Obama to Netanyahu, Abbas: Don't let the chance for peace slip away

I'd like to be optimistic, but I do not see any prospects for success. Mr. Abbas will come back empty handed, with nothing tangible to show his people. What a tragedy for the Palestinians to have one of their own continually betraying their causse?

Viva USA for its relentless efforts to achieve peace despite immense amount of difficulty. Here is the deal that I mentioned before: 1)Jerusalem : The Clinton plan with minor modifications. 2) Final borders June 67 with some agreed upon modifications. 3)Settlements: large blocks annex to Israel. replace lands annexed with equal value lands that Israel held before 67. All other settlements will be dismantled. Settlers to be compensated. 4) Palestinian refugees: Right of return to Gaza and the West Bank with compensations. 5) Security: Joint security forces in the West bank, borders and points of entry 6) US, Israel, oil - rich Arab States, UN, EU, Australia and Japan to sponsor compensations moving and resettling expenses for Palestinian refugees and and for evacuating Jewish.settlers. 7) All Arab Countries sign peace agreement and establish normal diplomatic relations with Both Israel and the new Palestinian State.

Netnayahu ran for elections on a policy of "no Palestinian state" (only autonomy), and he was not ready to expose himself as a fraud right after the elections and announce that he actually accepts a Palestinian state. That took him 4 months to do (in a speech in June 2009). As of now, Netanyahu refrained from taking a vote in the government about this change in policy, nor in Likud. Will Netanyahu dare to go all the way for peace and then have to "face the music" of the hardliners? I hope so, but one wouldn't know until the very end. Barak is braver, and also needs peace more because otherwise his party will pull out of the coalition and he will lose his job. But even Barak got cold feet in Shepherdstown when he was to complete the negotiations of peace with Syria. Let us hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

When one looks back, it is clearly seen that the greater the "friendship" of a US President to Israel (meaning that he applies less pressure on Israel to pursue peace), the less is accomplished. Our greatest "friends" were Clinton and G. Dubya Bush. Clinton did everything Barak asked him to do, including in Camp David. The result: no peace, only Intifada II. Dubya Bush came up with the Roadmap, a plan but no pressure on Israel. Nothing useful resulted. Looking back at the "bad" presidents, Nixon helped Israel with military equipment in Yom Kippur, but then prevented Israel from vanquishing the Egyptian Third Army. He preserved Egypt's honor, and peace became possible. Carter was even insulting in his pressure on Begin. But he ended up god-fathering the Peace Agreement with Sadat. Papa Bush was publicly pushing Shamir, even causing his regime to fall, This resulted in the Madrid Conference which led to Oslo. Obama seems to be made of different stuff. He aspires to do what is "right", more than what political considerations dictate, as he did with healthcare. If the Likud brings upon us an imposed international solution, so be it. The cure will be better than the continuation of the present diseased situation.

As with the previous Hamas suicide and rocket campaigns against peace,the only answer is destroying the Hamas leadership and infrastructure in Gaza which orders and directs these attacks. This is war, and it can not be handled as a "police matter", with "following leads", investigations and prosecutions. Since Hamas rejects any peace with Israel, massive moves against it can not be claimed by Abbas or Obama as "harming talks" - unless the two of them had this trap for Israel in mind all along. These moves should include strikes against Gaza leaders, Hamas imams and mosque bases, cutting off allpower and fuel, and returning the pre-"flotillaa" blockade. Total war. Obama must give Israel carte blanche, or no talks - Israel is not going to let its people be slaughtered as a "price of peace". Plus the talks are w waste of time since Hamas is showing that they and the 50% of "palestinians" they represent, who voted them into Gaza - want to continue fighting, noo peace. Silence while IDF blasts Gaza targets are a proper test of Obama and Abbas intentions - recall that Abbas broke of 2008 talks to show solidarity with Hamas rocket war on Israel, he has to make a choice, either he's with the terrorists or he's against them. Civilian casualties in gaza on the scale of those in Afgan (thousands) must be an acceptable price for defeating Hamas - Israel has this same right as Obama does to destroy Al Qaidah anbd the Taliban - or let him expose himself as a liar and bigot.

