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Shimon Peres and Barack Obama in Jerusalem in 2008.
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Last update - 14:56 12/10/2009
Netanyahu to Obama: Nobel win sign of hope for 'new era of peace'
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Haaretz TV, Ehud Barak 

Israel's leaders congratulated U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday for winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing the hope that his presidency would "usher in a new era of peace."

"Congratulations on winning the Nobel Prize for Peace," said Netanyahu in a message to Obama. "You have already inspired so many people around the world, and I know that this award also expresses the hope that your Presidency will usher in a new era of peace and reconciliation."

Obama was named as the recipient of the prize earlier Friday, for giving the world "hope for a better future" and for striving for nuclear disarmament.
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Netanyahu added that the Middle East was in dire need of peace, having been long marked by terror and bloodshed.

"I look forward to working closely with you in the years ahead to advance peace and to give hope to the peoples of our region who deserve to live in peace, security and dignity," he said.

President Shimon Peres also paid tribute Friday to Obama, saying that his leadership had meant "peace became a real and original agenda."

In a letter to Obama, fellow peace prize laureate Peres wrote that, "Very few leaders if at all were able to change the mood of the entire world in such a short while with such profound impact." (Click here to see the letter Peres sent to Obama)

Peres won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, along with slain prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, for their efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak also expressed his support Friday for the Nobel committee's decision to award the prize to Obama, and praised the U.S. president's efforts to bring peace to the Middle East.

Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) was less enthusiastic at the Nobel committee's decision, saying that "it's very strange that Obama won."

He added his concern that "it is possible that he might force Israel into a peace deal now that he has won the award."

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip and opposes a peace treaty with Israel, said the award was premature at best.

"Obama has a long way to go still and lots of work to do before he can deserve a reward," said Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri. "Obama only made promises and did not contribute any substance to world peace. And he has not done anything to ensure justice for the sake of Arab and Muslim causes."

But the chief Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, welcomed it and expressed hope that Obama "will be able to achieve peace in the Middle East".

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters: "The Nobel Prize for peace? Obama should have won 'the Nobel Prize for escalating violence and killing civilians'."

Meanwhile, Liaqat Baluch, a senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami, a conservative religious party in Pakistan, called the award an embarrassing "joke."


