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Obama: Peace requires 'secure Jewish state'
Published Wednesday 20/03/2013 (updated) 22/03/2013 11:14
US President Barack Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu shake hands while they hold a joint news conference
in Jerusalem on March 20. (Reuters/Larry Downing)
JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- A "strong and secure Jewish state" is central to a lasting peace, US President Barack Obama said in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

"A central element of a lasting peace must be a strong and secure Jewish state where Israel's security needs are met, alongside a strong Palestinian state," Obama said at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu told reporters that Israel "remains fully committed to peace and the possibility of two states for two people."

Obama arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a three-day visit that will include brief trips to Ramallah and Bethlehem.

The US president said he would have more to say on the peace process on Thursday, when he is scheduled to meet his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas, but said so far "we haven't seen the progress we'd like to see."

Earlier the left-leaning Israeli group Peace Now put up a huge sign saying in both Hebrew and English “We the people want peace” near Ben Gurion airport, the Israeli daily Maariv reported.

The sign was placed in a field in sight of Obama's helicopter as it passed from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
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1 ) JoeFattal / USA
20/03/2013 21:08
A strong military and secure Jewish State against a weak Palestinian military or no military at all and an unsecure Palestinian future State where and how Obama expect a lasting peace to come from. Not from Israel. Israel has too much weapons to dictate their terms. And not from the Palestinians where and when every time they try to negotiate Israel is building more housing not in proper Israel but in the occupy Palestinian land.
2 ) Robert Haymond / Israel
20/03/2013 22:46
No such thing as "Palestinians", Joe, just a hodgepodge of immigrants from Kurdistan, Yemen, Egypt and Syria. Some of them Arabs, others not. Some Muslims, the rest Christians. Most of the latter were forced to convert. You don't have much of an understanding of real history, do you Joe, just a reaction with an unthinking opinion.
3 ) evan / usa
20/03/2013 23:03
@joe- its not occupiedd land, its diputed land. and israel needs a strong military. If israel shows any weakness at all, the peace loving arabs in the whole region would pounce. No one denies, not even israel, that palestinians should have their own state. However not at the price of its security.
Since israel pulled out of gaza whta have we seen from there?
4 ) Mike / USA
20/03/2013 23:18
And the United States needs to be a white Christian State. So go back to Africa F_cker. Same racist logic.
5 ) Ali / Amman
20/03/2013 23:51
It must be hard to be President Obama. Feeling a certain way inside and acting another way in public. Politics -- can't live with it, can't get away from it.
6 ) Colin Wright / USA
21/03/2013 00:00
'A "strong and secure Jewish state" is central to a lasting peace...' Reality reversed. Israel requires continuous conflict to maintain a sufficient sense of identity. Therefore, as long as there is an Israel, there cannot be peace.
7 ) WE ARE HERE TO STAY / ARABS
21/03/2013 00:07
GET THIS THRU YOUR SKULL
8 ) shirleyS / Australia
21/03/2013 00:21
why not OBAMA FORMALLY RECOGNIZE STATE OF PALESTINE IF GENUINE AND WHY NOT ISREAL PRISONERS AND SUFFERING AND OCCUPATION AND WHY NOT OBAMA ENDING HUNGER STRKE GUANTANAMO 40DAYS AND GIVE THEM FAIR TRIAL AND SHUT LIKE HE PROMISED AND WHY TRAINING REBELS SYRIA AGAINST ELECTED GOVAND ILLICIT ARMS AND WHAT IS THERE TO TALK ABOUT ONLY ENDING OCCUPATION DISMANTLE SETTLEMENTS IF ISREAL SERIOUS THE BORDERS REALIZED NOT A FUTURE STATE IT EXSISTS NOW ISREAL MUST RECOGNIZEAND JUST END OCCUPATION
9 ) Mel / USA
21/03/2013 00:37
YES!We already KNOW that Mr.SOCK-PUPPET POTUS! Man,you shame the USA,worse than war-criminals BUSH/CHENEY! Israel DOES have the right to be"SECURE",as*hole! BUT,all the ARAB/MUSLIM/CHRISTIAN peoples around rabid Nazionist,rogue-nuclear,POWERFUL,wealthy,Israel EQUALLY have the human right,too,to DEFEND THEMSELVES,& be "secure" from ATTACKS by Zionism/Israel,since PRE-1948!An existential,VASTLY bigger,Jewish-military-colonization ACTUALITY,daily! ORWELLIAN OBAMA!Shame on you!
