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Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |||
Obama urges Mideast compromise toward talks | |||
2010-01-29 | |||
Speaking at a townhall-style meeting in Florida, Obama said he was still working to bring the two sides to the negotiating table to resume a peace process that has been frozen for the past 13 months. "We are working to try to strengthen the ability of both parties to sit down across the table and to begin serious negotiations," Obama said. His efforts to restart talks have made little progress since he took office a year ago with a commitment to make ending the 62-year-old conflict a high priority. Critics say he was naive about obstacles such as Israeli settlement building.
Netanyahu's right-leaning government includes pro-settler parties strongly opposed to ceding occupied land to the Palestinians for a future state. Obama said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants peace but has to contend with Hamas, an Islamist group that denies Israel's right to exist. Abbas, a pro-U.S. moderate, is also weakened by Hamas's control of the Gaza Strip. "Both sides are going to have to make compromises," Obama said, calling on Israelis to acknowledge Palestinians' "legitimate grievances" and for the Palestinians to "unequivocally renounce violence" against the Jewish state. Obama declined, under questioning from an audience member, to condemn Israel for its treatment of Palestinians. "Israel is one of our strongest allies," he said. "I will never waver from ensuring Israel's security." But he insisted, "The plight of the Palestinians is something that we have to pay attention to. It is not good for our security and for Israel's security if you have millions of individuals who feel hopeless."
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Posted by:Steve White |
#1 millions of individuals who feel hopeless The hope in question is the hope to exterminate the Jews. |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-01-29 09:11 |