Obama Sends Passover Greetings To Israel

WASHINGTON -- The White House says President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed cooperation on counterterrorism, the Middle East peace process and violence in the Gaza Strip during a telephone conversation Monday.

Obama also extended best wishes to Netanyahu before the start of Passover. The weeklong holiday begins Monday night with a traditional seder meal and marks the biblical story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.

Obama also was hosting a seder at the White House for the third straight year.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Netanyahu expressed appreciation for U.S. funding for a military weapons system that has intercepted several rockets aimed at Israeli communities.

Comments

[BGosh]

09:17 AM on 04/23/2011

Such an interesting set of comments from Israel bashers. Remember, foaming fiends, this is about Passover, not Gaza. Get over yourselves.

There is no one more narcissisitcally victimized more on Earth than Palestinian protesters. Stay classy, folks.

[Taxim]

03:56 AM on 04/21/2011

Dozens of Israel’s most honored intellectuals and artists have signed a declaration endorsing a Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders and asserting that an end to Israel’s occupation “will liberate the two peoples and open the way to a lasting peace.”

“We don’t want to pass over the Palestinian people,” Mr. Ezrahi said. “This is a holiday of freedom and independence.” He added that given the struggle for freedom across the Arab world today and the Palestinians’ plans to seek international recognition of their statehood by September, it was important for Israeli voices to be added to the call.

Two weeks ago, another group of several dozen prominent Israelis, many of them from the fields of security and business, issued what they called the Israeli Peace Initiative, a more detailed but somewhat similar plan for a two-state solution. Both groups say they are upset by their government’s policies in this regard, which they consider insufficient.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/20/world/middleeast/20mideast.html?amp&

[Atomizer]

09:02 PM on 04/20/2011

Jews have been a tiny minority presence (less than 3%) in Palestine for the last nineteen hundred years, until Zionists illegally began stealing the Palestinians land in the early 20th century.

Guess what - the fact that Jews used to live somewhere and then moved somewhere else doesn't give you the right to move back in perpetuity. Or do you think that the descendants of the people who used to live on your street a hundred years ago should have the right to take over your property because some of "their people" still live on the block?

[alchemy]

07:21 AM on 04/20/2011

I would prefer to see Obama visit the West Bank and Gaza and see the result of the US aid to Israel/ where the bombs and bullets go. Perhaps then he would send the US aid to the suffering of Gaza instead.

[Fina Biscotti]

07:46 AM on 04/20/2011

PLO was provided $900 MILLION of our US taxpayer money - negotiated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - who was illegally appointed to the office - while a US Senator - which is a CRIME against The US Constitution.

The $900 MILLION was provided to the PLO - during obama's "peace talks" - with Israel.

The US taxpayer money - given to the PLO - is also suspected of supporting the terrorist group, HAMAS.

Tell all the facts - alchemy. When you keep things one-sided, it causes an uproar.

[BestGuest]

09:39 AM on 04/20/2011

PLO was bought for a price u know... U expected them to collaborate with |$rae| against the will of the P@lestinian people for free??

[Bonnie Larkin]

03:54 PM on 04/20/2011

Don't expect too much wisdom on this site concerning Israel -- but the facts remain - those here that hate Israel and LOVE Hamas would be beheaded by Hamas for being infidels if the chances were given -
Talk about who the fools really are.

[squiems]

12:19 PM on 04/20/2011

First off, america gives a huge amount of aid to the palestinians. A large part goes to corrupt politicians or even weapons.

Secondly, there would be no bombs and bullets in the west bank or gaza if it werent for the intransigence of the palestinian leadership.

[Fractal122635]

05:33 AM on 04/20/2011

and yet, 2 years later and he still can't bring himself to actually GO to Israel on an official visit.

[Nwo2012]

06:39 AM on 04/20/2011

Indeed. He should visit Gaza and the West Bank. Stay overnight. Maybe in one of those open-roofed hotels.

[squiems]

12:20 PM on 04/20/2011

maybe at one of the many mansions owned by rich palestinians in the west bank. As somebody who has actually been there (and not to settlements), i can tell you all about that.

[BGosh]

09:15 AM on 04/23/2011

They'll tell him to take this bomb over into Israel. Or run in front of that bulldozer. Or, "Hey, we'll kidnap you for the release of others," and then they'll suffocate him in a tizzy. Or they'll tear him apart, limb from limb when he visits a police station. Or they'll claim that he was murdered by tear gas at the Bi'ilin. So much stuff for an American President to do in WB/Gaza. And you can do it all on less than $5 a day.

