Back to the '90's?
Laura Rozen has Martin Indyk and Bill Clinton picking up pieces of the 'peace process.' A top administration official directed a visiting foreign politician to Indyk Monday to convey the ideas the politico wanted to communicate to the administration, so the administration wouldn't appear as if it was kibitzing with a foreign opposition leader at a sensitive moment, the interlocutor said. Talking to Indyk was described by the official to the interlocutor as basically the same thing as talking with the administration in terms of the degree of close consultation with the administration on the matter.This all may or may not happen, but Clemons is dead wrong about Bill Clinton. Whatever goodwill he had here, he used up with his stupid comments about Russian immigrants last month. Besides, Clinton orchestrated Netanyahu's defeat in 1999, and we all remember being told during the transition period that Clinton and Netanyahu didn't get along, so why would Bibi accept him as a mediator?
Another Washington Middle East hand who consults closely with the administration said he too has started to hear growing rumors in recent days of a possible official administration role on the Middle East peace process for Indyk. Under the arrangement that was described to that Middle East hand, the NSC's Dennis Ross would capitalize on his decent ties with Israel's Bibi Netanyahu to be a main administration point of contact with the Israelis, Indyk would capitalize on his good ties with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (universally referred to as Abu Mazen) to be a channel to the Palestinians, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be in charge.
Indyk, who has served in a consulting role to the team of Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell, professed Tuesday in response to a query that it was the first he had heard of any such plan.
Meantime, the New America Foundation's Steve Clemons said he is convinced that the man who can help Obama bring peace to the Middle East is former President Bill Clinton. That is the spouse of Obama's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"Bill Clinton is the only guy I can think of who is trusted and liked by all sides," Clemons told POLITICO. "He is the only guy I know who successfully wrestled and pushed Netanyahu to do what he wants to do. And Clinton has spectacular popularity in Israel and Obama doesn't."
The former president "has granular understanding of every deal and piece of the deal - behind the scenes stuff that has been distorted and reframed," Clemons continued. "No one has a better grasp, ... sees the opportunity and has the global stature to both cajole, seduce and embarrass" the parties towards an agreement.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:24 AM
2 Comments:
Don't forget Clinton failed at the one thing he was supposedly good at.
Why would any one believe he'd do a better job of it this time around - what's wrong with parties has nothing to do with personal chemistry - it has to do with irreconcilable worldviews.
Even Clinton can't fix them.
What could go wrong indeed
The former president [Clinton] "has granular understanding of every deal and piece of the deal - behind the scenes stuff that has been distorted and reframed," Clemons continued. "No one has a better grasp, ... sees the opportunity and has the global stature to both cajole, seduce and embarrass" the parties towards an agreement.
Moving "towards an agreement" is not the same thing as getting one.
It would just be another dangerous round of processing.
At the end of the day, a deal is still 100% impossible unless Israel commits national suicide (G-d forbid).
How many times do they intend to ask Israel to do this?
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