Thousands protest over Gaza outside White House, Obama hotel
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/01/10/art.protest.gi.jpg caption="Protestors gathered near the White House Saturday."]WASHINGTON (CNN) - Thousands of pro-Palestinian activists rallied outside the temporary residence of President-elect Barack Obama Saturday, and called on the incoming leader to stop the violence in Gaza.
About 3,000 people carrying signs and chanting "Free Palestine" flooded Lafayette Park, which is sandwiched between the White House and the Hay-Adams Hotel, where the president-elect is living with his family.
Carrying a Palestinian and wearing a keffiyeh, Abdel-Kader Elkabil called on the president-elect to take action.
"Please Mr. Obama, do something. We love you. We voted for you," said Abdel-Kader Elkabil. "I'm expecting you to do something...you're the only one who can do something."
Asma Mobin-Uddin drove to Washington with a group of 500 activists from Ohio. She said she had voted for Obama because she believed he could "make a difference."
"President Obama, look in the eyes of your kids and look in the eyes of the kids in that region," said Dr. Asma Mobin-Uddin. "Please, stop the violence, stop the hate, stop the occupation."
Though the president-elect has been asked by reporters to comment on the situation in Gaza, Obama has consistently deferred to President Bush.
"I've been getting briefed every day. I've had consistent conversations with members of the current administration about what's taking place," Obama said Monday.
"I will continue to insist that when it comes to foreign affairs, it is particularly important to adhere to the principle of one president at a time, because there are delicate negotiations taking place right now, and we can't have two voices coming out of the United States when you have so much at stake."
From CNN Politics
- Warnock's seat comes into focus amid battle over voting laws and filibuster rules March 23, 2021 03:06 am
- White House aides prep $3 trillion jobs package for Biden March 23, 2021 02:30 am
- Biden administration continues to deny journalists access to border facilities March 23, 2021 02:28 am
- Arguing against statehood for DC, congressman says it has no car dealerships (it does) March 23, 2021 02:23 am
- Former Capitol riot prosecutor's comments on Trump alarm new no-drama Justice Department March 23, 2021 02:16 am
- Biden administration not confident Johnson & Johnson will meet 20 million goal by end of month March 23, 2021 01:52 am
Imagine THIS senario:
Militants in Mexico set up rocket launchers in Tijuana and Juarez, and begin firing rockets into San diego and El Paso.
What's their reason? The U.S. "wrongfully" took Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, etc. from Mexico as a result of the Mexican-American war of the 1800's. They consider the fact that these states are now part of the U.S.A. to be the "occupacion of Mexico."
How do you think the U.S. would respond to this situation?
So, then...the U.S. takes action to defend itself from these militants and to stop the rocket attacks.
Millions of people in Spanish speaking countries all over Latin America pour into the streets in violent protest. Many people are seen holding signs saying, "Free Mexico, stop all aid to the U.S.A."
Officials from the Mexican government go on T.V. decrying this "unwarranted act of U.S. agression against Mexican civillians," and demanding the immediate cessation of all U.S. military action.
Can anyone imagine a senario like this? I can. It's happening right this moment in the Middle East.
Look at the number of dead year after year, a few Israelis, HUNDREDS of Palestinians. Its been this way for years.
SHOULD WE BOMBS OKLAHOMA BECAUSE ONE MAN ATTACKED A FEDERAL BUILDING? the same concept apply s to hamas, a few men do not represent the whole population.
you're right. It's not just about Gaza. It's all of the sufferings & injustices that the Palestinians have experienced. The whole world is watching with pure disgust & shock. Thank god for the internet, they can not monopolize the media anymore (even if they try by barring ALL journalist).
Pictures say a thousand words and the truth always prevail. The world is watching israelis' cruel and inhumane treatment of Palestine.
does israel's right to exist mean the right to kill women and children? who's the real terrorist? Their best defense to killing innocent children is "they have a right to defend themselves". exactly from what?? pure evil.
