President Obama is currently visiting Israel. This is the first time Obama has visited the country. The purpose of the trip is to encourage peace talks between Palestine and Israel. The conflict between the two groups can be linked back to 1920 when Arabs and Jewish people started fighting over land in the Middle East. After WWI, many Jewish people fled to Israel for peace, and the Arabs were not happy with the new population. Since 1987, there have been 421 Israeli deaths and 1,551 Palestinian deaths, equaling 1,972 lives lost because of the conflict.
Obama is leading peace talks between the two nations, but not surprisingly it has been difficult to reach a happy medium. For example, this past Tuesday two rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, breaking the cease-fire between the battling nations. Israel is also holding Palestinian prisoners. Another issue includes the nuclear weapons in Israel, and how they will stay safe so no more violence takes place.
Obama is aiming to continue a 10-year military aid agreement. $1 billion has been put into something called the “Iron Dome System”, which shoots down rockets fired from Gaza, the plan helps protect the people of Israel. 86% of rockets shot from Gaza have been intercepted because of this system.
The President has strong hope that the fighting nations will be able to reach peace, and that his presence in the area will make the two states come together and reach an agreement.
New York Times
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/21/politics/obama-mideast-visit/index.html?hpt=hp_t1