Obama Stresses US Support of Israel, Condemns Palestinian “Riots”!

Al-Manar

18/03/2010 US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that Israeli plans to build more settler homes in occupied Jerusalem were not helpful for the Middle East peace process, but he said the issue had not led to a crisis with one of the United States' closest allies.

"Israel's one of our closest allies, and we and the Israeli people have a special bond that's not going to go away," Obama told Fox News Channel.
"But friends are going to disagree sometimes," he added.

Amid suspicious Arab indifference and Palestinian anger, Israel announced during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden that it planned to build 1,600 more settler homesin Al-Quds, creating a spat with the Obama administration.

The Obama administration had previously described Israel’s decision as an “insult”.

"I specifically sent Vice President Biden to Israel to send a message of support and reassurance about my belief that Israel’s security is sacrosanct and that we have a host of shared interests,” Obama said

The American president defended the Israel government and only blamed one of its members, Interior Minister Eli Yishai, for the ‘disagreement’. ”The actions that were taken by the interior minister in Israel weren’t helpful to that process. Prime Minister Netanyahu acknowledged as much and apologized for it,” Obama explained.

Netanyahu on Wednesday called the timing of the move a "bureaucratic mishap".

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week demanded that Israel scrap the project and show commitment to U.S.-mediated peace talks with the Palestinians. State Department Spokesman Mark Toner said late Wednesday said that Clinton was still awaiting Netanyahu's answer to the demands.

"We're still looking forward to a response. It hasn't happened yet," he said. "There hasn't been a call yet."

By the early hours of Thursday morning Netanyahu was still in talks with seven senior ministers over Israel's reply to Clinton, Israel’s Haaretz daily said.

Obama described the Palestinian reaction to Israel’s opening of a synagogue near the holy Aqsa mosque as ‘riots’ and condemned them.

"Yesterday when there were riots by the Palestinians against a synagogue that had reopened, we condemned them in the same way because what we need right now is both sides to recognize that is in their interests to move this peace process forward," he concluded.

U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell on Tuesday canceled a planned visit to Israel as a protest against Tel Aviv’s announcement but told Barak that he was now considering arriving in the country on Sunday, Haaretz said.

River to Sea
 Uprooted Palestinian