The Washington Times reports that Israel has put peace talks with the Palestinians on a slow track, contrary to Team Obama's & special Mideast envoy George Mitchell's wishes. Israel is prepared (as oft before) to play Congress off against the Obama White House. And the Washington Post reports that the Jordan River Valley is a focal point of Isreali-Palestinian conflict.
Reality is setting in. Team Obama's fantasy of a rapid Israel - Palestinian settlement is history. Further confirmation of this comes in the latest Palestinian condemnation of US policy, this time directed as SecState Hillary, because she reiterated Team Obama's latest position on Israeli settlements--"restraint" rather than an absolute freeze. Predictably, Palestinians went ballistic, showing once again the futility of top-down high-profile Mideast peacemaking. Only PM Netanyahu's bottom-up vision, already being put into practice with some success by Tony Blair & US Gen. Keith Dayton--securing one town at a time by stabilizing local government and ousting thugs & terrorists--can work.
Bottom Line. Team Obama is learning what Team Bush learned: Dealing with the Palestinians in high-visibility diplomacy is like Charlie Brown dealing with Lucy & the football.
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