WarSclerotic

Obama will crank up pressure on Iran – ‘if Netanyahu agrees to resume peace talks’

PRESIDENT Barack Obama is willing to increase the heat on Iran . . . in return for Israel resuming peace talks with the Palestinians.

This was revealed in The Sunday Times as aides of Benjamin Netanyahu got ready to leave for the United States to prepare for Obama’s important visit to Israel next month.

The US President wants Netanyahu to open talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on borders and security issues.

And in return, Obama is prepared to crack down harder on Iran’s nuclear programme, the authoritative newspaper reported.

According to the report, the US promised to increase the heat on Tehran even if core issues such as Jerusalem and the thorny problem of Palestinian refugees are not raised.

The Sunday Times quoted Aaron David Miller, of the Woodrow Wilson Centre, an adviser on the Middle East to six US secretaries of state, as saying “Barack Obama does not want to be the American president on whose watch Iran acquires a nuclear weapon or be accused of presiding over the demise of what’s left of the two-state solution”.

Netanyahu has not commented publicly on the newspaper report, but said that Obama’s forthcoming visit to Israel is “welcome” and that they have agreed on the subjects on which to focus during their talks.

“This will be a very important visit that will emphasise the strong alliance between Israel and the US,” he told his weekly Cabinet meeting.

“I think that the importance of this alliance stands out even more given what is happening in light of the great revolutions, the earthquakes that are taking place around us throughout the Middle East, from the Atlantic Ocean and North Africa and eastwards to Iran”.

Netanyahu said that he and Obama will focus during their talks on Iran’s attempt to arm itself with nuclear weapons, the unstable situation in Syria and its consequences for the security of the region, and efforts to advance the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Netanyahu said the seriousness of the issues to be discussed “requires as broad a national unity as possible and the harnessing of all forces in the State of Israel”.

The two Netanyahu aides who flew to Washington are said to be trying to link the Iranian and Palestinian issues.

If the report over Obama’s attempt to appease Netanyahu is authentic, the White House is receptive to the link.

White House officials spent weeks in Israel attempting to form an alliance of pro-western states – including Turkey and Jordan – to help stabilise the region, the newspaper also reported.

News of Obama’s spring visit to Israel set off speculation that he was visiting the region to restart peace efforts.

But the Palestinians reacted coolly to reports that he would not be bringing any bold new peace initiatives.

The Palestinians welcomed news of the visit, but implored Obama to take a more hands-on approach than he did during his first term.

“We believe he has good intentions, but in order for him to succeed he should realise the reasons for the failure of the previous round of talks and avoid them,” said Mohammed Ishtayeh, a senior Palestinian negotiator. “Mainly he needs to get involved personally and put real pressure on Israel.”

The Palestinians’ comments reflected their sense of desperation after four years of deadlocked peace efforts – and raised the pressure on Obama to extract new concessions from Netanyahu.

via JEWISH TELEGRAPH ONLINE – World News.

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