I dont visit countries with an apartheild system.
I HAVE A SECRET TO TELL ALL PALESTINIANS ALL OVER
THE WORLD. HERE IT IS. YOU NEED TO ELECT LEADERS
WHO HONOR, RESPECT & CHERISH YOU MORE THAN THEY
HATE ISRAEL. PRESIDENT-elect OBAMA CAN'T SOLVE YOUR
PROBLEMS. HE CAN & WILL HELP, BUT THE FINAL DECISION
IS IN YOUR COURT. YOU HAVE ELECTED PEOPLE WHO ARE
LAUNCHING MISSLES AT ISRAEL. NO ONE CAN STOP & NO ONE
WILL STOP ISRAEL FROM RETALIATING. OBAMA HAS BEEN
ELECTED TO DO THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA.
YOU SHOULD ELECT LEADERS THAT WILL DO THE WILL OF
THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE. THE RESPONSIBILITY IS YOURS.
It is scary that 3000 people in Washington alone protested so openly against Israel. What do they expect Obama to do exactly? Flip sides?
At home: Billions for the banks not the people. Abroad, billions for corrupt regimes ie Israel. While the U.S. (through Israel) spends billions of our tax dollars littering Gaza with U.S. made bombs and rockets, thousands of people here at home are losing their jobs, houses and ability to provide the basic needs for their families. When are the american people going to stand up and demand that their "leaders" provide jobss and services at home, not wars abroad!
FOLKS I DON'T KNOW WHAT CALENDAR YOU ARE USING,
BUT OBAMA IS NOT IN OFFICE & WHEN HE TAKES THE OATH
ON JAN.20TH HE WILL BE TAKING IT TO WORK FOR AMERICA.
PALESTINIANS SHOULD GIVE THEIR LEADERS THEIR AGENDA
& SEE TO IT THAT THEY WORK ON IT. FIRING MISSILES AT
ISRAEL WILL NOT GET YOU PEACE & OBAMA'S JOB, BELIEVE
IT OR NOT, IS FIRST & FOREMOST TO DO THE WILL OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE. YOUR LEADERS SHOULD WORK FOR YOU.
War is war and we didn't start this one, but glad to see them exercising there right to protest. Not even Obama has the magic necessary for this age old problem, only decades of teaching tolerance and increasing prosperity for all can solve that quagmire.
Where is the protest over the rockets fired into Israeli cities, or any populated areas? The headlines read all the time about Israels action in Gaza and anything Hamas is like a side note. Media please get back to basics. Agenda driven, opinionated media. It's more like reading a blog than a news story. Actually I think the headlines come from blogs rather than fair, and balanced reporters doing the foot work.
The Arab-Islamic world is composed of homocidal lunatics who are totally delusional because they believe in myths. If we do not do something now to control these crazy freaks we will have WWWIII. It's inevitable because these lunatics will not give up simce mohammed, the master mythmaker, said to fight all men until they say there's no god but allah. That's what they believe and nonbelievers have to be exterminated. Lovely bunch of people, huh? They and their religion are plagues upon all mankind. Hey, if they get the chance and do start WWWIII, they judt might end the human race. Way to go, ragheads!
I always voted for democrats, by all means I am on left spectrum, atheist, PhD, etc... Yet I would not blindly blame Israel. Hamas MUST stop launching rockets, and must recognize right of Israel to exist. Palestinians are just hostages of their 'leaders', which are supported, paid and stimulated by Iran and Syria.
International peace keeping forces around Gaza is probably a good solution now.
Do you pro-Palestine people realize that these COWARDS set up their war offensive operations in private homes, grade schools, hospital basements? They WANT Israel to kill private citizens in the attempt to take out the terrorists. It gains them all kinds of sympathy from the whole watching world. And you idiots fall for it! You take the side of these animals who WANT their own innocent civilians killed, because dead babies are good PR!!
