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A Substantial Shift toward the Palestinian Position

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Robert Satloff - Specifically, the peace process principles articulated by President Obama constitute a major departure from long-standing U.S. policy. He is the first sitting president to say that the final borders should be "based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps." The Obama formulation concretizes a move away from four decades of U.S. policy based on UN Security Council Resolution 242 of November 1967, which has always interpreted calls for an Israeli withdrawal to a "secure and recognized" border as not synonymous with the pre-1967 boundaries. The idea of land swaps means that the U.S. view is that resolution of the territorial aspect of the conflict can only be achieved if Israel cedes territory it held even before the 1967 war. The most surprising aspect of the president's statement was that it moved substantially toward the Palestinian position just days after the Palestinian Authority decided to seek unity and reconciliation with Hamas, a group the U.S. views as a terrorist organization. The writer is executive director of The Washington Institute.
2011-05-20 00:00:00
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