Mitchell is New Middle East Envoy - Reactions Roundup
Former Senator George Mitchell has been called into peacemaking service once again. This is probably a good thing. The Mitchell Report is one of the more balanced documents to come out of U.S. diplomacy in the past decade.
Some reactions: The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and the American Task Force on Palestine like it.
ADC Communications Director Laila Al-Qatami said, "George Mitchell is an exceptionally well qualified and highly respected public servant. Known for his ability to generate good will, he has a proven record of leadership and negotiating peace. ADC hopes he will have full authority and support to actually reach an end to Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to create a just and durable peace agreement."
Jewish doves are ecstatic. J Street went to far as to put up an action alert praising the decision:
Dear President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
Thank you for appointing former Senator George Mitchell to the role of special envoy for Middle East Peace. Senator Mitchell is exactly the right choice to lead a renewed push by the United States for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Transcript of Obama, Clinton and Mitchell at the ceremony appointing him:
...I don't underestimate the difficulty of this assignment. The situation in the Middle East is volatile, complex and dangerous. But the president and the secretary of state have made it clear that danger and difficulty cannot cause the United States to turn away.
To the contrary, they recognize and have said that peace and stability in the Middle East are in our national interest. They are, of course, also in the interest of Israelis and Palestinians, of others in the region and people throughout the world.
The secretary mentioned Northern Ireland. There, recently longtime enemies came together to form a power-sharing government to bring to an end the ancient conflict known as the Troubles. This was almost 800 years after Britain began its domination of Ireland, 86 years after the petition of Ireland, 38 years after the British army formally began its most recent mission in Ireland, 11 years after the peace talks began, and 9 years after a peace agreement was signed.
In the negotiations which led to that agreement, we had 700 days of failure and one day of success.
MITCHELL: For most of the time, progress was nonexistent or very slow. So I understand the feelings of those who may be discouraged about the Middle East.
As an aside, just recently, I spoke in Jerusalem, and I mentioned the 800 years. And afterward, an elderly gentleman came up to me, and he said, "Did you say 800 years?" I said, "Yes, 800." He repeated the number again. I repeated it again. He said, "Ah, such a recent argument. No wonder you settled it."
(LAUGHTER)
But 800 years may be recent, but from my experience there, I formed the conviction that there is no such thing as a conflict that can't be ended. Conflicts are created, conducted and sustained by human beings; they can be ended by human beings.
I saw it happen in Northern Ireland, although admittedly it took a very long time. I believe deeply that with committed, persevering and patient diplomacy, it can happen in the Middle East.
There are, of course, many, many reasons to be skeptical about the prospect for success. The conflict has gone on for so long and has had such destructive effects that many have come to regard it as unchangeable and inevitable, but the president and the secretary of state don't believe that.
They believe, as I do, that the pursuit of peace is so important that it demands our maximum effort, no matter the difficulties, no matter the setbacks. The key is the mutual commitment of the parties and the active participation of the United States government, led by the president and the secretary of state, with the support and assistance of the many other governments and institutions who want to help.
The secretary of state just talked about our long-term objective, and the president himself has said that his administration, and I quote, "will make a sustained push, working with Israelis and Palestinians, to achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state in Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security."
This effort must be determined, persevering and patient. It must be backed up by political capital, economic resources, and focused attention at the highest levels of our government. And it must be firmly rooted in a shared vision of a peaceful future by the people who live in the region.
At the direction of the president and the secretary of state, and in pursuit of the president's policies, I pledge my full effort in the search for peace and stability in the Middle East.
Thank you.
COMMENTS (4)