Hillary Clinton just issued a formal invitation for Israel and the
Palestinian Authority to begin direct peace talks on September 2nd. This
is good news. It presents an opportunity for progress towards peace.
Now the real hard work must begin. Direct talks are not an end in themselves; their only value is as a means to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.
A strong American role is needed to ensure that these negotiations will be productive.
Now the real hard work must begin. Direct talks are not an end in themselves; their only value is as a means to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.
A strong American role is needed to ensure that these negotiations will be productive.
Click here to tell President Obama to make sure that direct talks are not a dead end.
The path forward is not easy. Direct talks will be fruitless unless Israelis and Palestinians are ready to sit down and negotiate in good faith to resolve final status issues. There is no more room for game-playing or procrastinating to avoid hard discussions and even harder decisions.
These talks will test whether Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas are able to rise to the challenge and build a better future for their peoples.
President Barack Obama must live up to his pledge to hold both parties accountable for their behavior. Neither side can be allowed to get away with actions that undercut the talks.
The Obama Administration must also press hard for progress. It must be ready to engage with its own ideas as necessary, whether in the form of parameters or bridging proposals, or a full-fledged peace plan.
Political cynics in Washington will try to discourage President Obama from expending political capital on efforts to bring peace to Israel. We cannot allow them to win. The stakes for both Israelis and Palestinians are simply too high - and vital American interests are at stake.
American leadership will be needed for this process to succeed. We know that spoilers, who oppose a two-state solution, will look for opportunities to derail this process. They simply cannot be allowed to succeed. Failure could bring about a new round of bloodshed and jeopardize American interests.
Israelis and Palestinians yearn to live in peace, security and dignity. Both publics are understandably skeptical about the prospects for these talks. But there is no alternative: A peace agreement based on a two-state solution can only be reached through negotiations.
Now is the time for Americans who care about peace to speak up.
The path forward is not easy. Direct talks will be fruitless unless Israelis and Palestinians are ready to sit down and negotiate in good faith to resolve final status issues. There is no more room for game-playing or procrastinating to avoid hard discussions and even harder decisions.
These talks will test whether Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas are able to rise to the challenge and build a better future for their peoples.
President Barack Obama must live up to his pledge to hold both parties accountable for their behavior. Neither side can be allowed to get away with actions that undercut the talks.
The Obama Administration must also press hard for progress. It must be ready to engage with its own ideas as necessary, whether in the form of parameters or bridging proposals, or a full-fledged peace plan.
Political cynics in Washington will try to discourage President Obama from expending political capital on efforts to bring peace to Israel. We cannot allow them to win. The stakes for both Israelis and Palestinians are simply too high - and vital American interests are at stake.
American leadership will be needed for this process to succeed. We know that spoilers, who oppose a two-state solution, will look for opportunities to derail this process. They simply cannot be allowed to succeed. Failure could bring about a new round of bloodshed and jeopardize American interests.
Israelis and Palestinians yearn to live in peace, security and dignity. Both publics are understandably skeptical about the prospects for these talks. But there is no alternative: A peace agreement based on a two-state solution can only be reached through negotiations.
Now is the time for Americans who care about peace to speak up.
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What makes you think Palestinians 'yearn to live in peace' that very idea defies the Koran. Especially if life around them includes any infidels.
Tell me one islamic country where peace exists.
The Isrealis have yearned to live in peace for milleniums.
Hey are you trying to get peace in Yemen between the muslims and the Jews that are being driven out?
I never see you post anything about that. How come?
Do you strive for violence in Yemen( a muslim country) but peace only in Israel?
If the palestinians took over Palestine like their one and only goal is do you think it would be any different than Yemen is now?
What makes you think the Palestinians in Gaza and west bank have any more desire for a peaceful life than the muslims in Yemen?
Is it the fault of the Jews in Yemen that they're being driven out? Why? Because they didn't convert to Islam? What could the Jews in Yemen have done differently to be able to stay there in peace?
NO NEW ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS. EVERYONE WILL BENEFIT FROM PEACE.