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Israelis looking at a recorded speech by U.S. President Barack Obama at a memorial service marking the 14th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's murder.
(AP)
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Last update - 11:21 08/11/2009
Obama cancels Jewish Communities GA address
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Yitzhak Rabin 

Despite being slated to speak at the United Jewish Communities General Assembly on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday that he will instead be attending a memorial service for the American soldiers recently killed at Fort Hood, Texas.

White House officials said that Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel will address the 3,000 prominent Jewish guests from around the world expected to attend the assembly, instead of the president.

U.S. officials said that the President will meet with Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu in a last-minute meeting on Monday, before heading to Texas for the memorial ceremony.
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Officials in the Prime Minister's Office tried on Saturday to lower expectations over the importance of a meeting with Obama, which was only scheduled on Sunday morning.

"It won't be the end of the world if it doesn't happen," they said.

On Sunday, after Netanyahu and his staff departed for Washington, there were still conflicting reports about whether the meeting with Obama would take place.

Alongside Netanyahu, several top ministers will be addressing the GA, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, opposition leader Tzipi Livni, Israel's Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, Jewish Agency Chair Natan Sharansky, JDC CEO Steven Schwager, and more.

On Tuesday Netanyahu is to fly to Paris, where he is scheduled to meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday. The prime minister's Paris visit comes just two days before that of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who will also meet with Sarkozy. Netanyahu has not signaled interest in renewing negotiations with Damascus, but stagnation in talks with the Palestinians may force him to do so.

Obama sent a video message that aired in front of thousands of people who gathered at Tel Aviv's Rabin Square on Saturday to remember slain prime minister Yitzhak Rabin at the exact spot where he was gunned down 14 years ago by a right-wing extremist. Remarking on Rabin's quest for peace during his life, Obama said that "Israelis will not find true security while the Palestinians are gripped by hopelessness and despair."

In the video, broadcast at the rally and televised, Obama praised Rabin as a statesman who saw the world through the prism of war and peace. He quoted Rabin as having said that the only battle it was a pleasure to wage was the battle for peace.

Obama added that the answer to all the doubts that accompanied Rabin's quest for peace have to be "yes" as everyone is working toward a lasting peace for Israel and its neighbors.

The U.S. president reassured the crowd that "America's bond with our Israeli allies is unbreakable," and pledged that U.S. support for Israel's defense will never be undermined.

"To all who seek peace I say tonight, you will always have a partner in the United States of America and in my administration," Obama said. "That's why we've been working aggressively for our clear goal, two states living side by side in peace and security."


