Obama Immediately Gets Working On Gaza

Before attending an official prayer service this morning, President Barack Obama put in a bit of work, his communications office let it be known. And It appears that, not withstanding a request to temporarily postpone military tribunals for Guantanamo detainees, the first foreign policy topic the new administration addressed was the crisis in Gaza.

From press secretary Robert Gibbs:

This morning, the President placed phone calls to four Middle Eastern leaders: President Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Olmert of Israel, King Abdullah of Jordan, and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. He used this opportunity on his first day in office to communicate his commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term, and to express his hope for their continued cooperation and leadership. In the aftermath of the Gaza conflict, he emphasized his determination to work to help consolidate the ceasefire by establishing an effective anti-smuggling regime to prevent Hamas from rearming, and facilitating in partnership with the Palestinian Authority a major reconstruction effort for Palestinians in Gaza. He pledged that the United States would do its part to make these efforts successful, working closely with the international community and these partners as they fulfill their responsibilities as well. The President appreciated the spirit of partnership and warm nature of these calls.

With Israeli forces completing a unilateral withdraw from Gaza, and Israel's domestic elections on the horizon, Obama's team is walking a delicate path while forging the beginnings of a peace process. But he is also trying to act quickly, reportedly planning to name a special envoy to the region as early as today. The envoy is rumored to be former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell.

One more thing of note: by placing a call to Abbas, Obama is shrewdly trying to strengthen the more moderate Fatah government at a time of weakness. Hamas may be in political conflict with Israel but they are also waging a battle for legitimacy among Palestinian governing authorities. Obama is doing his best to tilt the scales on this front -- and it will be interesting to see how direct contact from him, compared to George W. Bush, affects the outcome on this front.

Comments

[bginyard09]

http://Gaza.AmericanBIble.org/

[falls1105]

Sooner or late AIPAC is going to relise they went too far .How long are the Americans going to remain ignorant. and allow themselves to be spoon fed.Ultimately Americans and people generally like fairness.They will look at this problem and to really start asking questions .That day is coming.It is inevitable.

[GingerB]

This massacre has GOT TO STOP! People, imagine these were YOUR sons. We've got to find a way to peace for our children and grandchildren. PLEASE, write the media, write your legislators, do SOMETHING to stop this insanity and DEMAND it stop NOW.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jan/21/gaza-israelandthepalestinians

[octo]

George Mitchell is great news. I was starting to lose faith in the Obama administration and his policies towards the Is rael situation, but I watched Mitchell in action in Northern Ireland and heard him interviewed many times. He's the real deal and shows that the administration is serious about change, withing the pragmatic political boundaries that surround them. Well done.

[Freenation]

Dennis B. Ross was booted...this is a good sign..he would not have been considered a fair broker when he is so tightly tied with AIPAC. AIPAC being entity which needs to be kept in check if we need to achieve a fair solution....

[Ronju01]

Its George Mitchell not Dennis B. Ross ( the famed fair broker of ME peace deal !! ) would be Obama's choice.

[Michale32086]

@chaos4700

}}}}}
the banning of political parties,
{{{{{

You still spewing this proven lie???

Michale.....

[chaos4700]

Still spamming the threads with rehashed old arguments? How puerile.

[Michale32086]

@papapj

{{{{{
"HAMAS was elected to REPRESENT the Palestinians, not to LEAD them.."

For the semantically challenged only....!

Pray tell, who leads the Palestinians of Gaza, then, if not their elected representatives...?
}}}}}}

Supposed to be their elected LEADERS in the West Bank..

Just as who leads the people in California?? Ultimately, their LEADERS in Washington DC..

You are not really good at this, are you?? :^/

Michale.....

[kid5rivers2]

TY!

[papapj]

Leaders, elected representa­tives,...a­s I said, for the semantically challenged only...nice try.

The elected leaders (representatives) in the West Bank were chosen by those in the West Bank, not Gaza. And as for your California non-sequit­or...you'r­e not to good at the diversionary game are you. Trouble is, you think you are but you're fooling no one but yourself, unfortunately....

Evidently my grasp of the English language is far better than your revisionism..

