Obama works to avert Israel-Egypt break as Gaza violence persists

[cali]

Note to the PTB at DU: This is now a story that is breaking beyond the boundaries of I/P. I hope that this post can remain open in GD.

In conversation with Egypt's Morsi, American president condemns rocket fire from Strip, defends Israel's right to self-defense; Egyptian FM to Clinton: Stop Israeli aggression.

The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to prevent any damage in the Israel-Egypt peace accord that might result from Operation Pillar of Defense taking place in the Gaza Strip. U.S. President Barack Obama spoke last night with Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi, and asked him not to take action that would worsen tensions with Israel.

Israel did not brief the United States in advance about its plan to assassinate the head of Hamas' military wing, Ahmed Jabari, or regarding the date of the start of this Gaza operation. However, during talks held by National Security Advisor Yaakov Amidror at the White House early this week, he made clear that Israel is prepared to carry out a military action in Gaza.

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http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/obama-works-to-avert-israel-egypt-break-as-gaza-violence-persists.premium-1.478076

KIRYAT MALACHI, Israel — Israel and Hamas widened their increasingly deadly conflict over Gaza on Thursday, as a militant rocket killed three civilians in an apartment block in this small southern town. The deaths were likely to lead Israel to intensify its military offensive on Gaza, now in its second day of airstrikes.

KIRYAT MALACHI, Israel — Israel and Hamas widened their increasingly deadly conflict over Gaza on Thursday, as a militant rocket killed three civilians in an apartment block in this small southern town. The deaths were likely to lead Israel to intensify its military offensive on Gaza, now in its second day of airstrikes.

The regional perils of the situation sharpened, meanwhile, as President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt warned on Thursday that his country stood by the Palestinians against what he termed Israeli aggression, echoing similar condemnation on Wednesday.

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The Israeli offensive has damaged Israel’s fragile relations with Egypt and escalated the risks of a new war in the Middle East.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-assault.html?pagewanted=all

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Bibi is waving the flag at the Bogeyman to get votes.

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” H.L. Mencken