10 ) Yehuda Solomon / Israel
21/03/2013 01:32
@ 2), Absolutely true, the Palestinians do have heritage/ancestry from many nations/areas of the Mideast but even so they also DO have continuous history and presence in the State of Palestine and (of course) in Israel itself, despite their families' origins. So, yes, there IS a Palestinian People. At the time of our independence in 1948-49, the Palestinians (being correctly designated as such) WERE approx. 2/3 of Jordan/Palestine's population. Regarding @ 1), he IS right: Even if (cont.)
11 ) Yehdua Solomon / Israel
21/03/2013 01:41
we would recognize the State of Palestine (which we never will), we would insist that it not just have a weak military but that it have NO military. He is also right regarding peace overtures from the Palestinians: They have made it 100%, crystal-clear that as long as our settlement building continues (and it sure as hell will) they will NOT offer or project peace. Since we are in the process of annexing the State of Palestine, the Palestinians make very LOGICAL sense; hence, there (cont.)
12 ) Yehuda Solomon / Israel
21/03/2013 01:53
will NEVER be peace between our 2 Peoples based upon a "2-state" solution. @ 3), No-o-o-o-o ... Despite the pronouncements from our government, we really DO deny the Palestinians their (second) nation and will NEVER recognize it. Translation: Any statements by our government to the contrary are 100% false [which means our PM--when he tells everyone he's willing to concede to the Palestinians their own (second) nation--is 100% lying]. Furthermore, The W. Bank (and eventually Gaza, too (cont.)
13 ) Yehuda Solomon / Israel
21/03/2013 02:11
are not really--in the hearts of those Israelites like myself (of which there are many)--does not believe them to be disputed anymore ... no, ... not really ... maybe over 40 or even as recently as over 20 years ago, maybe ... but not ANY more. For me (and those of my convictions), the W. Bank (and eventually Gaza) are OUR land. @ 6), As I've told you before ... no, ... we DON'T suffer from collapse-a-phobia if there were no external threats. Your implosion crap only shows your ignorance.
14 ) Colin Wright / USA
21/03/2013 02:22
To Robert Haymond #2 'No such thing as "Palestinians", Joe, just a hodgepodge of immigrants from...' That's a pure, unsupported, and readily disproven falsehood. Worse, your only reason for choosing to believe it is that it allows you to support Israel. The irony is that the reverse -- that the 'Jews' are recent immigrants at least largely descended from converts -- is easily demonstrated. Aside from the sheer viciousness of your fantasy, it hasn't a shred of plausibility, and you know it.
15 ) Colin Wright / USA
21/03/2013 03:12
To Mel #9: 'YES!We already KNOW that Mr.SOCK-PUPPET POTUS! Man,you shame the USA...' That's the worst of it. A people get the leaders they deserve...
16 ) Bart Malloy / Australia
21/03/2013 04:58
Obama's congenial meeting in Israel removes all doubts that there is any more animosity between himself and Netanyahu. I look for a perfect relationship from here on out, to the dismay of Abbas & Fatah.
17 ) gabi / australia
21/03/2013 05:19
Robert Haymond - no such thing as Israelis, Robert. Not until 15th May 1948, just a hodgepodge of immigrants from Russia, Poland, Germany, Austria, Checkoslovakia, France, Africa, etc etc some of them Jews some who call themselves Jews for political purposes, some Kazars, some Semites, some not. You don't have much understanding of real history, Robert, just a reaction with an unthinking opinion. And very reactionary, at that. Not to mention completely hasbara unthinking opinion. READ MORE.
18 ) Nour / Palestine
21/03/2013 05:55
#2 How funny..The immigrant from Canada needs to endorse our existance? Not only do we exist as the indigenous people but we will exist when you Zionists will be lpng gone now take a hike Mr Provocateur.
19 ) Robert / U.S.
21/03/2013 05:58
#2 Robert Haymond or any others, give me references so I can check your claims. Name some books , I dare you.
20 ) mohamed / somalia
21/03/2013 07:15
Show them love word is not enough.
21 ) Mark of Lewiston / USA
21/03/2013 07:40
The problem is the wierd definition Netanyahu has for "Statehood." His is not one he would live under if he were Palestinian, or even an Israeli Christian.
22 ) moh awad / palestine
21/03/2013 08:53
The world nowadays is unfair and full of aggression thanks for the leadership of USA
23 ) shsams / s a
21/03/2013 09:09
