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Last update - 00:59 01/01/2009
Obama-Netanyahu meeting
Hamas: Obama looks to maintain Israel as racist state
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Obama, Iran, Palestinians 

The new signals being emitted by Washington which indicate a greater American involvement in Mideast peacemaking has created further dissension among the main, rival Palestinian factions.

Hamas' spokesperson in Gaza, Fauzi Barhoum, said on Tuesday that the Islamist organization is disappointed in the positions expressed on Monday by President Barack Obama during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House.

"The goal of Obama's stance during the meeting with Netanyahu is to mislead global public opinion and to ensure the continuation of Israel's existence as a racist state," Barhoum was quoted as saying by Army Radio.
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The Hamas official said the Palestinians do not pin high expectations on Obama's Middle East policy.


Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of the ruling Fatah faction praised the U.S. president.

"We are encouraged by the statements and the attitude of U.S. President Obama and by his commitment to a Palestinian state," Nabil Abu Rudeineh said.

Meanwhile, a senior Palestinian Authority official said Tuesday that Israel could no longer use Iran as a means of setting United States policy, following a meeting between Netanyahu and Obama.

Yasser Abed Rabbo, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and a senior Palestinian Liberation Organization member, said the U.S. had declared unequivocally that it would deal with Iran according to its own timetable and strategy. He made the comments in an interview with the Arabic-language radio station A-Shams.

Commentators have said that Netanyahu sought to convince Obama in the Washington meeting that Iran's nuclear ambitions required more urgent action than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Abed Rabbo voiced satisfaction over the meeting, in which the U.S. president pressed for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict, describing it as positive and progressive. He added, however, that Palestinians were waiting to see action on the ground.

The Abbas aide branded Netanyahu's declaration of a willingness to renew peace talks with the Palestinian Authority as vacuous, pledging that the Palestinians would not engage again in negotiations that were mere "chatter that did not lead anywhere."

"The first clause in the Roadmap clarifies in an unequivocal fashion that Israel must freeze settlement building, while in practice the opposite occurs," he said. "We have no intention of sitting at the table with the Israelis, only to hear polite greetings."

He was referring to a peace plan backed by the Bush administration that called for a two-state solution after each side had taken a number of steps.

"We will sit at the negotiating table only if there is a defined and clear plan whose end is the implementation of the Roadmap, signifying the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," he added.


