Obama: Israel Has "True Partners" In Peace In Abbas, Fayyad
JERUSALEM -- President Barack Obama is telling Israelis that in the search for peace, they have "true partners" in Palestinian leaders Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, and Salam Fayyad, the prime minister.
Of course, Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with anyone who is dedicated to its destruction. But while I know you have had differences with the Palestinian Authority, I believe that you do have a true partner in President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. Over the last few years, they have built institutions and maintained security on the West Bank in ways that few would have imagined a decade ago. So many Palestinians – including young people – have rejected violence as a means of achieving their aspirations.
Which leads to my third point: peace is possible. I know it doesn’t seem that way. There will always be a reason to avoid risk, and there’s a cost for failure. There will always be extremists who provide an excuse to not act. And there is something exhausting about endless talks about talks; the daily controversies, and grinding status quo.
Email
Share