Obama calls Middle Eastern leaders and engages on Gaza
By Dave Cook | 01.21.09
On his first full day as president, almost everything Barack Obama does qualifies as unprecedented.
But one of the more notable firsts on Wednesday was a series of calls President Obama made this morning to four Middle Eastern leaders commenting about the Gaza crisis and offering support for a fragile cease-fire.
He is now the one president we have
While Mr. Obama was deeply engaged in dealing with the nation’s economic crisis as president-elect, he was reticent in commenting on the Gaza conflict and often cited the truism that “we have only one president at a time.”
But on the day he first occupied the Oval Office, Obama called President Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Olmert of Israel, King Abdullah of Jordan, and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs described the calls as “warm,” adding that “the president appreciated the spirit of partnership.”
In the final days of the Bush administration an Israeli offensive ravaged Gaza and killed at least 1,300 Palestinians, many of them civilians. Israel said it acted to stop rocket attacks launched from Gaza and to stop arms smuggling that endangered its population.
Promising to be engaged
Obama used the calls to “communicate his commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term,” Mr. Gibbs said.
The presidential spokesman said Obama “emphasized his determination to work to help consolidate the cease-fire by establishing an effective antismuggling regime to prevent Hamas from rearming, and facilitating in partnership with the Palestinian Authority a major reconstruction effort for Palestinians in Gaza.”
Meeting on Iraq in ‘The Woodshed’
International issues will also play a major role in Obama’s afternoon. At 4:15 p.m. he is slated to hold a meeting on Iraq in the Situation Room located in the basement of the West Wing. Sometimes called “The Woodshed,” the secure facility was renovated in 2006 and 2007, cutting back on the wood paneling behind its nickname.
Those who will join the president for a discussion of his Iraq policy are Vice President Joseph Biden, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, National Security Advisor James Jones, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, and Gen. David Petraeus, commander in chief of US Central Command.
In his inaugural address on Tuesday, Obama said his goal was to “responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan.”
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2. Ed banks | 01.21.09
Obama should let Israel know that their brutal apatheid policies and murderous campaign in gaza does not have a place in a civilized society and hence has come to an end.
He should let them know that he will not be a slave to Israelis lobby. Obama should withhold the $20 billion a year free money to Israel till they accept the Arab Peace plan from Saudi king. This is change and Israel is not exempted from it.
3. merry danaceau | 01.21.09
The gaza israeli conflict has the potential for igniting ven greater middle east conflicts and the president recognizes the need to intervene and demonstrate his knowledge and understanding o f the issues. The fact tht he initiates the dialogue is impressive and lets the leaders know that the US is willing to have a collaborative and not always an authoritarian role in the area. Our security asa nation depends onm the combination of military strength as well as diplomatic prowess.
4. Ron Stone | 01.21.09
Excellent first day and right on target. Its time to become fully engaged and get this mess cleaned up and move on to running the USA and moving agendas forward that are long overdue.
Hooray Barack, Yea USA!
Ron
5. Paul | 01.21.09
Now this was set before O came to power. We were leaving, but watch he will get the accolades for leaving!
6. Friend of Fatah | 01.21.09
In June 2007 Hamas launched a bloody coup against the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, killing about 400 Fatah supporters and maiming many others.
Gaza residents said Hamas had commandeered schools and other public buildings as temporary detention centers, where prisoners were being systematically tortured.
The Fatah members and eyewitnesses said the detainees were being held in school buildings and hospitals that Hamas had turned into make-shift interrogation centers.
The eyewitnesses said that a children’s hospital and a mental health center in Gaza City, as well as a number of school buildings in Khan Yunis and Rafah, were among the places that Hamas had turned into torture centers.
A Fatah activist in Gaza City claimed that as many as 80 members of his faction were either shot in the legs or had their hands broken.
“What’s happening in the Gaza Strip is a new massacre that is being carried out by Hamas against Fatah,” he said. “Where were these [Hamas] cowards when the Israeli army was here?”
