[AP] Barry Schweid - Now it's the Palestinians' turn. With Israel having issued no new housing settlement contracts for months, President Obama said Tuesday, "My hope is that we are going to see not just movement from the Israelis, but also from the Palestinians," citing the areas of incitement and security. With Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at his side at the White House, Obama said Arab states also must show their willingness to engage Israel. Obama already has obtained a big concession from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who agreed to the concept of a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel. The president's next big step toward that goal would be a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. His call on the Palestinians and the Arabs for concessions probably reflects a view by Israel and its supporters that the other side must give ground as well.
2009-08-21 08:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive