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U.S. Officials: Obama Leans Against Last-Minute Action on Israel

(AP) Josh Lederman - President Barack Obama has nearly ruled out any major last-ditch effort to put pressure on Israel over stalled peace negotiations with the Palestinians, U.S. officials said. Frustrated by the lack of progress, Obama for more than a year had considered giving a major speech describing his vision for a future peace deal, or supporting a UN resolution laying out parameters for such a deal. Although the goal would be to impart fresh urgency to the moribund peace process, either step would have been perceived as constraining Israel's negotiating hand while strengthening the Palestinians' argument on the world stage. Discussions about those potential maneuvers, under way before the U.S. election, have fallen off since Donald Trump's surprise victory, officials said. Obama is now highly unlikely to approve either of those options presented to him by U.S. diplomats. For years, the U.S. has officially opposed any attempts by Palestinians to seek recognition for statehood or allow groups like the UN to impose solutions. "Our view hasn't changed that we believe that the preferred path for the Palestinians to achieve statehood is through direct negotiations that will lead to a just, lasting and comprehensive peace based on a two-state solution," State Department spokesman John Kirby said earlier this week.
2016-12-01 00:00:00
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