Obama offers Abbas $400m in extra aid for Gaza in flotilla aftermath
U.S. President hosts Palestinian leader at White House, calling on Israel to curb settlement building and Palestinians to tackle incitement.
By Natasha Mozgovaya and Reuters Tags: Israel news Gaza flotilla Barack Obama Mahmoud AbbasU.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday called on Israel to work with all parties to find a solution for Gaza and offered the Palestinians $400 million in new aid as Washington sought to contain the fallout from Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla.
In remarks made as he met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Obama urged Israel to curb settlement activity and called on the Palestinians to prevent any actions that could incite confrontation.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President Barack Obama |
| Photo by: Archive |
Obama called on Israel to reassess its blockade on the Gaza Strip – but said the best guarantee of a solution was an independent Palestinian state.
"There should be means by which we will be able to stop flow of arms that endanger Israel’s security," Obama said.
"If we can get a new conceptual framework, we should be able to take what is a tragedy and create an opportunity so the lives of people of Gaza are improved. But in the long run the way to solve this problem is creation of the Palestinian state and ensuring Israel’s security."
Obama is trying to ensure that heightened Middle East tensions over last week's deadly Israeli commando operation do not derail sputtering U.S.-led peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.
On May 31 Israel sparked international condemnation after its forces boarded a Turkish aid ship bound for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed.
As part of th U.S. effort to calm tensions, Obama used the meeting to announce $400 million in extra aid to the Palestinians Authority.
"We think it is important to reaffirm our commitment to improving the day-to-day lives of ordinary Palestinians," Obama said.
The Obama administration has deemed "unsustainable" the three-year-old blockade, which Israel says is needed to stop weapons smuggling and Palestinians call collective punishment.
Expectations for a major breakthrough were low ahead of the meeting. But having pledged to help ease Gaza's plight, Ababs arrived in Washington confident Obama would not send him home empty-handed.
"The president and President Abbas will discuss steps to improve life for the people of Gaza, including U.S. support for specific projects to promote economic development and greater quality of life," a senior Obama administration official said before the summit.
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To those who joyfully danced on the streets on 09/11.
Instead of to America-haters???!
I'm afraid abbas is a lame donkey in the whole story....He's not able even to control his people in the West Bank,that's gradualy being overtaken by hamas...He has no say at all in gaza...The bet is on the wrong runner...
Abbas/PA being obstructionist. Note Obama still manages to put blame on Israel and calls for 'cubing settlements'. Obama continues to tighten screw against Israel despite what he says. He found flotilla deaths "regrettable" but never said blockade is legal
Obama is giving away our money to terror organizations,at the same time that Americans in the US are doing it very tough.Some of whom have lost their homes.This is sheer madness.
It is ok when the money is given to Egypt/Jordan/Lebanon and also Palestine. Palestine already gets money how is Abbas going to give money to Gaza?he has no say there. I would rather my money go to Israel who are an ally, than be thrown away to terrorists
Gaza is a terrorist org. Give them aid and you are supporting terrorism not fighting it. Look how cooperative Iran has been since Obama reached out the hand of friendship to them.
Why is the President of the US placating terrorists to the tune of 400 million ? Unemployment is nearly 20% regionally and ALL funds to such groups should STOPPED. Perhaps helping the citizens of the US INSTEAD of those looking to detract or destroy our nation might be a better use of the resources. God will remove His hand from the US as soon as our "leaders" turn their back on God's chosen people - Israel Ge 12:3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you." The U.S., by helping the enemies of God's chosen people, will bring unfortunate and unprecedented judgment to it's citizens
What the hell will Abbas do with it? Try again to overthrow Hamas. He clearly has no means to really help Gaza under the rules demanded by Israel and the USA. Clearly this is an expensive PR action.
or is he still letting BP front the bill... Funny how Obama has all this money to spend on Gazans who elected a government that is intent on destroying Israel... but has no money for all those broke people in Louisiana and the rest of the gulf coast... Though there is some hope here... that its going to be Fatah that is bringing in the aid, when its accepted hopefully it will finally convince the Pals in Gaza to elect Fatah again...
