Middle East Stalemate

On Monday, a minister-level meeting at the U.N. Security Council stressed the urgency of reaching agreement on a Middle East peace settlement and the creation of an independent Palestinian state. But not invited to the meeting were both the Israeli and Palestinian delegations. The timing was delicate and seemingly intentional. The meeting was arranged a week before President Barack Obama meets with new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and it was criticized by the Israeli ambassador to the U.N., Gabriela Shalev, who said that the negotiations should not involve the United Nations.

Many of the foreign ministers who attended felt that the stalled Middle East peace talks could not wait.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon set the tone, saying, "Like a bicycle that falls over when left at a standstill, the situation on the ground could easily deteriorate …"

The non-binding Presidential Statement indicated a new focus on the part of the Obama administration and incorporated a new Arab Peace Initiative, saying, "The Council reiterates its call for renewed and urgent efforts by the parties and the international community to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on the vision of a region where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, will live side by side in peace, within secure and recognized borders."

Although Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was one of the few foreign ministers not present, Ambassador Susan Rice, who does hold a cabinet level position in her role at the U.N., set the tone for the meetings at the White House next week, saying, "This meeting of the Council underscores the priority that the international community places on achieving a secure, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. That must include a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security."

Many of the speakers praised the efforts of Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad and Jordan's King Abdullah who developed a plan which would include a 57-state solution in which the Muslim world would recognize Israel.

The Presidential Statement, issued by Russia, acting as the Council President for the month of May, also set a timetable for the next important round of negotiations, saying, "The Security Council supports the proposal of the Russian Federation to convene, in consultation with the Quartet and the parties, an international meeting on the Middle East peace process in Moscow in 2009."