Barak: Obama government presents rare opportunity for peace
Defense Minister in Washington: It is imperative to recruit Obama and the U.S. to peace efforts.
By Haaretz Service Tags: Ehud Barak Barack Obama Jewish GA Israel newsDefense Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday that Barack Obama's presidency represents a rare opportunity to achieve Mideast peace.
During his visit to Washington, Barak said that Israel must do everything within its power to reach an agreement with its neighbors and that it is imperative to recruit Obama and the U.S. to these efforts.
Barak stressed that the U.S. administration is currently the biggest world power, and that it represented a rare chance for peace, which far surpasses all other alternatives.
Barak met with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday and thanked him for U.S. cooperation on the Israeli defense system against long-range missiles. The two discussed continuing cooperation on preventing the smuggling of arms to Hezbollah and Hamas, and also discussed the Iranian nuclear threat.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Barak said it went very well. "Strategic understanding and cooperation on intelligence with the U.S. are the foundation stones of Israeli security," he said.
During his visit, Barak is expected to meet with with Dennis Ross and George Mitchell as well.
Barak is scheduled to address the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America conference on Monday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also arrived in Washington on Monday in order to take part in the GA conference. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Obama while in Washington.
The U.S. only relayed a message about the meeting Sunday morning, after Netanyahu and his aides already assumed that there will be no meeting with Obama.
The meeting is expected to be short and closed off to the press.
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Don't step your Bull Crap Ehud Barak. If you had ANY interest in Peace you NEVER would have signed on as Netanyahu's Defense Minister. The protestations of Ehud Barak are so transparently self-serving as to be pathetic. He will leave the Labor party in ruins. He has already destroyed it. The labor party, and Israel, are just useful toys for his personal benefit. It is astounding that the current government of Israel contains a man less worthy and more despicable than Bibi Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman. Compared to Ehud Barak they are pillars of decency.
Barak again talks with a crooked smile.He is not the foreign minister and nobody wants to hear his rantings. He ,being an egomaniac only wants self regonition and will talk to any media that is prepared to print his lies,untruths and falsehoods.
Is Barak hoping of repeating the same mistakes that he committed with Bill Clinton in dealing with the wolves?
All the right words are spoken; but the actions and steps are never completed. Time and money is running out--Israel--this is the year to take the action.
Palestinian first,appearantly,and not an American- or is it Muslim first, and not an American officer pledged to defend the United States and fellow soldiers-et tu Mark? Barak and Natanyahu are working for peace for Israel and the world. But you Mark,why are you constantly trying to create a rift,conflict,where there is none between Israeli leaders and the U.S.? What is your agenda?
The U.S. is pretty fractured based on ethnicity and religion-et tu Mark?
...as an informed American I know you are lying through your teeth. If Israel truly wanted peace, it would begin dismantling the illegal colonies it has set up in occupied territory. When Israel admits responsibility for its theft of land and resources and makes a real attempt at redressing the wrongs it has done to the Palestinian people, only then will Israel know true peace. Talk is cheap Barak. Abbas is QUITTING. The "talks" have produced NOTHING, ever.
This cat and mouse game of Netanyahu being the bad guy and Barak the good one is tired and done with. No more words but action is what is required. Unless and until the US alters, dramatically, its unconditional/blind and unsustainable support for Israel, things will not change. The good news is that things always do change.
"During his visit to Washington, Barak said that Israel must do everything within its power to reach an agreement with its neighbors and that it is imperative to recruit Obama and the U.S. to these efforts." - Haaretz Where has he been all year? Since Obama took office the government Barak is Defense Minister of has been trying everything it could to humiliate Obama and rebuff the Obama administration's peace effort. I guess Ehud Barak has been so busy that he has not been aware for the last 10 months. He is, for a change right, the situation set up by Obama offered a golden chance for Israel to resolve a great number of it's problems. But that was not to be. So why the sudden concern? Does Barak have hopes for an early election?
Et tu Ehud? Says Netanyahu as he gropes for the knife in his back.