Three elections on the rocky road to peace

[Ian David]

Three elections on the rocky road to peace
Jason Koutsoukis in Jerusalem
October 18, 2008

THREE general elections over the next 12 months will decide the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The first is the US election on November 4. Many Israelis and Palestinians are hoping for a victory by the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama.

"New leadership from the United States is vital," says Professor Moshe Maoz of Hebrew University and a former adviser to Israeli prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.

"If John McCain wins, he will follow Bush - talk without action … But Obama may be tough enough to force both sides to work out a solution."

Dr Hanna Siniora, the chief executive of the Israel/Palestine Centre for Research and Information and former Palestine Liberation Organisation negotiator to the US, agrees. "If Obama is the next president, he will change the image of the United States across the region. Just how big a change that is cannot be underestimated. He has also indicated that he will use not just the stick, but the carrot."

More:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/three-elections-on-the-rocky-road-to-peace/2008/10/17/1223750333748.html