The United States will contribute $400 million in development aid to the Palestinian territories and work with Israel to loosen its embargo on Gaza, President Barack Obama said Wednesday.
Obama's announcement came after White House talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The money will be used to build housing, schools, water and health care systems in both the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank and Gaza, which is ruled by the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas.
Obama called the situation in Gaza "unsustainable," and said the United States would work with its European allies, Egypt and Israel to find a "new conceptual framework" for the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
"We agree Israelis have right to prevent arms from coming into Gaza," Obama said. But he said "new mechanisms" were needed to allow more goods to reach the territory - and he repeated that the long-term solution was a permanent deal creating "a Palestinian state side-by-side with an Israel that is secure."
|
Post by: The CNN Wire Filed under: Barack Obama • Gaza • Israel • Middle East |
This blog – This Just In – will no longer be updated. Looking for the freshest news from CNN? Go to our ever-popular CNN.com homepage on your desktop or your mobile device, and join the party at @cnnbrk, the world's most-followed account for news.
For anyone out there who is bashing Israel, consider these two important statements AND THINK for once in your life as you ponder them, for they are true:
1. If the Arabs in the middle east put down their guns there would be peace in the middle east.
2. On the other hand, if the Israelis put down their guns, Israel would cease to exist.
That sums up what Isreal is up against.
Let's see....we have approximately 3.5 million homeless Americans (40% are Veterans) and Obama is giving $400 million to terroists???? How about helping our own AMERICANS??? Hmmmmmmm...
I read this and am reminded that whenever on culture is to war on another, that culture must demonize the other. This whole affair is reminiscent of Germany's treatment of European Jews under the Nazis. The Gaza Strip is similar to the ghettos of that earlier era. I know that my analysis will likely inflame some and the situation here is quite different the those horrific events of the earlier part of the 20th century but there are lessons that have not been learned from those events.
Anyone who believes the Jews and Arabs/Persians, etc., will hug and kiss and play nice is living on another planet. It will never happen....period...all sides share equal blame in my view....too many religious fanatics in the Middle East.
Imagine No Religion!
if our taxes went to feed Hungry children than I would support a tax increase every day of the week. There are more important issues than personal tax problems...if anything we do not pay enough taxes....other countries pay a lot more..it may be a simplistic view but in this world simple is better!
the palestinians should get a nickle. they are unworthy of out trust. the money should go to Israeli they are our ailly
Holy Moly, 400 million dollars? Now where are we getting all of this money? Did we borrow more from China or are we simply printing more bills at the mints? Who makes all of these giving decisions? I haven't heard hardly any country wanting to help with the oil spill problem but yet we still have to give money out like throwing birdseed at a wedding.
when you people going to wake up and smell the coffee ISRAEL IS EVIL! The jews are brining this country down and you people can't wake up and freaking see that.
THIS ONE AMERICAN DOESNT SUPPORT ISRAEL
This page is now default becase talking aboat this issue is now DUST the money has been allocated........unless congress can prevent the money being issued,are there any lawyers who can intervene with congress THE PATRIOT ACT STATES THAT IS ILLEGAL TO AID PERSONS AND PRESUMUABLLY GOVERNMENTS THAT SUPPORT TERRORISM .Have any of you guys thought what the palestines and muslims will give back in return for this money especially in europe a thousand and one illegal arabs alll sitting in british dole ques alll singing all praise to dedmen for their presents to us!!! Europe is more volatile than ever, and the American people bet a believe that Tony Blairs Government assisted illegal muslim immigration BIG TIME....