Obama To Mediate Netanyahu-Abbas Negotiations

Israeli President Shimon Peres has revealed a plan for President Barack Obama to mediate discussions between Netanyahu and Abbas over the stalled peace process, which has been pretty much at a standstill since the 1993 Oslo Accords were signed.

Peres also said that Obama’s administration is focusing too much on settlements and not enough on the wide number of issues that keep hindering discussions.  These primarily include security issues for Israel.

Netanyahu is rightfully fighting for Israelis right to natural growth in Jewish cities in Judea and Samaria.  Palestinians, and Obama, want a full freeze in all construction of any type in towns on the other side of the 1948 green line, including parts of Jerusalem, Israel’s capital.

Hamas makes the negotiations much more difficult.  Even if Israel and Abbas, President of the Fatah led Palestinian Authority, make an agreement, Hamas has shown that they have no intention of following suit.  A peace agreement needs to be make with all Palestinians, not just the ones the United States gets along with.