Obama welcomes his first Arab leader to White House

[babylonsister]

I love King Abdullah of Jordan, and his wife. He didn't get any attention today. So here goes...


Obama welcomes his first Arab leader to White House

After meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II, he emphasized his commitment to Palestinian statehood – a top concern among Arabs.
By Tom A. Peter | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

from the April 21, 2009 edition


Amman, Jordan - At a critical juncture in the Arab-Israeli peace process, President Obama on Tuesday underscored his commitment to a two-state solution in his first private meeting with an Arab leader since taking office.


King Abdullah II of Jordan, who arrived at the White House on Tuesday morning, in many ways represented the agenda of his allies in the Middle East. While many Arabs are hopeful that Mr. Obama's administration will turn a new page in the region, they have been waiting for the new president to clarify to what extent he will depart from his predecessor's policies. Top on their list of concerns is Palestinian statehood.

"I am a strong supporter of a two-state solution," Obama affirmed in remarks after the meeting, adding that he believed many Israelis support it as well. The problem, he said, was cynicism. "What we want to do is to step back from the abyss and say, 'As hard as it is, as difficult as it is, the prospect of peace still exists.' "

That message contrasts with many who have been dismayed and discouraged with the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Israel's new prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he is open to peace with the Palestinians, but has shown little, if any, willingness to negotiate with Palestinians or make concessions. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank remain divided as Hamas and Fatah struggle to create a unity government.

Throughout the Arab world, many analysts say that the US has the power to help bring an end to the conflict if it adopts the right policies. Economic and security benefits are especially important, says Mazen Alaugili, a political science professor at Muta University in Karak, Jordan.

more...

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0421/p06s14-wome.html

[babylonsister]

1. No one has a comment about the King, or Obama, or how cool this is?

Did I say something wrong? :shrug:

[BlooInBloo]

6. C'mon. You know you're in the ihateobama forum.

[babylonsister]

7. Not so. You're here. :) nt

[AtomicKitten]

2. Oh Jeez. No bowing, no smiling. I think that about covers it.

This is very exciting indeed. I smell peace talks on the horizon.

Thanks for posting this. :hi:

[babylonsister]

3. Geeze, thanks for reading it!

:rofl: :fistbump:

[K Gardner]

4. K&R

[cliffordu]

5. k&R sorry I got here late, kiddo.

[Kdillard]

8. Good first step. Fingers crossed that Pre. Obama can get Netanyahu

on board when they meet up. It is going to be a very difficult process but hopefully cooler heads will prevail for something substantive to be accomplished.

[babylonsister]

9. I think Rahm has indicated in no uncertain terms that

Netanyahu won't be able to steamroll us. It's a good thing!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=8357187

The Emanuel-Netanyahu Smackdown

By Craig Crawford | April 20, 2009 6:00 AM


Imagine Rahm Emanuel and Benjamin Netanyahu in Monday Night Raw, WWE's weekly wrestler smackdown. Emanuel is laying down the law for Israel, making it clear that President Barack Obama wants West Bank territory returned to the Palestinians in exchange for U.S. help in dealing with Iran.

Israeli tough guy Netanyahu pushed back. The White House responded by announcing that the President will be out of town for the Prime Minister's trip to Washington next month.

Emanuel, whose middle name is Israel, has many ties to the country. Jewish leaders expected him to be a great friend when he became Obama's chief of staff.

But it appears that Emanuel is leading the way in taking a hard line against Netanyahu, who is a devoted hawk in Israeli politics. The battle between these two resolute characters should be quite a show.

[Beacool]

10. I didn't know that he had met with Obama.

I saw him at a bilateral with Hillary at State, but didn't realize that he was later on meeting with the prez.

[HamdenRice]

11. The symbolism is pretty astounding -- meeting Abdullah, putting Netanyahu on hold

Don't doubt that this is deliberate.

And Jordan, of all the players in the conflict has consistently had the most common sense and ethical position.

[psychopomp]

12. Good news

Thank goodness it wasn't Karzai.