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    Obama phenomenon
    Tons of ink have been spilled with the question: Is Obama's Nobel Peace Prize justified?
      1.   Obama: A Prize For Your COMMITMENT To HUMAN RIGHTS Is BETTER!!! 15:35  |  U.S. Pal Defender 09/10/09
      2.   Obama & Nobel is only a Symbol for What Americans Want 15:38  |  Stephen 09/10/09
      3.   for Zabihullah Mujahid 15:48  |  Jim 09/10/09
      4.   Another nail in the coffin 15:53  |  Spokanite 09/10/09
      5.   peace prices 16:02  |  peter 09/10/09
      6.   Look in the Mirror Sami Abu Zuhri 16:07  |  Brad 09/10/09
      7.   #2 16:10  |  Harold 09/10/09
      8.   #4 16:14  |  Harold 09/10/09
      9.   Nobody says he shouldnt get prize-but after 11 days is a bit rich 16:15  |  Alan SA 09/10/09
      10.   Strange it is, to award the Peace Prize to a person who is yet to 16:15  |  Eitan 09/10/09
      11.   Mickey-Mouse will be next 16:19  |  Vitaly 09/10/09
      12.   #5 16:23  |  Harold 09/10/09
      13.   What a Joke! Arafat and Carter remembered 16:32  |  Devin 09/10/09
      14.   empty suit more like it 16:33  |  Mark 09/10/09
      15.   What for? 16:40  |  S 09/10/09
      16.   For all the Muslims 16:46  |  Rabbi Izzy Lahm 09/10/09
      17.   NOTHING NOBLE ABOUT A PRIZE FOR TERROR LOVERS 16:47  |  DOV KORET 09/10/09
      18.   Muslim No Bell Peace Prize 16:52  |  Chaim Gorenstein 09/10/09
      19.   Pucker Up Israel 16:54  |  Tim 09/10/09
      20.   Well, Rivlin, Look At It This Way 17:09  |  Yaakov Sullivan 09/10/09
      21.   Obama set the peace table, will they come 17:10  |  Julie 09/10/09
      22.   Prize 17:10  |  Yariv 09/10/09
      23.   Rivlin should look at the company he is keeping 17:18  |  Dave Duncan 09/10/09
      24.   Obama and Nobel 17:25  |  Rigoletto 09/10/09
      25.   What a 17:28  |  Marco 09/10/09
      26.   NO one sees the real picture 17:35  |  Nik 09/10/09
      27.   Nobel 17:44  |  JIm 09/10/09
      28.   # 11 eitan 17:44  |  Axel 09/10/09
      29.   Well the Israeli right keeps a straight face, but 17:57  |  Gunnar Ericsson 09/10/09
      30.   One more step in Peace Process 18:09  |  Peacefull Observer 09/10/09
      31.   Israel leaders probably "wetting" their pants 18:50  |  one 09/10/09
      32.   Veering dangerously close to honesty 18:57  |  Colin Wright 09/10/09
      33.   So When will Israeli Leaders Start Negotiations with the PA? 19:03  |  John Q. Public 09/10/09
      34.   A strategic and wise choice for peace in the ME 19:10  |  peace 09/10/09
      35.   Israeli right will kick and scream as they leave occupied lands 19:12  |  peace for all 09/10/09
      36.   Gunnar Ericsson ,a sad leftover from Olof Palme era 19:16  |  Absolute Sweden 09/10/09
      37.   Devin 19:16  |  TC 09/10/09
      38.   To Gunner - Can you Please Advise... 19:18  |  Eli 09/10/09
      39.   what a phoney 19:24  |  michael 09/10/09
      40.   Why not Shimon Peres? He works tirelessly too. 19:34  |  Patricia Hans-Juerge 09/10/09
      41.   Diplomatic démarche in order 19:52  |  Mladen Andrijasevic 09/10/09
      42.   Peace-Shalom-Salaam 20:22  |  Alex 09/10/09
      43.   the reason there will be no peace... 20:40  |  bernard ross 09/10/09
      44.   Nobel Peace Prize committee folly? 20:43  |  common sense 09/10/09
      45.   Noble prize of peace? 20:53  |  Tony Silver 09/10/09
      46.   nobelpeace.eu 21:07  |  Nobel 09/10/09
      47.   Eitan #10: You are wrong about who`s "alienated" by Obama 21:26  |  Dolphin 09/10/09
      48.   Eitan the fibber 21:37  |  wibism 09/10/09
      49.   Mr. Pr.esident Peres` Letter to Obama 21:48  |  Ricardo Kolbe 09/10/09
      50.   What next, a temple? 22:00  |  Heather Czerniak 09/10/09
      51.   it`s the Arab-Israeli conflict 22:25  |  GW 09/10/09
      52.   spokanite 22:50  |  Connie 09/10/09
      53.   Obama and Arafat, protectors of world peace 23:09  |  Jon 09/10/09
      54.   Read Nobel selection process - it was not in February 23:18  |  Greg 09/10/09
      55.   Only Words from the Israeli`s never deeds. 23:35  |  Razi 09/10/09
      56.   quoting terrorists? 23:52  |  really 09/10/09
      57.   Bibi needs guidance on dealing with a narcissist 01:27  |  Renford 10/10/09
      58.   10 day work-Nobel Prize 01:53  |  Joseph 10/10/09
      59.   Mr. Peres 02:12  |  Mark Lincoln 10/10/09
      60.   I am encouraged 02:37  |  EGB 10/10/09
      61.   Gifts ALL around 04:03  |  Iain 10/10/09
      62.   pssst, Obama: ME conflicts will not cease 04:48  |  Jasper 10/10/09
      63.   What does Bibi really think? 05:26  |  jmundstuk 10/10/09
      64.   I hear next year they will give the Peace Prize away... 05:40  |  Edward 10/10/09
      65.   What a farce ! 06:50  |  GA 10/10/09
      66.   Prizes are awarded to people who made significan contributions 06:59  |  Yardena 10/10/09
      67.   Obama is a man of PEACE 08:15  |  Jake 10/10/09
      68.   "it`s very strange that obama won", lol...poor rivlin 08:45  |  eric 10/10/09
      69.   Nobel means nothing anymore 09:14  |  John 10/10/09
      70.   Likud, as usual, on the wrong side of politics, any politics.... 09:40  |  S 10/10/09
      71.   Ah, Bibi, the master of meaningless words... 09:47  |  Esther 10/10/09
      72.   Ya eric #37, you got it absolutely right... 10:36  |  Esther 10/10/09
      73.   If Bibi is half serious 14:21  |  Confused 10/10/09
      74.   Obama doesn`t deserve the Nobel Prize 17:11  |  Kipperraes 10/10/09
      75.   master politically correct mean `new era of piece" 22:04  |  thou shalt not fawn 10/10/09
      76.   Netanyahu confuses 01:22  |  Iain 11/10/09
      77.   Most Israelis and the World Know - Bibi Does Not Mean it! 04:08  |  Monitor 11/10/09
      78.   O Wins Noble Peace Prize 19:27  |  Gray Eagle 11/10/09
      79.   Peace 04:57  |  Gray Eagle 12/10/09
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