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Source: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1132053861941&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Why Rice Pushed So Hard on Gaza Border Deal
(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - The agreement gives the Palestinians control of a border - without Israeli interference - for the first time, and it also marks the first time Israel accepted a third-party presence on its outer envelope. Since disengagement, the Gaza-Egyptian border cannot really be called Israel's border any longer. To understand Rice's extra effort and the State Department-driven spin to play up the story, it is important to look at what happened over the weekend in Bahrain, the first leg of Rice's recent journey, where on Saturday, a high-profile, U.S.-backed summit, meant to promote political freedom in the region, ended without agreement. Rice suffered a defeat in Bahrain, and then came to Israel. The Secretary of State could not afford to be burned twice within three days; she put her prestige on the line to conclude the agreement, and conclude it she did. In addition, with Israeli elections looming so large, it was clear to the U.S. that the window of opportunity to close a deal such as this was narrowing quickly.