Middle East

Documents & Texts from America.gov

16 June 2009
United States Seeks Early Conclusion of Mideast Peace Talks

By Stephen Kaufman
Staff Writer

 •  Briefing by Special Envoy George Mitchell on His Recent Travel to the Region and Efforts Toward Achieving A Comprehensive Peace

Washington — President Obama’s special envoy for Middle East peace, George Mitchell, says he believes there is a realistic chance of accommodating Israel’s desire for security with the Palestinian desire for an independent state, and says the United States is currently focused on the resumption and “early conclusion” of meaningful negotiations.

Speaking to reporters at the State Department June 16, Mitchell said Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton clearly have stated that “the only viable resolution to this conflict is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states.”

The Obama administration is “working vigorously” toward a solution and will “use all of the tools at our disposal” to move toward that objective, he said.

“Our focus right now is to create the context for the resumption and early conclusion of meaningful negotiation. To help achieve this, we’re asking all parties to take meaningful steps,” Mitchell said. He later added, “We hope to conclude the discussions in which we are now engaged very soon. To me it’s a matter of weeks, not many months.”

Israel and the Palestinians not only have a responsibility to meet their obligations under the 2003 road map plan for peace, “it’s in their interests as well,” he said. “For the Israelis, that means a stop to settlements and other actions. For the Palestinians, that means continuing their efforts to take responsibility for security and to end incitement.”

Asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s June 14 speech in which he endorsed the prospect of a Palestinian state, but listed conditions that drew criticism from Palestinian leaders, Mitchell said the important part of the speech was that Netanyahu “included in his objective a Palestinian state. So there now is a common objective, which was not the case until that speech was made.” (See “U.S. Welcomes Israeli Leader’s Endorsement of Palestinian State.”)

The Israeli leader stated his objectives in the negotiations, just as the Palestinians have, he said. These are not preconditions, but desires in a final agreement, Mitchell said.

Mitchell, a former U.S. senator, chaired discussions between parties in Northern Ireland that led to the 1999 Good Friday agreement.

“In every negotiation which I’ve been involved, parties have taken seemingly irreconcilable positions at the outset,” he said. “I categorically reject the notion that because there is a disagreement between the parties on one or more positions, that there can never be an agreement. If you accept that argument, then no dispute would ever be resolved.”

He said the U.S. objective is to “get a process going to encourage parties to take steps necessary to move that process forward,” and in order to get the two sides to take meaningful steps, “there has to be assurance on all sides that steps will be reciprocal and will proceed in a manner that best ensures that result.”

The two sides will need to make difficult compromises, but they will be “justified by the ultimate goal of peace, security and prosperity,” he said.

“In the interest of the Palestinian people to obtain a state, the security of the people of Israel must be central. For the people of Israel, in order to gain security, the need for a Palestinian state must be central,” he said.

Despite the tremendous challenges, Mitchell said, a solution is possible. “I assure you I would not have taken this position if I did not believe that there is a realistic chance of reaching those objectives,” he told reporters.

back to top ^