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Last update - 23:13 18/05/2009 Obama-Netanyahu summit / Obama must actively mediate between Israel, Palestinians By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Palestinians  As he was setting out for today's summit at the White House, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that although three Israeli prime ministers supported a two-state solution, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continued and, if anything, worsened. Netanyahu better not try this argument with U.S. President Barack Obama. Obama's conduct and the messages sent by his aides demonstrate that the lesson they drew from the failure of the process launched in 1993 is completely different from the lesson Netanyahu learned. Unlike Netanyahu, the U.S. administration does not put the entire blame on the Palestinians. At best (from Netanyahu's perspective), the administration blames both sides equally. Obama should conclude that it would be wrong to waste time seeking a new solution to the conflict. It's much better to look for new ways to implement the old one; that is, to find better means of cajoling and enforcing than those used by previous administrations. But today's conversation between the two men could produce a much worse outcome: an agreement to set up "task forces" to "prepare the ground to renew negotiations" based on a two-state solution. This would allow the next Israeli prime minister to say that this miserable formula has guided four Israeli prime ministers and three American presidents. If Obama strives to develop mechanisms like the road map, the Annapolis Declaration and task forces, he might go down in history as the American president who put the final nail in the coffin of the Oslo process. The 15 years of "peace process" have served as an alibi to build more than 100 new settlements and outposts, and to enlarge the settler population from 110,000 to nearly 300,000, excluding East Jerusalem. Advertisement Even if Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spend the rest of their days negotiating the final settlement, the lack of an active mediator presenting a detailed plan might make Obama's two-state solution turn out very much like George W. Bush's Palestinian-state vision. Without an American leader equipped with both carrots and sticks, the president's initiative will be forgotten, just like the Bush-instigated UN decision to establish a Palestinian state. Without all this, Iran will mock the peace plan sold to Obama by Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. To convince both Palestinians and Israelis that the rules of the game have changed, Obama must demand that Netanyahu carry out his part of an agreement he actually signed with Bill Clinton and Yasser Arafat: the Wye River Memorandum of October 1998. A reminder: At Wye River, Netanyahu promised to change the status of 1 percent of Area C (under Israeli civilian and military control) to Area A (complete Palestinian control), and 12 percent to Area B (Israeli military and Palestinian civilian control). He also committed to resume negotiations immediately on the territories' permanent status, and to avoid any changes to the territories' current status. Netanyahu will probably claim that his honoring of the agreement was what brought down his first government. But in a book, Netanyahu's cabinet secretary and negotiator Dani Naveh revealed that at the height of the Wye summit, an unpublished survey showed that 46 percent of Jewish Israelis supported Netanyahu, while 37 percent supported Barak (the overall Israeli population was split 41 to 37 in Netanyahu's favor). But despite this support, Netanyahu avoided implementing the agreement, missed a chance to set up a national unity government, bowed down to the radical right, lost the American president's trust and eventually lost the prime minister's chair as well. According to a recent Haaretz-Dialog poll, most of the population supports an agreement with the Palestinians on a two-state basis. Now, as then, Netanyahu's fate rests in the U.S. president's hands. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Israel-U.S. rift Obama and Netanyahu still must iron out gaps in Mideast policies, say U.S. officials. Gaza fighting resumes Following more than a week of quiet, IDF bombs south Gaza in response to Qassam strike.   1.   Final Nail in Oslo Process 02:12  |  A Nice Fellow 18/05/09   2.   The Question isn`t whether it will be like Bush`s Plan 09:22  |  Colin Wright 18/05/09   3.   "Akiva Eldar: Will Obama`s Two-State solution`s.. 09:31  |  Akram Zekaria 18/05/09   4.   To Akiva Eldar on a serious note : 10:33  |  Akram Zekaria 18/05/09   5.   eldar amd the misuse of a word !! what is peace eldar 10:37  |  v hardman 18/05/09   6.   