Obama praises Egypt's cease-fire plan for Israel

[King_David]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama praised Egypt's proposal Monday for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, telling Muslim-Americans that he's hopeful that the plan can restore calm in the wake of a deadly wave of violence.

"We're going to continue to do everything we can to facilitate a return to the 2012 cease-fire," Obama said at a White House dinner celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "We are encouraged that Egypt has made a proposal to accomplish that goal."

The upbeat assessment from Obama came hours after Egypt presented a plan to end a week of heavy fighting that has killed at least 185 people. Both Israel and the Palestinians say they're seriously considering the proposal, which marks the first sign of a breakthrough in international efforts to end the conflict.

At the same time, Obama said the U.S. has been "very clear that Israel has the right to defend itself" against an onslaught of rockets being launched indiscriminately by militants from Gaza into Israel. He also lamented the death and injury of Palestinian civilians in Gaza during Israel's military response to quell the rockets, urging that civilians be protected and warning against further escalation by either side.

Infusing Obama's words with a heightened sense of seriousness was his audience in the State Dining Room: Dozens of Muslim-Americans and diplomats from predominantly Muslim countries who gathered for the White House's annual iftar, or Ramadan evening meal. The first Muslim elected to Congress, Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, and Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, were also on the guest list.


http://news.yahoo.com/obama-praises-egypts-cease-fire-plan-israel-014445736--politics.html

[King_David]

1. We all know what happened ,

Israel accepted it and Hamas rejected it.

[Loudly]

2. What is the calculation behind their rejecting it?

Are they thinking that Muslims from all over the middle east and the world are going to storm Israel's borders in solidarity?

[COLGATE4]

3. No, it's more cynical. The more Gazans that get killed the

more they can importune their Arab brethren for support - read dollars. Hamas has no concern about their fellow Gazans getting killed. They consider their death to merely be discharging a duty to Islam in order to rid Palestine of the hated Jew.

[Loudly]

4. It's one thing to be coldhearted toward your enemy.

But coldhearted to your own is.... COLD!

[COLGATE4]

5. Colder than cold. But the emnity that the Palestinians

feel towards the Israelis has been carefully stoked and nurtured by the Palestinian leadership since the first Arab defeat in 1948. Children are routinely taught on Palestinian TV "kid's programs" to hate the Jew and that, eventually ALL Palestine will be theirs. Youngsters who become suicide bombers mothers' describe how unbearably happy they are that their sons are now martyrs. Maps in Palestinian schools do not show Israel. And, the frosting on the cake is that the Palestinian "leadership" is cynical enough to know that they can only retain their power by keeping the masses in a constant state of fear and anger. Telling your own people to disregard warnings that the building they are in will be struck is the absolute height of cold, cruel calculation. Bodies keep Hamas in business.