Thursday, February 7, 2013

President Obama's Upcoming March Visit to Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
President Obama, in his 2nd term of office, is planning to visit Israel in March.  This will be his first visit as a president.  He plans to talk with the Palestinian Authority, Abbas as well and Jordan's King Abdullah II.   He had visited once when he was a candidate for the presidency in 2008.  On June 4, 2009 as a new president he visited Cairo, Egypt  and made an important speech at Cairo University called "A New Beginning."  That was almost a prophesy.  He chose Egypt, he said because it was the heart of the Arab world.  .

One of the top priorities of Prime Minister Netanyahu in his new term is to resume talks with the PA. The PA has been refusing to talk with Netanyahu unless certain conditions they are demanding are met first.

1. A full construction freeze everywhere east of the 1949 armistice line, including much of Jerusalem.  I believe they have upped the ante here from the last time they left the table.
2. The release of terrorist prisoners.
3. Allow weapons imports.
4. Agree in principle to giving the PA all of Judea and Samaria with possible land swaps for their Palestine.

For a group who fought against Israel in 1967, 1973, 1982 and consistently have been shooting missiles, mortars and rockets into southern Israel since 2001 and having just recently agreed to a cease fire, they certainly are demanding.

 The fact remains that Israel was created legitimately and followed all the legal procedures but that the Palestinians have never accepted them.  They have made it quite plain that they plan to drive Israel into the sea for the past 64+ years.  Israel has in the past given up land for peace which has just whet the Arab's  appetite to take a piece more, and another piece of teeny Israel.  The truth is that they want to create a state 65 years later than when they were first offered land, and that the land Israel was promised has already been chopped up so that it was only created on 20% of their original piece.   What gives the Palestinian Arabs the right to be so persnickety?  They're not the ones who have yearned or needed their own state for the past 2,000 years.

Obama said he is not coming to present any new proposals for peace talks, though these issues are bound to come up.  It is to be John Kerry, the new Secretary of State who will be working on that.  Obama is just coming on a visit being both Netanyahu and Obama are starting their new terms and that this is a Presidential visit, being he didn't come in the past 4 years. Obama  and  Netanyahu  will "try to move past the friction of the last four years now that both have won re-election. The relationship between the two leaders has been edgy for years over issues like Israel’s settlements in Judea and Samaria and ways to stop Iran's Nuclear program, but Obama wants to show support for Israel by visiting.  I see a change in the makeup of the government has something to do with it as well which is why Abbas has wanted to talk with the newly elected Knesset members.  .

Exactly when he is coming and for how long is not known yet. He is to come in the Spring, which starts on March 20th.   Palm Sunday falls on the 24th of March and Passover begins at sundown on the 25th of March which is a Monday.  Good Friday is the 29th. Easter is on March 31st.   The 8th and last day of Passover is on April 2nd.  This is a very busy and important month for both Christians and Jews.

He will visit with Abbas and the King of Jordan and their officials.  The PA has high hopes that this visit will lead to the establishment of Palestine on lands "occupied since 1967."  Since his first term started in January 2009, he has visited 35 different countries, but not Israel.  The USA still does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Resource: Arutz Sheva news@israelnationalnews.com Obama won''t present new peace initiative during Israel trip.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidential_trips_made_by_Barack_Obama
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/world/middleeast/obama-to-visit-israel-in-spring.html?_r=0
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/aug/07/mitt-romney/romney-says-obama-has-not-visited-israel-president/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/opinion/the-truth-about-obama-and-israel.html?_r=0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_New_Beginning

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