Posted By Barbara Slavin
Monday, May 24, 2010 - 10:01 PM
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George Mitchell, the Obama administration's special envoy for Middle East peace, plans to set a deadline for an Israel-Palestinian agreement, applying lessons learned from his successful mediation in a previous conflict.
Mitchell, delivering the keynote address Monday night to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Institute of Peace, said that "no two conflicts are the same." But he noted that he had "established a deadline" that led to the Good Friday agreement of April 10, 1998, that ended the bloody, decades-long conflict between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland.
Asked after the speech whether he intended to set a similar deadline for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Mitchell said that he would do so after indirect talks between the two sides progress to direct negotiations.
"We will [have a deadline] once we do" make that transition, he said. He did not say how much time he would give the parties to agree.
In his speech, Mitchell, who last week concluded two rounds of indirect talks in the Middle East, said he will move "as soon as possible" to direct negotiations.
In his public remarks, the former Senate majority leader acknowledged widespread skepticism both in the region and in Washington that he can broker a deal between the center-right government of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas.
So far, the skeptics would seem to have the better of the argument, with little discernible narrowing of the gaps between the two sides since Mitchell was first appointed to his role -- on the second day of President Obama's term.
But Mitchell said there had been significant progress since the Obama administration took office. He noted that the Netanyahu government has endorsed the concept of an independent Palestinian state and agreed to freeze new housing construction on the West Bank for 10 months. The Palestinians, the envoy said, are working to stop attacks on Israel and have made "substantial improvements in law and order and economic development" in the West Bank. The Arab League has also endorsed the indirect negotiations, known as "proximity talks," he added.
Mitchell said that the proximity talks "are serious and wide-ranging, with both sides trying to move forward under difficult circumstances." All sides, he said, "know more or less what a solution looks like." He repeated what, since the latter part of the George W. Bush administration, has become a mantra for framing the dispute: an end to the occupation that began in 1967, a "viable, contiguous, sovereign, and independent" Palestinian state, and "secure, recognized and defensible borders" for Israel.
Mitchell omitted mention of the toughest issues impeding Israeli-Palestinian peace: the fate of Jerusalem and of Palestinian refugees. But he insisted that the situation "is not hopeless" and promised that he will "persevere" in his efforts to end the conflict.
"The tragedies of the past need not determine the opportunities of the future," he said. "There is no such thing as a conflict that can't be ended" if leaders demonstrate courage and political will.
The audience of several hundred at the Four Seasons Hotel responded to Mitchell's remarks with a standing ovation.
Barbara Slavin, a former diplomatic correspondent for USA Today and assistant managing editor of the Washington Times, is the author of Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies: Iran, the U.S., and the Twisted Path to Confrontation.
IS the Obama administaration living on this planet
WHo are we kidding, there is no worse idea than to set a deadline for this kind of conflict when we don't even have direct talks between the parties. We have hamas controlling Gaza abd no palestinian unity for the past 3 years.
We were negotiating directly for the past 18 years and now we need a middle man, the palestinians have to decide that they want peace and give up the right of return otherwise there will never be any peace, Israel will make the needed concessions for true peace, but it is also not a territorial conflict it is an ideological one, once they decide they can accept a jewish state and live in peace side by side there will be peace it is not that difficult, the palestinians leaders are not willing to take it upon themselves to be the ones who give up the right of return, they would rather keep their people living in a constant struggle. First solve Hamas in Gaza and Palestinian unity than lets have direct talks and than maybe we can start talking about peace
The "Palestians" will accept any deadline from Obama......it gives them an excuse to attack Israel when they don't roll over and play dead like George wants them too.
Besides no one believes that Obama is neutral on this.... his lack of respect for Israel is pretty well known.
I wouldnt be surpised to see the Community Organizer -in -Chief leading a rally in the Gaza Strip. Maybe we need some more of Hillary's "Smart Power"!
