Prodding Israel and the Palestinian Authority to restart talks aimed at a permanent resolution of their decades-old conflict, President Obama dropped a demand for an Israeli settlement freeze, U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials said.
"Simply put, it is past time to talk about starting negotiations. It is time to move forward," Obama told reporters before a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"It is time to show the flexibility and common sense and sense of compromise that is necessary to achieve our goals," Obama said. CNN
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Netanyahu Says No Can Do
I'm tired of the Middle East's inability to resolve its issues, leaving the rest of the world vulnerable. These people are all grownups, yet for decades they've been unable to solve their problems. Apparently, Obama has dropped the freeze requirement, so I guess the ball is now in Mahmoud Abbas' court and he's stated he wants a freeze first:
