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Obama Hopeful as Mideast Talks Begin

Israeli PM calls Abbas his 'partner in peace'

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 2, 2010 1:15 AM CDT | Updated Sep 2, 2010 5:36 AM CDT
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(Newser) – President Obama told reporters he was "cautiously hopeful" as Mideast peace talks began in Washington yesterday. The president—flanked by the leaders of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and Jordan—urged the leaders to seize the opportunity to make a breakthrough, and vowed to do everything in his power to secure a lasting peace, the New York Times reports. The president earlier held one-on-one meetings with the leaders.

"We are but five men,” Obama said. “But when we come together, we will not be alone. We will be joined by the generations of those who have gone before.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas his "partner in peace." Abbas pledged to push hard for a peace deal, while stressing that he wants Israel to freeze settlement activity in the West Bank. The two leaders will have direct talks today, the first such Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in two years.

Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama return to the talks.
Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama return to the talks.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II walk to East Room of the White House.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II walk to East Room of the White House.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II walk to East Room of the White House.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II walk to East Room of the White House.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 25 comments
fancygapva
Sep 2, 2010 2:36 PM CDT
Hamas was the duly elected government of the Palestinian people. We only like Democracy when "our" candidates get elected. There won't be any peace without Hamas at the table. But the Palestinian people were tired of Fatah being their leadership. Fatah is corrupt, and that includes Abu Mazen. So the duly elected representatives of the Palestinian people should get a seat at the table. That being said, I don't think that the way for Hamas to get a seat at the table was to kill 4 people with a shoulder launched rocket or grenade. They need to brush up on their diplomacy some. I have said elsewhere that until the old guard of both Israel and the Palestinians, who have made this conflict the center of their lives, die out, there will be no peace. So shoot me.
Fascist_Jack
Sep 2, 2010 7:24 AM CDT
How can there be a peace process without Hamas and a Palestinian puppet leader at the table? I don't get it.... It just seems like every administration just goes through the motions with this bullsh#t... Let them have total war and let natural selection sort em out.
tikks
Sep 2, 2010 7:20 AM CDT
The big question: Will Palestinians actually make compromises for peace Or will they continue to whine. Peace will come when BOTH sides make compromises Not when Israel makes all of them and the Palestinians claim they already have Just once can the Palestinians NOT miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity

 
Palestinian Authority • Mahmoud Abbas • King Abdullah II • Hosni Mubarak • Benjamin Netanyahu • Israel and Palestinians • Palestinian statehood • Mideast peace talks • President Obama • Arab-Israeli conflict

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