AS US envoy George Mitchell embarked on another round of shuttle diplomacy aimed at getting Israel and the Palestinians talking to each other again, President Barack Obama admitted his administration had overestimated its ability to persuade the sides to renew negotiations.
Mr Obama told Time magazine that both parties have been unwilling to take the steps needed to move the peace process forward, admitting that he might not have raised his expectations so high if he had realised this earlier.
“From Abbas’s perspective, he’s got Hamas looking over his shoulder and an environment generally within the Arab world that feels impatient with any process. And although the Israelis, I think, after a lot of time showed a willingness to make some modifications in their policies, they still found it very hard to move with any bold gestures,” said Mr Obama.
Opening his talks in Jerusalem yesterday, Mr Mitchell told Israeli president Shimon Peres that he was aware of the obstacles on the road to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and that the Obama administration intends to work to solve the difficulties.
The Palestinian leadership has linked a resumption of bilateral talks, broken off in December 2008, to a total settlement freeze by Israel throughout the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Mr Peres noted that Mr Mitchell’s visit was vital, and stressed that there was no other option than to return to negotiations.
Ahead of Mr Mitchell’s arrival, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu insisted on an Israeli presence on the border between a future Palestinian state and Jordan.
“Israel must ensure that rockets aren’t being smuggled into territories in its vicinity,” Mr Netanyahu said, and to achieve that “an Israeli presence will be necessary along the Palestinian state’s eastern side”.
He accused the Palestinians of setting preconditions to avoid the negotiating table. “The Palestinians have climbed a high tree and are content on staying there. The more ladders they are offered, the higher they ascend.”
Palestinian official Saeb Erekat rejected out of hand Mr Netanyahu’s demand for an Israeli presence on the eastern border of a Palestinian state, accusing him of undermining the viability of a two-state solution.
“While Netanyahu calls for the Palestinians to resume peace talks, he is effectively leaving the Palestinians nothing to negotiate about,” he said.