Aboard Air Force One – White House Reiterates Israel ‘Has Right to Defend Itself’

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    United States President Barack Obama departs the White House for a trip to South East Asia   November 17, 2012.  EPA/Dennis BrackAboard Air Force One – The White House on Saturday defended Israel’s right to defend itself against attack and decide how to respond to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, blaming the ruling Islamic militant Hamas group for starting the conflict.

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    Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in agreement that a de-escalation of the violence is preferred, provided that Hamas stops sending rocket into Israel, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters during the president’s flight on Air Force One to Asia.

    Israel launched the offensive on Wednesday by assassinating Hamas’ military commander, but Rhodes said the U.S. believes “the precipitating factor for the conflict was the rocket fire coming out of Gaza. We believe Israel has a right to defend itself, and they’ll make their own decisions about the tactics they use in that regard.”

    He added, “These rockets have been fired into Israeli civilian areas and territory for some time now. So Israelis have endured far too much of a threat from these rockets for far too long, and that is what led the Israelis to take the action that they did in Gaza.”

    The Israeli government has called up thousands of reservists and massed troops, tanks and other armored vehicles along the border with Gaza, signaling a ground invasion could be imminent.

    Obama has spoken with President Mohammed Morsi of Egypt and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey about the situation.

    “They have the ability to play a constructive role in engaging Hamas and encouraging a process of de-escalation,” Rhodes said.

    Israel on Saturday hit Gaza with nearly 200 airstrikes, expanding an aerial assault to include the prime minister’s headquarters, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels.

    “We wouldn’t comment on specific targeting choices by the Israelis other than to say that we of course always underscore the importance of avoiding civilian casualties,” Rhodes said. “But the Israelis again will make judgments about their military operations.”

    Forty-two Palestinians, including 13 civilians, and three Israelis have been killed in this past week’s fighting.


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    10 Comments
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    STRAIGHT_FACTS
    STRAIGHT_FACTS
    11 years ago

    What a breath of fresh air; the President is coming through for Israel!

    mugsisme
    mugsisme
    11 years ago

    The NY Times is reporting that obama asked netanyahu to hold off on the ground war.

    Brian
    Brian
    11 years ago

    I appreciate the President’s [verbal] support and his affirmation that Israel has the right to defend herself. It’s not only her right, but duty, so please demonstrate that support by not dictating to Israel on restraint… Israel is in a corner and they have no choice other than exercising the opposite of restraint. Otherwise the terrorists will get a message of weakness which will accelerate bloodshed.

    So in short: restraint = more bloodshed (some time shortcuts to peace, ends up accomplishing the opposite).
    Proactive offense (by IDF) = less bloodshed [in the long term].

    11 years ago

    Until Mr. Obama makes a major public statement as to the evil and complete disgrace of the Palestinians in this horrible scenario, I think that any actual support for the Israeli position to defend itself is just routine.

    CommonSense
    CommonSense
    11 years ago

    I think we can all write the script right now for a gaza invasion.
    It happens every couple of years.

    Eagle
    Eagle
    11 years ago

    Well duh, of course it has the right to defend herself, and it has the duty to defend itself. Why would any self-respecting Israeli even care if someone says it has that right or not, as if it depends on what others say. Screw the world, Israel needs to take care of business, and they must do it now, by ALL means necessary. God bless the Jewish people.

    11 years ago

    Who would have thought that Israel leaving Gaza would mean that Gaza would be taken over by Hamas and used as a staging area? I mean, that was so far-fetched, who could have imagined it?

    mustsay
    mustsay
    11 years ago

    “right to defend itself” is a meaningless comment. “WE” have a right to defend “OURSELVES”. Nowhere did he say that the usa supports Israel in the only way that matters….militarily and financially.

    11 years ago

    Are you for real? The U.S. already supports Israel militarily and financially — to the tune of billions of dollars annually. Israel gets more money and military aid from the U.S. than any other country — and it’s gone up the past four years. Don’t they teach you anything other than Bava Metzia and tales from the midrash in the heimeshe yeshivas?