White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told Charlie Rose Thursday night that Israeli and Palestinian leaders must take advantage of a "unique moment" for peace. Reports Haaretz:
The three-way meeting between Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was not a photo op, Emanuel said.
"He [Obama] challenged them publicly, which means they now have to go home and face the people that they represent about the opportunities of peace versus the risk of not taking action." …
Obama "also said he is willing to challenge the Israeli government and friends when he thinks they’re wrong, as he has shown on the settlement[s], in a public way as well as in private," Emanuel added. This, he said, ensures that both sides trust Obama "to be an honest broker; don’t miss that opportunity in his story." …
But even more importantly, he believes that both parties, Israeli and Palestinian, need to "put aside the negotiations about the negotiations and begin their negotiations," Emanuel told interviewer Charlie Rose. "And you can’t start as if there hasn’t been a process."
"If you don’t make progress and engage in the process of making peace," he continued, "you give Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran, who are enemies of the peace process, and vocal opponents of it, a veto."
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