IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported Monday that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, does not intend to accept a demand by the US President Barack Obama, to recognize a two-state solution.

Haaretz added that Netanyahu intends to condition freezing some settlement construction with certain security measures to be taken by the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu will seek the formation of an American-Israeli Committee that would be in charge of formulating “understandings” on some settlements and the evacuation of isolated settlement outposts.

He would also demand that the West Bank should be a “disarmed area” and that Israel must be allowed to control its aerial space.

 During the Monday meeting between Obama and Netanyahu at the Oval office, the American President expressed US support for a two-state solution, but Netanyahu refused to back such a demand, yet he said “Israel does not want to govern the Palestinians”.

This generally means Netanyahu would agree to isolated Palestinian areas, under the control of the Palestinian Authority, but without Palestinian independence or sovereignty.   

Borders, Jerusalem, natural resources, the refugees, and other essential issues are not on the Netanyahu agenda of what he calls peace.

On his side, Obama called on Netanyahu to “seize this historic opportunity, and seriously advance in peace talks.

He also said that all parties involved in peace talks, should take their obligations seriously and implement what they have previously agreed on.

Obama reiterates two-state solution to Middle East conflict

2009-05-19 01:54:27  

·U.S. President Obama met with Israeli PM Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. ·Obama said the U.S. is committed to a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict. ·Obama told Netanyahu that Israel must stop settlement in the occupied territories.

    WASHINGTON, May 18 (Xinhua) --

U.S. President Barack Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, reiterating that the United States is committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

    "I believe it is in the interest not only of the Palestinians but also the Israelis and the United States and the international community to achieve a two-state solution," Obama told reporters after his talks with Netanyahu.

    Obama also told Netanyahu that Israel must stop Jewish settlement in the occupied territories. "We have to make progress on settlements. Settlements have to be stopped," he said.

    In response, Netanyahu said that Israel is ready to reopen peace talks with the Palestinians. But he insisted that Palestinians must recognize the existence of Israel.

    "I want to make it clear that we don't want to govern the Palestinians -- we want to live in peace with them," Netanyahu said, noting that "the goal has to be an end to conflict. There'll have to be compromises by Israelis and Palestinians alike. We're ready to do our share. We hope the Palestinians will do their share as well."

    Netanyahu, who is leading a hawkish Israeli governing coalition, did not talk about the future of the Palestinian state that Washington and the Palestinians have actively called for.

    On the issue of Iran, Obama urged Tehran to make commitment to the settlement of the nuclear issues. He said that the United States is expecting to see positive response from Iran on its nuclear program by the end of the year.

    "My expectation would be that if we begin discussions soon, shortly after the Iranian elections, we should have a fairly good sense by the end of the year as to whether they are moving in the right direction," Obama said.

    In his turn, Netanyahu reiterated Israel's grave concerns over Iran's nuclear program. "Iran openly calls for our destruction, which is unacceptable," he said.

    Netanyahu is expected to have a working dinner with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later in the day, and to hold talks with national security advisor James Jones.