'Obama must leverage bin laden's death for Mideast peace'

New York Times opinion piece urges US president to use political capital gained by hit on al-Qaeda leader to press Israel, PA to reignite peace process

Ynet |Published: 05.09.11 , 15:09

An opinion peace published Sunday by the New York Times urged US President Barack Obama to leverage the assassination of al-Qaeda head Osama bin Laden in favor of the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

"It is time for Mr. Obama, alone or with the quartet, to put a map and deal on the table. If Bin Laden’s death has given the president capital to spend, all the better," the op-ed piece said.

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The prestigious publication voiced concerns about the Palestinian unity deal, saying that while "a successful Palestinian state will need to have all its people, from both the West Bank and Gaza, working together to build a stable and prosperous future; the recent agreement between the two main factions — Fatah, which leads the Palestinian Authority and has committed to peace with Israel, and Hamas, which has committed to Israel’s destruction — is not the answer."

"Hamas has neither renounced its legacy of violenc e nor agreed to recognize Israel," the NYT stated. "The United States has spent millions of dollars helping the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority create a security force that Israel has come to rely on to keep the peace in the West Bank.

"Whether Hamas, which has terrorized Israel with rockets from Gaza, can ever be integrated into that force, or even work side by side, is a huge question."

Israel, added the op-ed, "Certainly has many reasons to mistrust this deal... The Obama administration has reacted warily to the new pact but said its assistance will continue for now. Congress is talking tough.

"It’s too early for a cut-off. The money is Washington’s main leverage on the new government. A cut-off would shift the political balance dangerously toward Hamas."

As for Abbas' unilateral bid for a Palestinian state, the op-ed said that "Abbas seems to believe this will advance his push to get the United Nations General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state. Above all, his sudden willingness to deal with his enemies in Hamas is a sign of his desperation with the stalled peace process.

"(….)Huge skepticism and vigilance are essential. But more months with no progress on peace talks will only further play into extremists’ hands."

The newspaper urged Washington to "press Mr. Netanyahu back to the peace table. A negotiated settlement is the only way to guarantee Israel’s lasting security.

"The Israelis and Palestinians are not going to break the stalemate on their own. And more drift will only lead to more desperation and more extremism."