Let's see Rahm Emmanuel-Israeli
Axelrod-Jewish
Biden-self proclaimed best friend Israel has in the senate
Hillary-Huge proponent along with her husband of Israel
Summers=Jewish
Volker-Jewish
Rubin-Jewish
Good luck for those who expect President elect Obama to change policy
I didn't see these people screaming about human rights when thousands of Hamas rockets rained down on Sderot, Israel...
Apparently Jewish deaths don't mean much to them.
T. Mckinley: Your explanation of the Israeli – Palestinian conflict is precisely the same as the only rationalization ever offered by the American media.
Take that mess to its owner .....Bush. Matter of fact...follow him to Texas with it. I have concluded that these two nations will not be satisfied until they destroy each other. I believe in governments protecting themselves...I also believe in going after the hostile groups without taking out innocent children. These guys need to come to the table and have a slapping contest until someone between each group drifts into a permanent coma. Nothing else seems to work.
Palestine has a funny way of thanking Israel for ending their occupation and allowing them to govern themselves.
If you keep kicking me in the shin, I'm eventually gonna kick back. Why do you folks sympathize with Palestine's terroristic actions?
Saw the protest, felt like saying something back. You can't look at the deaths accurately. Palestinians do not have an army, they have a civilian army. Though not well equipped, "civilians" that fight back are considered enemy combatants and are added to the death counts. Most of Israeli deaths in this conflict are strictly civilians, while thousands of Palestinians killed were shooting rockets and attempting to do suicide attacks.
I will concede that there is something shady about Israeli soldiers putting Palestinians into houses "for safety" and then blowing them up. But this is natural in bloody wars. Israeli's live in constant fear and have suffered suicide bombings regularly. They are mad soldiers and feel no sympathy, but Americans have been just as guilty in Iraq.
Palestinians have consistently failed at making themselves the victim when they are usually the ones who incite the violence. Maybe I could sympathize if Israel gets bored and decides to start attacking Palestinians. And I do sympathize with them that Israel is encroaching on Palestinian territory with walls and settlements, but there are better ways to fight.
Dear Palestine, take a lesson from Gandhi in all forms. Non-violent protest and adamant for a one nation shared by two faiths un-split (the rather he failed to see, maybe YOU can be the change).
This blonde-haired blue-eyed Irish girl believes US should stop aid to Israel, but that doesn't mean that Israel needs to be wiped off the map. I only want peace. The Palestinians only want to live in peace. The Israelis want to live in peace. The souls of the innocent should not be punished for the actions of a few.
T. Mckinley:
Unfortunately, these days "Israel's right to exist" is a coded way to say "Let's murder and destroy the lives of thousands of innocent Palestinians in 10 days while the world is watching and doing nothing"
You can say whatever you want, you can have your own opinion about world politics (including the middle east conflict) but it's inhumane to sit, watch, and agree to what the Israelis are doing in Gaza.
Perhaps if Hamas would stop things like suicide bombing, etc. then Israel wouldn't have to go to this level to deter the violent Muslim terrorists.
The protest outside Obama's hotel was appropriate. I'm a big supporter of his, but one thing I disagree strongly with him on is that it seems he will continue our country's kneejerk support of Israel. He needs to be told that will not solve this problem, and that what Israel is doing now is not only morally wrong, but practically wrong as well.
Responding to terrorism with traditional war leads to more terrorism. When will we learn? And when will Israel stop subjugating the Palestinian people? It's time for a new direction.
JackieBoston January 10th, 2009 7:23 pm ET
Israel has the right to exist and is one of the best democracies on earth. Have you ever been there? I recommend you go because it is my favorite place on earth!
~~~~~~~~
You don't find many Donna Karan stores in Palestine. Thank ‘God’ there is one in Tel Aviv.
. Mckinley. Who are you kidding. The Arab_Muslim world does not appects Israel's right to exist? Who do you think brokered the first cease-fire?: Egypt!!