Obama "plunged into the Mideast conflict with a series of phone calls

Obama "plunged into the Mideast conflict with a series of phone calls from the Oval Office, and immediately caused a flap over who he called first." Palestinian officials boasted that Obama called Abbas first; Israel brushed it off. "Diplomatic sources said who a President phones first when he makes a flurry of calls is more often a matter of scheduling and availability, not favoritism."