Obama Criticizes Israeli Settlement Plan; Abbas Quitting Anyway

In his interview with Fox yesterday, President Obama said that Israel's plans to expand its Gilo settlement in Jerusalem is unacceptable.  

Obama began by conceding his failure to get Prime Minister Netanyahu to freeze settlements. 

"There is no doubt, " he said, "that I haven't been able to stop the settlements; and, there is also no doubt from my perspective that it's in, not only the US interests but actually Israeli interests to not build settlements."

He continued: "Look, the situation in the Middle East is very difficult, and I've said repeatedly and I'll say again, Israel's security is a vital national interest to the United States, and we will make sure they are secure. I think that additional settlement building does not contribute to Israel's security, I think it makes it harder for them to make peace with their neighbors, I think it embitters the Palestinians in a way that could end up being very dangerous, and it makes, makes it hard to re-launch any kind of serious talks about how you achieve a two-state solution."

Obama's criticism was mild but the fact that they came from him, directly, and not from a spokesperson, added weight to his words. 

Pressure on the settlement issue has been building all week, and not only from the United States.  The Netanyahu government brought it on itself by leaking news that Obama's Middle East mediator, former Senator George Mitchell, had specifically asked Israel not to approve 900 new units in Gilo and then, almost immediately, approving their construction. 

An added element is President Mahmoud Abbas's announcement that he will resign the Palestinian Authority presidency in 2010.  Obama's remarks were, in part, designed to encourage Abbas to stay. (One of the main reasons Abbas is resigning is because he has lost faith in the Obama administration's willingness to confront Israel on the settlement issue). 

But Obama's words may be too little, too late. Today, Abbas re-stated his determination to quit. Ha'aretz quotes him saying this to Egyptian television:

"If [Israeli and U.S.] intentions are sincere, then I am still here and have been here for years. They could have reached a deal with me already... If Israel is prepared to advance peace on the basis of prior agreements and in accordance with the outline laid out in the road map, then it can do so with any Palestinian leader that succeeds me." 

Abbas said he had made clear during talks with U.S. President Barack Obama that he did not see himself as likely to convince Israel to halt construction in West Bank settlements. "I told President Obama, if you can't halt [settlements] how could I?"

Without Abbas, re-starting negotiations will be infinitely more difficult.  Perhaps Obama can still persuade Abbas to remain at his post if, rather than mere statements, he actually achieves a settlement freeze.