Obama Searches For Middle East Peace

The Washington Post:

President Obama came into office in 2009 pledging to push hard for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. The Post's Scott Wilson explains that Obama wanted to restore America's reputation as a credible mediator in the long conflict, and in doing so, the president believed he needed to regain Arab trust and talk tough to Israel.

Read the whole story: The Washington Post

Comments

[reinenVernunft]

06:14 PM on 07/16/2012

Israel does not want or need true peace, since it thrives on its own bellicosity and wolf crying about being under threat from its neighbors. A perpetual state of war or near war is extremely lucrative for Israel, especially considering that Congress, while unable or unwilling to act with unanimity when it is America's interests in question, yet, via bribery, blackmail and cajolery, will so act when Israel's perceived interests are at stake. The Israeli settlement that is the biggest obstacle to peace is the one stretching from Capitol Hill to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[Anybodyseenthepopos]

10:19 AM on 07/17/2012

Sure, we can tell by all the protests in Tel Aviv just how much Israel is enjoying this "lucrative" "perpetual state of war".
There were NO settlements prior to 67`. And there was NO peace. So despite your whining and accusations you still have yet to make a point.

[Red Five Standing By]

04:56 PM on 07/16/2012

Too bad all Obama found was another $5 trillion in debt.

[arachne646]

03:38 PM on 07/16/2012

The US has been nothing but an obstacle in the way of peace in Israel/Palestine from the beginning. Its military, cash, and guaranteed loan aid gives Israel an open door to continue to stonewall on the question of whether to give the Palestinians any crumbs or not. The Israeli government has no possible motive, in their militarist view of the world, to look for peace, when they can so easily take over the arable land in the West Bank while negotiations go on, and on, and on...By demanding everything from the Palestinians, and not even giving the land occupied since 1967, let alone even discussing the right of return of refugees, Israel can continue to chip away, it thinks, at the problem, and it will disappear.

To be a real friend to Israel is to give it some tough love. We all need to sit in a circle and have an intervention. "You're not a bad country, or bad people, but you've done some very bad things...these obsessions with military might and square feet of land, and fences and walls are going to be the death of you--you're an addict, and you need to change, or you're going to alienate everyone who cares about you, and die alone." It may happen sooner or later, but we have to act now, for everyone's sake.

http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/52

[Cory Gudwin]

04:22 PM on 07/16/2012

Palestinians have made zero moves proposing peace for many years.
It is time to put expectations on the Palestinians to propose something.
I believe that Palestinians are unwilling to offer a peace and boundary settlement.
Their excuses change over time, but unwillingness does not.

[tallndumb]

06:17 PM on 07/16/2012

The Palestinians should really put a few settlements in Israel just for security and because Israel refused their offer when they offered a 10 year cease fire with a return to 1967 lines. They should keep building more settlements until Israel accepts that deal.

[Robert SF]

04:52 PM on 07/16/2012

What very bad things? Israel was like the black family moving into the white suburb and then everyone was running around with petitions to sign demanding the family leave.

The Arabs launched a war of genocidal aggression against Israel upon its declaration of statehood. There is no doubt whatsoever that, had the Arabs prevailed militarily, a Rwanda-style frenzy of blood would have ensued. The Arabs would have finished what Hitler started.

But the Arabs lost, and not really with US help. The Arabs need to acknowledge their loss, surrender, and ask for terms. They are in no position to call the shots.

[tallndumb]

05:53 PM on 07/16/2012

Was it really a war of genocidal aggression or was it actually a war of "stop stealing land"? One must be careful not to embellish too graphically.

[martin2]

09:14 PM on 07/16/2012

Robert find out was done to the Palestinian people by the European terrorists BEFOR 1948 and the declaration of statehood.

[Trollstein]

02:19 PM on 07/16/2012

I for one do not think that so called "settlements" are central to the issue. They are merely the first topic on a LONG list of demands by the Arabs. Also on the same list is the acceptance by Israel of about 5-million so called "refugees", all but about 20,000 of which were born in the countries where they now reside but have no citizenship therein (and usually inferior human rights, inferior even to the limited human rights that the citizens have). Moreover, the PA has repeatedly asserted its own REFUSAL to accept any such (Palestinian-Arab) people into the envisaged Palestinian state.
Therefore, I propose that Israel agree to the so called "settlement" freeze when the "host" nations agree to grant citizenship to these populations, (some now 3th generation natural born).
Until then, Israel is being manipulated and given the 'carrot-on-stick" treatment. The fact that people such as Mr. Mitchell and Mr. Obama like carrots not withstanding.

