Obama: Israelis Seized Others' Land and Went Too Far

Obama: It is also undeniable that they took land from the people and went too far. And those people rightly said: 'This is injustice, and I want my land back.'

Former US President Barack Obama criticized Israel's handling of the Middle East conflict and warned that military power cannot guarantee stable security. Also, refusing to make concessions to the Palestinians undermines Israel's moral standing.

According to the report of Ambassador Arjan, quoted by the "Belfast Telegraph" website, Obama made these statements on Tuesday during a conversation with "Susan McKay", an award-winning author and journalist, in Belfast (Northern Ireland).

Referring to Israel's war in Gaza, Obama said that the violence has become a source of suffering for all, describing it as a destructive cycle that stems from historical grievances, stubborn attitudes and deep divisions.

Acknowledging the long history of persecution of Jews in Europe, he emphasized that Palestinians have also suffered injustice by losing their land.

"It's undeniable. It's also undeniable that they (the Israelis) took the land from the people and did too much. And those people rightly said, 'This is injustice and I want my land back,'" he said.

Obama argued that the stronger side bears a greater responsibility to help break the cycle of violence and should not rely solely on its military and technological superiority.

He said: "If Israel's attitude is that 'now that we are the strongest and most technologically advanced power in the region, our security depends solely on doing whatever it takes, taking whatever we want and giving no concessions to anyone'...this approach might work in the short term...but if you take that position, you have lost your moral standing."

He stated that it seems that the current Israeli government has adopted the same approach, and asked this government to accept that millions of Palestinians will still be present in this region.

Obama said: "The current administration of Israel seems to have adopted this approach. It is incumbent upon them to understand that 7 million Palestinians are not going anywhere. Imposing conditions on them that no one is willing to accept for themselves is not a sustainable situation."

In addition to advising Palestinians to assert their rights through non-violent means, the former US president also gave advice to Israeli citizens, including asking them to rethink the way their children and grandchildren live in this area.

“Are you going to just stay behind the walls and take out everyone around you, or are you going to look for a fair way to defend yourself that is ethical and humane at the same time?” he asked.

He also advised the Palestinians that for their rights, they need a strategy that does not rely on overcoming Israel's military power.

In this regard, he said: The Palestinians must accept that they cannot surpass the Israelis in terms of killing or military equipment. Therefore, they should pursue change through moral demands and non-violent solutions.

Obama's statements were made while in September 2016, just a few months before the end of his presidential term, his administration signed a 10-year military agreement worth $38 billion with Israel, covering fiscal years 2019 to 2028.

The Obama-era White House described the deal as the largest single military aid commitment in US history up to that point.

Obama received an honorary doctorate from Queen's University Belfast on Tuesday.