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Don't surprise me with strike on Iran, Obama warns Netanyahu

Secret envoy brings stern message on eve of Washington meetings

By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem

President Barack Obama visited Arizona State University yesterday

AP

President Barack Obama visited Arizona State University yesterday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flies to the US for talks with President Obama next week, having already been warned not to "surprise" Washington with an Israeli military operation against Iran, according to the liberal daily Haaretz.

On the eve of talks which are seen as crucial to defining the future of the Middle East peace process, the US President was reported to have dispatched an unnamed envoy to warn the Israeli leader of US concern that Israel could act unilaterally against Iran.

The message was said to have been conveyed to Mr Netanyahu after an earlier meeting in Washington at which an envoy representing the Israeli Prime Minister had discussed the US President's initiative to open dialogue with Tehran. That meeting was reportedly held with the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and the President's national security adviser, James Jones.

The report by the paper's normally well informed diplomatic editor, Aluf Benn, pointed as a probable reason for US concern to Mr Netanyahu's pre-election pledge to do "whatever is necessary" to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. It also cited his additional comment after taking office that "We will not allow Holocaust-deniers to carry out another holocaust."

The Prime Minister's office declined to confirm the report last night.

Mr Netanyahu's meeting in Washington comes at a time of increased expectation that President Obama may tell him that the chances of building a powerful coalition-including Arab states – to pressure Iran to abandon its perceived nuclear weapons ambitions –will be enhanced by progress in talks between Israel and the Palestinians on a future two-state solution.

King Abdullah of Jordan, one of the leading figures in the Arab world who is associated with that view, yesterday pressed Mr Netanyahu to commit himself swiftly and publicly to a Palestinian state at a previously unannounced meeting between the two men at the Jordanian Red Sea resort of Aqaba.

Some diplomats believe Mr Netanyahu could be on the verge of declaring for the first time his support for a Palestinian state. While he has said since taking office that he is serious about security, economic and political talks with the Palestinians, he has not yet taken that step.

Meanwhile Mr Netanyahu urged Pope Benedict XVI at a meeting in Israel to speak out against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The premier said on Israeli TV last night: "I asked him, as a moral figure, to make his voice heard loud and continuously against the declarations coming from Iran of their intention to destroy Israel."

Earlier, at an open air mass, which was easily the best attended of his five-day tour of the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI greeted tens thousands of Catholics and called on Christians and Muslims to "reject the destructive power of hatred and prejudice."

The Pope was again warmly received by pilgrims from several continents as well as a significant contingent of Christian Israeli Arabs.

But several hundred disappointed worshippers were unable to take the sacrament on Mount Precipice, apparently because of a shortage of priests to serveit. One of them, Isobel Agrilea, a 30-year-old Spaniard, said: "This was bad organisation for the eucharist. I think it's really sad."

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King Abdullah
[info]miriamjudith wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 03:08 am (UTC)
So King Abdullah wants Israel to create a "Palestinian" state. Someone should tell him that there is already one, sorry, two Arab states in Palestine: Jordan and Gaza. Transjordan (now Jordan) was built on Palestine on land given by the British to a tribe of bedouins from Arabia, the Hachemite. Only in the Arab world (22 countries) you will find a "country" with the name of the family who owes them. Saudi Arabia belongs to the Al Saud family and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan belongs to the Hashemite family.
Re: King Abdullah
[info]thesavageirish wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 05:56 pm (UTC)

And Israel is the name given to Jacob after he fought gods angel. Is the kingdom of Judah not a kings name?
What's your point?
Re: King Abdullah
[info]goatbucket wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 05:21 pm (UTC)
You know, your writing style very much reminds me of Deborah Mignone.

Why can't you just post under one name? Do you keep getting banned?
Palistine
[info]johnnywi wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 05:25 am (UTC)
Palistine: How about a one state solution with equal rights for all, Jews and Arabs? That means full political and economic integration for all. That means a right to return for all to their homeland. That means full restitution and reparations to the people driven from there homes. Israel more and more reminds me of Germany in the 1930's. Their policy of harassment,segregation, and ethnic cleansing is very similar. We all know how that turned out. The Nazi's didn't have 500 atomic either. Unstable people like Netanyahu and Liebermann should never be near weapons of mass destruction.
Holocaust
[info]rajar wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 05:39 am (UTC)
Natenyahu is rewarded a second time the premiership of the oppressive state of Israel. He arrogant self opinionated tyrant and is responsible for more illegal settlements, and worse than the war criminal Sharon.
He wants the Pope to speak against Iran. why should Israel have nuclear weapons about 4000, and not Iran. Iran has every right and has to defend against Israel whose aggression against sovereign states is well known. Israel has a divine right to deny the Israeli holocaust in occupied Palestine but no one is allowed to deny the Nazi Holocaust. Netanyaho is a paranoid Psychopath. He needs treatment
Re: Holocaust
[info]miriamjudith wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 09:49 am (UTC)
The oppressive state of Israel is the only democracy in the ME. All 22 Arab states: Lybia - bloody dictatorship, citizens are killed, tortured, imprisioned. Syria - same thing. The father of the current dictator killed 20,000 dissidents in one week. Lebanon: Civil war. Jordan: Civil war in the '70s. Algeria: Civil war. Somalia: Civil war. Sudan (the biggest Arab country) - 300,000 black Christians killed by Arab muslim militias. Muslim Iran: Gays hanged in public squares. Etc. etc,
The only place in the ME where Arabs (including women) have rights is Israel. I am not talking about disputed territory Samaria and Judea, where Arabs there were Jordanians and don't have Israeli citizenship.
Israel is the only place where is a crime for an Arab to kill their own sister or daughter for reasons of "honour", a common practice in all Arab countries.
Re: Holocaust
[info]goatbucket wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 05:32 pm (UTC)
You know, your writing style very much reminds me of Deborah Mignone.

