Jerusalem News (20 March, 2013, Nissan 9, 5773)
Contents:
1. North Korea 'ready' to strike U.S.
2. Explaining Obama's Fixation with Israel by Daniel Pipes
3. US President Obama arrives in Israel -
 Statements (Extracts) from President Peres, PM Netanyahu, and President Obama
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1. North Korea 'ready' to strike U.S.
In North Korea, Army Gen. Kang Pyo Yong told a crowd of tens of thousands that North Korea is ready to fire long-range nuclear-armed missiles at Washington.
"Intercontinental ballistic missiles and various other missiles, which have already set their striking targets, are now armed with lighter, smaller and diversified nuclear warheads and are placed on a standby status," Kang said. "When we shell (the missiles), Washington, which is the stronghold of evils... will be engulfed in a sea of fire."
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2. Explaining Obama's Fixation with Israel by Daniel Pipes
National Review Online
March 19, 2013
Extract:
Why does Barack Obama focus so much on Israel and its struggle with the Arabs?
It's not just that he's spending days in Israel this week, but his disproportionate four-year search to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. His first full day as president in 2009 saw him appointing George Mitchell as special envoy for the Middle East and also telephoning the leaders of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority. The White House press secretary justified this surprising emphasis by saying that Obama used his first day in office "to communicate his commitment to active engagement in pursuit of Arab-Israeli peace from the beginning of his term." A few days later, Obama granted his first formal interview as president to Al-Arabiya television channel....
Nor did he subsequently let up....
Why this fixation on the Arab-Israeli conflict, which ranks only 49th in fatalities since World War II? Because of a strange belief on the Left, rarely stated overtly, that this issue is key not just to the Middle East but to world problems.
For an unusually frank statement of this viewpoint, note the spontaneous, awkward comments of James L. Jones, then Obama's national security adviser, in Oct. 2009. Addressing J Street, he mentioned "pursuing peace between Israel and her neighbors" and continued:
# Of all the problems the administration faces globally, that if there was one problem that I would recommend to the president that if he could do anything he wanted to solve one problem, this would be it. Finding a solution to this problem has ripples that echo, that would run globally and affect many other problems that we face elsewhere in the globe. The reverse is not true. This is the epicenter, and this is where we should focus our efforts. And I am delighted that this administration is doing so with such enthusiasm and commitment. #
Although delivered a year before the Arab uprising, this statement is worth parsing because it provides an important insight into the White House worldview.
... it staggers the imagination to think that the White House awaits resolution on Jerusalem and Palestine refugees to handle Kurdish restlessness, Islamist assaults, Syrian civil insurrection, Iranian nuclear ambitions, Egyptian economic travails, and Yemeni anarchy.
...."This is where we should focus our efforts." Here we get to the nub: Jones wants a focus on housing in Jerusalem and electricity grids in the West Bank rather than on stopping the Iranian nuclear program, assuring oil and gas supplies, dealing with the pattern of dictatorships vs. Islamist insurgencies, or dealing with the increasingly rogue government of Turkey.
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3. US President Obama arrives in Israel -
 Statements (Extracts) from President Peres, PM Netanyahu, and President Obama
From: imra@netvision.net.il
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
20 March 2013
Extracts:
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Peres: "We are separated by an ocean and united by the commitment to
freedom, to justice. By the ongoing struggle for peace. We face the same
dangers. We share the same hopes."
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Netanyahu: "In an unstable and uncertain Middle East, the need for our
alliance is greater than ever. It is the key to thwarting dangers and
advancing peace."
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Obama: "I see this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds
between our nations, to restate America's unwavering commitment to Israel's
security, and to speak directly to the people of Israel and to your
neighbors."
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President Shimeon Peres:
# America and Israel are somewhat different in size. In size, not in destiny.
The American dream stems from the bible. The Israeli spirit is inspired by
American exceptionalism. We are separated by an ocean and united by the
commitment to freedom, to justice. By the ongoing struggle for peace. We
face the same dangers. We share the same hopes.
Mr. President, the United States became great by giving. Not by taking. Your
generosity enabled freedom to prevail all over the world. A world without
America's leadership, without her moral voice, would be a darker world. A
world without your friendship, would invite aggression against Israel Mr.
President, Your story reflects the history of the world as it is. Your
vision reflects the future as it should be. ...
America stood by our side from the very beginning. You supported us as we
rebuilt our ancient homeland. As we defended our land. From Holocaust to
redemption. ...
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PM Netanyahu's remarks at welcoming ceremony for US President Obama:
President Obama, This is an historic moment.
