Tag Archives: Middle East peace

Obama’s views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

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“America’s strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable,” President Obama said today. “On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians – have suffered in pursuit of a homeland.”

The only solution for solving the decades-long conflict, Obama said, is for two states, “where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.” A two state solution is in Israel’s, Palestine’s and America’s interests, the president said.

But for peace to come, Obama said, it is time for everyone to “live up to our responsibilities.”

For the Palestinians, that means they must abandon violence. “Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and it does not succeed,” Obama said, citing African Americans’ own experience struggling for equality through non-violent means. “Violence is a dead end.”

“At the same time,” Obama said, “Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel’s right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine’s. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. … It is time for these settlements to stop.”

President Obama pledged to “say in public what we say in private to Israelis and Palestinians and Arabs.” What do you think of the president’s statements on the Middle East?

Working together

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Cairo University auditorium

In his speech at Cairo University, President Obama said that in today’s interconnected world, “any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail.” Instead, nations need to work in partnership so that our “progress must be shared.”
The president outlined seven issues “we must finally confront together.” Here is what they are and a brief comment the president made about each one:

1. Violent extremism: “America is not – and never will be – at war with Islam. … We reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women and children.”

2. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “If we see this conflict only from one side or the other, then we will be blind to the truth: The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security.”

3. Securing nuclear weapons: “This is not simply about America’s interests. It’s about preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that could lead this region and the world down a hugely dangerous path.”

4. Democracy: “No system of government can or should be imposed by one nation by any other. That does not lessen my commitment, however, to governments that reflect the will of the people.”

5. Religious freedom: “Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it.”

6. Women’s rights: “Issues of women’s equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam … the struggle for women’s equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.”

7. Economic development and opportunity: “There need not be contradictions between development and tradition.”

A summary and full transcript of the president’s speech is available on America.gov.

A preview of the president’s speech in Egypt

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Tomorrow, the president speaks to a Muslim audience in Egypt. (Which of course you can watch live on America.gov’s Co.NX website at 6:10 EDT, 1010 GMT.) Today, Obama’s speech writer Ben Rhodes offered a preview. This is a speech Obama has been focused on since his presidential campaign, Rhodes said.

The president views this speech as an opportunity to “start a new chapter of engagement between the United States and Muslim world,” Rhodes said. He will discuss issues like violent extremism, conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The conflict is “a very important source of tension and passion for people of all faiths within this region and around the world, and [Obama] will discuss in some detail his view of the conflict and what needs to be done to resolve it,” Rhodes said.

But the speech will also be an opportunity for a “forthright discussion,” Rhodes said. The president feels it is important to “speak very openly and candidly about the very full range of issues that have caused some tensions between the United States and the Muslim world,” Rhodes said.

What do you think? Is this speech an opportunity to start a new engagement? Share your comments!

Obama meets Palestinian leader

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Abbas and Obama
President Obama welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House May 28. Not surprisingly, the leaders’ discussions focused on “how we can advance peace in the Middle East,” Obama said. Ten days before, he met with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.

“As I’ve said before, I’ve been a strong believer in a two-state solution that would provide the Israelis and Palestinians the peace and security that they need. I am very appreciative that President Abbas shares that view,” Obama said. One step toward this solution includes the Palestinian government strengthening security in the West Bank, Obama said.

A transcript of the leaders’ comments is available on America.gov.

Obama holds his first presidential meeting with Israeli prime minister

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Netanyahu and Obama

President Obama welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House May 18 to discuss the Middle East peace process, an important issue for any presidential administration.

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 in which Israelis and Palestinians are
living side by side in peace and security,” Obama said following the meeting.

The United States has “historical ties, emotional ties,” to Israel, Obama said. “As the only true democracy in the Middle East, it is a source of admiration and inspiration for the American people.”

The two leaders also discussed Iran. “Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon would not only be a threat to Israel and a threat to the United States but would be profoundly destabilizing in the international community,” Obama said.

In the coming weeks, Obama will be meeting with Palestinian and Egyptian leaders to discuss Middle East issues. What role do you think the Obama administration should play in the Middle East peace process?