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Source: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/obama-friendship-and-empathy.premium-1.511961
Obama - Friendship and Empathy
(Ha'aretz) Moshe Arens - Barack Obama arrived in Israel a great deal wiser about the complexities of the Middle East than he was four years ago. No doubt, there has been a reset in the U.S.-Israeli relationship. Obama sees the splendor of Israel and recognizes the historical connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. He knows that Israel was not established because of the Holocaust, but rather to prevent another Holocaust, as he stated during his visit to Yad Vashem. He even counseled Mahmoud Abbas to drop the requirement that settlement activity cease as a condition for resuming talks. The writer served as Israeli Minister of Defense three times and as Minister of Foreign Affairs.