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Setting the Record Straight

Skillful and Robust U.S. Role Required

posted on 05/05/08

"Ultimately, this is for the Israelis and the Palestinians to come to an agreement. Each party has more to do—and given the serious commitment of the leaders, the president remains confident that defining a state by the end of the year is still possible."
–Gordon Johndroe, White House spokesperson, April 25, 2008

VS.

“Even with a robust and more skillful U.S. role, there is no guarantee of success in the peace process, for such success depends first and foremost on the will of the parties to address problems through negotiations, not violence, and to reach agreement on the core issues still in dispute. But without a robust U.S. role, a peace process conducted solely by the parties themselves is unlikely to succeed. The U.S. can help the parties identify creative bridging solutions on substantive issues, and can help deal with the issues outside the negotiations that help or hurt the atmosphere for the negotiations.”
–Daniel C. Kurtzer, former U.S. ambassador to Israel and Egypt, Rosner’s Guest, Haaretz, March 23, 2008