[Trollstein]

01:46 PM on 07/16/2012

"perceived favoritism toward Israel"
Here's the problem. If one believes 20% of the narrative propagated by the adversaries of the Jewish Nation, it becomes easier to (reasonably) conclude that the USA is biased towards Israel. The problem is that their narrative is not even 20% precisely accurate. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I heard negative allegations against Israel, which were 100% un-exaggerated, un-embellished, or un-fabricated. Even, when (rarely) the Israel-bashers have the 'DNA sequence' of a valid argument, they can't control their compulsion to splice in major inaccuracies. Guys like myself look at this practice and say: There can't conceivably be real peace in the total absence (vacuum) of 'truth-peace'.

[tallndumb]

01:51 PM on 07/16/2012

Nice work at showcasing some of these " lies" and "inaccuracies" and contrasting them to the truth and tangible facts.

[Trollstein]

02:26 PM on 07/16/2012

That's all I do here. I have been doing it for several years. Before that, I did the same on Mother Jones, JVP, Air America online and other opinion boards. Which subject would you like a lecture on today?
Not sure? OK, how about the fact that the Al Aqsa mosque was a Byzantine church until years AFTER the death of the Islamic prophet Mohammed. Therefore, claims that it is mentioned in the Qur'an are chronologically IMPOSSIBLE. It is old, one of the oldest mosques in the world but even a few years discrepancy is insufficient to displace the historical timeline.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/books/travel/593773/593773-c-047-800.html
Any other requests?

[NTT]

11:29 AM on 07/16/2012

In his ill-conceived attempts in the Middle East, Barack Obama has exhibited perhaps good will, but also tremendous lack of experience & naivety. And, in the Middle East, nobody can afford to be naive -- such traits cost lives.

But the Arab-Israeli front is not the only one in which Obama has manifested weakness & lack of leadership: the same can be said about his activity (or lack thereof) vis-a-vis the series of revolts in the Arab world, the Iranian nuclear issue, the Eurozone fiscal issues, etc. etc. etc. This president is a good academic and may also be a good man; but he is a very weak president. He really should let somebody else try.

[Scheherazade Brown]

02:36 PM on 07/16/2012

like who? mitt is not even in this equation.

[pomegrante]

09:41 AM on 07/18/2012

Yes! Dr. Paul is going to upset the cart in Tampa!

[Djay0252]

09:59 AM on 07/16/2012

Remove ALL aid from Israel....then see how they squirm

[Rosin the Bow]

10:05 AM on 07/16/2012

Attacking Israel won't bring peace, the Palestinians don't want peace and never have.

[fuster]

10:45 AM on 07/16/2012

the Palestinians are ready for peace, Hamas isn't.

[notmisaacm]

09:31 AM on 07/16/2012

Obama wasted his first two years trying to work with the Arabs much as wasted his first 2 years trying to work with the Republicans. He thought that by making unilateral demands of the Israelis, he would show the Arabs how "evenhanded" he was and that the Arabs would, in return, also offer up a compromise to the Israelis. Obama offered a "Win-win" strategy. Unfortunately, the Arabs, having seen Obama push the Israelis saw this as an opening to ask for even more. They don't want a win-win strategy, they are much more focused on Israel losing than anything else.

After saying such nice things to the Arab world and pressing Israel the Arabs responded by; offering him nothing. Abbas responded to the 10 month freeze Obama extracted from Netanyahu by doing nothing until month 9, and then defying Obama in the UN. Nice way to say 'thanks' to Obama. The Republicans only want Obama to lose. The Arabs only want the Israelis to lose. Win-win scenarios are not in their lexicon. Obama learned a tough lesson on both fronts.

[JerryLevy]

09:18 AM on 07/16/2012

"The Post’s Scott Wilson explains that Obama wanted to restore America’s reputation as a credible mediator in the long conflict, and in doing so, the president believed he needed to regain Arab trust and talk tough to Israel."