A Fatah official in Ramallah told the Post that at least 100 of his men had been killed or wounded as a result of the massive Hamas crackdown. Some had been brutally tortured.
Relatives of Abed al-Gharabli, a Fatah security officer who spent 12 years in an Israeli prison, said he was kidnapped by a group of Hamas militiamen who shot him in both legs after severely torturing him.
Fatah prisoners taken to the Shifa Hospital in Gaza were executed by Hamas as they lay in their beds.
7. William J. Smith | 01.21.09
Will someone please tell those egg-heads that blame Israel for the Gaza Strip conflict that if anyone started lobbing misssiles into Ventura Country indiscriminately injuring our innocents, families and children, etc., that we would be screaming at our government to put an end to it and bring the culprits to justice.
8. NewWorldOrder | 01.21.09
Simple U.S. Foreign Policy statement to Hamas terrorists. Recognize Israel or DIE!
9. Jim Sack | 01.21.09
He deserves the credit. If it wasn’t for his lobbying pressure and trementous popularity on the subject ever since 2004, we wouldn’t be even this close to leaving Iraq.
11. Pinguicula | 01.21.09
The Israeli’s have taken several steps to promote peace in the middle east and they have gotten very little cooperation from the Palestinians. First the Palestinians said they would make peace with Israel, if Israel gave back all the lands they took in the 1967 war. Israel did that (they even removed their own settlers by force) and now the Palestinians have gone back on their promise. The only thing the Palestinians will accept is the total destruction of the state of Israel. I do not support either side. But realize that both sides must be reasonable and be willing to compromise in order to resolve this conflict.
12. J. Ramsey | 01.21.09
Ed Banks is 100% on target, yet most Americans are brainwashed and will come out of the woodwork to slam his post. Watch the flood of rabid responses against him. And if “they” knew where he worked, they’d target him there too.
13. Joseph | 01.21.09
You cannot have piece with anyone if you deny them the dream of a better future with some level of opportunities. I think that, is the key for a smooth peace process in the middle east. We have to start analyze with objectivity why now the Palestinians are a problem, they weren’t before they took their land. Were they?
Yet another British screw up that we have to deal with and pay for out of our pocket.
14. james Mc Williams | 01.21.09
The new President must carve out a truly honest broker role for the US. If not he will see the continuation of an unsettled explosive Middle East . Both Israel and Palestinian rights must be recognized . We can no longer give Israel a blank check for if we do they will continue to use disproportional force against the Palestinians and continue to take more of the Palestinian land . It would not hurt to remind Israel that they should not use our military equiptment against women and children. If the new Presidend follows these suggessions he may help the two sides establish a lasting peace, nothing will be accomplished if we take only Israel’s side . In the process of seeking revenge and over emphasizing their need for security they have lost some of their moral compass .
15. Joe | 01.21.09
There is no solution to the israeli/arab problem. A country was created out of land that belonged to others and the natives want it back. The usa would never consider giving back all the land of this country back to the indian natives and israel will not as well. The american indians were mostly wiped out and now could never mount an armedfor israel, given the nature of things, it’s size, surrounded by hostile counries, they are strong now but in the long run they will probably get wiped out.
16. David Pope | 01.22.09
Barack told all of the leaders in the middle east that he does not mind grovelling to them. He initiated the calls and basically said we stand ready to do their bidding.
Already distasteful.
17. nazir yusoff malaysia | 01.22.09
Dear Mr O, The world is like this because the USA is like that. Had the USA been otherwise, the world had been wise. You now have the world in your hand;
craddle us, be a mama, oh papa. Best regards from us, craddlees.
18. Jeff | 01.22.09
Give me a break, Ed. What would you do if your family was being attacked on a daily basis? Yes we can call the police….but what does a country do? Other countries intervene on behalf of both Israel and Palistine but it’s only temporary as history shows. The Arab world is bent on destroying Israel but as long as Israel continues to stand up for itself, that will never happen.
