Obama Meets with Israel PM Netanyahu Today

Previously Unscheduled Meeting to Happen While Israeli Prime Minister Is in Washington to Meet with Jewish Groups

(AP)  The White House announced Sunday that President Barack Obama would be meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu during the Israeli prime minister's trip to Washington to address Jewish groups, ending days of uncertainty.

Netanyahu was to arrive in the U.S. capital Sunday night for a speaking engagement at the three-day 2009 General Assembly of The Jewish Federations of North America. He will meet with Obama on Monday evening.

U.S.-Israeli relations have been strained since Netanyahu rejected Obama's demand that the Israeli government stop building or expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Palestinians say Israel has deeply encroached into land the Palestinians claim for a future state.

Not long after taking office, Obama announced his determination to facilitate peace between Israel and the Palestinians and said an end to settlements was a necessary condition for a resumption of negotiations.

Netanyahu has rejected that demand, but last week visiting Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton floated an Israeli proposal that would restrain - but not stop - more West Bank housing. She played it as a major conciliatory move from the Israelis.

Palestinian and Arab diplomats reacted with outrage, and Clinton was forced to backpedal. Arab officials questioned whether the U.S. had tilted toward Israel, abandoning the American position that continued Israel settlements were illegitimate and must end.

Clinton's comments may have reflected a realization within the Obama administration that the conservative Netanyahu would not accept a full-on settlement freeze and that a partial halt might be the most likely, if lesser option. Her appeal seemed designed to make the Israeli position more palatable to the Palestinians and Arab states.

It had the opposite effect, forcing Clinton to extend her overseas journey by a day as she rushed to Egypt in a bid to undo the damage with President Hosni Mubarak, who has played a major role in the peace process.

[YrStillWrong]

Hey, they should have had Abbas and Meshaal at this meeting. Just like when Hitler and Tojo were at the Yalta conference.

[strctrequity]

This keeping the Israelis on the fence what a posing by our White House, we in unequivocal terms have not invited Abbas or his foreign team for a bit of tete a tete during this time of lobbying for a point of view that takes into account only those who are heard.

[YrStillWrong]

This reminds me of when closet-case social outcasts blather about their knowledge of group behavior. Poor Hamas. Poor Hezbollah. Poor Presidents-for-Life. Poor Kings. Poor Mystics. Poor warlords. Exactly the inverse of how morality works on the planet Earth.

[stn_sage]

Obama meeting with Netanyahu...reminds me of...a film clip of Lord Chamberlain waving a piece of paper in the air...which he says ensures peace in our time between Germany and Europe.... Lord Chamberlain trusted the German Chancellor.

I wonder if Lor...er, Mr. Obama...how much he trusts Netanyahu?!
It should be interesting!

[lightningF]

Palestinians do not want peace,if they did they would set down to talk peace and stop all these pi$$y demands.We are quick to Forget the Palestinians elected Hamas a known radical group to power in Gaza,A group who uses Terrorism and hides behind civilians,so the Palestinians get what they voted for,It is not the kind of change they wanted. Sounds familiar

[YrStillWrong]

Khaled Meshal met with Satan yesterday. It's a balance of power.