East Wisconsin Savings Bank

East Wisconsin Savings Bank

East Wisconsin Savings Bank

While U.S. “peace envoy” George Mitchell met in the fall with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, establishing a formula to resume talks between Israel and the Palestinians remains elusive as ever.

New Obstacles to Mid-East Peace

Regarding these meetings the Voice of America reported that “the fate of the fragile Middle East peace process was hanging by a thread.” The Israelis and the Palestinians have apparently thrown up “new obstacles.” But the leading negotiators are still searching for a “face-saving” resolution that has been an enduring stumbling block on the roadmap to peace.

Former Senator Mitchell told the VOA that he intends to work for “substantive” talks aimed at real progress despite long-standing disagreements. He said that “reaching this goal will not be easy by any means.” But it appears the best that can be hoped for is a way to “narrow the gap between the two sides.”