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Obama finds his voice on Gaza

January 6, 10:29 PMForeign Policy ExaminerAimee Kligman
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  photo: al Jazeera

One sentence: "the loss of civilian life in Gaza and Israel is a source of deep concern for me".

This is very very different from the current president's statement which is: "Israel has a right to defend herself". No reference to loss of life.

Which bring us back to the last article on the subject: Obama is not speaking because he has different ideas. And Israel has read the temperature loud and clear, and is doing what it must in the time it feels it has.

Obama should be commended for his restraint, but waiting for him to take office will most likely mean more casualties in the coming days.

What changed? The bombing of a UN school that delivered 40 civilian casualties. In today's news, Israel, anticipating criticism, stated that Hamas was planting personnel and/or weaponry at the school.

In the meantime, President Sarkozy has been shuttling around the region pushing for a cease fire, and Mubarak came up with a cease fire agreement. Nothing has been decided. This evening on DW TV (Germany), a European Union spokesman said that it didn't matter what Sarkozy or anyone else said. Israel only listens to the US.

Another sentence regarding Gaza from Obama: "we are going to be engaged effectively and consistently in trying to resolve the conflict in the Middle East". The operative word is "effectively".

 

More About: middle east · Obama · Gaza

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