Obama Presses Israel, Palestinians to Make Headway On Peace
Israel and the Palestinians “have got to make a decision” to move forward, Obama said after meeting with Jordans King Abdullah II at the White House, where the two men reaffirmed their support for a two-state solution as the path to peace in the region.
“The prospect of peace still exists, but its going to require some hard choices,” Obama said. “Steps have to be taken so that people can see progress. That will be something that we will expect to take place in the coming months.” The U.S. he added, “is going to deeply engage in this process.”
Obama asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to attend meetings on the Middle East peace process, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said later at a briefing. The discussions are expected to take place by the end of next month, Gibbs said.
King Abdullahs talks with the president today were part of a series of consultations the Jordanian leader has scheduled in Washington over several days. He is relaying the “united Arab position” on how to achieve peace in the Middle East as agreed to at an Arab League summit in Qatar last month, the kings Royal Court said in a statement earlier this month.
Specific Time Frame
In their declaration, the 22 member states demanded “a specific time frame for Israel to implement its commitments toward the peace process and to take clear and specific measures to execute the requirements of the peace process.”
Abdullah said Obama “has the full support of my country and the Arab League,” and “America cant be left by itself to do all the heavy lifting.”
Obama, who is turning attention to foreign policy even as his administration continues to grapple with the economic crisis, has endorsed the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Netanyahu, who took office March 31, has yet to publicly outline his approach to the Palestinians and surrounding Arab nations.
“The United States strongly supports the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security,” Obama said in an address to Turkeys parliament on April 6. That goal is shared by Israelis and Palestinians, he said, and “that is a goal that I will actively pursue as president.”
Religious Role
While in Washington, Abdullah is stressing the role religious leaders have in supporting efforts to forge peace in the Middle East, the Jordanian embassy said in an e-mailed statement.
The king was scheduled to have a working lunch today with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and is set this week to meet with members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. On April 24 he will address the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a foreign policy group.
The new Israeli government is more skeptical of peace talks with the Palestinians than was its predecessor. Netanyahu hasnt openly endorsed the idea of Palestinian statehood and says Palestinians arent ready for statehood because they cant stop attacks against Israel.
Pledge to Help
In his inaugural speech to parliament on March 31, he pledged to help strengthen the Palestinian economy while stopping short of supporting a Palestinian state.
Obamas Middle East peace envoy, former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, a Maine Democrat, has been in the region three times since January, attempting to restart peace talks.
“More listening needs to be done” by Mitchell, and all sides, Obama said, before any attempts are made at staging formal peace talks. “But I agree that we cant talk forever.”
Palestinian Authority leader Abbas told Mitchell during a meeting April 17 the U.S. must pressure Netanyahu “to accept the principles of peace,” Palestinian official Saeb Erakat said after the meeting.