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The Arabs demand a right of return to Israel despite how they don't allow a right of return to the Jews, the settlers? The Jews' historical roots there go back in time way before today's Arabs. After being treated so badly so recently the Jews in Israel come from a history of being persecuted elsewhere and they want in their hearts to return home and now settlers can't return to the land of their ancestors while Arabs demand that only Arabs can return? What about pursuit of happiness? All these persecuted people want is to live in their promised land, the land of their ancestors, and the settlers are the most hardcore about this. Arabs get only a sliver of Israel? Arabs have the rest of the Middle East why can't Israel have it's own sliver without having to give up what is already so small? The injustice.
Again Obama giving money .How long has it been since he gave hard working les Americanpeople two million and Hamas got the biggest part of it. He insists on a two state deal but knows the truth that if terrorist took over Gaza they will take over again. he needs to stick his head in a hole as hes leading this nation to hell in a hand basket sucking up to the Muslins.. this guy has told all hes a Muslin so he will do wahtever thinking they will help him.. america doesnt stand by him and I pray Israel will see his dirty actions. DO NOT DIVIDE the land as God will surely make His wrath fall on you. Remember what your God has given you and give not an inch.. Obama cannot be trusted as hes shown the American people that.. stand fast and protect the people and land and tell all no thanks on this backhanded deal...
and who si going to monitor what is bought and brought in? at least israel didn't pass out candy to kids and dance in the streets when the 2 towers fell american's who bash israel did you forget this? guess, I'll be here all your life to remind you
Does anyone really believe this can happen? Israel on balance is ruled by Orthodox Jews and that's obviously not the solution their looking for. They either want the Palestinians out or at least on "reservations" much like the US did to the native Americans many years ago. Surely there are many Israelis who would like to see a two state solution, but they simply aren't a majority. I'd like to think differently, but we have over 60 years of experience with Israeli politics and except for Rabin it is same old same old.
"Israel on balance is ruled by Orthodox Jews " What nonsense, neither the President, PM, FM or Defense Ministers are Orthodox Jews. While the Palestinians in Gaza are ruled by islamic extremists that believe they're taking orders from Allah and think Israel should be replaced with a Palestinian Islamic state....Where do you get your information from, Iranian state TV?
may be your attitude,but there has been a gradual improvement in the relationship between Fatah and Israel for some time. Hamas, as it is now, is out of the equation as part of a Palestinian State. No amount of contrived events can change that result.
The orthodox are what, less than a quarter of the population at most? Sorry, friend, but the Israelis who are against a Palestinian state don't need to cite religion, just a little history of sixty years of Arab murder, terrorism, and genocidal wars against them.
except Rabin...lets not forget that he built more settlements than anyone before him.
So now the obama administartion is supporting terrorists? hmmm......
When will you crawl back under the rock you came from.
The U.S. President should not send my tax dollars to terrorists who have NO claim to this land.
Israel has no right to the land as will be demonstrated soon.
How no claim? Check your facts. Two state solution now, or the games over for both sides.
Feel free to send my tax dollars to relieve human suffering in the West Bank and Gaza, if nothing else it will at least show some sense of balance since we send so much money to Israel.
I feel the same since June 8, 1967.
i thought we did not have money to give. we need money to help ourselves and not US haters.
It's interesting how much of the MONEY will go to the people and how much will go to the POCKETS of the corrupt administration of the so called Palestinian Authority. I don't think that anyone can answear this question.
I can't believe that the US government would give an extra $400 Million to the same people that danced in the streets in celebration when thousands of Americans were being killed? How Stupid are they? not to mention, what is this money covering? there was no loss? Israel still delivered all of the goods to Gaza?
The Israelis I assume.
Once there is a Palestinian state, there will be no more controls over its actions, and the field will be laid bare for the terrorists of Hamas and Iran to take over. One needs only look at the aftermath of Israel's withdrawals so far--every single one of which was met with increased terror across the border--to divine what the future would hold for a Palestinian state. Just because the appeaser Obama thinks this will pacify his Arab friends does not mean Israel must accept it. Israel is not Czechoslovakia circa 1938, and Washington is not Munich.
There we go again: Israel behaving like the spoiled child it is and blunders; And there goes America, the ever loving parent, paying the Pals to soften the blow And it will keep on going this way until a new Palestinian leadership shows up and throws the money back into America's face and demands RESPECT instead! Until then we are just waisting our breath and time trying to solve this problem
The UN and the Obama administration are Hypocrites. The UN votes to Blockade IRAN but condemns the Israeli Blockade of GAZA. IRAN is attempting to build WMDs and is already supplying weapons of "small destruction" to GAZA. Israel is defending day-to-day by a blockade and is deemed "guilty" yet the West wants to emulate Israel in creating a blockade too. UN & the West: either Blockade both places to sustain some peace OR allow IRAN (and its Hamas & Hezbollah troops) to destroy Israel, kill all the Jews, and then conquer the entire Middle East. Make a decisive choice!
