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U.S. Sees Dealing with Iran More Urgent than Palestinian State

[Ha'aretz] Aluf Benn - Later this month, President Obama will take the podium at the UN General Assembly and, flanked by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, declare the resumption of the Middle East peace process. He will set an ambitious goal: to achieve, within two years, a "comprehensive regional peace" that will end the Israeli-Arab conflict. Obama emissaries will sit in the conference room and put forward compromise proposals and solutions. After another decade of wars and disappointments, it's tough to sell the "New Middle East" in a new wrapping to cynical populations that have long since lost all belief in impassioned speeches promising peace and change. But by presenting a two-year timetable, Obama will make it clear that dealing with Iran is more urgent than establishing an independent Palestine alongside Israel. Next year, 2010, will be the "year of Iran." In return for advancing action on Iran, Netanyahu agreed to freeze construction in the West Bank settlements for a period of nine months, according to leaks from his talks with U.S. envoy George Mitchell.
2009-09-04 08:00:00
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