Peace+in+the+Middle+East

Foreign Policy of Obama Promoting Peace in the Middle East

** Bush’s Visit to the Middle East ** George Bush's five day visit to the Middle East came during the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding as a modern state. Once there Bush spoke to the Israeli parliament and said, “Some seem to beliemedia type="youtube" key="DraCahqi0gg" height="266" width="325" align="right"ve that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along,” and then later went on to comparing “negotiating with terrorists” to Hitler. U.S. Democrats interpreted Bush’s comment as an attack on Senator Barack Obama, the front-runner for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Obama stated that he would agree to meet with the leaders nations that were seen as hostile to the U.S., such as Syria and Iran. ** U.S. Senator Obama’s Visit Surprises the World ** From July 19 through the 24th 2008, U.S. Senator Barack Obama traveled through the Middle East and Europe, which included visits to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, and European countries. On the 19th, Obama landed in the Afghan capital, Kabul, where he spoke with U.S. soldiers and Afghan leaders. Obama earlier in the week said that as President, he would send additional troops to Afghanistan.

On the 20th, Obama met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, where they discussed and agreed more action from the Afghan government to improve the lives of the Afghan people as well as a strong partnership. Obama’s focus would be shifting troops and resources from Iraq to Afghanistan.

media type="youtube" key="KSh9J6PAayo" height="280" width="343" align="left" **Obama and Netanyahu Meet** On May 18th, 2009 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. President Obama at the White House for the first time since the two leaders took office. The two discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and overseeing Iran’s expansion and influence in the Middle East in its development with nuclear programs. Obama proposed a time frame for negotiations to convince Iran to give up its nuclear program. Obama said, “We’re not going to have talks forever” and would consider “a range of steps” if Iran were uncooperative. Obama also supported a Middle East regional peace plan that recognized pre 1967 borders and resolved the plight of Palestinian refugees. Obama supported a two-state solution to resolve Israeli-Palestinian strife. He called on Netanyahu to stop the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank as well as improving humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip.



**U.S. Envoy Meets Syrian President** On July 26 the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. They discussed peace talks between Syria and Israel over the contested Golan Heights region. The Obama administration sought to build ties with Syria and pull the country away from its alliance with Iran. Attention over the U.S. sending in more military officers to Syria was also brought up.



**Strained Efforts** On August 18th, President Obama and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak discussed the Middle East peace process in Washington D.C. Both leaders expressed their hope for Israel to freeze on building and constructing in settlements in Palestine.

However, when Netanyahu and Obama met in Washington on November 9th, Netanyahu resisted Obama’s efforts to persuade Israel to freeze all settlement activity in the West Bank.

On January 8th 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Palestinians to revive peace talks with Israel, despite the continued construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. A few months prior, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced a 10-month freeze on settlement construction, but excluded settlements already under construction and building activity in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians wanted as the capital of a future Palestinian state. U.S. President Barack Obama, in an interview with //Time// magazine published in January, said the U.S. had "overestimated" its ability to coax the Palestinians toward a "meaningful conversation."

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This standoff also ended the possible hope of the return of captured Israeli Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit for about 1,000 Palestinians held by Israel. Tensions were flaring in the Middle East. On April 25th, Hamas released a three-minute animated film apparently calling for Israel to agree to a deal under which captured Israeli Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit, whom Hamas had been holding since 2006, would be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinians prisoners. T he Israeli government said the film was "deplorable," and Noam Shalit, Gilad's father, dismissed it as "psychological warfare."

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**Unrest in Egypt** Tens of thousands of Egyptians, beginning January 25, turned out in Cairo, the capital, and in other cities, to protest against the government of President Hosni Mubarak, who had been in power since 1981, and clashed with police in running battles. The demonstrations followed a wave of unrest in Tunisia earlier in January that had forced President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali to flee the country, and had touched off popular protests in other Arab countries.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on January 25th, said the U.S. supported "the fundamental right of expression and assembly for all people," and she called on both the Egyptian government and protesters to "exercise restraint and refrain from violence." Mubarak finally agreed to step down after 18 days of protest and violence.

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"Thousands Stage Rare Demonstrations Against Egyptian President Mubarak; Protesters Battle Police in Echo of Tunisia Revolt; Other Developments." Facts On File World News Digest: n. pag. World News Digest. Facts On File News Services, 27 Jan. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. .

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