Positive First Step for Israel and Palestinians

Leaders from Israel and Palestine recently got together and had productive discussions about ultimately reaching a peaceful settlement to the decades-long dispute simmering between the two.

"Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to a series of direct talks on Thursday, seeking to forge the framework for a U.S.-backed peace deal within a year and end a conflict that has boiled for six decades.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who hosted the first session of talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expressed confidence that this effort could succeed where so many others have failed.

President Barack Obama, aiming to resolve one of the world's most intractable disputes, has set a goal of striking a deal within 12 months to create an independent Palestinian state that exists peacefully, side-by-side with the Jewish state.

"This will not be easy," Netanyahu said. "A true peace, a lasting peace, would be achieved only with mutual and painful concessions from both sides."

Although Israel has generally been a solid and reliable friend and ally of the US, the time has now come for the US to put significant pressure on them to strike a deal with the Palestinians.

Israel has received untold amounts of financial aid and cutting edge military hardware from the US over the years, which has led them to be more intractable in their dealings with the Palestinians than they otherwise would have if they don't have their "big brother" standing behind them and ready to defend them (rhetorically or militarily) in all their actions.

By no longer being lavished with US taxpayer money, one can hope that Israel will be more willing to negotiate a reasonably favorable settlement with their long-time adversaries, and bring a peace of sorts to the Middle East.