This was the whole problem, the United Stestes had been an absolute objective mediator during the Oslo accord negotiations and the Arab world and the Palestinians used the opportunity not to achieve peace between the parties but to up the violence and war against the Israelis. They made it clear that no matter what the concessions were, they would not stop fighting until Israel was defeated. Clinton and Albright made every possible concession to Arafat, they got war in return and Obama refused to see this. Obama's view: push Israel for more concessions.

[Marcus047]

09:04 AM on 07/16/2012

"Obama Searches For Middle East Peace"

Maybe it's under that militant.

[v eyepete]

08:34 AM on 07/16/2012

Obama failed because he, like so many American politicians and elected officials, owe their soul to AIPAC , which owes it's soul to Israel, who does not want peace. They want region-wide domination. There are enough duel citizen Israelis in our current government to help facilitate that aim. Think about it. We fought Iraq because they were a threat to Israel. They certainly never harmed us in any way. Money that should be going to help Americans have a better life goes to Israel. It has to stop.

[Json]

09:02 AM on 07/16/2012

There is barely a single word in your entire post that is accurate.

[JerryLevy]

09:22 AM on 07/16/2012

I always get such a kick out of the bigots pushing the "Jews own our politicians" canard. AIPAC, which publicly pushes for a two state solution has about $1M in their annual budget-----the agricultural lobbies have a half billion alone, not to mention the oil lobbies....but somehow for these irrational hate filled bigots, AIPAC is controlling our politicians. Jews vote overwelmingly Democratic/Liberal regardless of the Israeli/Palestinian, and account for less than 3% of the vote, so where is this sinister power AIPAC leverages over politicians?

[tallndumb]

06:11 PM on 07/16/2012

AIPAC budget is more like $15 million.

[Iain Banks]

07:57 AM on 07/16/2012

Since when was America an independent arbiter? If were being honest about maintaining some level of objectivity, then we fund the Palestinian military with the same weapons we do the Israelis. OR, we fund neither. Then we can judge if American presidents pass or fail.

[Marcus047]

09:09 AM on 07/16/2012

being objective does not mean that both sides are equal and it doesn't mean that you arm both sides. In the debate over global climate change are the 1% of scientists who deny it's happening equal to the 99% of scientists who say it is happening? Are those people who insist the world is flat equal to those who claim that it's round? Perspective matters.

And just so you know, because you clearly don't, the US does fund the palestinian government and military. The Us provides approximately $1 billion dollars in aid to the palestinians every year - 80% of that is military and governmental aid, less than 20% goes to help palestinian civilians.

[fuster]

10:50 AM on 07/16/2012

Banks baby, the US feeds the people of Gaza and has for many long years..... and Marcus is mostly correct about the other stuff...except that we don't fund "the Palestinian military" we fund their police and intelligence groups.

[thegreenhornet]

07:37 AM on 07/16/2012

The problems of thte Middle East can only be solved by the Middle East. Outside forces simply delay that process. To think one can step in and mediate a 2000 year old dispute is naive and not unlike Obama's effort to bring civility to congress. As long as the affected parrties in the Middle East can use their ongoing dispute to leverage favors from the world around them there is no reason to settle the dispute. It will only be resolved when they are left to face each other without the pushing and pullinbg of other nations that they will have the need to resolve the confflict.

[Patriot86]

07:20 AM on 07/16/2012

Bush failed in the middle east when he invaded Afghanistan and Iraq...there is no going back.

[JerryLevy]

09:24 AM on 07/16/2012

Bush liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban and Al Queda, the people who launched the murderous 9/11 genocide on our country.

[Patriot86]

10:01 AM on 07/16/2012

Yeah right...Afghanistan is a mess and will never improve...the Taliban will be back..hopefully Pres. Obama will put the fear into them with a few more drone attacks..he has more guts in his pinky than Bush ever did.

[Dainsker]

10:07 AM on 07/16/2012

Do you really expect us to believe that? We know for a FACT that Iraq had NOTHING to do w/ 911 & we aren't getting their oil, so please enlighten us as to why we are there? Iraq WAS a threat to Israel not the US.

[ggmome]

06:48 AM on 07/16/2012

There was no way of knowing just how viscious and divided our Legislative Body is!