This conflict is artificially fed by settlers and their greed for stolen land. End the occupation and the illegal settlements and peace will become a reality. It will also help American and European Jews come closer to Israel, once they no longer have toi be ashamed of its colonization policy.

Everyone in Israel has probably had about enough of Bibi and Barak. Barak needs to be arrested. He is as much a criminal in this as anyone, including Palestinian Terrorists !

the USA is in deep financial dudu trouble. I heard on the news today America may go broke during Obama adm who just cant stop spending and spending. Obama pulled out of Iraq now let see how long it would take for the Iranian ayatollahs take charge and create havoc with al quida should be interesiting to watch the void it will fill. now the only issue that Obama left never mind Afhganistan he doesnt talk about it much and bin laden is forgotten totally, hmmm so he needs a win Push the Jews and the Palestinians and push hard he needs a WIN WIN WIN Dems are losing Congress or didnt you hear??? so the Win Obama wants is press and squeeze the Jewish state. I do hope Israelis and our leaders are aware of it I know Im here on a lib lefty loonytune web but maybe the loonies here do possess some iota of decency

if the US president wishes to leave his mark on the process in a meaningful way he must first and foremost insist that the Muslim-Arab leadership accept Israel's legitimacy as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Once he does so, 97.2% of the conflict will be resolved. The rest will then be a piece of cake to handle. Yet, does Obama has the knowledge, understanding, experience and resolve to bring this about...??

Young, open to learning-on-the-job from both sides of the divide (the priveledged and the under-priviledged), clear intentioned,... and one might even hazard saying: pure of heart...

Then preach us the goodie-goodies of eternal peace.

Too bad Americans have NEVER lived in horror, otherwise you would realize the impact of Obama's so called call to good will. You think 9/11 was terror? No, the only people affected where those who lost their family, the remainder of the country, less the republicans, live in a world where bulldozers and construction workers solve their problems by moving the evidence of 9/11 to a landfill in Staten Island and return things as business as usual. Try living in a world where rockets land in your town on a DAILY basis for the last 8 years and constantly wonder which day will be your families home. America has become weak and now threatens all of Israel by it's foolish acts of giving in to TERRORISTS that most of the first world cannot not even fathom in their minds. Obama has opened the floodgates for an elimination of Israel and is a fool. The rest of you ... sheep to the wolf. George Bush kept Israel safe, now it's only up to god. Obama DOES NOT speak on behalf of Israel and has NO RIGHT TO DO SO.

you do what we want, or no Peas

This Summit is a waste of time and money and only for Abama to look good for his November elections. The last two days of carnage in Israel has shown this fact.

after years of occupation with no reparations, no apologies and no attempt to correct any of the damage you caused. what did you expect, a hearty handshake and a kiss good-bye? look at how many billions of dollars the US has poured into iraq trying to fix all the damage caused by the war and the cause of the war, Saddam.

I watched. One could say that it was three against one - Abbas, Mubarak, and King Abdullah - all Muslims against the one Jew. Abdullah's speech was perhaps the most reasonable and compelling. The translator had understandable problems with instant translation for both Mubarak and Abbas and a reference by Abbas to 1948 was garbled, so I am not sure whether it was troublesome. In general, Abbas set out a number of pre-conditions that may mess up the whole thing. I hope not. His speech was the most confrontational.

He will indeed ensure these issues shall be addressed, with the final status being that most conducive to enhanced Middle East stability.

SOLUTION: both the Israelis and the Palestinians submit drawn border suggestions.....this will establish 3 territories: Israel, Palestine, and "overlap". In the "overlap" area (administered by international consortium), all are welcome to live in peace.....and the right of return is established into this area. Attacks upon Israel or Palestine shall result in the award of the "overlap" to the attacked nation....including the deportation of the attackers' sympathizers.

"there will be no divided jerusalem. no stop to the settlements. no water rights. no free walkin in the WB. we will siege it as gaza. no access to gaza from WB. now come and sign the peace-treaty how i prepared it. shalom." B.N.