So we're definitely putting a date on the Apocalypse, eh? And is this like that 'global warming climate change' deadline back in December where the world would end if we didn't .. pay money? Middle East peace.. what a joke. Have you never seen Man Who Would Be King? War is the blood of those crazies. Besides, when can we focus on peace everywhere else? You realize this world and no human in it has ever fully been at peace. Peace is such a ridiculous word to even use since it's never actually occurred in the span of human history, or in any life system for that matter. Conflict is just part of life and its continuing growth and evolution.
But Democracies usually solve their problems without war
Look at Europe after WW2 who would have thought there would be such peace between bitter enemies.
Those Who Fail to Learn from the Past...
Impersonating Jim Morra's voice...
Deadlines ?! Deadlines !!
Maybe it's me, but I just don't get it...
Why doesn't Obama send Joe Biden in to finish the job ?
I mean he (Biden) was selected for VP due to his Foreign Policy expertise, and is obviously doing a crackerjack job with his overseeing the White House Task Force on Working Families and all.
Maybe he (Biden) could suggest one big nation, with several autonomous states like he continued to do in Iraq - this even AFTER he accepted the nod to VP.
I think that would go over great. Especially with the Palestinian Refugees, who could then not only motar and rocket Israeli's but then start another front against themselves, or whoever is NOT selling them their weapons this year.
Or maybe Obama could send in Madeline Albright, who can announce (once again)that she comes from Jewish lineage some of whom perished in the Holocaust.. That would be even better.
In the meantime we have George Mitchell talking like either side really wants to find a resolution thru 'Proximity' Talks.' Which after nearly 62 some odd years would be nice, but in reality is a fallacy.
Ehud Barrack came the closest to finding a settlement, until Arafat back-stabbed him at the last minute. Things will likely go the same way, but only after the US (unfortunately and once-again) comes out looking like a loser in the Mid-East and around the world.
I'm sorry, I must have missed the whole "The deadlines work" speech somewhere. It obviously played wonders for Iraq and Afghanistan, it must surely work with Mid-East peace, the single most festering sore on world peace for the last 50 years. Regardless (not ir-, that's not a word...) or whose fault or what people are doing what to the other, this isn't going to suddenly end when you set a deadline. If this isn't a "set yourself up for failure" incident, nothing is. Unless the deadline is 2050.
You might have chance then.
Also...
"But Mitchell said there had been significant progress since the Obama administration took office. He noted that the Netanyahu government has endorsed the concept of an independent Palestinian state and agreed to freeze new housing construction on the West Bank for 10 months."
That's nice, Natanyahu said this. Has anything actually happened to make it stop...?
Also...
"The Palestinians, the envoy said, are working to stop attacks on Israel and have made "substantial improvements in law and order and economic development" in the West Bank."
I would mostly believe this. I haven't heard of any major attacks in Israel in a while, so it looks like the militia's are playing along... for now.
Finally...
"Mitchell omitted mention of the toughest issues impeding Israeli-Palestinian peace: the fate of Jerusalem and of Palestinian refugees."
Oops. Jerusalem? We have to mention that? Heh, oh, right. That! I forgot. Clean slipped my mind. Couldn't be THAT improtant to either side, could it? Nah. We'll deal with this quickly and move on, right? No worries here...
I think its more important to see what he left out. Jerusalem and refugees. He knows nothing will be given by either side on these two "so minor not even worth mentioning" issues. This right here is why a deadline and the peace process overall is doomed to failure for the time being.
That's why I said before, the peace process is going to take at least another generation, where there's little to no one living from the 1967-1980-ish era.
When all those people with all that hatred boiling in their bodies finally die off, maybe we can use the younger, hopefully smarter generation to realize that just because you compromise on somethings doesn't mean you've surrendered to your worst enemy.
What has taken you so long America?
U.S. to set deadline for Middle East peace
America is a little late in setting the deadlines, perhaps by many decades. What took you so long America?
(a) Israel occupation of Palestine and denial of basic human rights to the native Palestinians: 62 years and counting.
(b) Israel's invasion and occupation of West Bank, Gaza of Palestine and parts of Syria and Lebanon: 43 years and counting.
(c) Israel's invasion, 22 years occupation and defeat in Lebanon and no peep from America.
What has taken you so long America?
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