The Middle East peace process seems to be finding obstacles at every turn. The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has given hints that he will not run for election, and some even speculate that he will be resigning. This signals only more bad news to the very frail peace talks, as Mr. Abbas seems to be one of few remaining moderates. The peace talks have been hampered by Israel’s refusal to stop constructing additional settlements. The Israeli Prime Minister has issued statements in which he refuses to stop the construction, but indicates a willingness to slow the pace. Although this seems like a good place to start off the negotiations, the Israeli stance has lead to the breakdown of the negotiations. It is clear that the Israelis need Mr. Abbas to stay in power and to remain a fixture in the negotiations.
Another issue that threatens the peace process is the United States’ convoluted reaction, which is being perceived by some as sending mixed messages. Although President Obama has called for the halt of settlement construction in the hopes of reaching a peace deal, members of his own party seems to be disagreeing with his stated mission. Despite the fact that some Israelis agree with the President’s view, the Israeli government is not planning a complete halt of construction at present.
Worse yet, violence between Israelis and Palestinians continues to escalate. Israeli planes bombed a tunnel and a military training facility in Gaza on Thursday. The attacks seem to be in retaliation for the continued firing of rockets into Israel from Gaza.
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