(New York Times) Mark Landler - President Obama, after avoiding a hands-on role in Middle East peacemaking since the setbacks of his first term, plans to plunge back into the effort, his advisers said this week. When he welcomes Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House on Monday, Obama will press him to agree to a framework for Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations that is being drafted by Secretary of State Kerry. Later in March, Obama is likely to meet with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to make the same pitch. It is far from clear, however, that Obama can pull off what has so far eluded his secretary of state - not to mention several of his Oval Office predecessors. The two sides have not met face to face for weeks. That suggests, analysts say, that there has been scant progress in closing some of the core differences.
2014-02-27 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive