Obama challenges Israel to make hard choices

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http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/995381--obama-challenges-israel-to-mak\

e-hard-choices

Obama challenges Israel to make hard choices

Helene

NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama, speaking on Sunday to the nation's foremost

pro-Israel lobbying group, repeated his call for Palestinian statehood based on

Israel's pre-1967 borders adjusted for land swaps, issuing a challenge to the

Israeli government to " make the hard choices that are necessary to protect a

Jewish and democratic state for which so many generations have sacrificed. "

In his remarks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the president,

while offering praise for the relationship with Israel, did not back down from

his speech Thursday, which had infuriated Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Rather, the president took indirect aim at Netanyahu, first by repeating what

the Israeli prime minister so objected to — the phrase pre-1967 borders — and

then by challenging those whom he said had " misrepresented " his position.

The president emphasized the " mutually agreed swaps, " then went into an

elaboration of what he believes that means. Netanyahu, in his critique of

Obama's remarks, had ignored the " mutually agreed swaps " part of the president's

proposal.

" By definition, it means that the parties themselves — Israelis and Palestinians

— will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4,

1967, " Obama said. " It is a well known formula to all who have worked on this

issue for a generation. It allows the parties themselves to account for the

changes that have taken place over the last 44 years. "

Netanyahu's furious reaction last week to what many administration officials

viewed as a modest compromise infuriated the White House. In particular,

administration officials were angry by Netanyahu's lecturing tone during

statements the two leaders gave on Friday.

Obama also assured the group that the administration was steadfast in its

" opposition to any attempt to de-legitimize the state of Israel, " but he warned

that Israel would face growing isolation without a credible Middle East peace

process.

Sunday's audience, which had been quiet, cheered Obama, although the cheers were

far more muted than the standing ovation they had given at other points of

Obama's speech, like when he talked about Iran and when he reiterated his

opposition to a looming UN vote on Palestinian statehood.