Obama's Mideast Peace Push May Backfire

Analysis: Attempt to Relaunch Negotiations May Cement Israeli Intransigence, Exacerbate Palestinian Weakness

(CBS/AP)  Rather than getting Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiations, President Obama's high-stakes attempt to relaunch Mideast peace talks runs the risk of cementing Israeli intransigence and exacerbating Palestinian weakness.

A day after Obama hosted the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in New York, Israeli officials boasted that they had fended off U.S. pressure to halt settlement construction. Moderate Palestinians said they felt undermined by Obama's failure to back up his demand for a freeze - something Hamas militants were quick to exploit.

It has become clear in recent weeks that Obama has backed down on settlements after raising Palestinian hopes by saying in unusually blunt terms that all building must stop on lands the Palestinians claim for a future state.

CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds points out in his analysis for World Watch that Obama may lack an understanding of the importance settlement expansion to the Israelis.

"Settlement construction is the key weapon in the Israeli arsenal," says Reynolds who argues that Obama's decision to push for talks without an agreed settlement freeze by the Israelis could allow the Jewish state to use tried and trusted stall tactics to postpone any viable two-state solution.

Backing down on expansion could seriously damage Obama's credibility, especially in the Arab world. But it might also be a pragmatic realization that a protracted dispute with Israel over a single issue threatened to distract attention from his wider goal of getting the sides together to start drafting a final peace deal.

Obama may have had Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' predicament in mind when he outlined a tight timetable for upcoming diplomacy and chose particularly stern words to prod the sides to get serious. At one point in the three-way meeting on Tuesday, U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell said Obama told the two leaders: "The only reason to hold public office is to get things done."

In a speech before the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, Obama renewed his call for an end to Israeli settlement activity, while also urging Palestinians to halt violence. But he also called for relaunching Mideast peace talks without preconditions, words that hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed on Thursday.

However, the perception that Obama has backed off on settlements was bolstered by the fact that Israel paid no price for bucking the U.S. demand - insisting on the construction of some 3,000 housing units in the West Bank - and his decision to largely sidestep the issue at Tuesday's summit.

Despite the disappointments surrounding the summit, the reluctant handshake between Netanyahu and the weary Abbas, their first since Netanyahu took office in March, is not irrelevant. It could herald the beginning of renewed engagement.

None of that, however, could erase the impression on the ground that Obama has failed to achieve two of his most important goals announced early in his presidency: a halt to construction in Israeli settlements, as well as reciprocal Arab gestures, such as opening up trade offices, meant to begin normalizing relations with the Jewish state.

Avigdor Lieberman (at left), Israel's polarizing foreign minister who has faced allegations of racism, essentially declared victory for Israel's stance on settlement building.

"This government has shown that you don't always need to get flustered, to surrender and give in," Lieberman said Wednesday. "What's important for me is that this government kept its promises to the voter ... and the fact is that this meeting (the New York summit) happened."

The Israeli right might be celebrating a hollow victory, however, since their country's true interests were likely served by Obama's demand. Palestinian statehood may be the only way for Israel to survive as both a Jewish and democratic state - given that Muslims will soon outnumber Jews in the lands comprising historic Palestine. Any peace deal would require Israel to dismantle most, if not all, of its settlements.

The lack of muscle behind Obama's settlement demand has helped create the impression that Abbas, who had been emboldened enough by the tough U.S. stance to set a settlement freeze as a condition for renewed talks, has now been left to dangle.

Abbas' aides tried to spin the New York meeting positively. But one Palestinian government official, Ghassan Khatib, was more candid.

"I'll be frank. There was some disappointment here in the Palestinian territories among officials and the public that might not appear on the surface, in the official reactions, probably for diplomatic reasons," he said.

"The disappointment results from the fact that the (U.S.) administration ... insisted on the meeting in spite of not making enough progress on the settlement freeze," Khatib said. "As long as any peace process is not good enough to stop the expansion of settlements, it will not be perceived as a constructive and meaningful process."

In the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-controlled territory that together with the West Bank is supposed to make up a future Palestinian state, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said his movement "condemns Mahmoud Abbas' participation in this meeting which has damaged Palestinian interests."

"The American administration's failure to force the occupation to stop settlement and other violations of Palestinian rights confirms its complete bias in favor of the occupation and the danger for the Arabs of counting on the American position towards the Arab-Israeli conflict," he added.

Hamas' two-year-old stranglehold on Gaza has emerged as one of the leading obstacles to Palestinian statehood - and may even help explain Washington's decision not to press too hard on settlements, since the Gaza wildcard might preclude a peace deal anyway.

[mew1183]

"The only reason to hold public office is to get things done."

REALLY!

LOL!