Why can't you just post under one name? Do you keep getting banned?
Re: Holocaust
[info]miriamjudith wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 09:55 am (UTC)
Settlements in Judea and Samaria are not illegal. Judea and Samaria, Jewish land stolen by the Arabs from Arabia. Ask the Portuguese and Spanish if they wish to give their countries to the Arabs. After neraly 800 years of occupation they kicked the Arabs out. "La Reconquista", what a poetic name. The Jewish La Reconquista, Jews got their one and only country back, little Israel. 56 Islamic countries in the world (they call themselves Islamic), one Jewish. Settlements are needed for security reasons, Israel is at war with many countries. In spite of this "holocaust" in Palestine Arabs there only grow in numbers.
"Right-wing" Netanyahu gave (under international pressure) Bethlehem to the Arabs, to the PLO of terrorist Arafat. Bethlehem, capital of Judea, city of king David, forefather of Jesus. How about Britain giving London to the Germans?
Re: Holocaust
[info]britfree wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 03:08 pm (UTC)
surely it was the romans that kicked you out of greater syria ? as i read josephas it was the fall of the maccabi, masada and all that that led to you leaving an area to which they had once granted you overlordship (against the will of the OTHER native peoples ) . national myths almost never stand up to historical scrutiny you know ? if you are saying you justify the theft of Palestine on a two millenium old claim , i would suggest your claim has lapsed , is superceded
Re: Holocaust
[info]goatbucket wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 05:20 pm (UTC)
You know, your writing style very much reminds me of Deborah Mignone.

Why can't you just post under one name? Do you keep getting banned?
flip flop and middle east
[info]rajar wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 05:59 am (UTC)
Mr Obama is avery intelligent and knowledgeable lawyer. he talked about openness and against torture now he has changed his mind to release American torture and out sourcing torture to "countries of evil" Let the world know what America did like Saddam, Pol Pot, Hitler, Israel and Stalin. President you can not sweep under the carpet, it makes America look worse in the world community. you have to be different from Bush- Cheney.
Why is every western leader, including Mr Obama afraid of Israel, and tolerate its oppression,genocide ethnic cleansing massacre torture and collective punishment, 10,000 prisoners some women and children without trail, the cursed wall and hum teen check point.
America gives a gift of 3 billion/ year + and arms to this atrocity. Mr President please at least stop this otherwise America is morally accountable
Re: flip flop and middle east
[info]miriamjudith wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 09:25 am (UTC)
Yes, America did like Saddam. That is why everydobdy wanted to leave Iraq and live in the US. The same about Israel. Arabs from Judea and Samarai don't cross into Jordan to work, but they work for their enemies, the Jews. Also when Sharon sugested that a big Arab town on the border should be exchanged for the biggest Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria the Arabs of Um el Fahm freaked out with the idea of being under Arab (their own people), of the PLO government. Same thing happened now wiith divided town of Ghajar on the border of Lebanon. The majority are Arabs, Israel agreed to give it to Lebanon, but the inhabitants prefered to keep their Israeli citizenship, to stay under Israel's control
Re: flip flop and middle east
[info]goatbucket wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 05:22 pm (UTC)
You know, your writing style very much reminds me of Deborah Mignone.

Why can't you just post under one name? Do you keep getting banned?
Dont bomb Iran
[info]alykhanmsatchu wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 06:07 am (UTC)
The assertion by President Obama that he is the Puppeteer and not the Puppet. It is set to resonate in the Islamic World. Since George Bush the Elder and James Baker, no American President has sought to put Israel on a leash and it was this which so damaged and fractured US prestige in the Middle East and made its claims that it was an honest Broker a standing joke.

The President's message is as powerful and will resonate as far as his Saadi message to the Iranians.

Aly-Khan Satchu
www.rich.co.ke
Twitter alykhansatchu
Sharon
[info]drug_baron wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 06:13 am (UTC)
Is Sharon still in a coma ?