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      1.   Are we fooled by PLO terrorists again? 20:56  |  fo realz 07/11/09
      2.   "imperfect" peace 21:05  |  Moshe 07/11/09
      3.   PERES SPEECH 21:29  |  EGON LAZARUS 07/11/09
      4.   Mr. Peres the world is tired of your lies. U don`t want peace! 21:36  |  Jetson 07/11/09
      5.   "Imperfect peace"? 21:41  |  Ari 07/11/09
      6.   And who just proved to the Palestinians there is no hope? 22:19  |  Mark Lincoln 07/11/09
      7.   if palestinians 22:20  |  want peace 07/11/09
      8.   What a artist in deceptiom???? 22:43  |  Sami 07/11/09
      9.   Bravo Prez. Obama 22:43  |  Peter 07/11/09
      10.   The americans know only one kind of diplomacy; their military 22:52  |  Kris Lazar 07/11/09
      11.   No PEACE as long as Palestinians gripped by HATE 22:53  |  Roger 07/11/09
      12.   Good News - Israel sees the Light! 22:58  |  Cynic 07/11/09
      13.   sick, sick of speeches 22:59  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 07/11/09
      14.   obama and knowing facts dont seem to matter at all 23:00  |  vhardman 07/11/09
      15.   peace movement in israel 23:29  |  roy 07/11/09
      16.   Nice words Tzipi Livni 23:32  |  Mark Lincoln 07/11/09
      17.   Obama is the ennemy 23:37  |  Frank 07/11/09
      18.   despair 23:40  |  Shmuelshachor 07/11/09
      19.   What about the other 46 locations - Part1 23:40  |  Ron 07/11/09
      20.   Obama`s right, but not how he intended 23:43  |  dave 07/11/09
      21.   Don´t you understand that this is a tug off war 23:47  |  Mikael 07/11/09
      22.   despair- go to darfur for that. 23:54  |  JO 07/11/09
      23.   Say what? 00:20  |  Gilad 08/11/09
      24.   important 00:26  |  Belal 08/11/09
      25.   Blinded by false greatness 00:30  |  sami abu ismail 08/11/09
      26.   Obama is correct 00:33  |  Jasper 08/11/09
      27.   Obama continues his slide downward 00:37  |  A Nice fellow 08/11/09
      28.   OBAMA WANTS TO BE THE NEXT PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT 00:38  |  zionist forever 08/11/09
      29.   To Palestinians peace is no Israel or an Arab-majority Israel 00:44  |  Sam 08/11/09
      30.   Obama we need more than words 01:06  |  Basil 08/11/09
      31.   #2 and Sderot 01:57  |  bob 08/11/09
      32.   Can All-Powerful Israel Be Just? 02:17  |  Vladek 08/11/09
      33.   want peace - Why are they colonizing Palestine? 02:30  |  CJ 08/11/09
      34.   I hope he isn`t giving his AIPAC double talk 03:23  |  Eli 08/11/09
      35.   What Gripped The Palestinians To Reject The 1947 Partition Plan.. 03:35  |  Lavi 08/11/09
      36.   no security for U.S. while Major Nidal Malik Hasan and 1000`s 03:47  |  foot in mouth 08/11/09
      37.   Sick 04:12  |  Moises 08/11/09
      38.   Oslo failed because they want piece 04:16  |  dudi 08/11/09
      39.   The peace is dead 04:22  |  Ben Hamed 08/11/09
      40.   "no security for israel while palestinians despair" 04:30  |  eric 08/11/09
      41.   meaning what it always has 04:41  |  hollingsworth 08/11/09
      42.   Mark Lincoln 04:46  |  AH 08/11/09
      43.   Arab despair 04:49  |  howiej 08/11/09
      44.   Give Peace A Chance 04:58  |  Enough Already 08/11/09
      45.   dudi 05:29  |  an enraged bystander 08/11/09
      46.   Priorities 05:38  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/09
      47.   The PA Baby In The UN Nursery Thinks That Crying & Whining Will 05:43  |  Lavi 08/11/09
      48.   President Obama on Fort Hood events: `Don`t jump to conclusions" 06:10  |  yes we can 08/11/09
      49.   re "Palestinians will have majority." - yes, of genetically 06:15  |  great expectations 08/11/09
      50.   Shakespeare once described 06:23  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/09
      51.   So Obama has actually understood the magnitude 06:25  |  Mark Lincoln 08/11/09
      52.   Mark Lincoln, # 14 get yourself a shrink. 06:27  |  Fortuna Benmayor 08/11/09
      53.   Re: An enraged bystander 06:37  |  Yehoshua Ze`evi 08/11/09
      54.   Fortuna, back behind the `67 borders... 08:03  |  BBSNews 08/11/09
      55.   not because they are jews 09:32  |  Saad Khatib 08/11/09
      56.   Obama should not be missed 10:33  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/11/09
      57.   Enraged Bystander #18 11:19  |  artzi 08/11/09
      58.   to Cipora # 29 Obama should not be missed 11:27  |  gorm 08/11/09
      59.   It will be interesting to hear from Rahm Emanuel 11:41  |  Fredrik Henry 08/11/09
      60.   I hope Benjamin Netanyahu heard this 12:50  |  Sarahgit 08/11/09
      61.   #.48.Gorm. 12:56  |  Stephen. 08/11/09
      62.   Good. No need to hear is tiresome Doublespeak 14:58  |  Kenny 08/11/09
      63.   Peace? By crushing muslim snakehead th wishes to devour the world 15:06  |  James Baker 08/11/09
      64.   #9 Peter - Obama lies through his teeth. 15:10  |  Ben 08/11/09
      65.   answer to Lavi 15:18  |  me 08/11/09
      66.   Now if this were a J Street event, Obama wouldn`t cancel 15:20  |  Maya 08/11/09
      67.   Fredrik #59... but Rahm is great friend & confidant of Obama... 15:21  |  Esther 08/11/09
      68.   #55 Saad Khatib - The Arab leaders let you live in hell because 15:24  |  BBB 08/11/09
      69.   Ben - Gosh you`re argument #63 is so convincing 15:28  |  CJ 08/11/09
      70.   Yehoshua Ze`evi - Only in Israel 15:33  |  CJ 08/11/09
      71.   Is the PMO`s office announcing to the world 15:49  |  Ivor Biggun 08/11/09
      72.   Hopefully Hillary`s humiliation by Bibi will change things. 16:11  |  Michael 08/11/09
      73.   Israels who`s who getting shown a very cold shoulder. 16:12  |  Kris Lazar 08/11/09
      74.   ivor biggun---better not get off "De Plane" in Dublin 16:19  |  Labhras 08/11/09
      75.   #58 Gorm to Cipora 16:40  |  Gianni 08/11/09
      76.   #72 labarse of arabia is correct do not get off plane 16:43  |  vhardman 08/11/09
      77.   Obama 16:49  |  John 08/11/09
      78.   Its quite a list of Israeli "top" ministers that will speak 16:50  |  jim the mechanic 08/11/09
      79.   39 then keep your ignorant nose out 17:01  |  lin fei 08/11/09
      80.   #76 Labhras 17:08  |  Ivor Biggun 08/11/09
      81.   ...bond is unbreakable 17:43  |  Rudy 08/11/09
      82.   and how long would Israel listen to the world 17:54  |  lin fei 08/11/09
      83.   Masters and pets 18:14  |  Rani 08/11/09
      84.   #.74.Labharas. 18:50  |  Stephen. 08/11/09
      85.   #73, Kris Lazar 21:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/11/09
      86.   # 84 Stephen ---dont get out much--do you 22:21  |  Labhras 08/11/09
      87.   Fortuna Benmayor# 52 it seems that you need the shrink instead 22:32  |  American in NY 08/11/09
      88.   Obama needs to cancel more Jewish conferences & events 11:26  |  Dutch 09/11/09
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