As expected, Israel is pulling out of Gaza before Obama takes office:
Israel to pull out of Gaza by Obama inauguration
By getting its soldiers out before the Obama inauguration, Israel hopes to pave the way for a smooth beginning with the Obama administration and spare the incoming president the trouble of having to deal with a burning problem in Gaza from his first day, the Israeli officials said.
Translation: the days of the Bush Administration and America turning a blind eye to Palistinian suffering are over.
And in surprising news:
Saudi Arabia pledges $1 billion to rebuild Gaza
The Saudi king says his country will donate $1 billion to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after Israel’s devastating three-week offensive in the Palestinian territory.
It will be interesting to see if other Arab/Muslim countries step up and contribute as well. If they do, in a show of solidarity, unite to provide humanitarian aid to Palestine, it will give the Hamas government the level of international legitimacy enjoyed by the PLO government before it. Perhaps now will be the time to find a peaceful resolution after all.
I’m going to post this link on another thread as well, but felt it deserved a posted here because of all the editorials from around the world, Israel’s was the kindest.
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20090119/NEWS-US-BUSH-WORLD-EDITORIALS/