[Barbara DeZan]

09:42 AM on 04/20/2011

Gee Whiz!

Pres Obama avoiding Israel travel?

It's not as if he has anything else to do.....

Get over yourself.

Until Israel stops building in Palestinian areas, until they stop imprisoning entire towns by fencing them in, until they come to terms with the ones who share the land....there is nothing esle to be done.

Obama has drawn a line in the sand....the rest is up to Israel.

We still give them billions in aid, supply weapons and armaments, send them aircraft and bombs....the rest is up to them.

The fact is this: when the state of Israel was established, a couple million Palestinians were displaced, thrown from their homes which were either destroyed or occupied. Their continued subjugation of those people is reprehensible. Until that situation is rectified, there is no need for buddy-buddy relationships.

Why should Pres Obama...or any other U.S. President...visit that place. Netenyahu has been here several times to meet with Obama. Israel knows the terms....the rest is up to them.

[Bonnie Larkin]

05:15 AM on 04/20/2011

I support Israel yesterday - today - and tomorrow -
To those of you here that are just so eager to hate her - let me put these questions to you --
Which government treats women better - Israel or a Muslim country ?
How about which religion orders your death if you don't agree with it ?
Which g/ment passes out sweets to celebrate the murder of an entire family "
Which g./ment allows the stoning death of females for any reason?
Sells 6y/o female children into marriages ?
Which g/ment allows the freedom of lifestyle that enables one to listen to music - enjoy a glass of wine / females to go to school ?
One should think about these things and how they relate to the growth of being free vs being a slave.

[BestGuest]

05:19 AM on 04/20/2011

Hey i support Israel too.... Just not on Palestinian lands!

[Bonnie Larkin]

05:45 AM on 04/20/2011

They are not on Palestinian lands-- that land has been Israeli land 900 years BEFORE the Palestinians got there.

[Vlady]

01:10 PM on 04/20/2011

Right, you support her on a fiction novel's pages

[Barbara DeZan]

09:47 AM on 04/20/2011

What you say is true. However, Israel still holds in bondage the entire Palestinian nation..still builds and occupies more and more of their lands, still won't let them move around at will, still fence in their towns and villages - where they many not leave unless they have "papers".

Until Israel gets with the program, until they settle with the Palestinians and treat them as whole human beings, with the right to live, work and travel freely, there is nothing else to be done.

They've had 60 years to make things right....and they haven't. They've ignored all efforts by some of our most experienced diplomats, Presidents, ex-Presidents and those from other countries too....and they've not done a thing to repair and make whole the Palestinian people.

[Vlady]

01:55 PM on 04/19/2011

Sadie, an elderly lady, is sitting in a restaurant in Brent Cross
Shopping Centre sipping her tea. Next to her, three nuns were discussing where to go on holiday.
The 2nd nun says to Mother Superior "Let's go to Jerusalem."
"No," says Mother Superior, "there are too many Jews there."
The 3rd nun says to Mother Superior "Let's go to Philadelphia."
"No," says Mother Superior again, "also too many Jews there."
The 2nd nun again speaks and says, "Let's go to Paris."
Yet again Mother Superior replies, "No, too many Jews there too."
Sadie had heard enough.She leans over and says to them, in a thick, loud Yiddish acccent, "Vell,vhy don't you go to Hell, dere are no Jews dere!!!!"

[coffeeparty]

02:27 PM on 04/19/2011

I love you Sadie.....

[avril666]

03:08 PM on 04/19/2011

nah, they're up in heaven with 40 palestinian children at their beck and call

[Greg Mirsky]

02:47 PM on 04/19/2011

Most of us are smart ... in the aftermath. It was not humanly possible to predict the German Final Solution. If so, why did my relatives decided to stay in Riga when Germans invaded the Soviet Union and took the city on July 1st, 1941? They've lived with Germans, Baltic Germans, for generations, some lived through German occupation of Riga during WWI. No one could have imagined. Otherwise one should call actions of US Congress that hardened immigration laws that denied many Jewish refugees opportunity to find refuge in the USA. MS St.Lious - act of cooperation with Na zi regime in Germany? Personally I don't think so, but following your logic it should be called so.

[Greg Mirsky]

03:26 PM on 04/19/2011

Dear Moderator,
I'm not asking to ban or penalize this flamer in any way. The only thing I'm asking is to let this post through, so the public sees him/her for what he/she is.
Regards
In response to my comment above I got this:
"avril666 nope, blame the 6 million jews who did nothing to stop it

posted Apr 19, 2011 at 15:08:41 "

Case closed ...