19. tawanda magaisa | 01.22.09
Does President Obama have any solid plan of how he is going to handle Robert Mugabe and his disastrous policies in Zimbabwe.
20. Pete | 01.22.09
It’s time to ignore the Middle East because the Islamists will never leave Israel alone. The president has more important things to do than worry about that hopeless cesspool. Let the Arabs and Israelis fight it out to their hearts’ content. It’s a complete waste of time for the US to spend 5 minutes thinking about it.
21. dwyane | 01.22.09
hey jeff, at this time supporting israel is similar to supporting terrorism. killing civilians is no justice in this world. And Israel will never have a threat from arab world as the USA will never have any threat from mexico or cuba
22. Mr Patrick | 01.22.09
Isn’t it stupidity to give away $20 Bn to Israel. Instead of helping our country in this crisis , by giving medical insurances and creating jobs with that money.
23. Aoife | 01.22.09
Jeff: 1300 Palestinians dead and counting, 40% of whom were women and children…and 13 Israelis dead….who is doing the slaughtering here! The Arabs are not bent on destroying Israel, but they want to end the repression and the legacy of repression that Israeli occupiers are responsible for ON LAND THAT IS RIGHTFULLY THEIRS.
24. JustDoIt | 01.22.09
To Jeff et al - who support the ruthless destruction on humanity.
Here is an opportunity for Barack Obama to look it differently for the ME issues. The day he supports unbalanced support to either Israel or Palestian, he will have no respect in the entire ME. I bet Obama first will be looking from a humanity perspective rather than political influences.
I agree that both sides (Palestinians and Israelis) need to agree with the terms of peace agreement that is acceptable to both sides (not like the one-sided Clinton affair). On the other hand, you cannot impose SANCTIONS and expect humans to survive in a narrow strip of land. FYI Hamas irrespective what we think is a democratically elected government. One cannot have both ways for peace when you corner one group and keep yelling at the Rockets are falling. Yes, I agree Hamas has to stop shelling rockets and work with the corrupt PLO. One more thing, the 4 so-called leaders of 4 countries are nothing but shame to humanity.
Go Obama - here is a chance for you to work and show the entire world looking the issue differently can bring peace to the region. I am absolutely positive this is the last chance and no more….Either make it work or stay away from it. First his problem solving needs to be internal one within US.
25. micu | 01.23.09
There never existed a Palestine, so why now? Because Israel was made so beautiful, “Oh, we want it now, it belongs to us!!”. Dumb and dumber…
26. Taylor | 01.24.09
Both groups would have to agree upon peaceful coexistence, but that is not the typical Arab philosophy, and Israel cannot impose it independently. As Jeff noted, history shows that the Arab community cannot sustain peace in the region, and the Israelis refuse to sit idly by and submit to unprovoked attacks. Was the response proportional? No. Was it proven to be necessary to stop Hamas from firing rockets into Israel? Yes.
On citizen death: the Israelis did not target civilians. Unfortunately, the Hamas militants hid in schools, public centers, etc. like cowards because THEY don’t value their women and children and hoped that the Israelis’ values, including life, would prevail in their response. Israel chose to complete the mission of stopping the rocket fire, and responsibility for the civilian casualties falls squarely on Hamas. They publicly cry about their women and children because they know it will generate American and European outrage, not because they care about their loss. And so many ignorant Americans fall for it.
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. don v | 01.21.09
The calls he made were to them that the USA pays to be friendly , and side with Israel.Many were expecting Obama to take a even handed firm view of Israel wars, You must recall his first speech after defeating Hillary was to a Jewish group, them in israel and palestine who want peace, are going to be sadden. Nothing will change with Iran, unless somethings change with Israel, Iguess Obama will try to buy off the leaders in Iran. If so lets hope he uses some of the 8 million a day we give to israel to do so.