The announcement has been greeted warmly by Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Obama at the White House on Tuesday after which Obama stated that the bond between the United States and Israel is “unbreakable.” Obama commended Netanyahu’s government for allowing more goods into Gaza.
“We've seen real progress on the ground,” said President Obama in a statement published by the White House.
Obama added that his administration’s position is that compromise between Israel and the PA is the key to moving forward.
“We believe that there is a way to make sure that the people of Gaza are able to prosper economically, while Israel is able to maintain its legitimate security needs in not allowing missiles and weapons to get to Hamas,” said Obama.
Netanyahu focused more generally on peace between the Israelis and Palestinians and the path to achieve that.
“I think at the end of the day, peace is the best option for all of us, and I think we have a unique opportunity and a unique time to do it,” said Netanyahu.
Netanyau also reiterated that he is ready for direct peace talks with the Palestinians.
“I think it’s high time to begin direct talks. I think with the help of President Obama, [Palestinian Authority] President Abbas and myself should engage in direct talks to reach a political settlement of peace, coupled with security and prosperity.”
Eased restrictions
As Netanyahu prepared to go to Washington, the Israeli government announced details of its eased restrictions for Gaza. The restrictions deal with the transfer of goods and materials going into Gaza.
During a press conference Monday in Israel, details of a June 20 Israeli Cabinet decision to liberalize the system for allowing civilian goods into Gaza were described to the press.
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