July 15, 2010

Peace in the Mideast? Not Before the Midterms

Tony Karon, Time

AP Photo

President Obama's powers of spin will be sorely tested in the coming weeks as he tries to sustain the appearance of progress in his efforts to restart an Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The latest setback came on Tuesday, when Egypt's President, Hosni Mubarak, canceled a planned meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some reports, denied by the Egyptian government, said Mubarak would fly to Germany for medical treatment. Israeli media have speculated in recent weeks that Mubarak is suffering from cancer. Obama and Netanyahu had been hoping that Mubarak would endorse the U.S. call for direct peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and persuade Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to do the same. But a Mubarak illness and its ...

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TAGGED: Benjamin Netanyahu, Egypt, Israel

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