I`ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today 10:42  |  Natallie Durson 18/05/09   7.   Blinkered view obstructs reality 10:59  |  Ben Tzur 18/05/09   8.   Oslo is dead & left nothing but a sad lesson !(2nd try) 12:05  |  Akram Zekaria 18/05/09   9.   ANYONE TALKING OF GIVING AWAY PIECES OF HOLYLAND WILL FALL))))))) 12:11  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 18/05/09   10.   iT LOOKS LIKE 12:18  |  The Teacher/Instruct 18/05/09   11.   Israel has a golden opportunity 12:22  |  Matty Groves 18/05/09   12.   A small price to pay 12:23  |  Matty Groves 18/05/09   13.   I look forward to the day when... 12:24  |  Matty Groves 18/05/09   14.   What, hold Bibi to something that he ALREADY signed! 12:37  |  Johnboy 18/05/09   15.   The Real Plan, Akiva! 13:54  |  Ignat 18/05/09   16.   to voice of moshiach #2 14:07  |  zeev 18/05/09   17.   there is one problem 14:49  |  danish 18/05/09   18.   batty groves and censure on legal activities ?? 15:05  |  v hardman 18/05/09   19.   One State Solution? 15:06  |  new_york_loner 18/05/09   20.   matty Groves 15:12  |  oz 18/05/09   21.   hogwash 15:53  |  Buddy 18/05/09   22.   Natallie #6 16:10  |  Stanley 18/05/09   23.   Peace is an obstacle to peace 17:19  |  Frank 18/05/09   24.   hardman 17:48  |  jennifer 18/05/09   25.   #19, hogwash 18:06  |  Mostafa 18/05/09   26.   News Flash...palestinians never wanted peace! 18:16  |  DR 18/05/09   27.   to v hardman #5 18:30  |  zeev 18/05/09   28.   jennifer--Hardman is Paul Harris from TA 18:34  |  Labhras 18/05/09   29.   zeev re: in case you missed it 18:54  |  American in NY 18/05/09   30.   Labhras 19:03  |  jennifer 18/05/09   31.   to DR #24 19:07  |  zeev 18/05/09   32.   to Frank #21 19:25  |  zeev 18/05/09   33.   To #32 Zeev 19:50  |  Frank 18/05/09   34.   Obama vs Bush 20:28  |  tad chase 18/05/09   35.   jennifer he used to post from belfast--but that was also fake 20:33  |  Labhras 18/05/09   36.   There ARE two states... 20:39  |  Walter 18/05/09   37.   Obama`s "Two State Solution" Will Be Identical to Bush`s 21:03  |  Dan Friedman 18/05/09   38.   2 STATES 21:14  |  RonH 18/05/09   39.   Natalie--no. 6 21:16  |  Steve 18/05/09   40.   one state for all the only easonable solution 21:21  |  shafiq 18/05/09   41.   the catholics in ulster failed utterly 21:57  |  dodgy priest 18/05/09   42.   johnboy on bibi and jewish chutzpah 22:02  |  harzion 18/05/09   43.   Akram,it is EU&arabs Eldar represents and is paid by 22:27  |  Absolute Sweden 18/05/09   44.   to Frank #33 22:52  |  zeev 18/05/09   45.   will Israel ever grow up? 22:59  |  Todd 18/05/09   46.   No one decides for Israel 23:10  |  daniel 18/05/09   47.   Obama just needs to use the word binational more 23:25  |  American 18/05/09   48.   Nonsense 23:34  |  Colin Wright 18/05/09   49.   If Hamas does not agree, there are options. 23:35  |  Stephen L 18/05/09   50.   Hutzpa 23:54  |  Jorge 18/05/09   51.   Matty Chamberlain #11-13 23:58  |  Yariv 18/05/09   52.   It`s Obama vs. Settlers, and Obama has a deadline 00:33  |  Ivar 19/05/09   53.   Nothing has changed since Palestinians signed and violated OSLO 00:49  |  Baruch Gold 19/05/09   54.   Head in the Sand 01:35  |  Meyer Bendavid 19/05/09   55.   Matty Groves - Didn`t hear `withdraw fully` from Obama 03:43  |  Reid 19/05/09   56.   Can someone explain to me..... 03:48  |  Johnboy 19/05/09   57.   Settlements don`t have to Stop Palestine 04:02  |  Reid 19/05/09   58.   obama bibi 08:24  |  benfeingold 19/05/09   59.   #42 You astound, Reid 08:28  |  Johnboy 19/05/09   60.   Dead end 19:14  |  Adam Berlin 19/05/09

Read & React Saudis pushing Obama for new Mideast plan Responses: 64 CIA chief: 'Big trouble' if Israel attacks Iran alone Responses: 33 Edinburgh film festival refuses Israeli grant due to pressure by director Ken Loach Responses: 4 Is the U.S. media tired of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Responses: 30 More Headlines 13:00 Iran: We successfully fired missile that can hit Israel 10:43 CIA chief: 'Big trouble' if Israel attacks Iran alone 11:58 Report: Russia won't sell Syria fighter jets due to Israeli pressure 09:02 Saudis pushing Obama for new Mideast plan 08:48 The distance between Gaza and the West Bank is growing 13:04 Edinburgh film festival refuses Israeli grant due to pressure by Ken Loach 00:06 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel 04:51 Is U.S. media tired of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? 12:27 UN: Gaza war crimes probe to go ahead without Israeli approval 08:49 U.S., Russian experts: Iran could have nukes in 1 to 3 years 09:18 Scientists unveil 'missing link' to human evolution Previous Editions Select Day 19 may 18 may 17 may 15 may 14 may 13 may 12 may 11 may 10 may 08 may 07 may 06 may

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