Bush Asserts Israel’s Right to Defense

The Bush administration defended Israel’s military incursion into the Gaza Strip Saturday asserting that Israel had the right to defend itself against Hamas rocket fire. The U.S. also refused to pressure Israel into accepting an immediate cease-fire, stressing that any cessation of hostilities must include guarantees of a change in Hamas’s behavior. “We are working toward a cease-fire that would not allow a reestablishment of the status quo ante, where Hamas can continue to launch rockets out of Gaza and to condemn the people of Gaza to a life of misery,” State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement. “It is obvious that that cease-fire should take place as soon as possible, but we need a cease-fire that is durable, sustainable, and not time limited.” The United Nations Security Council, meanwhile, called an emergency session Saturday night to address the Gaza crisis. U.N. Security General Ban Ki Moon has been pressing the Council to support an immediate cease-fire between ... (link)