In case there were any doubts that the Obama administration is sending a message to the new Netanyahu government about its resistance to commit to a two-state solution, check out these two videos at the State Department website.
The videos show George Mitchell, the chief Middle East envoy, meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week.
Each is posted without comment, and aside from a bit of hands-shaking, each appears dedicated to demonstrating how emphatically Mitchell commits the Obama administration to a two-state outcome, once in the video with Palestinian Authority leaders, and twice with Israeli leaders.
The State Department emails to reporters flagging the videos included – unadorned – the Mitchell statements, and a link, and that’s it.
Somebody wanted to make a point.
Here’s the Palestinian clip:
And the Israel clip:
And here are the statements:
From the P.A.:
A comprehensive peace in this region is in the national interest of the United States, it is in the interest of the Palestinian people, it is in the interest of the people of Israel and of the entire region. A two state solution is the only solution.
And from Israel:
Policy of the United States under President Obama is clear. Beyond any doubt it is in the United States national interest that there be a comprehensive peace settlement in the middle east which would include settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a two-state solution involving a Palestinian state living side by side alongside the Jewish state of Israel in peace and hopefully stability and prosperity."
The president is personally strongly and firmly committed to achieving that comprehensive peace as is the secretary of state.
