Obama Statement on Today’s Middle Eastern Summit
Monday, June 25, 2007
Printable FormatFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:: Ben LaBolt
Obama Statement on Today’s Middle Eastern Summit
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement on today’s Middle Eastern Summit:
“Today's summit in Sharm el-Sheikh is encouraging. I support the efforts of Prime Minister Olmert, President Mubarak, and King Abdullah to strengthen President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad – two Palestinian leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to non-violence and achieving peace with Israel. These leaders seek peace and deserve the support of the international community.”
“I applaud Prime Minister Olmert's announcements that Israel will release Palestinian prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. We hope that this goodwill, along with the unfrozen tax revenues being sent from Israel to the Palestinian Authority, will help strengthen a Palestinian partner for peace with Israel.”
“I commend these regional leaders for their initiative. But it is critical that the United States demonstrate leadership if this effort is to succeed. A senior U.S. presence at this summit could have been helpful.”
“The absence of U.S. leadership in the past has helped open the door to extremism in the West Bank and Gaza. Direct U.S. presidential leadership is needed now to ensure the Europeans maintain their isolation of Hamas; to press Egypt to do everything possible to prevent arms smuggling into Gaza; and, to get other Arab states to provide political support to President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad and humanitarian aid to Gazans that does not flow through Hamas institutions.”
“We need to help these moderate leaders demonstrate that they can deliver for their people. Israel and the Palestinian Authority can work together to improve the security of their people, and we can help by ensuring a resumption of aid, improved security cooperation, a renewed negotiating process, and help reforming Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.”
“This moment is an opportunity to let Palestinians know that we will work toward the goal of achieving a viable, democratic Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza living side by side with Israel and peace and security, but that this goal can only be achieved through acceptance of Israel and a commitment to non-violence.”