Iran Sanctions are not a blockade. You need to take your thinking beyond a single dimension. Not everything is black and white. There are shades of brown and gray.
Obama thinks he can buy peace. How pathetic. The underlying cause of the conflct is religious, and money won't resolve that. The one thing this pathetic bribe will accomplish is the exact opposite of what Obama hopes. It appears to the Palestinians Obama is rewarding the Palestinian Authority for the confrontation with Israel. The obvious lesson is that threats of confrontation get results - money and other concessions. The Arab countries must be laughing to the bank.
We are the boots on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan - I am tired of Israel doing its own bidding while we support them every step of the way while we on the ground have to face the people - I have yet to meet a Jewish American soldier but I am sure if I look at Goldman Sachs of the world in blood sucking Wall Street that I will meet many.
And I have a Brooklyn Bridge to sell to anyone who believes this bogus comment. And if you haven't met a Jewish soldier, try some of the military cemeteries, jerk.
From one American to another, CHEERS!
If you are a boot on the ground then you should see what Israel is facing. Unlike you I know many jews in the US military. Given where I live mostly Navy and marines. Unlike you I know no one at Goldman Sachs.
It is outrageous that my tax $$$ be given to america haters.
yes your money and my money taxes is going to this people that burns the american flag and chant " Dead to America"
No not to Israel but to Palestinians - it is outrageous that MY tax money is going to Christian haters in Israel and to people who are help spread hate towards the US, namely, the Israelis who have NO friends in the world, which says everything.
for your info Israel the beloved gets more than 6 billion dollars a year from me too . Israel is always spying on the us and stealing intelligence docs. not to mention the trouble she puts us in everytime the mess up. and if you call them alliies I call them alligators or opportunists. after all poor America is controlled by the zionist anyway so my money is going in many directions while i am looking for a job
I'm outraged that my Tax Dollars are being sent to Israel, But I bet the facist rag paper Haaretz wont print this
are mostly given (may be ten times that much) to US best friend Israel, every year. Also this money promised to Abbas, should be coming from the pocket from Israel, but its your (countries) treat again!!
Also Pepe, what is 500 million dollars compared to 150+ billion dollars? I'd tell all ME countries, especially Israel, to find another sucker. Salaam/Shalom
where does everyone get their figures for financial aid? Everybody talks but nobody quotes the source of their information. People are always commenting on how much financial aid israel gets but where can I find the true facts that compare the amount of aid israel gets in relation to the billions given to the PA and the other billions given to Egypt, and the other neighboring arab and african states. the US doesn't give charity any money spent in aid is sure to have some financial return to the US remember the US government represents US citizens whose primary concern is how to make a freaking living....
The money is borrowed from China. And the teabaggers believe in reducing government. Just how much is the debate. Somalia is their model.
I always enjoy your coments.... You the MAN!
Reagan/Republicans gave money and weapons to Iran, not Obama
If you are European, then we are not talking about your tax euros! (which by the way go only to the pals).
On 9-12-2001 the Israeli were mourning while the palestinians were celebrating, dancing in the streets and giving candies away.
The PA and Abbas support the blockade and said so. Now the president is calling him in to silence him and ensure unified negativism towards Israel as best as he is able.
He is already a puppet , so obama dosent need to silence him because he can move him in any direction he wants.
Wasn't Abbas's organization once deeply vested into terrorism?
Abbas and the Palestinian Authority are just the Fatah terrorist gang all dressed up in business suits and goin legit changing tactics from thuggery and violence to demanding "protection money" so that nothing bad happens.
how easily you people are fooled. when will the world wake up and see Israel is NOT at fault...
