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Determined to Reach a Common Objective

“We knew at the outset that the task would be difficult. We acknowledged that publicly and privately. We knew this would be a road with many bumps— and there have been many bumps—and that continues to this day. But we are not deterred. We are, to the contrary, determined more than ever to proceed to realize the common objective, which we all share, of a Middle East that is at peace with security and prosperity for the people of Israel, for Palestinians, and for all the people in the region. We will continue our efforts in that regard, undeterred and undaunted by the difficulties, the complexities or the bumps in the road.”—George Mitchell, special envoy for Middle East peace, remarks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, September 29, 2010

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May 17, 2011, 12:00pm – 1:15pm

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News on Middle East Peace Process

    • U.S. Nudges Palestinians to Answer Israeli Proposal
    • News | Oct 13, 2010

    • The United States nudged the Palestinian Authority to make a counter-offer to Israel’s proposal for a new freeze on building in Jewish settlements if the Palestinians recognized Israel as a Jewish state.

      Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said if the Palestinian leadership recognized Israel “as the homeland of the Jewish people,” he was ready to ask his government to extend a freeze on West Bank settlement building.

    • Israeli Presence in Jordan Valley Could Be Flexible
    • News | Oct 13, 2010

    • Israel’s insistence on maintaining a presence on the eastern border of a future Palestinian state could be reviewed over time, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

      Israel’s demand for such a presence is one of the potential obstacles to a Mideast peace deal.The Palestinians say they will not accept any Israeli deployment in their future state, arguing that the deployment of international forces during a transition period—an idea they support—should be sufficient to address Israeli security concerns.

    • Settlement Issue Looms Large as U.S. Envoys Head to Israel
    • News | Sep 28, 2010

    • The U.S. special Mideast envoy headed to Israel Tuesday as the United States continues its full-court press for a resumption of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians. …

      Before his departure, Mitchell was in touch with both sides Monday, Crowley told reporters. Representatives from the White House are also going on the trip.

    • Clinton Asks Arab Leaders to Support Abbas
    • News | Sep 28, 2010

    • Clinton is recruiting support for Abbas from the Arab states. As officials in the U.S. administration scramble to find a last-minute solution to the West Bank settlement building freeze, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met in the past few days with senior officials from the Arab states in order to promote peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

      Clinton took the opportunity of the UN General Assembly to meet with the officials in order to speak with them prior

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    • Clinton Urges Syria on Peace with Israel
    • News | Sep 28, 2010

    • The Obama administration is pressing Syria to resume long-stalled peace talks with Israel as part of its push for broad settlement between Arab countries and the Jewish state.

      Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met on Monday in New York with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem to make the case for negotiations. The State Department said Clinton was the first secretary of state to meet Syria’s top diplomat in three years, although special Mideast envoy George Mitchell has made several visits

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    • World Leaders Criticize Israel for Refusing to Extend West Bank Construction Moratorium
    • News | Sep 28, 2010

    • The United States and the UN joined a growing global condemnation of Israel’s decision not to extend the building moratorium on Monday. Earlier, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Foreign Secretary William Hague, and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherin Aston all issued condemnations of Israel for allowing the freeze to expire.

      U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley on Monday told reporters that the U.S. was “disappointed, but we remain focused on our long-term objective and will be talking to the parties about

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    • Palestinians: IDF Strike Kills Three Islamic Jihad Militants in Gaza
    • News | Sep 28, 2010

    • An Israel Defense Forces strike in the central Gaza Strip on Monday killed three gunmen belonging to the Islamic Jihad group, Palestinian medics said.

      The IDF had no immediate comment. Israel often carries out strikes against militant targets in Gaza, which is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.

    • Extend the Settlement Freeze, U.S. Urges Israel at Egypt Summit
    • News | Sep 14, 2010

    • The United States called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank, as Israeli and Palestinian leaders met on Tuesday for a second round of face-to-face peace talks.

      “We think it makes sense to extend the moratorium,” said U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell following the summit in the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

      Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Netanyahu convened later in the day for an unexpected

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    • Abbas’ Plea to Arab States: Show Me the Money!
    • News | Sep 14, 2010

    • On the eve of the resumption of direct peace talks, the Palestinian Authority on Monday expressed hope that the Arab countries will finally keep their promises to help the PA financially.

      Most of the Arab countries have failed to meet their previous pledges to provide the Palestinians with financial aid, the PA said. With the exception of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Arab world was continuing to ignore the Palestinians’ repeated requests for help, the PA added.

    • Abbas Says Israel Must Accept Foreign Border Force
    • News | Jul 20, 2010

    • Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he’ll resume direct peace talks if Israel accepts its 1967 frontier as a baseline for the borders of a Palestinian state and agrees to the deployment of an international force to guard them. …

      Abbas’ latest comments, published Saturday in the Jordanian newspaper Al-Ghad, hinted at some flexibility in his position. The Palestinian leader did not mention a comprehensive Israeli settlement freeze as a condition for negotiations— something he has underlined as crucial in the past.

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