On his first morning as president, Barack Obama found time to address the still-unstable situation in Gaza, calling the leaders of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Egypt, according to a statement from White House press secretary Robert Gibbs. In conversations with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, King Abdullah of Jordan and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, the president signaled that he would engage with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by supporting reconstruction efforts and working to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza.
The move is notable for coming so early in Obama's term, something the White House statement is at pains to point out. His immediate predecessors, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, only turned their attention to the peace process further into their presidencies.
In an interview on ABC's "This Week" earlier this month, Obama declined to comment on Israel's invasion of Gaza, which had been prompted by Hamas rocket fire into southern Israel, but said he would take prompt action once in office. "What I am doing right now is putting together the team so that on January 20th, starting on day one, we have the best possible people who are going to be immediately engaged in the Middle East peace process as a whole," he said.
See the full statement after the jump:
This morning, the President placed phone calls to four Middle Eastern leaders: President Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Olmert of Israel, King Abdullah of Jordan, and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. He used this opportunity on his first day in office to communicate his commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term, and to express his hope for their continued cooperation and leadership. In the aftermath of the Gaza conflict, he emphasized his determination to work to help consolidate the ceasefire by establishing an effective anti-smuggling regime to prevent Hamas from rearming, and facilitating in partnership with the Palestinian Authority a major reconstruction effort for Palestinians in Gaza. He pledged that the United States would do its part to make these efforts successful, working closely with the international community and these partners as they fulfill their responsibilities as well. The President appreciated the spirit of partnership and warm nature of these calls.
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