Obama urges Israel to open Gaza borders
Financial Times.com
President Barack Obama urged Israel on Thursday to open its borders with Gaza.
The plea came in a speech that signalled the new US administration’s shift from Bush-era policy on the Middle East and the world as a whole. In a high-profile address on his second day in office, just hours after he signed an executive order to close the centre at Guantánamo Bay, Mr Obama proclaimed that the US would “actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians” in the wake of this month’s Gaza war.
The outline for a durable ceasefire is clear: Hamas must end its rocket fire: Israel will complete the withdrawal of its forces from Gaza: the US and our partners will support a credible anti-smuggling and interdiction regime, so that Hamas cannot re-arm,” the US president said.
“As part of a lasting ceasefire, Gaza’s border crossings should be open to allow the flow of aid and commerce, with an appropriate monitoring regime, with the international and Palestinian Authority participating.”
Mr Obama and Hillary Clinton, secretary of state, also announced the appointment of George Mitchell, as the US special envoy for the Arab-Israeli conflict and Richard Holbrooke, former US ambassador to the United Nations, as representative for Afghanistan-Pakistan.
The moves signalled another shift from the foreign policy of the Bush administration, which had resisted appointing a high-profile envoy for Middle East peace.
Before Mr Obama gave his speech, an Israeli official said there would be tough conditions for any lifting of the blockade, which he linked with the release of Gilad Shalit, a soldier held captive by Hamas since 2006.
“If the opening of the passages strengthens Hamas we will not do it,” the official said.
“We will make sure that all the [humanitarian] needs of the population will be met. But we will not be able to deal with Hamas on the other side. We will not do things that give legitimacy to Hamas.”
Let me be clear: America is committed to Israel’s security and we will always support Israel’s right to defend itself against legitimate threats,” Mr Obama said.
But in comments referring to the Gaza conflict he added:
“I was deeply concerned by the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent days and by the substantial suffering and humanitarian needs in Gaza. Our hearts go out to Palestinian civilians who are in need of immediate food, clean water, and basic medical care, and who’ve faced suffocating poverty for far too long.”
Wild Thing’s comment……..
It’s clear he doesn’t give a damn if Jews die.
Now The Anointed One is dictating to the Israelis how to defend their citizens. He’s going to have to swallow hard when he finds out that they are not buying into the Messiah thing.
“Israel Urges Obama to Stick Head Back In his butt, Offers Help” ………..News at 11.
Stick to your guns, Israel. ….and vote in Bibi as PM next month.
….Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
…. Yeah, like our borders and ports are more safer?
– Wide Open 9-11-01
Israel is in for a very hard time. Obama has already planned his legacies. One of those legacies is to bring peace to the Middle East(impossible) even if it means the enslavement or destruction of Israel. Obama’s campaign promise to protect Israel is as hollow as his campaign promise that the Second Amendment would be safe.
Open with Merkava tanks and Apache helicopters.
Darth, exactly, he wants all borders open everywhere. Let the terrorists run free it seems.
Tom, I agree so much, it is impossible but he will sell out Israel and try to make them give in totally to the Hamas. I pray Israel just tells him to mind his own business.
Glenn Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET, DITTO that!!!!
Obama hasn’t the slightest idea of what Hamas or any other Islamofascist terrorist organization is all about and their weapons smuggling abilities. Obama can’t, and doesn’t want to, stop weapons smuggling and their use by Hamas against Israel. Promises to do so are just a ploy to force Israel to cave to the Muslim and Arab demands for a diminished, less secure, and eventual elimination of Israel as a Jewish state.
Closing Gitmo and an early retreat in Iraq coupled with forcing Israel to open the borders to Gaza again makes the United States, Israel, and the rest of the free world less safe than it was before “The One” took office.