“It’s going to be wrenching.” Those were the words spoken by the President of the United States, Barack Obama, to a television network in Israel when asked about his hard pressing for peace in the Middle East.
The peace Obama is seeking is centered on the relations between Israel and Palestine. Obama’s goal is to make sure that peace is reached by the conclusion of his first term in office.
In the interview, which took place Wednesday, but was released on Thursday, President Obama touted the work of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. President Obama said that Netanyahu is “well positioned” to conduct the proper talks with Palestinian leaders to bring about the peace that has been desired for decades.
But Obama made no bones about the fact that both sides will have to let the events of the past go and not allow previous conceptions about the other influence current affairs. Obama said, “The Israeli people are going to have to overcome legitimate skepticism and more than legitimate fears in order to get a change that I think will secure Israel for another 60 years.”
Obama made it clear that he will be working with Israel for the long haul and will do all he can to make sure that peace and safety in the Middle East will be reached. Obama made it clear that Israel is an ally of the United States, not an enemy.
The President of the United States said, “I think that sometimes, particularly in the Middle East, there’s the feeling of ‘the friend of my enemy must be my enemy’ and the truth of the matter is that my outreach to the Muslim community is designed precisely to reduce the antagonism and the dangers posed by a hostile Muslim world to Israel and to the West.”
Obama’s words reign with truth as evidenced with his recent positive meetings with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both men made it clear during their Tuesday press conference that the United States of America and Israel are on the same page and that there are no issues between the two states despite reports from the media.
With the work of President Obama, in addition to the work of Prime Minister Netanyahu, the peace in the Middle East that the world has spent years waiting for is finally shaping up to be a realistic option and only time will tell whether it will turn into a successful option.
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