U.S. envoy: Obama won't stop until Mideast peace achieved

sometimes all it takes is the challenge to produce...and of all the things the nobel has pegged obama's potential on; mid-east peace and the palestinian state is one of the most attainable... despite all the pessimistic brouhaha and the naysayers among zionists and pro-israel voices. everyone knows that the settlements are the hold up for peace. they are the reason israel has sidestepped, skirted, and flat out refused the prospect of peace and of a palestinian state for decades. realistically, there IS no other obstacle as daunting as the settlements and the occupation that supports them. so instead of trying urge and coax abbas and netanyahu, especially with bibi balking all the way; obama needs to come to terms with the fact that in order to succeed with his goals in the middle-east, he's GOING to make political enemies(although in the long run, maybe not as many as he might think). there's just no way around it. then he needs to forget about negotiations until it's time for the final status treaty, and go after the settlements and the occupation in an all out blitz on every available front! he needs to end all u.s. money that's used to benefit or support them in any way, including u.s. aid and the so-called charities that raise money to fund them. he needs to attack them on the diplomatic front, in the media, in the united nations, and especially in the u.n. security council. much of what's needed is actually already in place(resolutions, demarcations, et al...even u.s. policy on the middle-east); the only thing that's been lacking has been an american president with the courage to set things in motion. and there'll be a whole lot of countries that will follow his lead. and once the occupation has been technically ended, but before the idf leaves; THEN the negotiations about retaining certain settlements in exchange for land, and settlers rights to remain by applying for citizenship, provisions, ifs, ands, buts, etc. and of course, it's BEEN a given that an international presence would be needed to maintain security until the new palestinian state has attained a stable infrastructure and security forces...with individual armed factions disarmed. it might take 10-20 years; but that's not likely. with their borders open to trade, outside investments unhindered, the ability to earn a living, go to school, and live their lives unfettered; most palestinians will be jealously protective of their new state. those who remain militant won't have much room to operate, and virtually nowhere to hide, when just about everyone is against them. see? there's one down; so what's next?

All that is required is Obama to tell Netanyahu that the USA will abstain from UNSC resolutions unless Israel immediately starts carrying out its Road Map obligations. Israel would announce a total freeze on settlement construction before Obama could even put the phone back in the cradle. Israel simply can not allow that UNSC veto to go walking, and it is entirely Obama's to wield i.e. neither Congress nor AIPAC would be able to stymie Obama if he uses that threat to beat Netanyahu into line. If Obama really wants to earn that Nobel Prize then sooner or later he has to put that threat on the table.

While I have little doubt Obama truly does want a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine he is going to have to come to realize that the current Israeli government has little interest in seriously pursuing this. Witness their continued violations of International law, binding UNSC resolutions, ICJ rulings at the Hague, etc. Netanyahu is not a partner in Peace, when is Obama going to understand this? Only when Obama grasps reality and develops a spine to challenge Netanyahu will we finally begin to see some progress. Sadly, I doubt Obama has this spine.

D: "As long the the staus que doesn`t cost Israel in lives and tresure, it has no incentive to want peace. " Precisely why the USA has to force a complete settlement freeze upon the Israelis. Freezing all construction creates an incentive for the Israelis to sign a peace deal with Abbas, because the only way to unfreeze the settlements is to sign that deal. Refusing to enforce a settlement freeze creates an incentive for the Israelis to avoid a peace deal, because the longer they delay the better the "facts on the ground" become for them. Pretty simple, really, and Obama and Mitchell understand this perfectly well. They simply aren't brave enough to do what has to be done.

The Israeli Declaration of Independence declares the establishment of a Jewish state in the land of Israel to be known as the "State of Israel." The UN accepted for membership the "State of Israel." Every country with whom Israel has relations does so in the name of the "State of Israel." The PLO recognized the "State of Israel" in 1993. The Arab League offered a peace proposal to the "State of Israel" in 2000. Now Israel has thought of a new name for itself, and the Palestinians must refer to that name to enter peace talks? That is no more than a dodge to continue the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. The world chuckles at it. Nothing was accepted about a state of Israel at the end of the 19th century nor under Balfour. A proposal does not represent acceptance. The first international legal recognition of Israel occurred on 14 May 1948 when Israel declared itself a state under UN resolution 181. The rest of your post, Mr. Eitan, is typical Israeli paranoia.

The American Pollyanna approach will hardly make a dent in Israeli and Palestinian positions. Peace could come tomorrow, in 2 years or never. There will be no free lunch for the Palestinians. Israeli withdrawals will come after an agreement not before.

"the nation-state of the Jewish people. "It formally received its expression in the form of the Balfour Declaration of 1917" Never mentioned a State. " The League of Nations then reiterated the Balfour Declaration in 1923." Never mentioned a state "In 1937 the Peel Commission used this understanding to propose the establishment of a Jewish state, 1937." Turned down by the Zionists "And finally, the UN incorporated this right and voted in 1947 to establish the "Jewish state" of Israel." They did not. They voted to present the opportunity for either party to declare Sovereignty if they wished. The Peoples Council decided to Declare a state.