You have chosen to come to Israel as the first foreign visit of your second
term. You, the leader of the United States, the world's greatest democracy,
have chosen to come to our somewhat smaller but no less vibrant democracy in
the heart of the Middle East, the one and only Jewish state of Israel.
On behalf of the government and the people of Israel, I come here today with
a simple message for you and the American people: Thank you. Thank you for
standing by Israel at this time of historic change in the Middle East.
Thank you for unequivocally affirming Israel's sovereign right to defend
itself by itself against any threat. Thank you for enhancing Israel's'
ability to exercise that right through generous military assistance,
revolutionary missile defense programs, and unprecedented security and
intelligence cooperation.
Thank you, Mr. President, for upholding the Jewish people's right to a
Jewish state in our historic homeland, and for boldly defending that right
at the United Nations. And thank you for strengthening the unbreakable
alliance between our two nations during your Presidency.
In an unstable and uncertain Middle East, the need for our alliance is
greater than ever. It is the key to thwarting dangers and advancing peace;
it's the key to achieve a stable and secure peace that the people of Israel
yearn for all our neighbors and with all our hearts. We seek a peace with
our Palestinian neighbors. I look forward to working with you over the next
four years to make the alliance between our two countries even stronger.
Mr. President, on this historic visit, you will have an opportunity to see a
different side of Israel. You will see past, present, and future in this
tiny land which has left such a huge imprint on the course of civilization.
You will see the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls, the world's oldest text of the
Bible, written in Hebrew here 2,000 years ago, scrolls that bear witness to
the timeless bond between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel.
You will meet the young men and women of Israel who make it one of the most
creative and dynamic societies on earth. And you will see Israeli technology
and innovation which are fundamentally transforming the way we live.
Mr. President, Barack - on a lighter side, I had an opportunity to see your
interview on Israeli television the other day. I took note of your desire to
go incognito around Israel, so if you have a few free minutes, and you can
arrange to slip away from your security - a daunting task - well, we picked
out a few cafes and bars in Tel Aviv, and we even prepared a fake mustache
for you.
Mr. President,
The people of Israel are honored to have you visit our country. We warmly
welcome you as our cherished guest. We deeply appreciate your friendship.
And we share your hope that the Middle East will enjoy a future of freedom,
prosperity and peace.
Mr. President, Baruch HaBa L'Yisrael: welcome to Israel.
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Remarks by President Obama at arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport:
Shalom. President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and most of all, to the
people of Israel, thank you for this incredibly warm welcome. This is my
third visit to Israel so let me just say tov lihiyot shuv ba'aretz [Good to be once more in Israel].
I'm so honored to be here as you prepare to celebrate the 65th anniversary
of a free and independent State of Israel. Yet I know that in stepping foot
on this land, I walk with you on the historic homeland of the Jewish people.
More than 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people lived here, tended the land
here, prayed to God here. And after centuries of exile and persecution,
unparalleled in the history of man, the founding of the Jewish State of
Israel was a rebirth, a redemption unlike any in history.
Today, the sons of Abraham and the daughters of Sarah are fulfilling the
dream of the ages - to be "masters of their own fate" in "their own
sovereign state." And just as we have for these past 65 years, the United
States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest
friend.
... I want to begin right now, by answering a question that is sometimes asked
about our relationship - why? Why does the United States stand so strongly,
so firmly with the State of Israel? And the answer is simple. We stand
together because we share a common story - patriots determined "to be a free
people in our land," pioneers who forged a nation, heroes who sacrificed to
preserve our freedom, and immigrants from every corner of the world who
renew constantly our diverse societies.
We stand together because we are democracies. For as noisy and messy as it
may be, we know that democracy is the greatest form of government ever
devised by man.
We stand together because it makes us more prosperous. Our trade and
investment create jobs for both our peoples. Our partnerships in science and
medicine and health bring us closer to new cures, harness new energy and
have helped transform us into high-tech hubs of our global economy.
We stand together because we share a commitment to helping our fellow human
beings around the world. When the earth shakes and the floods come, our
doctors and rescuers reach out to help. When people are suffering, from
Africa to Asia, we partner to fight disease and overcome hunger.
And we stand together because peace must come to the Holy Land. For even as
we are clear-eyed about the difficulty, we will never lose sight of the
vision of an Israel at peace with its neighbors.
So as I begin this visit, let me say as clearly as I can - the United States
of America stands with the State of Israel because it is in our fundamental
national security interest to stand with Israel. It makes us both stronger.
It makes us both more prosperous. And it makes the world a better place.
That's why the United States was the very first nation to recognize the
State of Israel 65 years ago. That's why the Star of David and the Stars and
Stripes fly together today. And that is why I'm confident in declaring that
our alliance is eternal, it is forever - lanetzach [for eternity].
Thank you very much.