The puppet masters pulling strings & Obama the orator puppet delivers
24 ) Save the turtles / England
21/03/2013 10:38
@Robert Haymond - There is no such thing as Native Americans Robert, just a hodgepodge of immigrants from Mexico, Canada and Alaska. Some of them Americans, in fact mainly Native Americans, but that is besides the point. Some pagans, the rest worshiped fire, and mountain pools. Most of them, (not just the latter) were intentionally killed or thrown off their land by people who said things like 'you don't exist'. You don't have much of an understanding of real history, do you Robert.
25 ) That's What Happened to Obama / ISRAEL
21/03/2013 11:21
Ali, ShirleyS, Mel, Obama receive daily intelligence briefing while we are fed with daily spins. That's how his world views evolve to reflect more balanced realism, instead of his childhood instilled, one sided, out of reach, dreams. It happens to leaders all over. They succeed to change reality by seeking, and achieving! the possible.
26 ) Mel / USA
21/03/2013 15:16
#15:Colin:"..leaders they deserve.."?Alas,true! 340 million Americans regressing to a PRE-Civil Rights era,under imperialist,supremacist "Lords"playing "Russian Roulette"with good people's lives by gambling national dignity&wealth away,replacing it with MORE debt,poverty & violence,while rewarding mongers of"death &destruction"(anti-American)instead of seeking"life &CONSTRUCTION"(pro-America values).REALITY! "Corruption in the land,people take a stand,time is winding up..". ENOUGH!
27 ) Morqos / Mexico
21/03/2013 17:21
The biggest and most harmful weapon against the survival of Israel as a state is its own sick-minded people. No wonder why thousands of israelis leave Israel each year to live abroad. No wonder why american jews oppose Israel more and more. Stop dreaming, you are not even close to be the chosen people, but a bunch of arrivistes. If you tried to track your ancestors, most of you would not be even able to track them onto the Holy Land. "Ye generation of vipers!"
28 ) Outlier / USA
21/03/2013 19:39
Security will be paramount for both Israel and Palestine. It is the one area where Palestinian leaders can move a durable peace agreement forward.
29 ) Colin Wright / USA
21/03/2013 21:16
To Yehuda #10-13. If you really are a reasonably intelligent, moral person -- as you manage to at least convincingly pretend to be -- then just get out. Through the chance of birth, you've wound up in a very evil place, hitched to a very bad cause. Your attempts to rationalize anything else are understandable, but pathetic in their futility.
30 ) Colin Wright / USA
21/03/2013 21:20
To That's #25: 'They succeed to change reality by seeking, and achieving! the possible.' Actually, what Obama is doing is engaging in a display of cowardly groveling so sickening that Chamberlain at Munich looks like a veritable lion in comparison. But then, the Nazis came to like Chamberlain, and I'm not at all surprised to learn that the Zionists have decided they like Barack.
31 ) Colin Wright / USA
21/03/2013 21:30
To Morqos #27: 'The biggest and most harmful weapon against the survival of Israel as a state is its own sick-minded people.' This is true enough. Israel is firmly marching itself off the cliff, and all people really need to do is position themselves to give her a firm shove if she shows signs of realizing what she is doing.
32 ) Robert Haymand / Occupied Palestine
21/03/2013 21:47
I'm a closet self hating Jew, that's why I over compensate in the other direction.
33 ) The truthmachine / Usa
22/03/2013 00:09
Right or wrong today israel is there that's the reality. To deny it it's existence after 65 years is sheer lunacy and cannot end well for Palestinians or israeli's. All the moral and ethical Mumbo jumbo that's going on here regarding Zionism is not important to the issue. Israel isn't going to go anywhere right or wrong, if your waiting for them to pack their bags and all leave or be driven off you will be waiting a long time, better to accept them and live as neighbors like u did before.
34 ) Outlier / USA
22/03/2013 00:10
Both Palestinians and Israelis deserve security. Only by respecting one another- and the sovereignty of the land the other occupies - will they get the security they deserve
35 ) Maureen / Australia
22/03/2013 09:53
"A strong and secure Jewish State..." What is Obama talking about - he is the president of a Jewish State, USA!
36 ) Carol Scheller / Switzerland
22/03/2013 10:05
Exactly what does the state of Israel need to feel secure ?
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