Obama won't stop because of his pipe dream. The problem is his inexperience and naivete'. He needs time to grow if he were smart enough to know his limitations. His knowledge of the history and complexities of the region is zero. Mitchell is also a rookie when it comes to the region. Simplistic solutions can never solve complex problems. Mitchell and his handlers need to know one fundamental factor to the problem which was pointed out by Islamist-Jihadist scholar and former Professor of Quranic Interpretations at Al Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, Omar Abdel Rahman, that "There is no surah called 'Peace.' Jihad and killing are the head of Islam. If you take them out, you cut off the head of Islam." (p.24, "Islam and Terrorism" [2002] by Mark A. Gabriel, PhD)

If the British didn't violate their obligations re:the Mandate every step of the way, there wouldn't be the state of war that has existed since '48. The Brits would've assisted the Jewish return to all of the Jewish National Home (including Judea/Samaria—what Jordan called the W.Bank)as well as Gaza,all of Jerusalem, Trans-Jordan,& the Golan which the French and British illegally cut off from the Boundary Convention & Mandate. And if the British did not turn a blind eye to illegal Arab immigration. If the US honored its treaty which recognized Jewish rights to all the lands I just mentioned, there would've been peace, and the 1947 UN plan which violated the Mandate, would never have become a recommendation. justicenow4israel.com is taking legal action to rectify this.

Israel is playing with fire, but that's fine with us pals. You stole our land. You kill our people. You put us all in prisons. You humiliate us. Your turn will come. The world is moving to right this wrong. Obama will make peace happen.

obviously waiting for.

"It formally received its expression in the form of the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The League of Nations then reiterated the Balfour Declaration in 1923." This is clearly not true. Balfour referred to a 'Jewish homeland', not a state. Churchill in 1922 clarified this. The British proposed this - but not as some soprt of a 'right' of the Jews.

Israel will never do the right thing. A UN resolution must be made and UN must step in and take over Israel and create borders and the state of Palestine with peacekeeping forces in place. For the safety of the world this must be done.

or whatever comes first. Obama has shown his inexperience.

in lives and tresure, it has no incentive to want peace. They say it themsleves and the US need take them seriously and start get them incentives.

Fortunately the US Constitution limits the US President to only two terms in office

...the Arabs, Palestinian and otherwise, finally come to terms with reality and accept Israel's right to be, to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people. This right of course was accepted by the rest of the world as early as the end of the 19th century. It formally received its expression in the form of the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The League of Nations then reiterated the Balfour Declaration in 1923. In 1937 the Peel Commission used this understanding to propose the establishment of a Jewish state, 1937. And finally, the UN incorporated this right and voted in 1947 to establish the "Jewish state" of Israel. The only ones who, to this day have not accepted this right has been the coalition of Muslim and Arab states and would see to it that Israel is annihilated the moment they have the opportunity to do so, as they have attempted in 1948, 1967 and 1973. Presently the Muslim and Arab coalition to eliminate Israel is lead by Iran and consists of Syria, Hamas and Hizballa.

The real problem for peace are the arabs, some are convinced of the destruction of israel like nazralla and hammas and the so called moderates lake fatah are convinced they just must get money and steal it like the late arafat and now abbas, so barack hussein osama must convince his muslim brothers about making peace, by far the problem is not Israel.

Wake up Jews. The United States of America is beginning to recover its honor and image under this new American President. Americans, Europeans, Africans, and Latin America are even more supportive of him since he shit-canned American arrogance. "Walk softly and carry a big stick?" Ah yes, Titty Roosevelt. What a blowhard. Listen you zionists, President Obama will be re-elected. There will be peace in the ME. One way or another. Salaam/Shalom

I'm sorry for the American people who elected such an inexperienced clown, but prefer to see him limit his bungling to the many daunting problems he faces at home. He is way out of his element, meddling in the Middle East. A huge shit-eating grin and ability to read a teleprompter is not going to move Israelis and Arabs any closer.

How many ways must Netanyahu say no before Obama gets it?

Obama is using the rope-a-dope strategy Muhammad Ali used against Foreman. Just give Bibi five rounds of free punching, until he punches HIMSELF out with exhaustion.

Strangely enough when Mitchell is here. I looked all over Haaretz to read about it.??..??

You just don't get it. The Nobel Prize goes to whoever blabs the most about peace, not to whoever actually brings peace. Churchill brought peace by leading the West's fight against the Nazis and he never got a prize. Arafat talked up peace and did get a prize. The Nobel Prize has nothing to do with bringing peace. It's given to whoever makes the most theatrics about peace. Take a look in the terms of the prize, you'll see it's only given to people who make a lot of noise...

With Hamas, who is committed to Israel's destruction based on unbending Jihadist dogma? Or with Fatah, who aspires to same results in stages, and would be overrun by Hamas soon after Israeli military vacates the West Bank anyway? 2-State Plan doesn't make sense only if you think its aim is Peace. It makes a lot of sense if you realize its aim is to destroy Israel! In fact, by reducing the Jewish state to militarily indefensible borders, it is a necessary next step for the Arabs in order to advance from Phase II to Phase III in their 1974 Phased Plan for dismantling of Israel. http://www.acpr.org.il/resources/plophased.html If Arabs really wanted Peace, they would not invent a separate Palestinian identity, while Jordan already covers nearly 80% of Mandatory Palestine and most Gaza Arabs are indistinguishable from Egypt's Sinai Bedouin. They would instead pursue the only logical coexistential path: A 3-state solution composed of Israel, Egypt, Jordan!

So Obama plans to be in power for a 1000 years plus does he ?

..to see that happen, besides no way US citizens will give him a second mandate..they are somewhat naive perhaps but not crazy!

regime change from USA.....the diplomatic slowdown is only that in slow motion..we took down saddam and we can much more easily take down bibi and w/o an occupation