Israel Matzav

A Mideast holding action?

Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.

New York's Jewish Week has a lengthy story with mostly optimism about the 'Middle East peace process.' My own view mostly approximates that of Edward Walker, a former US ambassador to Israel.

Edward Walker, a former state department official and onetime U.S. ambassador in Tel Aviv, said that what’s shaping up may be more a diplomatic holding action than a serious ratcheting up of U.S. involvement.

The reason: leaders on both sides are not ready to embrace the political risks any real move back to serious negotiations would entail. And the administration, he said, knows that.

“There’s nothing new that would warrant a new U.S. peace push at this time,” Walker said. “The Palestinians are still conflicted and unable to operate together; the Israeli government is incapable of moving on the settlement issue, given its composition, without falling. And generally, there is decreasing interest around the world in the two-state solution.”

Walker said that under the new administration strategy, Mitchell will keep “pounding away, pushing, waiting to see if things open up a crack. And to try to push conditions so an opening might occur.”

But he sees that effort more as a way to keep a lid on Mideast tensions until the conditions that are causing the current stalemate change.

Walker also argued that claims the administration’s Mideast policy shop is getting its act in order may be premature.

“The story I’m getting out of the State Department is that there is enormous disorganization in the administration on this; they just don’t seem to have as coherent, unified policy. They’re still trying to sort out the basics.”

Now, let's just hope that the Obama administration gets the message.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:55 PM