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  • ANALYSIS / Israel gives Obama until end of year on Iran
  • Palestinians: Obama encouraging, Netanyahu disappointing
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      1.   BIBI FEELS THE HEAT 00:46  |  indrajaya 01/01/09
      2.   THe Road Map doesn`t allow rockets, etc. 00:00  |  David Plane 01/01/09
      3.   and what did you do 00:12  |  Steve 01/01/09
      4.   #1 - Yesterday was a triumph for Bibi - the end of linkage! 00:21  |  redbourn 01/01/09
      5.   Israel does not set US Policy. 00:39  |  Stephen. 01/01/09
      6.   No war in the Middle east! 00:41  |  Rocko Klein 01/01/09
      7.   # 4, REDBURN 00:53  |  indrajaya 01/01/09
      8.   Hamas? Fauzi Barhoum? 00:16  |  Yaakov 01/01/09
      9.   Racism.The proof is in the pudding 00:22  |  ky 01/01/09
      10.   Does Hamas want Israel to become like their state? 00:29  |  PETER SM 01/01/09
      11.   humbled hamas is history 00:29  |  shamai 01/01/09
      12.   Surprise! 00:45  |  Mark Lincoln 01/01/09
      13.   Settlements will not stop the rockets 00:56  |  Peter L 01/01/09
      14.   I hope our freindship Isreal give some waivers 00:39  |  Zaina Kayed Shehab 01/01/09
      15.   Look who`s talking about a racist state?!! 00:40  |  Abecassis 01/01/09
      16.   #13 peterl and QUERY ON SETTLING IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA 00:55  |  v hardman 01/01/09
      17.   Hamas less devious than Fatah 00:01  |  tristan 01/01/09
      18.   M.Lincoln No surprise.The President does not see Hamas through 00:06  |  PETER SM 01/01/09
      19.   Well done Bibi 00:09  |  GABE1 01/01/09
      20.   Well done Bibi 00:13  |  GABE1 01/01/09
      21.   Why would hamass care 00:16  |  Arie 01/01/09
      22.   barack & beebee 00:20  |  Zyskandar A. Jaimot 01/01/09
      23.   Non-Racist West Bank & Gaza 00:20  |  Beatrice 01/01/09
      24.   UNIVERSE UNFOLDING AS IT SHOULD 00:21  |  Brant 01/01/09
      25.   Sorry A Racist State - How Many Jews In Gaza How Many Muslims in. 00:48  |  Eli 01/01/09
      26.   #4 - seems like you didn`t bother to read the link I gave you 00:50  |  redbourn 01/01/09
      27.   thank goodness it wasn`t tzipi... 00:58  |  GW 01/01/09
      28.   First: freeze settlements & start tearing them down 00:05  |  Don 01/01/09
      29.   No negotiations until Roadmap .... 00:08  |  Daniel 01/01/09
      30.   If Israel Was A Muslim Country 00:37  |  Frankie Littlehammer 01/01/09
      31.   Is a Jewish state a racist state? 00:38  |  WHG 01/01/09
      32.   Islamofascists speaking about racism, very funny 00:51  |  maurice 01/01/09
      33.   Look whose calling the kettle black 00:56  |  Brad 01/01/09
      34.   Don Dallas poor thang 00:58  |  petra 01/01/09
      35.   Beatrice relax no pal state. 00:01  |  petra 01/01/09
      36.   Palestinian rejectionism 00:02  |  arik 01/01/09
      37.   Peter I love the settlements. 00:04  |  petra 01/01/09
      38.   Zionist Flawed logic 00:05  |  muslim-- 01/01/09
      39.   maybe i am missing something here but... 00:05  |  confused 01/01/09
      40.   AIPAC just give isreal another blank cheque 00:09  |  muslim-- 01/01/09
      41.   2 - steve so they have to stop but u only in the end 00:12  |  M. A 01/01/09
      42.   #28 don says do away with human rights they get in the way of slo 00:13  |  vhardman 01/01/09
      43.   Its sad to say but Hamas is spot on 00:15  |  Richard 01/01/09
      44.   Petra - dream on 00:29  |  Don 01/01/09
      45.   #41 richard so are bank robbers when caught !!!! 00:43  |  v hardman 01/01/09
      46.   Israel a racist state? 00:47  |  Arnold 01/01/09
      47.   Nothing to do with racism- rationalism more like it. 00:55  |  Jo 01/01/09
      48.   To Muslim - FATAH HASN"T RECOGNIZED ISRAEL - LEARN A LITTLE 00:13  |  Eli 01/01/09
      49.   Roll up , Roll up. My Jewish friends. 00:26  |  H 01/01/09
      50.   Muslims respect jews but not ZIONISTS 00:38  |  muslim-- 01/01/09
      51.   vhardman - what treaty? please study before speaking 00:39  |  Don 01/01/09
      52.   As Usual Hamas Reads US Intent Wrong 00:42  |  Shepherd 01/01/09
      53.   Christians and jews live in Gaza 00:43  |  muslim-- 01/01/09
      54.   To Muslim - Fatah Has Not Recognized Israel`s Right To Exist 00:44  |  Eli 01/01/09
      55.   to eli 00:48  |  muslim-- 01/01/09
      56.   Sauce for the goose 00:51  |  Jack Olson 01/01/09
      57.   Don #44 Sorry, but ... 00:54  |  American Guy 01/01/09
      58.   #37 Petra. Good to see 00:54  |  H 01/01/09
      59.   OBAMA REMEMBER?WHEN B.CLINTON INVITED ARAFAT MONICA APPEARED))))) 00:11  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 01/01/09
      60.   AND WHEN G W BUSH INTRODUCED PALESTATE IN UN 9/11 CAME))))))))) 00:12  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 01/01/09
      61.   Israel isn`t a racist state, the arab states are! 00:20  |  Samir S. Halabi 01/01/09
      62.   Is a Jewish State of Israel more racist than most Arab countries? 00:29  |  Laguna Geno 01/01/09
      63.   #41 M.A 00:32  |  Steve 01/01/09
      64.   teror orgs such as hamas makes me laugh 00:38  |  dave 01/01/09
      65.   To Muslim - Stay On Topic and If You Are Wrong... 00:00  |  Eli 01/01/09
      66.   Is a Jewish state a racist state? 00:03  |  WHG 01/01/09
      67.   Young New York Jews 00:05  |  Bashem 01/01/09
      68.   To Jack - I am guessing you`ve Never Read your Own Constitution? 00:07  |  Eli 01/01/09
      69.   American Guy - all knowing yet ignorant 00:12  |  Don 01/01/09
      70.   Israel racist? What an ironic lie 00:43  |  Nechama 01/01/09
      71.   Hamas charters says kill Jews. Jordan Palestine has 0% Jews 00:46  |  David 01/01/09
      72.   American Guy # 57 Then why are you in the west? 00:50  |  American in NY 01/01/09
      73.   Dividing Jerusalem is not an option 00:50  |  Nechama 01/01/09
      74.   How many Arabs for a peace treaty? 00:19  |  utagawa 01/01/09
      75.   Bashem;"Young New York Jews"....... 00:26  |  Deacon2 01/01/09
      76.   A Palestinian state... 00:43  |  Avi Yerushalmi 01/01/09
      77.   what about you 00:32  |  oz 01/01/09
      78.   #75 - Ax to grind 00:41  |  Bashem 01/01/09
      79.   general opinion 00:47  |  Mike Storch aka Hooe 01/01/09
      80.   PARADOX 00:09  |  OZ 01/01/09
      81.   Racism and the UAE 00:12  |  Bashem 01/01/09
      82.   Racist state? 00:30  |  What 01/01/09
      83.   Israelis are racist nazis - really? 00:49  |  Nechama 01/01/09
      84.   American in NY...why are you blind? 00:20  |  MMM 01/01/09
      85.   Israel a racist state? I don`t think so! 00:26  |  Maria 01/01/09
      86.   they know 00:17  |  oz 01/01/09
      87.   Hamas`s Midsummer Night`s Dream - No Israel... 00:57  |  S 01/01/09
      88.   More Arab threats 00:15  |  Baruch Gold 01/01/09
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