[avril666]

12:43 PM on 04/19/2011

israel - creators of circumcision...too lazy to wash themselves

[Vlady]

01:03 PM on 04/19/2011

Some people circumcised by wrong limb which is often their brain

[Nwo2012]

01:04 PM on 04/19/2011

*eyeroll*

[avril666]

01:06 PM on 04/19/2011

or their souls...if only there was evidence of one

[erehwon2]

12:48 PM on 04/19/2011

You've lasted a bit longer this time, but I knew you couldn't control yourself for long. Any comments about the matzah?

[avril666]

12:53 PM on 04/19/2011

current israeli behavior doesn't exactly make a solid case against past accusations

[Vlady]

12:53 PM on 04/19/2011

Wish you great exodus from bigotry

Happy Passover http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXpAepzqf4k

[ber6964]

11:10 AM on 04/19/2011

I wish wholeheartedly that he would sever ties with these people!

[StCuthbert]

11:13 AM on 04/19/2011

What people?

[Nwo2012]

11:52 AM on 04/19/2011

Israeli government duh

[JerusalemStudent]

11:41 AM on 04/19/2011

The Jews?

[BGosh]

10:12 AM on 04/19/2011

I find it interesting that no one is allowed to take a military stance against Muslims during Ramadan, but gosh darn tootin' when that President decides to spend time hosting a Passover Seder if the anti-Semites don't drop their pants and start posting.

It must be along the same concept of blowing up the Netanya seder in 2002. And starting a 3-front war on Yom Kippur.

Good times.

[Fractal122635]

05:37 AM on 04/20/2011

F and F

[theuniversalcollective]

08:24 AM on 04/19/2011

Ziesen Pesach Y'all

[enderM]

09:48 AM on 04/19/2011

to you as well!

[MelissaQuan]

08:33 PM on 04/20/2011

And Happy Easter to you! :)

[April22]

08:17 AM on 04/19/2011

The US's military aid to Israel had had a dramatic effect on Israel's policies towards the Palestinians. Much of this money is not used for defense but to finance the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

A large part of US military aid goes to purchasing F-16 bombers, tanks, Apache helicopters, machine guns and bullets

Supplying arms into an area already plagued by violence can only increase death and destruction.

The US has a 10-year military aid agreement with Israel:

"In August 2007, the Bush Administration agreed to increase U.S. military assistance to Israel by $6 billion over the following decade. Israel is to receive incremental annual increases of $150 mllion, starting at $2.55 billion in FY2009 and reaching $3.15 billion per year for FY2013-2018."

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/foreign_aid.html

[RageVsMachine]

09:33 AM on 04/19/2011

Where was the Tea Party on that reckless spending?

[totaldisbelief]

11:55 AM on 04/19/2011

zactly

[Barbara DeZan]

09:51 AM on 04/20/2011

They didn't notice or care.....

After all, Bush was white.

[avril666]

12:40 PM on 04/19/2011

Then they sell the technology to the Chinese

[Fina Biscotti]

07:58 AM on 04/20/2011

That was the DemocraTick Party's Clinton Administration - for CHINAGATE - in which State Department officials were threatened with the loss of their jobs - by Clinton and Al Gore - when they wanted State officials to alter documents - to cover up their sale of classified information to the COMMUNIST Chinese government - about our missle program.

There were WHISTLEBLOWER complaints filed over it.


That is why Hillary Clinton was very accepting of the Monica Lewinsky scandal - as a SMOKESCREEN and DISTRACTION - to their ACTS of TREASON.

[alchemy]

06:42 AM on 04/19/2011

Hopefully he will also send Passover and Easter greetings to the parliamentarians and activists, and peace activists from over 40 countries preparing to sail for Gaza to break the seige, where they are to be greeted by attack dogs and armed commandos. How will Israel spin this?

[TheLonelyGod]

07:59 AM on 04/19/2011

When did you develop your powers of prophecy?

[Nwo2012]

12:00 PM on 04/19/2011

Hes an alchemist. Its a training-on-the-job thing.

[theuniversalcollective]

08:23 AM on 04/19/2011

I guess the activists will consider themselves entirely fortunate if the Gazans don't strangle them, much less than worrying about the Israelis.

[Nwo2012]

09:10 PM on 04/20/2011

They're more likely to be forced to lie down on the floor, then be shot in the back of the head by an IOF uniformed Israeli teenager