Obama Speaks to Netanyahu, Offers to Mediate Ceasefire

[mystery-ak]

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182772#.U78oorFXnhQ

Obama Speaks to Netanyahu, Offers to Mediate Ceasefire
President Obama speaks to Prime Minister Netanyahu, says he is worried that fighting with Hamas could escalate.
By Elad Benari
First Publish: 7/11/2014, 2:15 AM

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu he was worried that the fighting with Hamas in Gaza could escalate, and offered Washington’s help to broker a ceasefire, AFP reported.

"The president expressed concern about the risk of further escalation and emphasized the need for all sides to do everything they can to protect the lives of civilians and restore calm," the White House said in a statement.

"The United States remains prepared to facilitate a cessation of hostilities, including a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement."

The 2012 deal, brokered by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Egypt, ended the counterterrorism Operation Pillar of Defense.

The White House statement said that Obama told Netanyahu that he understood Israel had a right to defend itself and that he condemned rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups launched from Gaza.

The IDF continued Operation Protective Edge on Thursday, hitting 930 terror targets in Gaza.

Gaza terrorists, for their part, continued the rocket onslaught on Israel. While the terrorists have used long-range rockets and have hit almost as far as Haifa, the bulk of the rockets targeted southern Israel as has been the case for years.

Earlier Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki reiterated that Washington supports Israel’s right for self-defense and pointed out that Hamas was responsible for the death of civilians.

“Civilians have been killed, and certainly that’s of concern to us, and that’s one of the reasons that we have been certainly calling for all sides to de-escalate tensions on the ground,” she said, when asked by a reporter if she thought that “the utility of an F-16 to bomb a home and kill five civilians was appropriately done.”

Psaki continued, “It’s tragic and our condolences go out to the families, but I would remind you who is at fault here, and that is Hamas and the indiscriminate attacks that they have launched against Israel.”

[Chieftain]

Oh sure!! Send John bleep Kerry back over there and see if he can start a real war!!

 

[Right_in_Virginia]

The IDF continued Operation Protective Edge on Thursday, hitting 930 terror targets in Gaza.

Shouldn't they be out of targets about now?

[Chieftain]

Shouldn't they be out of targets about now?

Nope.  They are still getting about 25 incoming rockets an hour.  The terrorists have been volley firing them, trying to overwhelm Iron Dome, and they have been getting resupplied with better range Iranian rockets for a while.  That's mainly the reason this has brewed up now...Hamas has managed to smuggle in sufficient ammunition to hit the Jews again. 

Israel will put this down, the smuggling will resume, and once ammo has been replenished Hamas will go at it again.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Nope.  They are still getting about 25 incoming rockets an hour.  The terrorists have been volley firing them, trying to overwhelm Iron Dome, and they have been getting resupplied with better range Iranian rockets for a while.  That's mainly the reason this has brewed up now...Hamas has managed to smuggle in sufficient ammunition to hit the Jews again. 

Israel will put this down, the smuggling will resume, and once ammo has been replenished Hamas will go at it again.

I thought the reason this brewed up now is because of the Palestinian/Hamas "reconciliation".  Netanyahu was "pretty" upset with this and the West's apparently being okay with it.   The kidnapping of the three Israeli teens opened a window and Israel reacted not just to the kidnappings but also to an opportunity to round up Hamas operatives.  Hamas said "we're on" and began using the ammo they've amassed.
 
I'll admit my head spins when I try to keep with Mideast "news".  Have I understood any of these events?

BTW....I agree this is a rinse, repeat process.  I just fear the next repeat process will be different.  I doubt ISIS will sit out the next one.

[EC]

You are not far off.

The internals of Israeli politics - who knows? But they saw the chance and took it when three total idiots decided to hitch hike through a heavy Pali area. A little clearance now means less infection later. Forcing Hamas to respond is almost as good as forcing them to disarm - in the war of munitions, Israel will always be the clear winner.

And don't consider Obama cutting off Iron Dome components any time soon - the IAI reverse engineered a fighter, for God's sake, so a missile is going to be child's play, even if the Worm decides the optics work.

[Right_in_Virginia]

You are not far off.

The internals of Israeli politics - who knows? But they saw the chance and took it when three total idiots decided to hitch hike through a heavy Pali area. A little clearance now means less infection later. Forcing Hamas to respond is almost as good as forcing them to disarm - in the war of munitions, Israel will always be the clear winner.

And don't consider Obama cutting off Iron Dome components any time soon - the IAI reverse engineered a fighter, for God's sake, so a missile is going to be child's play, even if the Worm decides the optics work.

Thanks for the reply.  I don't think even Obama would consider cutting off military aid to Israel.  As much as he may want to, that would be a contest he couldn't win in Congress or accomplish with his pen and phone.

[Fishrrman]

Article title:
[[ Obama Speaks to Netanyahu, Offers to Mediate Ceasefire ]]

Corrected version:
"Obama speaks to Netanyahu, offers to sell him out via ceasefire"...

[EC]

Thanks for the reply.  I don't think even Obama would consider cutting off military aid to Israel.  As much as he may want to, that would be a contest he couldn't win in Congress or accomplish with his pen and phone.

I dunno - it's doable. We're talking Chicago style here. A few phone calls to some of the component suppliers and there are suddenly "production delays." Doesn't even have to be much - the inertial guidance sensors cost about 6 bucks each and there are only three places that make them - only one of which is in the USA. No chip, no missile.

And how could the Worm be blamed for late shipping dates from private companies?

[Oceander]

Of course he would; he still has delusions of grandeur from that nobel peace prize thingy.