Obama aims to push peace through settlement freeze and normalization

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The United States is interested in promoting the peace process through a series of confidence-building gestures between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Arab states, a senior American official who declined to be named told Haaretz.

The official said the plan would involve a freeze on construction in settlements in exchange for normalization steps from the Arab states. According to the official, the "gestures plan" is meant to reopen the political process in the Middle East, while encapsulating parts that had already been brought up in talks between Israeli and American officials. It is likely to be at the heart of an upcoming meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan yesterday, President Obama said he hoped "over the next several months, that you start seeing gestures of good faith on all sides. I don't want to get into the details of what those gestures might be, but I think that the parties in the region probably have a pretty good recognition of what intermediate steps could be taken as confidence-building measures. And we will be doing everything we can to encourage those confidence-building measures to take place. At some point, steps have to be taken so that people can see progress on the ground. And that will be something that we will expect to take place in the coming months and we will help hopefully to drive a process where each side is willing to build confidence."

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The so-called "gesture plan" is set to include an Israeli freeze on construction in settlements throughout the West Bank. In exchange, the U.S. will request the Palestinian Authority and moderate Arab states make normalization steps towards Israel, including public meetings with senior Israeli officials, issuing positive statements on the peace process, and even re-establishing diplomatic relations that have been discontinued, as with Qatar, Oman or Morocco.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1080093.html

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1. methinks the fundies aint gonna like that much

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2. Eh, who cares? They don't like things now either.

Lead, follow, or get out of the way is what I say.

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3. I wish Obama luck with this

getting a freeze on the settlements is a major step and something that Israel has never done in the past despite claims that it would.

As to calling it a gestures plan, considering some of the personalities involved it brings to mind quite a different picture

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4. Lieberman: U.S. to accept any Israeli decision

The Obama Administration will put forth new peace initiatives only if Israel wants it to, said Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in his first comprehensive interview on foreign policy since taking office.

"Believe me, America accepts all our decisions," Lieberman told the Russian daily Moskovskiy Komosolets.

Lieberman granted his first major interview to Alexander Rosensaft, the Israel correspondent of one of the oldest Russian dailies, not to an Israeli newspaper. The role of Israel is to "bring the U.S. and Russia closer," he declared.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1080097.html

[LeftishBrit]

5. Lieberman is deluded, but what's new?

I suspect that he'll be finding it pretty hard to get Israel to accept all his decisions, let alone having that much influence on any other country.

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6. I am beginning to think Netanyahoo has him as a foil n/t

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7. From The Guardian...

'Obama appears to have come round to the view of advisers that the US will ­effectively have to impose much of any deal on Israel and the Palestinians rather than wait for one to emerge from the two sides. He said yesterday: "I agree that we can't talk forever, that at some point steps have to be taken so that people can see progress on the ground. And that will be something that we will expect to take place in the coming months.

"My hope would be that over the next several months, that you start seeing ­gestures of good faith on all sides. I don't want to get into the details of what those gestures might be, but I think that the ­parties in the region probably have a pretty good recognition of what intermediate steps could be taken as confidence-building measures."

In a symbolic move intended to show that he seeks to be more of an honest broker than Clinton or Bush, Obama, on his first day in office, phoned Abbas before he phoned Ehud Olmert, then Israeli prime minister. He was also demonstrating that he was prepared to become involved from day one rather than, as his predecessors had done, leaving the issue to the tail end of his presidency.'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/22/barack-obama-middle-east-peace

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8. ADL Troubled By President's Remarks On Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process

'New York, NY, April 21, 2009 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed concern at remarks by President Barack Obama, following a meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan, where he told the press that the Israelis and Palestinians have done enough talking. "Now is the time to take steps," the President said.

Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director issued the following statement:

We are troubled by the President's remarks after his meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan where he told the press that the Israelis and Palestinians have done enough talking and that 'now is the time to take steps.'

We find this comment disturbing because it leaves the impression that Israel has not acted for peace. In fact, in the year 2000 Israel made a generous offer for peace to the Palestinians which, if accepted, would have resulted in a Palestinian state, shared control of Jerusalem, and the dismantling of 80 percent of Israeli settlements. The Palestinians said no and turned to violence and terror.

Then, in 2005, Israel took another major step, unilaterally withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and dismantling all its settlements there. This action was met with a Hamas takeover and the launching of thousands of rockets into Israel.

We believe that both Israelis and Palestinians will have to make concessions for peace. We hope that the President will acknowledge that Israel has already taken significant steps toward peace, and that he urge the Palestinians and the Arab world to take positive steps as well.'

http://adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/5509_62.htm

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9. The sad thing is

They ADL has been bullshitting everyone else with garbage like this for so long, I think they've convinced themselves

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10. They will be even more troubled if the President succeeds.

They might have to go find real jobs.