[Michale32086]

@chaos4700

}}}}}
He hasn't mastered the Shift key yet. Haven't you notice that he abuses Caps Lock pretty often too?
{{{{{

Thank you for your concession that you have no logical or rational counter to my argument and must, therefore, resort to immature personal attacks.

Your concession of my superiority is appreciated, albeit irrelevant..

Michale.....

[chaos4700]

Does anyone else read this guy's posts and hear Cartman from South Park?

[Michale32086]

@papapj

}}}}
Simple "..." will do, old chap....
}}}}

You post as you want, I'll post as I want, K son???

Michale.....

[papapj]

You evidently needed reminding of the conventions used when using the English language. Evidently, you are more comfortable with your childish, home-spun style.

However, special dispensation is granted for those unable to communicate effectively with the conventional methods employed by users of the English language.

Do you use cursive, or are you still using block capitals when writing long hand....?


HAHAHAHA!

[Michale32086]

@ TruthSeeker2009

}}}}
Do you happen to hate as well the terrorists who blew up the King David Hotel in 1948, the Irgun and Stern terrorists.
{{{{

It has been well established that the KDH attack was NOT terrorism. Due to the fact that the British had placed their military HQ inside the KDH, this made the KDH a legitimate military target.

Please get your facts straight..

Thank you.

Michale....

[chaos4700]

Could you let us know why Nelson Mandela was considered a terrorist? He was on the US terrorist watch list until last year. Since it has been "well established" that he was a known terrorist, what is your opinion of him?

[Michale32086]

@SiberianRat

{{{{{
Israel is a rogue state and needs to be reined in.
}}}}}

Apparently, President Obama sees Israel differently than you do.

That is why he is President and you are not.

Michale.....

[Macready]

israel isn't a democracy it is an apartheid state . . . it breaks international law on a daily basis . . .


President Obama please speak to Hamas!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!

[Macready]

please watch this . . . doctors treating children with burns from white phosphorous bombs

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/21/gaza-phosphorus-israel

the world has to see what israel has done to the palestinians and is continuing to do . .

[Rianna]

Democracy Israeli style?

Read how they deal with protestors.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/21/gaza-protest

[SiberianRat]

Wow, good link. Many Israel supporters don't want to know stuff like this because it's easier to belch out the talking points rather than make decisions based on research rather than rhetoric.

[chaos4700]

Yeah really. "The only stable democracy in the Middle East" -- if you don't count the attacks on peaceful protests, the banning of political parties, the lack of constitutionally guaranteed rights, the Israeli-only network of settlements and highways built in true apartheid fashion in the West Bank, the deprivation of economic activity or even humanitarian aid in Gaza, the conscription of each and every young Israeli adult into the military (excepting of course, the denigrated Arabs and the inviolable Orthodoxy), the illegal imprisonment of thousands of Palestinians in prison camps... I could go on but I think I've made my point.

[Hedonist]

The Israeli Supreme Court overturned the banning of the Arab parties. The only country in the Middle East, Israel, where Arab citizens can appeal to an impartial judicial system. Your point is well made, you could go on I'm sure with endless distortions and inaccuracies.

[Rianna]

Hopefully, unlike his predecessors, President Obama will have a more neutral stance in this terrible situation. Our support for Israel is making other countries hate us and wanting to attack us. Israel feels they can control us (so said Ariel Sharon), and it is time this perception changes. We should be fair enough to criticize Israel, when it breaks with the UN and attacks its neighbors, when it should restrain itself. Despite it's military might, they constantly bomb civilian areas, and justify it with an "oops".
The bombing of a UN compound, and a building housing media, also seems to be a mistake.
It is no surprise that some countries in the Middle East are scrambling to get WMD's. When your neighbor is fully armed and prone to bullying, after a while, you are going to forget those rocks, andarm yourself too.

[Hedonist]

Sharon said no such thing. That myth was debunked a long time ago.

[chaos4700]

Really?

You going to talk about how the "myth" of Olmert claiming the have the Bush Administration in his pocket and the Condi Rice was shamed for daring to negotiate a compromise at the UN was "debunked" as well?