Another Compromise! U.S. drops demand for Israeli settlement freeze

[Better Believe It]

Capitulation we can believe in. BBI

U.S. drops demand for Israeli settlement freeze
Reuters
December 7, 2010

JERUSALEM — The United States on Tuesday abandoned its effort to persuade Israel to freeze construction of Jewish settlements, officials said, dealing a blow to efforts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

Direct talks brokered by Washington were relaunched in September but broke down over the issue of settlements built on captured land that Palestinians seek for a state.

"We reached the conclusion this is not the time to renew direct negotiation by renewing the moratorium," a senior U.S. diplomat told reporters in Israel.

The U.S. admission represented a significant setback for U.S. President Barack Obama, who had hoped to have a peace deal signed by the end of next year.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40554057/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa

[Poll_Blind]

1. Make no doubt about it- Any hope for Middle East Peace under Obama is dead, dead, dead.

No ifs ands or buts.

PB

[crotchety]

6. It's not Obama

No president can undo the damage they've caused to each other for centuries. Don't expect any one person to be the one to fix it.

[Poll_Blind]

7. What is this "for centuries" shit? n/t

PB

[hlthe2b]

2. Damn...

It almost feels like someone is ticking off the list of issues the RW could possibly pin criticism on Obama for 2012 and working rapidly to defuse them by reversing policy. I fear what is next....

[mdmc]

4. 1

[hughee99]

3. Doesn't "compromise" suggest he got something in return? n/t

[mdmc]

5. 1

[BlueIris]

8. Nice. Not.

Not shocking, either. Ugly.

[Luciferous]

9. Wow, this guy will just cave on anything! What the hell is wrong with him?!

[whosinpower]

10. So, the Israeli's don't get free jets

The bargain that Obama and Netanyahu came to was folly, at best. The upcoming REpublican congress would never have agreed to the terms that Obama proposed.

But, make no mistake - this is not so much a setback for Obama, as it is for Abbas and Netanyahu.

Abbas has hinted at stepping down, dissolving the PA and asking Israel to take over the West Bank. That means Israel gains over 2 million people who are not jewish and the palistinians give up their hopes and dreams of a seperate state. And Israel begins a countdown of how many years before the jewish majority vanishes.