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Israelis and Palestinians Are Ready to Begin Talking - Sort Of

(Washington Post) Editorial - Indirect talks between Israelis and Palestinians appear finally set to begin, after a two-month delay that showed the Obama administration's diplomacy at its worst. The trouble started with an errant announcement by Israel of new housing construction in East Jerusalem; President Obama chose to escalate what could have been a blip into a public quarrel, in the apparent hope of extracting a series of concessions from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The tactic failed. Israel has made it clear that substantive progress cannot take place until the two sides begin talking to each other directly. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas seemingly wants to postpone that day as long as possible. He has insisted on indirect talks even though he has participated in direct negotiations with Israeli leaders for two decades; in 2008, he refused to take up a far-reaching peace offer from former prime minister Ehud Olmert. The Palestinian leader now appears to be counting on the Obama administration to do his negotiating. The Obama administration should recognize that blunt pressure on Israel won't produce a Middle East deal.
2010-05-05 08:46:47
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