Israel is so innocent it makes me cry sometimes, No when are you israelis going to look in the mirror to see your arrogance and self claimed superiority over the rest of the human race and eventually destructing yourselves. pitty
When is the West going to learn that any money given to the Pals goes right into a private bank account in Switzerland? With all the aid they've gotten over the last 50 years, they could've built a whole new planet already. And all of you posters can chill - I know already - It's all Israel's fault.
from a year ago, perhaps we'd have avoided the current incident off the coast of Gaza. The parties must continue negotiating the core issues immediately. They owe this obligation for future generations and to enhance positive relations between Jews and Muslims - it's most essential.
They did that for 15 years Smadar..nothing came out of it except more settlments and two major wars in the region and of course Natanyaho and peace loving Liberman.
Candidate Obama promised to negotiate peace with IRAN as soon as he became President. Uh, that didnt work. Obama wants Hamas (an Iran proxy) to agree to peace. Will never happen. The Hamas charter is to destroy ISRAEL, not to make two states.
These parties have been talking for over a half century and nothing of substance was ever solved. Only Carter ever managed to accomplish anything, but Israelis have contempt for him.
but Israel will either block that help or bomb it. Like Israel bombed the harbor EU built for Gaza years ago. and again Abbas (and especially the Palestinians!!) will be empty handed.
Please give me a break "Israel will block the help or bomb it" and the palestinians will be "empty handed" you either must be ignorant or talking because u have a mouth Israel is been delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza for 60 years!!! what empty handed are you talking about? ah yeah maybe empty handed of weapons!!
poor palestinians they are not responsible for anything.They just lap up world pity and continue on with their desire to destroy Israel. Giving back Gaza was a huge mistake.They burned the greenhouses and started lobbing rockets into Israel.Clever folks.
Humanitarian aid to Gaza for 60 years! You joking, just read the newspapers and watch an objective tv stadion.
If there were one more we could call them the THREE STOOGES. Peace talks what are they Stupid, does at look peacefull enough for an agreement? The Arabs will have to earn it and they are not doing a good job antagonizing the other party. Lets just take our time two more years Obama is history maybe the next guy can succeed in peace making.
should stop to pay for the destruction Israel is causing all the time ! Israel finally should start behaving like a responsible member of the western world.
without free kurdistan turkey iran syria 's intensions towards the palastinians are just fake. Mr Obama stil does not care about the Kurdish people , for his country with its consumption of more then 25% of worlds oil consumption, he only shows a fake humanity towards the palastinians. The problem as long as hate spreading countries which are not willing to work towards an independent Kurdistan, and preach the distroing of Israel, get the western support, Abas should remaind that true lasting peace can't be made by countries that supres brutal the kurdish people and talk about distroing israel. Palastinians want peace? Yes, they do, but they do not want to work on it.
Are you astroturfing trying to spread the kurdish issue here to dilute the true subject of this forum?
Abbas himself was overthrown by Hamas and supports the military blockade. Before Cast Lead , Abbas blamed Hamas for creating its own problems by raining down 7,000 missiles on Israel. Now he's playing the supporter of Hamas? If the PA is short of cash they might ask Mrs Arafat to return the five to six billion dollars Chairman Arafat is reputed to have stashed away in French and Swiss banks.
only to cause more problems in the ME than he already has.
What is to be expected from one muslim to another ?????
Good to see how much a bunch of dead turkish activists cost, trying to help the palestinians in gaza.
No, this time it is going to cost Israel lots more Oriv, It going to cost them an ally and more world hatred and disgust toward the israeli govrnment and an wider alliance against you . but its ok you have nukes it dosent matter right!!!! smart man
america has to choose.... satisfy its local constituents or lose even more credibility in the world. or will america wait till its forced to change by something even worse than 9/11? arrogance is the one disease which blights america and israel.... otherwise they had a lot to offer the world
Abbas is a traitor for indulging the White House, when they are more concerned with their political position!
...it's quite clear that obama doesn't view the israeli/arab conflict as a major priority. that's to say nothing of obama's weakness on this issue (pandering to the "arab street", trying to stay "balanced" by appealing to terrorist sympathizers/apologists). watch robert gibbs' embarrassing press conference regarding this matter: he couldn't give straight answer - no doubt a symptom of obama's own moral confusion regarding this conflict!
get a life bro
we all in the region , all people should work together to a peacefull region for all of us. we do not need the western countries as long as they support behind the backs of palastinians, israeli and kurdi .
at least be fair in your thinking - 1st stupid comment that really makes no sense and 2nd we at least get good things from israel, medical research advances - what have the pals ever given us beside dancing in the streets on 9-11