By Anwar Iqbal
Wednesday, 28 Apr, 2010

WASHINGTON: “So long as I am president, the United States will never waver in pursuit of a two-state solution that ensures the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians,” declared Barack Obama, ignoring warnings that such pronouncements could annoy the powerful Israeli lobby in North America.

In his address to Muslim entrepreneurs in Washington on Monday evening, Mr Obama also highlighted America’s partnership with Pakistan and Afghanistan for combating terrorists.

The US president, who visited Pakistan as a student, made three references to that country in his brief speech, underlining the importance his administration attaches to Islamabad in its plans for defeating violent extremists.

But the issue that caught everybody’s attention and made headlines across the United States and beyond was his decision to press for seeking a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In doing so, he ignored a warning by Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who said that it would be a “grave mistake” for America to present its own Middle East peace plan, an idea that the US president indicated his administration was considering.

The New York Times noted that Mr Obama’s comments on Middle East peace were “noteworthy because they come as the administration is embroiled in a dispute with the Israeli government over construction of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as the capital of a future Palestinian state”. Earlier, Mr Obama discussed the issue at the White House with Israel defence minister Ehud Barak.

According to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, Mr Obama “dropped by” a meeting between Mr Barak and US National Security Adviser James Jones and reaffirmed his country’s “unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security.”

In his speech Mr Obama vowed to engage in a “sustained effort” to reach out and listen to opinions from Muslim countries, particularly of young people.

And while talking about the aspirations of Muslim entrepreneurs he also mentioned the desire to “start a business, without having to pay a bribe to anybody”.

Highlighting the issues that he said increased ‘mistrust’ between the US and the Muslim world, Mr Obama said the United States was responsibly ending the war in Iraq, and would partner with Iraqi people for their long-term prosperity and security.

“In Afghanistan, in Pakistan and beyond, we’re forging new partnerships to isolate violent extremists, but also to combat corruption and foster the development that improves lives and communities,” he said.

Mr Obama also mentioned that his mother had worked with the rural poor in Pakistan and Indonesia to help alleviate poverty.

source : DAWN News





Tags: obama, palestine, us, jewish, israil.