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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/world/middleeast/14mitchell.html
America's Chief Middle East Envoy Resigns
(New York Times) Steven Lee Myers - Former Sen. George Mitchell, 77, is resigning as the chief U.S. envoy to the Israelis and Palestinians amid growing frustration over the impasse in peace talks, the White House announced Friday. President Obama appointed Mitchell on his second day in office in January 2009, but despite more than two years of shuttle diplomacy, the two sides appear further apart today than at any time in years. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appointed his deputy, David Hale, to take over as acting envoy. Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Zalman Shoval said Mitchell had "made a major effort to try to move peace between Israel and the Palestinians" and deserved gratitude. "But at the end of the day, his efforts were undermined by the Palestinians' refusal to engage in meaningful negotiations."