Middle East News

Obama "last chance" for Palestinians, says Abbas aide

Jul 2, 2009, 8:12 GMT

Geneva - A senior Palestinian official was quoted Thursday as saying United States President Barack Obama was the 'last chance' for a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel.

'Obama is our savior. He is realistic and pragmatic. He is not a dreamer,' said Yasir Abed Rabbo, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

'He is our last chance,' Abed Rabbo told the Geneva-based Le Temps newspaper, citing the growing Israeli settlements as an impediment to regional peace.

The senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization was in Switzerland for discussions pertaining to the Geneva Initiative, a proposal for a peace accord between the two peoples, that was launched in 2003.

Abed Rabbo said the Obama administration was informed about the unofficial proposal for a two-state solution and implied the US envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchel, spoke favourably of the model.

On Wednesday, Abed Rabbo and his Israeli counterpart, former minister Yossi Beilin, met with Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, who pledged to keep funding the work of the initiative.

Abed Rabbo also called on the Islamist Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, to accept a two-state solution, saying it was in the Palestinian interest.

In a recent speech, hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would, with certain conditions, accept a demilitarized Palestinian state, after declining to support any sovereignty during his first months in office.

The White House said the speech was an important step forward though it failed to please the Palestinian leadership.



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FivishJul 2nd, 2009 - 09:10:42

Oh dear! Obama, the racist, anti-semite and supporter of apartheid for Jews is the last best hope for the terrorists!

A two state solution was signed into International Law in 1919. It was the Paris agreement between Weizmann and King Feisal.

Weizmann re-itterated the agreement to the UN in 1947.

Every Professor of International Law recognises the agreement as binding. Only disingenous politicians ignore that agreement and try to make other agreements which are in any case invalid under the principle of estoppel!

The Arabs have no legal or historic claim to the Jewish Home Land or Palestine except as a religious duty.

It about time the Moslems were told definitevely and explicitly that Israel is legitimate and will never ever be theirs.

The Arabs have 20 states and Moslems have 57 Islamic states. That is more than enough.

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