Thaindian News

Cairo, June 4 (DPA) “America’s strong bonds with Israel are well known,” US President Barack Obama told the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims in a much-anticipated speech from Cairo Thursday. “This bond is unbreakable.”
Referring to his planned visit to the Nazi concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany, Friday, he condemned anti-Semitism and denial of the Holocaust as “baseless, ignorant, and hateful”.

But, he said: “Let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.”

“Palestinians must abandon violence,” Obama said, “Resistance through violence and killing is wrong and does not succeed.”

Obama also repeated his administration’s opposition to the expansion of Israeli settlements.

“The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements… It is time for these settlements to stop,” Obama said.

“Too many tears have flowed. Too much blood has been shed,” the US president said.

“All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear.”