Or is he secretly running the "New World Order " ?
Palestine - miriam
[info]leminier wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 06:42 am (UTC)
Miriam, you are so clearly part of the problem. It is as relevant to state the fact that these lands were once Byzantian, or others, as to put the point in the way you do. Move on from your Zionist preoccupations and help find a solution.
Re: Palestine - miriam
[info]miriamjudith wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 09:27 am (UTC)
So give them to the "Byzantinian" and move the Arab invaders back to Arabia, where they came from
Re: Palestine - miriam
[info]leminier wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 12:01 pm (UTC)
Thanks Miriam. At least your true colours are out in the open for all to see. As I said your views are the problem not the solution. Sadly that will remain the case, not only for you, but for those who think like you.
Re: Palestine - miriam
[info]manplant wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 06:01 pm (UTC)
Weren't Arabs and Jews born from the same tent and the same father? When you start to believe your own lies, it's a real problem. Get help!!
Re: Palestine - miriam
[info]thesavageirish wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 06:40 pm (UTC)

And Zion was an old Jebusite town. The land of Canaan was, well, the Cannanites land. What can we say of philistines, phoenicians and hittites? Were not Abraham and Moses immigrants, a chaldean and an egyptian.

Observe what I command you today. See I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Take care not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you are going, or it will become a snare among you. You shall tear down their altars, break their pillars, and cut down their sacred poles (for you shall worship no other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God). Exodus 34: 11-14

But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Leviticus 19: 34

Re: Palestine - miriam
[info]goatbucket wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 05:23 pm (UTC)
You know, your writing style very much reminds me of Deborah Mignone.

Why can't you just post under one name? Do you keep getting banned?
a forced marriage doesnt work , sex is not the same as masterbation
[info]laserdent wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 10:30 am (UTC)
the zionists and the palestinian nationalists dont like each other and forcing them(IN ORDER TO SOLVE ALL THE MIDDLE EAST PROBLEMS ) to live together in one state (a mix of liberal tel aviv sun worshiping hedonists as well as religious jews with a conservative mostly islamic nationalistic , religious palestinian populaton) is just plain FOOLISH.
Move the Zionists back to Khazaria
[info]philipshahak wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 11:55 am (UTC)
After all that's where the Ashkenazi Jews who invented Zionism come from. Leave the Middle East to the Sephardi Semitic Jews and the Christian and Muslim Semitic Arabs.
look, what am i allowed to say ?
[info]britfree wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 02:32 pm (UTC)
when to tell the truth about what you feel regarding the legitimacy of a zionist state on someone elses land , leads to threads being closed , and free speech denied . i am an open rejectionist , i say that the very foundation of what will always remain for millions upon millions an illegal entity , has so twisted the worlds diplomacy , that it cannot look any problem squarely in the eye . that to say so ,isnt incendiary or rabble rousing . my e-mail account contains dozens of replys to posts on threads that were killed and disappeared , because non violent ANTI racist posts that deny a past wrong without equivocation . are deemed " bad form " . are people now saying that ONLY their version of what happened to the Palestinians is allowed to be heard . one would have to ignore the(contemporary) british mandate records , that exude the reserved shock of the war weary that such deeds were being perpetated against the native people . these official catalouges of crime are only inconvenient for those who despise human rights for the natives in defference to a bronze age myth held by the invaders . if such a comment is beyond the pale , what an unfreeworld !
there is no **REA* just stolen Palestine
[info]britfree wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 02:50 pm (UTC)
first you have to believe that theft is good , that once a theft has been committed it cannot be reversed . then you can be reconciled with the idea of a zionist entity squatting on someone elses patrimony . i was always taught that theft was wrong , so i shall say firm in the beliefs of my forbears , and call for the redemption of the stolen land of Palestine . truth cannot be bought or finessed it remains the truth
Dirty face of Israel.
[info]fakhry wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 03:01 pm (UTC)
Israel Will unit with Egypt Saudi,Jordan to please Obama in being forming one power against Iran.tyen USA except that.
Hosni getting Idea from Netanyhu !
[info]fakhry wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 07:49 pm (UTC)
Netanyhu get out from Egypt ..you bring virus of pigs to Hosni.
They should have kept you waiting till virus is clear up.
You give Honisy idea to attack Muslims.
Netanyahu "opposes" Palestinian statehood
[info]reg373 wrote:
Friday, 15 May 2009 at 10:38 pm (UTC)
Even though it already exists in a de facto sense. The Clinton-Rabin-Arafat agreement
of 1993 set up the autonomous Palestinian government in anticipation of official statehood.

Which Netanyahu failed to deliver on in the '90's. Does he now mean he wants complete
Israeli jurisdiction over Gaza and West Bank? A final peace deal will not happen until
Netanyahu is again deposed -- found a cool site; Balkingpoints ; incredible satellite view
of earth


Nuclear Iran
[info]kuma2000 wrote:
Sunday, 17 May 2009 at 04:12 pm (UTC)
That would certainly shock those uppity Israelis. They may have to behave a bit more civilly to their neighbours if that was the case. But then we will have two nations of muppets looking forward to destroying the world; its like the Planet of the Apes, a bunch of chimps put on clothes and start pretending to be human...
Hi
[info]nosymann wrote:
Thursday, 4 June 2009 at 06:58 am (UTC)
Love him so much cos he's the first black president and not only that i can also hear about the good things he's doing all around the world.....Making every country uniting despate he's a black man..Nice job keep it up.....From Nosy......Nigerian

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