Statement by President Obama Pledging to Prevent
Hamas Smuggling
(January 22, 2009)
According to a statement from White
House press secretary Robert Gibbs, President Obama placed phone calls on January 21, 2009,
to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert, Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak, Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas and King Adullah
of Jordan in which he “emphasized his
determination to work to help consolidate
the cease-fire by establishing an effective
anti-smuggling regime to prevent Hamas from
rearming, and facilitating in partnership
with the Palestinian Authority a major reconstruction
effort for Palestinians in Gaza.”
He also communicated “his commitment
to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli
peace from the beginning of his term" and "his
hope for their continued cooperation and
leadership.”
Olmert told Obama that he hoped the anti-smuggling
efforts would work because it would “stabilize
the cease-fire and advance the diplomatic
process” between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority, according to a statement from
Olmert's office. The prime minister also
told the U.S. president that Israel “would
invest effort in supplying the humanitarian
needs” of the Palestinians in Gaza
and work to improve the Palestinian economic
situation in the West
Bank.
Sources: JTA, (January 21, 2009) |