[AlwaysWonders]

I mean come on people...WHAT other President has gone to another country and BOWED down ? A handshake HAS ALWAYS sufficed and shown welcome and respect !! WHAT other president has EVER made an appology FOR the United States !! We are a PROUD Country, have always been, even during the depression ! And this "MAN" Appologizes for our Country ? He is making us look weak and foolish !!
Do you all remember Dr. Kavorkian? What he was charged with...and NOW Obama is legalizing that same thing but going one step more ! Human Euthanasia !!
I hope you all own the Koran, and learn how to pray to Allah, because the NEXT thing that HE will pass is that the Muslim religion is to be the main religion for the USA !

[AlwaysWonders]

Of course it will backfire .... ALL of HIS brainstorms are backfiring !! Rather then MORE jobs as was promised... we continue to recede !
Now all of this crap, with the age limits of people who will be able to get the new H1N1 virus shots....NO ONE over the age of 26 !
IMO,He just wants to kill us all off... well anyone who is older, keep the younger oneshe can brainwash ! Another HITLER !
Even though I am a Democrat, I certainly didn't vote for him ! I could see through his "smooth talk". We were already in distress, and he is only going to continue to bury us ! He has passed SO many things, we are even MORE far in debt then we have ever been before !
I for one would certainly cast a vote to have him impeached, before our situations end up any more dire then they already are !
Maybe you should all go to youtube.com and look up Pastor Manning and see what he has to say ! The man tells it like it is, and speaks the TRUTH !
We are in trouble people,in big trouble ! Mr. Obama, doesn't care what he says or how he says it, and he is going to cause even more problems with just his words ! Anyone see the news reels, that showed Bin Laden stating Obama has NO POWER...they think we are now a joke...is it any wonder why they are finding so terrorists hiding in our country ? They think now is the time to strike again, because we are powerless...WHY then shold we continue to risk our service men and women's lives any longer ?

[AttendingtheWorld]

I started posting a comment about the CBS Israeli flash presentation! Funny that there's no mention of Ben Gurion's comments, Begin's or Sharon's... their racist views and violent agenda to ethnic cleanse Palestine. Funny how the presentation is presented as if the Palestinian Arabs were insane to accept the fact that some Europeans were allowed to steal their lands and massacre them. And then CBS calls it War of Independence? The arrival of Ashkenazis and Sephardic Jews was not an Independence! The original minority of Jews who lived in Palestine were as occupied by the British as were the Palestinian Christians or Muslims. So what did Zionism become independent of? Germany? Then go fight your wars there!

ATW

[AttendingtheWorld]

I find it repulsive that some here come across sounding like a Nazi's! Neocons and Zionists hatred of anything not white or of people not "like us" is apparent. Let's first look at the facts: there was never an Israel as a State until the stealing of lands, beginning in 1937 and later. Learn history people: Judaism only started AFTER Moses! None of the earlier "prophets" knew what the word Jew meant - nor did it exist! It's simply Zionism's agenda to falsify history and lead the cattle into believing that the Israelites and Israel are one and the same! We've seen the attempts to falsify and/or the unsuccessful attempts to change Wikipedia's information on this issue!

The Israelis who massacred Palestinians and stole lands - as stated in an article in NY Times using facts from an Israeli Advocacy group- are not Semite or belong to or into Palestine: they were Ashkenazi (funny that the name ends in the 4 letters it does) and Sephardic people from Europe (Germany and Spain). As the Israeli professor Dr. Sand also wrote in his best selling book: Jews living in Palestine today are most likely the descendants of the early Palestinians! Both articles are on my blog under my name above followed by wordpress. Look for Stolen Land and Shattering a National Mythology.

ATW



The CBS News presentation posted on this page is written and presented from the Israeli Zionist perspective. Most information is manipulated and wrong!

But

[paalma]

In the meantime Palastinian persecution and slow genocide continues

[donbl1]

I wish CBS had shown all the pictures of a US President with the head of Israel and the head of Palistinians in the handshake picture with the US President holding each's back. Lets see: Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Ford, Bush41, Bush 43 and now Obama.

Usually we see this predictable picture just before elections.

This picture does fit Obama as he has little originality and he is all about the politics.

[formrusmcsgt]

Netanyahu addressed the UN today. He railed against the Iranians, and the Palestinians and said said settlements would continue even if they are an obstacle to peace.

World news reports "Netanyahu drew applause only when he talked about the need for a Palestinian state and when he finished his speech.'

Imagine that.

