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Mideast Peace Talks Yield Only a Handshake

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Posted on Sep 22, 2009
Obama and Middle Eastern leaders
AP / Charles Dharapak

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas shake hands on Tuesday. President Barack Obama had first met separately with each.

So much for President Obama’s hopes to make progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict this week. After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Obama had little to show for his time with the two leaders beyond the symbolic level of a tentative handshake to open their discussion at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel.  —KA

The Guardian:

A final burst of White House activity over the preceding 24 hours failed to close the diplomatic gap between Abbas and Netanyahu. The Israeli prime minister rebuffed a US call for a total freeze on Jewish settlement on the West Bank. Abbas refused to resume negotiations without such a freeze.

Both blamed the other for the failure of the US peace initiative.

US frustration showed when Obama told reporters: “Permanent status negotiations must begin and begin soon. It is past time to talk about starting negotiations. It is time to move forward.”

The US negotiator, George Mitchell, who spent a fruitless week in the Middle East last week shuttling between the Israeli and Palestinian sides, is to return next week to the region for further talks.

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Robert's avatar

By Robert, September 23, 2009 at 9:23 am Link to this comment

A beautiful dedication to peace & the children of Palestine:

Rich Siegel “In Palestine” Part 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x2axqjhI6g

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By ardee, September 23, 2009 at 3:38 am Link to this comment

Folktruther, September 23 at 12:40 am

Mr. Gerard posits a truism, Folktruther once again demonstrates extremism and intolerance…I am sorry ,Mr. Gerard, he is a cross we all bear here.

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By Mathew, September 23, 2009 at 3:20 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

My friends, its called power.  Once the Arabs, Iranians, etc get some power, they will be able to negotiate!  Nuclear weapons anyone?

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By MAM, September 23, 2009 at 1:24 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

President Obama is nothing but a spineless wimp succumbing to Israeli pressure.
The only way to have peace in the Middle East is for the U.S. to stop giving Israel
billions of dollars to expand their Zionist doctrines and that includes expanding
settlements in occupied Palestine and killing innocent women and children who
stand up for their rights as human beings.  America, wake up and see the truth
that American policy is dictated by Israel and that is the reason why most of the
world hates American politicians.

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By Folktruther, September 22, 2009 at 9:40 pm Link to this comment

Jean Gerard, on Mars or whatever planet you are living on this might be true.  On earth the Israeli’s have been systematically stealing the land, homes and resources of the Palestinians in a decades long effort of ethnic cleansing.  It’s amazing anyone in Europe could have such a naive and unrealistic prspective.  But, I suppose, you were, after all, an American.

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By Jean Gerard, September 22, 2009 at 5:39 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I can’t believe these two peoples can’t find ways to make peace.  Hundreds of Arabs and Israelis have been working there together for decades, side by side, on local issues nobody ever hears about == educating their children together, taking initiatives together to try to understand differences and overcome injustices.  Tens of thousands of individuals on both sides want the warring to stop.  It seems the governmental agencies and political hotheads on both sides do not want peace to break out.  They actually prefer fighting. Military interests sell them arms.  Maybe these governmental agencies could be convinced to forego their fixation on violence if some skilled negotiators/conciliators from around the world could devote the necessary time and care to work with people on site, and help figure out mutually acceptable small goals for provisional agreement, then work with those to take the next steps. Gradually positive experiences might make a different scenario possible. Sixty years or more of fear and hatred is probably enough for anybody, let alone for people who are “cousins,” so to speak. But it appears they have both painted themselves into a corner and are now imprisoned by their recent history.

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By samd11, September 22, 2009 at 4:51 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Anyone who believes that Netanyahu wants any kind of peace with the Palestinians is deluded. I would hope President Obama is not deluded but he is definitely not willing to go against AIPAC. Thus, the occupied territories will continue to be diminished and the Palestinians will continue to be marginalized.

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By ardee, September 22, 2009 at 2:07 pm Link to this comment

The progress of peace in that region will depend completely upon how vigorously the US insists that Israel become a nation of peace instead of a violator of human rights and focused solely upon expansion.

With about an eight billion dollar a year lever Obama has the tool to pry Israel into submission. He only needs to use it.

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By Folktruther, September 22, 2009 at 1:12 pm Link to this comment

Obama is continuing the Bush duplicity for vigorously calling for peace talks while supporting Israel’s coninued ethnic cleansing and settlements.  Even the US-Israel puppet Abbas and the other US suported despots of Arab nations can’t go along with that. So more vacuous rhetoric to cover US-Israel ethnic cleansing for the American media.

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