NY Times test of Clinton diplomacy -- Just handle Bibi and U.S. Jews; No problems with Abbas

Leo Rennert
American Thinker
05 September '10

In its Sunday, Sept. 5 edition, the New York Times carries a front-page article by Mark Landler about the challenge awaiting Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to prove her diplomatic prowess in efforts to steer negotiations toward a permanent peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians ("Clinton Facing A Crucial Test In Peace Talks -- Plunging Into Mideast Where Others Failed").

In his lengthy "diplomatic memo," Landler goes into great detail as to whether Clinton will be able to extract sufficient concessions from Prime Minister Netanyahu while maintaining American Jewish support for a compromise agreement.

In outlining hurdles Clinton may have to overcome, Landler cites first and foremost "the often tense relationship that this administration has had with Israel." To offset this hurdle, he quotes Clinton aides as saying that "she has a politician's feel for Mr. Netanyahu, which could help her push him to make hard choices."

Landler also weighs Clinton's relations with the American Jewish community, pointing to "arrows" she has taken from that quarter for her "full-throated advocacy of Mr. Obama's pressure on the Israeli government to freeze settlements." On the plus side, he mentions Clinton's cultivation of close ties with New York Jews as a U.S. senator.

All very fine. But what about Clinton's diplomatic skills in handling Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and getting him to meet Israel half-way. That's completely missing from Landler's piece.

(Read full article)

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