Posted on 01/29/2009 3:35:03 PM PST by Nachum
(IsraelNN.com) Following a meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Thursday, newly-appointed American Middle East envoy George Mitchell called for open crossings into Gaza and greater Fatah involvement there.
Talking to reporters after his discussions with Fatah leader Abbas and other PA officials, Mitchell said, "To be successful in preventing the illicit traffic of arms into Gaza, there must be a mechanism to allow the flow of legal goods. And that should be with the participation of the [Fatah-controlled] Palestinian Authority."
Fatah is the faction currently heading the Judea and Samaria half of the Authority, while the more jihadist Hamas controls the Gaza half of the PA. Hamas initially took legislative power in a landslide in PA-wide elections, and later carried out a successful coup in Gaza in order to obtain absolute control there.
The U.S. envoy further called for "a sustainable and durable ceasefire" between Hamas and Israel. Mitchell added that he had expressed to Abbas President Barack Obama's "deep concern over the killing of the Palestinians and the humanitarian situation in Gaza." The President is also committed to a Palestinian State and "lasting peace", according to Mitchell.
While Abbas did not address the media following his meeting with Mitchell, senior PA representative Saeb Erekat told journalists that the PA chairman discussed "humanitarian aid to Gaza, the importance of the truce, opening the crossings and lifting the blockade of Gaza." Abbas also claimed that "continued construction of Israeli settlements, creating facts on the ground... and construction of the wall are an attempt to separate the West Bank from the Gaza Strip," according to Erekat. He added that Israel's Operation Cast Lead in Gaza harmed the chances for peace in the region.
Touching on another matter, Erekat said that Abbas told Mitchell of his eagerness to form a unified regime with Hamas. Due to the American boycott of Hamas, which it officially recognizes as a terrorist entity, Mitchell is not going to visit Gaza during his current Middle Eastern tour.
Mitchell met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday, after meetings in Egypt. He also met with IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. On Friday, Mitchell is scheduled to meet with Knesset opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu.
It's going to be a long long 4 years.
It just gets nuttier and nuttier.
Don't insult idiots.
Sounds like Mitchell has encountered Senility. He sure has left Reality behind
This schmuck is off his Prozac as are all the Liberal God’s morons. At some point, the media won’t be able to keep perfume on the stench that is Obama.
“Open Borders Will Prevent Smuggling”
Well, duh.
Nothing is ever smuggled across the U.S./Mexico border.
“Mitchell: Open Borders Will Prevent Smuggling”
It works so well with Mexico, after all. (sarc)
Wait till all the old Clintonites come in full force to stop BiBi in the next election cycle.
This is boob bate for Bubbie's, i.e an appeal to liberal/reform Jews in America that we are being fair and looking for peace, Mitchell can't loose their support with the Obamsters overatures to the same nut that would wipe Israel out. But then again, I cant see this faction complaining or defecting. They just pull the D and move on. Yes their is a huge crowd that thinks this way...
No, he wants Israel wiped out!
Mitchel, have you ever heard of Kalashnikovs, explosives, and missiles?
I’m sure Hamas is going to import those through normal border crossings. Aren’t you?
I guess Mitchel doesn’t want to concede stupidest Democrat in the U.S. to a four man race, Obama, Biden, Pelosi, and Reid.
With all the weird news I’m reading today...
I’m convinced...
that someone broke in and put LSD in my coffeepot.
If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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The man is a genius! Open the borders, no smuggling. Outstanding. Open the southern border, no illegal border crossings. Mitchell is hitting stride, I'd forgotten what a clown he was.
Here's hoping that Netanyahu tells the Arabist Mitchell where to go with his Fatah-Hamas unity concept, then tells the Israeli public where Mitchell and "Osama" Obama really are.
It will be interesting to see if Netanyahu, assuming he's the next PM, will let Obama's lefties in DC control him or will be pretty much his own man.
Want to end crime? Make all crimes legal.
It’s all so clear to me now.
Exactly my thought.....The people were digging out their bombed tunnels the minute the bombs stopped falling. Does George think the people running those tunnels and making a big living doing it will just shut them down it the border crossings are opened. How naive can the obama Administration be? Oops, don’t answer that, I think I already know, and the results for this country and the Israelis will be catastropic.
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