[nestofkin]

Folks! use your brain if it is still active,for there to be peace, there has to be a dialogue among the warring parties.For this meeting, no preconditions were set,it was the purpose of this meeting, to set up preconditions for a subsequent summit.It is a step in the right direction.Obama's 'middle east peace' plan is founded mainly on two strong pillars namely Commonsense and Goodwill.THESE TWO NATIONS ARE LOCKED IN AN ETERNAL HATRED TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER,the more often they talk to each other,the more they understand that they have a common destiny,one defines itself from the other.Palestinians hopeless and humiliated spend their lifetime digging tunnels and pursuing the carrier of antisemitism,the isrealis on their part have sworn to deliver hell to the arabs here on earth. Obama brings them together to unlock this mortel embrace with the AMERICAN LEAVRAGE.Kudos Mr.President.

[formrusmcsgt]

I have to chuckle at all the "experts" who expound here based on what's released to the public...as if that's all there is.

[hungry1968-16]

by hungry1968-16 September 24, 2009 2:50 PM EDT

Name ONE NATION, other than Israel, that forcibly evicts people from their homes at gunpoint, so that they can give those houses and lands to someone else - usually for free.







by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:42 PM EDT
Sudan, China,India, Zimbabwe,Russia,Congo,Somalia,Serbia, former Yugoslovia, and on and on







While I agree with you that Israel is a vile and disgusting as ANY OF THOSE ROGUE nations, and violate human rights as easily as any of them, when did ANY of those countries forcibly evict people from their houses and lands, and who did they give those houses and lands to?

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:44 PM EDT
I'm agnostic..... idiot







BS.

NO ONE is so ignorant to the problems that Israel causes, unless they are blinded by the idiocy of religion.

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:47 PM EDT
Its called real history books with leads to where the information was acquired instead of websites that you read that any 15 year old snotnose can manipulate.






So post the link.

What's the problem?

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:33 PM EDT
really ??..........locked them in camps ??

and just what comic book did you get that BS from ?......oh I forgot..your NAMBLA links






Sorry - I posted links to "nakba" - NOT your web browsers "home page".

And yet MORe information for you regarding Israel, and there REFUSAL to allow the refugees to return to their homes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_194


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_right_of_return


It's not surprising that Israel wouldn't want them to go home though. I mean, where would the Israeli's go that are living in those houses they took for themselves?

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:35 PM EDT
Hungry..your slipping

Your not linking us to neo-nazi websites or Stormfront.

OOOooooh....and those sites are so objective !

Try the Flat Earth Society.....its right up your alley






You need to throw away your bible.

It's like a "force field" to ACTUAL news and information.

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:31 PM EDT
I noticed that the only places you read are "Palestinian websites and Wikipedia.

Believe it or not...there are more intellectual sources on the web other than those written by highschool dropouts





Which "palestinian website" did I reference?

And didn't you like the link at 3:20 that pointed to the UN itself? Or did you ignore that one because it condemns something Israel is doing as illegal?

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:21 PM EDT
Try 1995 with Bill Clinto and 95.6 % and the rest to be negotiated later and what does Mr Arafat the Egyptian do ?

Starts the Intifada

Thats what Israel has "EVER" offered and not just once but 7 times.


Hungry ....rewriting history again for your pleasure







Where'd you get this?

killallmuslims.com?

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:10 PM EDT

The Palestinians are nothing more then cannon fodder for the Oil rich "Arab brothers " and dictatorships who point to every problem as being Israels fault and have usefull tools like yourself do the work for them.






Again - trying to blame Israel's "neighbors" for ALL of the problems there, even though ALL OF THE PROBLEMS started with Israel's creation.

Take your blinders off!!

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:04 PM EDT

Really ??? The camps were set up by the UN ( you do know who they are ? ) and NOT Israel.
And just when was it that Israel went and arracked those camps ?







What are you kidding?!?! This is common knowledge to EVERYONE - including people like you that deny reality!!!

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/01/07/gaza-israeli-attack-school-needs-full-un-investigation

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/09/content_10626725.htm

[hungry1968-16]

by earth562 September 24, 2009 3:04 PM EDT

Really ??? The camps were set up by the UN ( you do know who they are ? ) and NOT Israel.
And just when was it that Israel went and arracked those camps ? ( I know you want to say in Lebanon but that was Christian Phalangests )

any more falsehoods dear one ?






The IDF rounded the Palestinians up, and "locked them" in refugee camps. Then Israel cut off all food, water, utilities, medical supplies, etc, etc, etc. The UN HAD to step in to prevent those DISPLACED HOMEOWNERS from starving to death.

The latest trick now, is to build "walls" around whole neighborhoods, and then refuse to allow food, water, and other necessary supplies in, thus starving the residents out.

The UN has even ruled that these "walls" are illegal, but it's not like Israel follows ANYTHING the UN says. Except it's creation of course:

http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/0/3740e39487a5428a85256ecc005e157a?OpenDocument