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Source: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC07.php?CID=548
Taking Stock of Israeli-Palestinian Mediation
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) David Makovsky - Abbas felt trapped by Obama's call for a complete settlement freeze in the spring of 2009. He had never insisted upon a settlement freeze being a precondition for talks during previous negotiations with Olmert. Nor had Arafat made this a precondition in negotiations with Rabin and Barak. Abbas has blamed the U.S. for instilling a settlement freeze as his own precondition. He could not appear to be less pro-Palestinian than President Obama. There were no rallies in Israel saying "Yes to Obama" once Netanyahu said he was already willing not to geographically expand the settlements. If the administration had instead assumed the position of non-expansion instead of a total freeze, this issue would have been defused.