Special Envoy George Mitchell on the importance of compromise and leadership in the Middle East

Earlier today, Middle East Progress published an interview with Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, Senator George Mitchell. Below are excerpts of his remarks on the progress seen by the Obama administration toward peace in the region. The interview in full can be read here.

On Netanyahu's proclaimed 10 month settlement construction freeze:

The moratorium announced by Prime Minister Netanyahu on settlements is more than any Israeli government has done before and can help move Israelis and Palestinians toward an agreement on the outstanding territorial issues. For the first time, an Israeli government will stop housing approvals and all new construction of housing units and related infrastructure in West Bank settlements... The implementation of the moratorium will mean much less settlement construction than would occur if there is no moratorium.

A freeze on settlement activity is an Israeli obligation under the Roadmap, and the United States—as well as the Quartet—has long called on all parties to uphold their obligations. We suggested all parties—Israel, the Palestinians and Arab states—take steps to improve the atmosphere for negotiations. These steps can be a valuable contribution to achieving our goal of successful negotiations that result in a two-state solution. They are, however, a means to an end, not an end in and of themselves. We have never viewed these steps as pre-conditions to the resumption of negotiations.

On the importance of continued compromises:

There can be no absolute guarantee in advance of negotiations as to what will occur during the course of those negotiations. We must continue to urge, to encourage, and to persuade the leaders on both sides that compromises—difficult though they may be—are in the long-term interests of their people. The alternative is to accept endless conflict, never-ending disagreement, and the absence of opportunity for all the people of the region... The next generation should not have to live through what the present leadership has endured, and we are determined that peace can be achieved.

The President and the Secretary of State have been clear about our commitment both to Israel’s security and to the two-state solution based on the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state with contiguous territory. This commitment is unwavering and in the national security interests of the United States.

On Palestinian institution-building plans:

Fundamental to our goal of achieving a peaceful Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel, we must pursue political, economic and security tracks simultaneously and in integrated fashion. It is critical to match our efforts to restart negotiations and to move discussions meaningfully on the political track with efforts to build the Palestinian state from the ‘bottom up.’ This means showing average Palestinians immediate and tangible benefits in helping them get goods to market, children to school, and themselves to jobs. To do so, they must be able to live in a system of law and order, functioning and sustaining institutions, and with a degree of assured movement and access for people and goods. In a sense, Prime Minister Fayyad’s program for the PA, released in August, 2009, integrates aspects of the ‘top-down’ political/negotiating track and ‘bottom-up’ economic/security/institutional development track, given the degree of cooperation and interaction between Palestinians and Israelis required on both tracks. The U.S. joined other donors at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting in September in endorsing the PA plan and committing to support the PA’s institution-building approach.

On negotiations with Syria:

President Obama has directed that we engage Syria diplomatically. His objective is to assess Syria’s readiness to improve the U.S.-Syria bilateral relationship so that Syrian policies and actions that have been problematic for successive U.S. administrations will change in ways that permit the relaxation and eventual elimination of U.S. economic and political sanctions. If the U.S. and Syria were to share a substantially common regional strategic outlook the implications for Middle Eastern political stability and economic progress would be quite positive.

We are encouraging Syria and Israel to re-engage in negotiations as soon as possible. We have offered to facilitate their discussions in any way they see fit. We recognize there will be a major U.S. role in helping them implement a peace treaty. We intend to continue encouraging the Parties to engage by helping them come to agreement on certain understandings that would enable each to have a positive and compelling idea of what peace between them would look like once it is achieved.