Obama envoy Mitchell says had 'good meeting' with Israeli officials
Mitchell will return to Mideast next week for further talks, including another meeting with Netanyahu.
By News Agencies Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu Barack Obama Israel news PalestiniansU.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell, who is seeking to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, said he had a "good meeting" with two Israeli officials on Wednesday and would continue discussions next week.
Mitchell met in New York with Yitzhak Molcho, an aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mike Herzog, an aide to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, to follow up on his meeting in London last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bringing about a freeze on Israeli building of Jewish settlements.
"Senator Mitchell and the Israeli delegation reaffirmed their commitment to comprehensive peace, and concrete steps by all parties toward that goal. We look forward to continuing the discussion when Senator Mitchell returns to the region late next week," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said.
The Obama administration hopes to announce a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks this month during the United Nations General Assembly but the pieces have not yet fallen into place, partly because of the dispute over Israeli settlement building.
Palestinian officials say they will resume talks only if Israel stops all building within Jewish enclaves in the West Bank in keeping with a 2003 U.S.-backed peace plan that also called on the Palestinians to rein in attacks on Israelis.
Netanyahu has resisted a total settlement freeze, arguing existing West Bank enclaves need to accommodate growing settler families.
The United States is seeking to bridge the two positions and to persuade Arab states to take steps toward normalizing relations with the Jewish state.
Mitchell is working toward an agreement to resume talks in time for an announcement at the UN General Assembly in late September.
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As an American of Jewish ancestry, the only way I see the United States and Israel having a "good meeting" is if the United States agrees to let Israel run their own country however they see fit. Israel does not try to dictate policy to the United States, so what gives the United States the audacity to dictate policy to Israel? After all, aren't we supposed to ne ALLIES?
There should be no settlements on the west Bank as determined by international laws and decades of agreements and promises. There were none before '67. To introduce "natural growth" term into discussions only confuses and complicates what should be a straight forward action--Stop Settlements..start tearing them down. I don't believe that Jews should be sterilised. Families should not move to the West Bank because its dangerous and there gaurantee that settlments will last. Why risk raising a family in such turmoil. Move to an Israeli town where there is an exisiting infrastructure for raising families. It's an important step that Israel must take, to show the world that they can follow laws, rules and previous conmittments. There will be peace in 24 months or Americans will more strongly change their attitudes towards Israel.
No to 2 state solution based on '67 borders? Have you got any better solutions to solving world's most intractable problem, 'cos if you do you had better pipe up fast since the world has pretty much agreed consensus on the way forward. Maintaining the status quo is not a solution.
Stephen refers to the crazy concept (his words, not mine( of natural growth. I wonder why he considers having children, providing them with schools and s they grow up, homes of their own, etc. is crazy. We do it here in Florida, and elsewhere in the world. Unless he is suggesting that the Jews in Israel be sterilised so they cannot have children. Is that what you mean, Stephen?
Napoleon wanted peace, too.
Israel must finally face international sanctions for violation of international law until it obeys by liquidating ALL of its setllements beyond the 1967 armistice line. After that, peace talks can begin.
you need to refresh you memory about hitler. indeed, you need some magic potion that will cure you of your nonsensical posts.
The land Israelis inhabit is Israel?s land? historically, Biblically, internationally and legally. History demands that Israel wake up, stop its internal bickering and incessant dithering, recognize its extraordinary past and patently defend the land it rightly possesses. If Israel does not do so, one day soon there will be more than just a few Arab nations calling for a 'final solution' to the Middle East conflict. Decisions must be made today to defend against future. Indeed, a nation that lacks the will to safeguard its sovereignty will one day simply fail to exist. Israel cannot fail at this crucial juncture; may history guide and protect her footsteps in these perilous times. Alas, no one else is willing. More at : http://xrl.us/otzko
Just as all previous US Administrations have discovered --- wasting efforts on the "settlements" is a side-path that will never achieve anything. The Palestinians are thrilled to have the OBAMA White House distracted with this issue for months on end. It alleviates them of any responsibility to develop their so-called Unity Government with Hamas, something they just cannot achieve in any case. Settlement Freeze or no settlement freeze, the PA is fractured irreparably.
MB: "The game and spin can not go on forever. Soon there is an agreement or there is no agreement." Netanyahu made a monumental blunder when he invited Abbas to meet him on the sidelines of the upcoming UNGA meeting in New York. Abbas said "yes": http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1110230.html and then Obama also dealt himself in: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1111494.html That means that the Americans have now (for the 1st time) set a clock ticking, and Israel can't complain because BIBI IS THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED THAT DATE. A. Monumental. Blunder. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock....... Poor Bibi: he can't afford to let that clock strike zero, but he's the one who started that clock ticking. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.......
Based on other headlines and stories, it sounds like the Israeli government is taking lessons on negotiation from US Republican politicians. They lie like Arafat, saying one thing to Mitchell and another for domestic consumption. Senators Grassley and Enzi must be the models. "Israel Hints It Might Legalize Controversial Settlements" - Hardly a pledge of good faith.
Stephen, we are not talking about the Israel of 30 years ago. Nor are we discussing the Israel of 40 years ago. Not even the Israel of 43 years ago matters. The Israel of today considers 'peace' to be the ultimate four letter word. There is nothing more evil than peace. Peace means giving up Judea and Samaria. Peace is what Godless Commie Want. It is what Gutless Liberals want. To Israelis, Peace is the most evil and disgusting thing in the world. Peace is what Anti-Semites want. Anyone who wants Peace IS an anti-semite. Hitler wanted peace. . . Peace cannot be allowed to happen. And yet, Israelis refuse to tell us how peace can happen as long as Arab are not eliminated from Judea and Samaria. Which is EXACTLY why peace is evil and cannot be allowed to happen. Peace will require ridding Judea and Samaria of Arabs. But I cannot say that, or can I? OR Hitler would have if he were an Israeli today? Peace and Israel are not mutually possible. According to Netanyahu.
Either settlements are frozen, or the answer is no. That is all. Everyone knows the situation. And only an idiot cannot know that the answer of Israel is no. The US has only three possible answers. 1. eat shit and die. 2. admit that Israel will never stop expanding it's settlements until there are no Arabs left on the West Bank. 3. Terminate all US support for Israel immediately. The reply will be number 1. Eat Shit and Die. Barak has not the balls to take on Israel. Thus he should just butt out.
A good meeting for the USA is when you do what they say and obey! So now I suggest that the USA stops building its settlements and give all the territories back to the original Indians inhabitants to show the world that - for once - they mean what they say.
The game and spin can not go on forever. Soon there is an agreement or there is no agreement. If Obama truly think he can move Israel on the settlements without showing his teeth, than the only hope that is left is that he is an amazingly fast learner on the job.
Israel shows that they can follow international laws and previous promises, if they stop settlemnts for good, including the crazy concept of natural growth. Peace is now, within the next 24 monts.