'Peace process': Round two

'Peace process': Round two

George Mitchell, the US special envoy, is returning to the Middle East to once again try and resuscitate the so-called "Peace Process" following a difficult first year for the Obama administration. 

In a recent interview, Mitchell tacitly acknowledged the failure of his efforts in securing a complete settlement freeze, saying what the Americans got was "far less than what they had requested".

Instead, Mitchell now says the 10-month Israeli moratorium - which by the way excludes occupied East Jerusalem and does not include construction already underway on thousands of homes and plans for new public buildings - is "more significant than any other measure taken by previous Israeli governments".

Its tragic that in the 40-year Israeli enterprise of illegally settling Jewish residents on Palestinian lands, this is the best the Americans can wrestle from their stalwart ally.

Well, if Mitchell and the Americans are going to have any success this time around, Henry Siegman, the former National Director of the American Jewish Congress says its time for the US, and third parties to impose peace in the Middle East and abandon

the utterly wrongheaded idea that a Palestinian state can arise without forceful outside intervention. The international community has shown signs of exasperation with Israel's deceptions and stonewalling

Will Mitchell come with a tougher approach in 2010? Mitchell could even be willing to use incentives and sanctions to force progress between Israelis and Palestinians. 

To what extent the US will flex its muscles with Israel this time around remains to be seen... but one thing is certain, if the US takes the same soft-handed approach in 2010 as it did in 2009, the chances for peace in the Middle East this year don't seem much better.