Obama invites Middle East leaders for peace talks

Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January. Courtesy of the World Economic Forum, photo by Yoshiko Kusano.

By David Koontz

In his administration’s first attempt at negotiating Middle East peace talks, President Barack Obama has invited several key Middle East leaders to Washington this month.

Obama will be meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today, followed by Egyptian President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak on May 26 and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on May 28.

“With each of them, the president will discuss ways the United States can strengthen and deepen our partnerships, as well as the steps all parties should take to help achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians and between Israel and the Arab states,” Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Egyptian President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January. Courtesy of the World Economic Forum.

The degree of success Obama’s urging for peace in the Middle East will have can be debated. At Elon University in North Carolina, some people remain optimistic toward the president’s aspirations.

Beth Kelley, manager of All That JAS, a clothing store on N. Williamson Ave. in Elon thought that Obama’s attempts would fair “better than the last ones. [Palestine and Arab leaders] didn’t want to cooperate with the previous Bush administration.”

“I think we’ve seen, compared to Bush, a lot less ‘good versus evil’ rhetoric. Instead of blindly standing next to our allies, Obama will need to address the root of the problems,” Renee Zale, a sophomore political science and international studies major at Elon, said. “It depends on our ability to see the issue from all sides and mediate the affairs fairly.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January. Courtesy of the World Economic Forum, photo by Remy Steinegger.

Taylor Foshee, also a sophomore political science and international studies major at Elon, said “President Obama is more equipped to facilitate a peace agreement with Israel and Palestine. I do think he’ll have more success than past presidents because his approach from the get go is very much one more of discussion based and not based on U.S. policy so much. It’s kind of starting at the brainstorming phase rather than already with a policy in mind.”

Foshee also stressed that it was important for Israel and Palestine to come to an agreement independently without foreign pressures on their decision.

Not all people are optimistic about Obama’s attempts at peace.

Bobby Chamberlain, a senior political science major at Elon, said outright “No, Obama is not going to do better. Conditions now are he worst they’ve been since 2000.”
According to Chamberlain, the Israeli government is too right wing, and has “a track record of not really playing nicely.”

“Palestinians are fractured, Abbas will not be able to deliver on any agreements,” Chamberlain said.

“Obama needs to find some way to convince the Israelis to not be so hard line. The U.S. needs to use its leverage against Israel,” he said. Chamberlain also added that the United States must crack down on and limit Hamas.

Katie Srex, a sophomore political science and international studies major at Elon, also thought Obama’s plans are very promising. “The right wing Israeli government won’t cooperate with I don‘t think the Palestinian people have a bargaining chip or and legitimacy to back up their claims,” she said.

“Nothing concrete will come out of this,” said Neil Guffey, a resident of Winston-Salem, N.C.

“Obama is a good politician and tactician; this will be, at best, an introduction. Dialogue is better than bullets, and you do have to start somewhere,” he said.

Guffey said that in order to have peace in the region,  a Palestinian state must be established, adding “you have to be careful of having a prime minister involved who is very hawkish,” referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I’d love to see the administration fare better, but I wouldn’t bet on it,” Guffey said.