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| By: Associated Press |
| Published: January 11, 2006 |
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U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat, met Tuesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom and said that the United States stood by Israel as its leader, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, lay unconscious in a hospital bed following a massive stroke.
Obama, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke to reporters after a meeting with Shalom, on the latest leg of a 10-day tour of the Middle East that included visits to Iraq, Kuwait, Jordan and the Palestinian territories.
"Obviously we are here at a difficult time," he said. "Our hearts go out to the family of Prime Minister Sharon and we are praying for a recovery on his part and I think the entire world is watching because we recognize that his presence here in the entire process was absolutely important and constructive."
Obama said he was visiting the region to learn more than tell leaders his opinion.
"Israel has to figure out what the next steps are, if in fact Prime Minister Sharon does not recover in a way that allows him to move into the government," he said.
Obama said he was encouraged about the "growing consensus around a principle of moving peace forward if there is a responsible partner on the other side," and was looking forward to the results of the Palestinians' Jan. 25 elections and their aftermath.
"Violence is not the answer to the long-standing problems that exist in this area and my hope is that U.S. policy will continue to encourage the nonviolent mediation of these issues," he said. |
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